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Gifts for card players, from bridge regulars to poker-night hosts

Gift ideas for bridge, canasta, rummy and poker players: a multi-deck shuffler, a folding card table, bidding boxes, chips, good decks and new games.

  • 12 researched picks
  • $14 to $229
  • Updated September 2026
  • By Considered Gifts editorial desk

Before you shop

Most card players have a regular game: a weekly bridge club, a canasta or hand-and-foot table with the same friends, a poker night at someone’s house, or a family that deals a hand after dinner. They already own cards. What helps is equipment that makes their particular game run better: less shuffling, hands that are easier to hold, a proper table, and chips or cards that feel right. Multi-deck games are the extreme case, since four players at hand and foot use five decks.

The common mistake is a generic card-lover gift: a novelty deck, a cheap boxed poker set or a gadget built for a different game. Find out which game they play most, then buy for that table. Bridge players bid with bidding boxes and study conventions. Canasta and rummy players need help shuffling and holding big hands. Poker hosts care about chip material and weight. Trick-taking fans often enjoy newer games built on the same skills.

Prices run from about $14 for a rummy-style card game to about $229 for a 500-piece ceramic chip set, and most picks cost under $50. The poker picks are equipment for friendly home games; nothing here is about betting money. Each pick says which game and which kind of player it suits.

How we chose

  • Matched to the game they play most: bridge, canasta and rummy, poker, or newer trick-taking games.
  • Solves a real table problem, such as shuffling five decks, holding 13 cards with sore hands or bidding without talking.
  • Gets the details players notice right, from plastic cards for shufflers to chip weight and bidding-box design.
  • Skips betting products and joke decks that get opened once.

Quick comparison

All 12 picks at a glance

Jump to any pick for the reasoning, who should skip it, and where to find it.

01Shuffle Tech MDS-6 Multi-Deck ShufflerCanasta and hand-and-foot players who shuffle several decks every hand$19902Baron Barclay Solid Wood Folding Card Table, straight edgeBridge and canasta foursomes who host at home$19903Piatnik Double Deck Playing Cards, Hokusai’s The WaveBridge, canasta and rummy players who like a handsome deck on the table$1804The Crew: Mission Deep Sea cooperative card gameBridge, spades and hearts players ready for a team trick-taking game$1505Baron Barclay SuperBridge bidding boxes with plastic cards, set of 4Club bridge players who host a home game or a practice foursome$4306BBO Poker Tables The Mint 10g Ceramic Chip Set, 500 piecesHome poker hosts who want chips that look and feel like a casino’s$2290725 Bridge Conventions You Should Know, 2nd EditionSocial and club bridge players adding conventions to their bidding$2208Cat in the Box: Deluxe EditionSpades and Oh Hell players who like bidding on tricks and want a new twist$3009Baron Barclay Wooden Card Holders, set of 2Players with arthritis or a weak grip, and anyone holding a big hand-and-foot hand$2010Bridge Baron 29 bridge software, Windows and Mac downloadBridge players who want to practice between club games on a computer$7011Five Crowns rummy-style card gameRummy and gin players looking for a quick new variant for family game night$1412BBO Poker Mat, World TravelerPoker-night hosts who play on a kitchen or dining table$33

The picks

Each gift, and who it suits

  1. Card shufflerAbout $199

    Shuffle Tech MDS-6 Multi-Deck Shuffler

    Best for Canasta and hand-and-foot players who shuffle several decks every hand

    It takes over the worst chore in multi-deck games. Canasta uses two packs plus four jokers, and a four-player hand-and-foot game uses five decks, according to Pagat’s rules pages. The MDS-6 shuffles up to six decks at once in under 90 seconds and runs plugged in or on four D batteries, so it can travel to another player’s table. Shuffle Tech backs it with a one-year mechanical warranty and a 30-day satisfaction guarantee.

    Skip it if
    They mostly play single-deck games like bridge or poker, where a multi-deck machine adds little.
    Before you buy
    Shuffle Tech recommends it with high-quality plastic cards, so pair it with plastic decks if they still play with paper ones.
    See it at Shuffle TechOr compare prices on
    Google Shopping

  2. Card tableAbout $199

    Baron Barclay Solid Wood Folding Card Table, straight edge

    Best for Bridge and canasta foursomes who host at home

    It gives a regular foursome a proper table that folds away between games. Baron Barclay, a bridge supply company, sells this solid wood table with a 32-inch-square top at 29.5 inches high. Folded, it is about 3.4 inches deep for storage, and it weighs 27.6 pounds with no assembly needed. A square top seats partners directly across from each other, the way canasta and bridge partnerships sit.

    Skip it if
    They play at a club or community center and never host, or there’s no room at home to store a table.
    Before you buy
    Allow one to two weeks for delivery; it ships only within the contiguous United States. A scalloped-edge version costs the same $199.
    See it at Baron BarclayOr compare prices on
    Google Shopping

  3. Playing cardsAbout $18

    Piatnik Double Deck Playing Cards, Hokusai’s The Wave

    Best for Bridge, canasta and rummy players who like a handsome deck on the table

    It upgrades the cards they handle every hand. Baron Barclay describes Piatnik as the renowned Austrian maker of bridge playing cards, and this boxed set holds two coated decks printed with Hokusai’s The Wave. The indices sit on all four corners, which helps left-handed players reading a fanned hand. Two matching decks mean one can be shuffled while the other is in play, and the artwork makes it feel like a gift rather than a replacement.

