A quick game of strategy.
For: 3 or more people, no upper limit
Needs: Usually one deck of playing cards, jokers removed (add decks if the number of players warrants it)
The object of the game is to have the highest score at the end of the round, but don't wait too long. The longer you wait, the better your opponents' chances of getting a higher score.
Determine a dealer any way you see fit. Shuffle and deal out three cards to each player. The remainder of the deck is placed face down between all players and the top card is turned over to begin the discard pile.
The goal of the hand is to get as close to 31 points as possible. All cards carry face value except for aces, which carry 11 points. Face cards are 10 points. You can only score points on cards in the same suite. A perfect hand would be the ace and two 10-point cards of the same suite.
For example, if you hold the 8 of Hearts, 10 of Diamonds, and K of Hearts, you only hold 18 points in your hand. However, on your next turn, if you get the A of Diamonds, you can discard one of your Hearts, and now carry a score of 21 in Diamonds.
Play begins to the left of the dealer. The player may pick up the top card on the discard pile, or draw from the deck. Then they must discard one card. Play passes to the left.
Play continues until one of two things happens. Either someone announces they have 31 points, or someone "knocks."
If someone can make 31 points at the end of their turn, they discard, lay down their three cards, and simply announce that they've won the hand. Deal passes to the left.
Or, someone may "knock" by rapping their knuckles on the table. ("Knocking," if you will) The "knocker" is signalling that s/he is done playing and believes s/he has the hand with the highest score (but not a score of 31, of course).
Once someone has "knocked," play continues around the table one more time. When everyone has had one last turn (the "knocker" doesn't get one last turn, that's the price of "knocking"), everyone reveals their hands. The winner is the player with the highest score.
Deal passes to the left.
While many areas of the nation do not condone gambling, this is a fun option. This option can be adapted to a non-gambling game, as well.
Before the game begins, each player buys three markers for whatever cost you wish. Typical amounts are a quarter per marker or a dollar per marker.
If someone scores 31, they lay down their cards, and everyone else at the table pays a marker to the pot.
If someone "knocks," to end the round, they are not saying they have the highest score. They are simply saying they don't have the lowest score. Once someone has "knocked" and play has completed around the table once more, the player with the lowest score must pay a marker to the pot. "Knocking" is asserting that you do not have the lowest score, so if you "knock" and have the lowest score, you will owe two markers to the pot instead of one.
A question was posed to me that I wish to address. The question was, if someone "knocks" and one of the other players scores 31 as play passes around that one last time, does the "knocker" owe an extra marker? The answer is no. What if, in the same situation, the "knocker" had the lowest score? The answer is still no. A score of 31 ends the hand. Everyone owes a marker to the pot. If someone scores a 31, it doesn't matter what other people had in their hand, nor does it matter who had the lowest hand, nor does it matter if someone had "knocked" or not. 31 ends the hand.
You are out of the game when you owe a marker to the pot and cannot pay a marker to stay in the game. The winner is the last player at the table. The winner wins the pot.
Enjoy, and have tons of fun.