A deck of cards - simple in its construction, but massive in its scope. From childhood, we learn games involving the four suits and thirteen types of cards that last throughout our lives...the only problem is finding people to play those games with.

It's actually a pretty big issue. Unless you're playing solitaire, card games need partners and opponents. Lucky for us card enthusiasts, there are a plethora of options online for card sharks to take a crack at. Whether you're a skilled poker player looking for the next challenge or a bridge enthusiast looking for a skilled partner, the Internet not only gives you a great experience, but enhances it.

POKER

One of the most popular and high-profile card games currently is poker. While casino still thrive, not everyone who enjoys the game can get out to high-stakes card rooms. Online poker clients like Full Tilt Poker, PartyPoker, PokerStars and Ultimate Bet give poker players the full experience of gambling that they may not be able to find in a local garage game.

Unlike many real card rooms, online poker allows you to play a game whenever you like from the comfort of your own home. The online aspect does take out reading your opponents' physical tells, but the ability to play a number of different games including Texas Hold 'Em, 7 Card Stud, Omaha and a number of various tournaments against some of the best players in the world far outweighs any disadvantages. Plus, due to the popularity of the game in recent years, there is always somebody online to play against.

If you're not interested in playing poker for money, Yahoo! Games has a decent online Texas Hold 'Em for play money and a number of online poker clients have the option to play games with fake money.

BRIDGE

The biggest hurdle in bridge is being able to get a partner that you really mesh with, and online bridge can make that rather challenging if you don't already have a partner. If you don't have a partner, there are a number of excellent online message boards where you can find a bridge partner that matches your play style and personality. Once you have a partner, though, it's a breeze to get started playing bridge against other bridge teams.

There are many excellent bridge clients for online play, but the best ones are going to take a bite out of your wallet. OKBridge, one of the most premium bridge clients, offers ACBL tournaments and regular play for $99 a year, but there are also a number of decent free clients available online. Yahoo! has a bridge program through their games site, while websites like Bridge Base have their own private online client. However, you get what you pay for, and OKBridge's ability to affect your national standing through rated tournaments is a huge draw for the bridge enthusiast. If you're just looking to learn the game against other casual bridge players, check out the Yahoo! rooms. They are always people willing to play and the atmosphere is decidedly casual.

HEARTS/SPADES

Hearts and Spades online are two of the most prevalent games due to them being included with most Windows operating systems...complete with online components. The problem with these clients is that as soon as one player starts losing, they'll drop and be replaced by the computer player. You're much better off going to one of the many public gaming sites like Yahoo!, MSN and Gamesville. If players are dedicated enough to create a game on one of those sites, it's much more likely that nobody will drop after the first hand doesn't go their way.

While very similar to bridge, Hearts and Spades are decidedly better online because of the minimal effort it takes to get four players together online. Having a great partner isn't nearly as important and with so many people familiar with the game, it's easy to find four good players almost everywhere you look.

MAGIC: THE GATHERING

Okay, sure. Magic: The Gathering isn't really a traditional card game played with the traditional 52-card deck, but it's probably the best example of why card games work so well online. Using the online client, players can purchase cards, build decks and go head to head against Magic: The Gathering players from all around the world. Users can simply play with friends or branch out to tournaments in different formats.

The biggest draw for Magic players is that tournaments are available to pick up and play any time - day or night. Players can trade cards online, chat and participate in almost every possible format of Magic that's sanctioned in tournament play. Mastering the game takes time and patience, but the ability to play as many matches as you want as many times as you like is a big draw to join the online community.