    Skip it if
    They play poker and want plastic cards that stand up to spills and shufflers; these are coated paper cards.
    Before you buy
    Other Piatnik designs, such as Van Gogh’s Starry Night and Art Nouveau, cost the same. For plastic cards, Baron Barclay’s all-plastic bridge double deck is $12.45.
    See it at baronbarclay.comOr compare prices on
    Google Shopping

  4. Cooperative card gameAbout $15

    The Crew: Mission Deep Sea cooperative card game

    Best for Bridge, spades and hearts players ready for a team trick-taking game

    It turns the trick-taking skills they already have into a puzzle the whole table solves together. Players work through a series of increasingly difficult missions with limited communication, so reading a partner’s cards matters as much as it does in bridge or spades. It follows the original The Crew, which won the 2020 Kennerspiel des Jahres, and a game takes about 20 minutes, so a group can play a few missions and pick up where they left off.

    Skip it if
    They only enjoy competitive games, or they already own the original The Crew and still have missions left.
    Before you buy
    Thames & Kosmos listed it as backordered in late September 2026; Target showed it in stock at $12.49.
    Find it on
    Google Shopping

  5. Bidding boxesAbout $43

    Baron Barclay SuperBridge bidding boxes with plastic cards, set of 4

    Best for Club bridge players who host a home game or a practice foursome

    They let a home game bid the way many clubs do: silently, by placing cards on the table instead of speaking. The set has four boxes of long-lasting plastic bidding cards, designed for smooth opening and closing, full visibility of the cards and use by right- and left-handed players. Each closed box is about 5.5 by 3.5 inches, and the four interlock to stack for storage.

    Skip it if
    They play social rubber bridge with spoken bidding and like it that way, or they already own a set.
    Before you buy
    Choose red, green or navy blue. Replacement card sets and single bidding cards are sold separately if a Pass card goes missing.
    See it at Baron BarclayOr compare prices on
    Google Shopping

  6. Poker chip setAbout $229

    BBO Poker Tables The Mint 10g Ceramic Chip Set, 500 pieces

    Best for Home poker hosts who want chips that look and feel like a casino’s

    It is a clear step up from the plastic or plastic-covered metal chips in inexpensive home sets. Each of the 500 chips is 10-gram ceramic, in line with the roughly 10 grams typical of US casino chips, and ceramic chips have been used in casinos since the mid-1980s. BBO calls the set casino grade and prints its own design in California. The product page lists values from 25 cents to $10,000 in the 500-chip breakdown.

    Skip it if
    They play poker a few times a year and a basic set works fine, or they already own a clay or ceramic set.
    Before you buy
    BBO prints each order in California, so allow three to five business days before it ships. BBO also sells 13.5-gram “clay” sets from $189.
    See it at BBO Poker TablesOr compare prices on
    Google Shopping

  7. Bridge bookAbout $22

    25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know, 2nd Edition

    Best for Social and club bridge players adding conventions to their bidding

    It explains the bidding conventions club partners expect them to know, in one book written for everyone from social players to club regulars. The revised second edition, from 2022, updates the 1999 original for modern bidding: it drops Landy, the Grand Slam Force and Ogust, and adds Bergen raises, DONT and Meckwell. Baron Barclay says the original sold more than 300,000 copies in six languages.

    Skip it if
    They are brand new to bridge and still learning to count points, or they already play a full convention card with a regular partner.
    Before you buy
    Baron Barclay also sells a companion title, Practice Makes Perfect on 25 Bridge Conventions, for $15.95.
    See it at baronbarclay.comOr compare prices on
    Google Shopping

  8. Trick-taking gameAbout $30

    Cat in the Box: Deluxe Edition

    Best for Spades and Oh Hell players who like bidding on tricks and want a new twist

    It keeps the bidding and trick-taking they know and adds one twist: a card’s color isn’t set until they play it. Each player predicts how many tricks they will take, then declares a color for every card played by placing a token on a shared board, and connected groups of tokens score bonus points. Because a number can’t be declared in a color that is already taken, a hand can end in a paradox, which Bezier calls catastrophic. It plays two to five.

    Skip it if
    They like their card games traditional and have little patience for new rules.
    Before you buy
    Bezier posts the official rules as a PDF on the product page, so you can read them before buying.
    See it at Bezier GamesOr compare prices on
    Google Shopping

  9. Card holdersAbout $20

    Baron Barclay Wooden Card Holders, set of 2

    Best for Players with arthritis or a weak grip, and anyone holding a big hand-and-foot hand

    They hold a whole hand upright on the table, so a player with sore hands doesn’t have to grip and fan 13 or more cards all evening. Baron Barclay says they are specially made for players who have difficulty holding cards and designed to hold an entire hand easily. Each curved wooden holder is about 13 inches long, and the set of two covers a couple or a pair of partners.

