This is a comprehensive handbook to over 250 card games from beginner to more advanced levels of play. It includes games from all over the world, such as Blackjack, Boonaken, French Tarot, Bid Whist, Crazy Eights and Schwimmen. It clearly and simply guides new players through the rules and strategies of play, with fascinating insights into the history and development of the game. The games are grouped logically, so it is easy to find fun family games as well as advanced games. The straightforward illustrations provide an invaluable visual guide, making it simple to follow the rules and quickly get started on each new game. It is beautifully illustrated with more than 1200 colour photographs and diagrams. This expertly presented book gives all the information needed to begin playing cards, with advice on the rules and strategies of over 250 games. The first section, Card Games, covers fun games for families and friends such as Six-Card Cribbage as well as advanced games, such as Brag. The second section, Poker, guides you through all the basic information needed to begin playing poker. This section outlines the recent origins of poker as part of the colourful American Wild West culture, along with memorable games and notable players. For every game there is a complete explanation of the type of pack required, ideal age, playing and scoring, and plenty of diagrams of sample games in play to make the instructions easy to follow.