I enjoy a variation of whist in which you predict how many hands you are going to win. 10 points are scored for a correct prediction plus 1 point for each hand won. Left of the dealer (who changes each hand) predicts first, then each player followed by the dealer, but the number of predicted wins can’t be the same as possible wins.

That was the game of choice at a couple of places I worked. Called “Noms” as you had to nominate how many tricks you would take. Our version went from 7 cards per hand, down to one (twice) then back up to 7.

In my family the card game we play when we have Sunday dinners at my dads is Australian Rummy, a version which I’ve never seen anywhere else. Two packs, 13 cars per player, jokers and blsack 2s wild, various other rules. been played in the family since the 1950s at least. Possibly earlier as my granny met my granpa on a ship to Australia back in the 1920s. Maybe that is where the game was picked up.

dabbled in poker a while back but cant play cards at all, (snaps about my limit). me and the missus always go on about learning for those evenings abroad on hols but we just dont know how to play owt.

any recommendations for card games for two?

cribbage is great for two. It has a lovely rhythm to it in both gameplay and the language used. Buy a cheap folding cribbage board for travelling. I made my own for home out of some old oak window sill and 4x rivets.

thing I like about cribbage is the fact that it’s real tactics and strategy (ie strategy playing a card rather than strategy to move chips about the table), and with 2 phases where in one you play off each others cards, and in the other it’s entirely your own hand.
and both attacking and defending tactics in the same game.

Then of course there’s your proper card games