Baseball can be played with a standard 52-card deck by simulating the basic aspects of the sport. To set up the game, you will need a flat surface like a table to play on as the “field”, as well as markers like coins or chips to represent the teams and bases.
To determine the home and visiting teams, have each player draw a card. The highest card drawn gets to choose which team they want to be on. That player becomes the pitcher for their team. The other player is the batter and fielding team.
The order of batting is determined by card values, with Aces batting first followed by Kings, Queens, etc. You can have as many players as you want by dealing out a full hand of cards to each person. The cards represent the batting order.
To start play, place three bases (chips or coins) in a diamond pattern around the “field” to represent 1st, 2nd and 3rd base. The pitcher (playing cards) should be placed off to the side since they aren’t on the field yet. The object is for batters to make it around the bases and score runs.
The batting team turns over the top card of their hand to see what player is batting. Then the fielding team turns over the top card of their deck which represents what type of pitch is being thrown. Card values 2-10 are counted as the speed of the pitch. Face cards (Jack, Queen, King) represent breaking balls that can be harder to hit. Aces are 100+ mph fastballs.
The batter compares their card to the pitcher’s card to determine if they get a hit. Lower batting cards almost always beat lower pitching cards. Higher batting cards may or may not beat higher pitching cards depending on the matchup. The players can decide if it’s a hit, out, or Base on Balls.
If the batter gets a hit, they advance that many bases. For example, a 7 batter versus a 3 pitcher would get a base hit and advance to 1st base. An Ace batter versus a 5 pitcher might also get a hit. Face cards like Jacks can be strikes if the batter’s card is lower.
After each at bat, move the runner’s base chip and discard the used batting and pitching cards face down in a pile. When a runner reaches 3rd base, they are eligible to score a run on a hit by the next batter. The batting team tries to score as many runs as possible before 3 outs are recorded.
Three outs end the inning, and the teams switch between batting and fielding. Outs occur when the batting card is lower than the pitch, a fielding card is drawn on a hit, or if the fielding team draws the same suit as the hitter’s card for a defensive play resulting in an out like a catch or tag.
The game continues with teams alternating batting and fielding through 9 innings or until a team scores 21 runs to win. Optional rules include extra base hits for face cards, wild pitches, errors, etc. Keep track of the score and have fun recreating baseball thrills with a standard deck of cards!
This card game simulates all the key elements of a baseball game including batting order, offense with hits and baserunning, pitching with balls and strikes, fielding with outs, and full 9 inning games. It allows for quick baseball action that can be played anywhere without needing a field or equipment. The competitive game play and variable card values provide replay value for many games. This version stays true to baseball fundamentals while using cards as a unique medium for the sport.
