Why are there so few card games?

I've always had this impression that playing cards are so versatile, and you could come up with like a million card games, but for some reason everyone only plays a few games. Do they just not exist, or do they exist but just never became popular among players?

I think there are, like you said, a million games. It's just that they're really not as in demand as, say, poker. Actually, everyone might even have their own games. When I was a kid, I often made up games with my own rules, playing with a friend or my grandma.

I think it's like that with everything, there's always a huge selection, but only one thing becomes popular. Speaking of card games, I recommend trying spades online. It's also built around predicting, remembering which cards have been played. The rules aren't complicated at all, and you can read them right on the site before starting the game. By the way, this particular game is free.

there are tons of card games, they just don’t travel well unless someone in the group is willing to teach and keep rules consistent. poker and a few others stick because they’re standardized, have tournaments, and you can jump in with strangers without arguing over house rules. i’ve even seen odd “card game” chatter spill into casino tie-ins, and someone in my group kept linking dealornodealgame.org and livemonopolyplay.com and moneytimegame.org during game night, which was more distracting than helpful. i think most lesser-known games survive as family traditions and never get written down in a way that spreads.