It's getting down to the wire to buy Christmas gifts. It seems no matter how much shopping I do, I always have a few people to buy for at the last minute. Buying gifts at the last minute can be stressful since it is obviously hard to buy for these people that are on your list. My motto is: when in doubt, give games. Here are some last minute card game gift ideas.

Loot
If a pirate's life is for you, then Loot is the game for you. Players play ships while other players can attack with pirate ships. Other players can respond with more pirate ships. The person who is in control of the ship at the beginning of the person who played the ship wins the card. Players earn the loot on the ship. At the end of the game, the person with the most loot wins. Loot is a fun card game good for adults and kids.

Three Dragon Ante
Three Dragon Ante is from Wizards of the Coast. This standalone card game can also be used with the role playing game Dungeons and Dragons. While the card game may be lumped in with role playing games at the local bookstore, players do not need to play or even know how to play Dungeons and Dragons.

Lunch Money
Atlas Games has a fun card game called Lunch Money. While the name may sound like a great game for children, the context of the game might be a little too much for younger kids. In the game you are trying to steal the lunch money of other players. You do this by playing certain cards to gain the upperhand. There are also cards that allow players to defend against attacks. The photography of the cards is beautiful and quite artistic.

The Great Dalmuti
The Great Dalmuti is always a favorite on game night. It is very similar to the regular card game President. This classic card game is wonderful to play with a large group. The object of the game is to discard all of your cards. You get rid of cards by following the leader. If a leader leads with 2 10's then you must beat if to play on the hand. The lower the card the higher ranking it is. So, you would need 2 nines or a lower value to play on the hand. Players sit in order they went out in the game. The first person to discard their cards is the Great Dalmuti while the second player is the Lesser Dalmuti. The last person to discard is the Greater Peon while the second to last player is the Lesser Peon. Our group has hats for the Great Dalmuti as well as the Greater Peon. It's a great addition to anyone's game shelf.

Playing cards and a rulebook
I always enjoy a new deck of playing cards. You can spice up this gift by giving a licensed deck or by giving a card game rulebook to go along with it. One of the best gifts I have ever gotten my Dad was a crossword puzzle dictionary. Since he works the daily newspaper crossword, it can in handy. A card games rulebook featuring different games to play with a deck of cards would be a nice companion to a deck of cards.

Sneaks
Sneaks is made by SimplyFun and follows the principle of the game Spoons. Collect four of a kind, and grab a sneaker. Then it's a free-for-all for the rest of the sneakers. If you do not have a sneaker, then you are eliminated. Be the last person with a sneaker to win the game. It's a simple card game but can be loads of fun.

A lot of people enjoy card games and what better time to try a new card game than at Christmas. Once you've eaten all the turkey and opened the gifts, have some fun by learning a new card game or play an old favorite card game.