Other than the software programs out there that let you play cards, there are plenty of other programs out there that aren’t a traditional card game like Bridge Base Online, but instead what I like to call a deck toy or card utility.
These are any programs, usually small ones, that allow you to do something with a card deck. Sometimes it calculates hand strength, other times it helps you to keep score for a specific card game or acts as a Keeper of Card Game Rules you can refer back to.
Here are a few online deck toys and card utilities that might be useful if you’re a regular card player, and not just for bridge.
Casino Finder
Looking for a nearby casino for a card game, round of slots or Tom Jones show? There are better ways to find the right venue than to aimlessly drive around your chosen state – and these days, there’s an accompanying app for that. Take a look at Casino Finder. It links up with a map and your location, and it can help you to find the right place to go from wherever you are now.
Random.org: Playing Card Randomizer
There are many opportunities in daily life where it’s appropriate to pick a card out of a card deck: With all of us here being card players, I imagine that most of us would rather pick a card than flip a coin – but for when you don’t have a card deck, there’s this handy playing card randomizer. The uses of Random.org is also far beyond this, and you can find many other “randomizing” tools in the same place.
The Bicycle Cards How to Play App
In the old days, everyone had a visiting family member and every family member had a different card game in their heads to show you – but this has changed, and there are plenty of good reasons to have an app nearby that can quickly look up the rules for most of the card games you can think of. Bicycle has thought of this, and their How to Play app is a quick reference guide that I think every card player out there should have.
A classic card deck toy designed by maestro Fred Gitelman, you can find the BBO Counting Game here (needs flash):
It might seem simple at first sight, but it’s a great way to teach anyone how to count up multiples fast – without the need to over-think it.
Any trading card fans out there? (Of course there are!) Here’s a handy tool that allows you to create customized Trading Cards – more for novelty reasons than for actual play. It can be a lot of fun to toy around with, and there are more options than just creating cards for the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe. It’s a good excuse to turn someone into a playing card or character when their birthday comes around…
Card games are all about knowing what’s in your hand – and figuring out what you’re meant to do with it next. Here’s a fast evaluator for poker hands that allows you to input your cards: It can be useful for any bridge players out there who play more than one card game.
Even though bridge isn’t played with die, there are many other games that are – and you don’t always have them within reach. Here’s a website that allows for the rolling of die with a handful of more advanced settings.
DND player? I’m sure there are a few BBO Prime members that might be. Here’s a dice-roller program (or die-roller, if you will) that’s specifically made for playing games of DND.
Magic: The Gathering Scoreboard
One of the most important things about most games – card or board – is keeping score. When you try to do this by memory, it usually results in someone disagreeing with the way you’ve done it. This never helps, and it turns friends into enemies fast. So, why not get an app for that, too? Here’s an online scorer specifically made for Magic: The Gathering.
What about general scoring software? Well, apparently that’s a thing. If you want a general app that can help you to keep score no matter what game you might be playing, there’s Keep the Score. It’s a little more advanced and diverse than most scoring widgets out there, which is why I consider it worth including on this list.
One more for poker. Here’s a hand searcher – or hand-lookup tool for anyone who prefers to call it that – which can come in, well, handy.