Sometimes you don’t need a full rulebook—you just need names. Maybe you’re building a directory, naming a category, or filling a reference page. Whatever the reason, card games that start with A is a surprisingly practical rabbit hole, because “A” includes classics, regional favorites, and a few modern staples.
Below is a curated A-list (not exhaustive), with brief context so the names aren’t just floating text. Consider it a starter slice of a Card Game Glossary—enough to orient you without turning the page into a phone book.
All Fours
A trick-taking game best known in parts of the UK, Ireland, and North America. Players score for specific achievements in tricks (often “high, low, jack, game”), which makes it feel different from simple “most tricks wins” formats.
Amazing Eights
A common alternate name for Crazy Eights (house usage varies). You’ll see it on family-game lists where the “crazy” label is toned down.
Auction Bridge
A historical predecessor to Contract Bridge. It’s not the bridge most people play today, but it matters in the evolution of bidding systems and partnership play.
Agram
A Central European trick-taking game sometimes compared to other regional classics. If you’re collecting names for international coverage, this one shows up in older references and folk lists.
Aggravation (card-based variants)
Some families use “Aggravation” as a label for home rules where certain ranks trigger actions (skips, reverses, forced draws). It’s not a single standardized game, but the name appears in casual circles.
Aluette
A French game with a distinctive deck tradition (often associated with the “Spanish-suited” style and unusual card hierarchy). It’s a niche entry, but a real one—and a good example of how deck traditions shape gameplay.
Alquerque-to-Card Hybrids (modern custom games)
Not a single game name, but you’ll sometimes see “A” entries in hobby communities for invented hybrids or print-and-play sets. If you’re building a serious reference list, separate folk/historical names from modern custom titles.
Asshole (also known as President)
A shedding game where the goal is to get rid of your cards first, with social ranking between rounds. The name varies by region and audience; “President” is the common cleaner label.
Australian Patience (family of solitaire variants)
A label used for certain solitaire/patience variations in some collections. Solitaire naming is notoriously inconsistent, so entries like this often point to a type rather than one universal ruleset.
Aces Up
A well-known solitaire game: you remove cards under specific conditions, typically trying to end with as few cards as possible. It’s popular because it’s fast and has a clear “try again” loop.
Accordion (Accordion Patience)
Another solitaire classic where cards are removed based on matching ranks or suits with spacing rules. It’s simple to start, tricky to finish—perfect solitaire logic.
Acey Deucey
Depending on the source, “Acey Deucey” appears as a gambling-themed label and as a “play between ace and two” style game. In an educational card-games directory, it’s usually best treated as a historical name with careful context, since meanings vary.
Action or “Ace” variants (house-rule names)
Many groups name their homemade games starting with “A” because of “Ace” mechanics (aces are wild, aces start foundations, etc.). These can be real within a household but not standardized enough for a global glossary without notes.
Mini Card Game Glossary (A-page basics)
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Trick-taking: Players each play one card to a “trick”; highest (or best by suit/trump) wins the trick.
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Shedding: The main goal is to get rid of all your cards first.
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Rummy-style melding: You form sets/runs (“melds”) to reduce deadwood or go out.
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Patience/Solitaire: Typically one-player card puzzles with layouts and building rules.
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Trump suit: A suit that beats other suits during trick-taking.
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Wild card: A card that can represent other ranks/suits depending on the rules.
A quick note on accuracy (because “A” lists get messy)
Card-game naming is full of duplicates and local nicknames. One town’s “Amazing Eights” is another town’s “Crazy Eights,” and some titles (“Aggravation,” “Acey Deucey”) can refer to multiple unrelated rule sets. If you’re building a reference page, the clean approach is: list the name, the broad family (trick-taking / shedding / solitaire), and a one-line identifier so readers don’t confuse look-alikes.
A good A-list is less about being endless and more about being useful. These card games that start with A cover several big families—trick-taking, shedding, and solitaire—while the Card Game Glossary notes keep the terminology grounded. If you keep names paired with their game family, your list stays readable even as it grows.
