Cribbage
Cribbage is the most exciting card game for 2-3 players I know of! Points are counted on a cribbage board.
I was taught playing cribbage when I was 17, by an American friend of mine. This was back in France, and we were all speaking french, but when it comes to counting cribbage scores, only english was allowed! Although I was rather self-conscious about my english to beginning with, this is still the way we play it, and th eway I teach it, now in Norway. I have enjoyed it since then, and contaminated my husband. I don't feel that this game is very known outside the US, and that's a shame!
<< This is a cribbagge board for three players. The first one reaching the 121-points hole has won.