    Skip it if
    Their hands are fine and they like fanning their cards; a holder can feel fussy to someone who doesn’t need it.
    Before you buy
    Buy two sets if the whole foursome would use them.
    See it at Baron BarclayOr compare prices on
    Google Shopping

  10. Bridge softwareAbout $70

    Bridge Baron 29 bridge software, Windows and Mac download

    Best for Bridge players who want to practice between club games on a computer

    It gives them a computer partner and opponents whenever the foursome can’t meet. Bridge Baron 29 comes with seven bidding systems, including SAYC, 2/1 Game Force, Precision and Acol, plus more than 100 conventions for building a custom system. It includes 530 problem deals, 24 of them new ones by world champion Kit Woolsey, and six new tournaments. It plays against them on their own Windows or Mac computer rather than online.

    Skip it if
    They play only on an iPad or phone; Baron Barclay says it doesn’t run on tablets or mobile devices, and it has no online multiplayer.
    Before you buy
    Choose the full version at $69.95; the cheaper upgrade is only for Bridge Baron 28 owners. It arrives as a download link and serial number by email.
    See it at baronbarclay.comOr compare prices on
    Google Shopping

  11. Rummy card gameAbout $14

    Five Crowns rummy-style card game

    Best for Rummy and gin players looking for a quick new variant for family game night

    It keeps the books and runs of rummy and adds two twists. The double deck has five suits, with stars joining spades, clubs, hearts and diamonds, and the wild card changes every round: threes are wild in the three-card round, fours in the four-card round, and so on until kings go wild. When one player goes out, everyone else gets one last chance to cut their losses. It plays one to seven, ages 8 and up.

    Skip it if
    They already own it, or they want a deep strategy game rather than a quick family one.
    Before you buy
    PlayMonster sells through retailers rather than directly; Target listed it in stock in September 2026, and PlayMonster’s list price is $13.99.
    See it at target.comOr compare prices on
    Google Shopping

  12. Game matAbout $33

    BBO Poker Mat, World Traveler

    Best for Poker-night hosts who play on a kitchen or dining table

    It turns the table they already have into a card table for the night. The mat uses the same dye-sublimated playing surface as BBO’s game tables, and a rubber backing keeps it from slipping and holds cards and pieces in place. It rolls up into a storage bag, so it can go to a friend’s house or back in the closet. BBO also pitches it for board games, dominoes and puzzles.

    Skip it if
    They already have a felt-topped poker table, or they play only bridge at a regular card table.
    Before you buy
    BBO listed it at $32.50 on sale in September 2026. The product page gives no dimensions, so check the size with BBO if their table is small.
    See it at BBO Poker TablesOr compare prices on
    Google Shopping

Before you buy

Where this gift can go wrong

  • A cheap boxed poker set as a serious gift. Inexpensive home sets use plastic or plastic-covered metal chips, while real casino chips are compression-molded composites or ceramic.
  • Judging chips by weight. US casino chips typically weigh about 10 grams, so a 13.5-gram set is heavier, not more authentic.
  • A shuffler or deck built for a different game. Canasta uses two packs plus jokers and hand and foot uses five decks for four players, so check what their game needs.
  • Betting-related gifts. Keep poker gifts about the home game itself: chips, a mat and good cards.
  • A joke deck they won’t play with. Regular players notice card size, finish and wear, and a gag deck gets opened once.

Useful answers

Questions people ask

What’s the difference between clay, composite and ceramic poker chips?

Most authentic casino chips are called clay but are compression-molded composites, which are more durable than clay alone. Ceramic chips arrived in the mid-1980s as an alternative and are also used in casinos. Inexpensive home sets use plastic or plastic-covered metal slugs. US casino chips typically weigh about 10 grams, so a heavier 13.5-gram set is not more authentic, just heavier.

What do bridge players want as gifts?

Things that make a home game run like the club: bidding boxes for silent bidding, a square card table for a foursome, good cards and a book on conventions, such as 25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know. For practice between games, Bridge Baron software plays against them on a Windows or Mac computer. For club players, a full ACBL membership lets them earn masterpoints; the first year costs $39.

How many decks do canasta and hand and foot use?

Classic canasta uses two standard 52-card packs plus four jokers, 108 cards in all, for four players in partnerships. Hand and foot uses one more deck than the number of players, so a four-player partnership game uses five decks with two jokers each, 270 cards. That is why a multi-deck shuffler and card holders make practical gifts for these players.

Are automatic card shufflers worth it?

For multi-deck games, often yes. Shuffle Tech’s MDS-6 shuffles up to six decks in under 90 seconds, and the company recommends it with high-quality plastic cards. For single-deck games like bridge or poker, hand shuffling is quick, and serious single-deck machines cost far more: Shuffle Tech’s ST-1000 lists at $899.

Research record

What we read

The sources that shaped this list, beyond the product pages linked with each pick. Last reviewed September 2026.

01Pagat.com (John McLeod): Canasta rulespagat.com02Pagat.com (John McLeod): Hand and Foot rulespagat.com03Wikipedia: Casino token (chip materials and weight)en.wikipedia.org04ACBL: Membership levels and benefitsacbl.org

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