TraditionalGames

Worthy games roughly 100 years old or older, grouped by standard player count.

The qualifier I'm aiming for inclusion is games that are good for money play and tournament play alike.

Two player

• Go (old) -- the territory game. A testimony to simplicity.
• Chess (1400s) -- nuff said
• Cribbage (1660s) -- a card game better with the scoring board; can also be played with 3 or 4. Fast playing card game with competing strategies and options.
• Schnapsen (1880) -- a trick-taking card game of significant depth and skill
• Dominoes (all fives) (1890s) -- perhaps the best "classic" style of dominoes game
• Modern backgammon (1920s) -- much depth, plays fast, dramatic, random elements
• Gin rummy (1909) -- gameplay like Mahjong but quite deep for a playing card game

Four player

• Poker (1830s) -- for the love of god don't insist on Texas hold'em, play something more interesting like stud or draw or maybe Omaha.
• Texas 42 (1885) -- a dominos trick-taking game I have yet to play!
• Mahjong (1900s?) -- much like rummy but with more interesting patterns. Many books have been written on it. Of note are the Riichi, Hong Kong, Zung Jung, and MCR variants
• Contact bridge (1904) -- a 4 player card game that is quite different from poker, dominoes, mahjong, and rummy -- of tremendous depth!