Instead of using a webserver you can also consider writing your own little client-server system. This might be easier to start with, and a nice way to learn about it.

All players get a client program that communicates via a socket to a sever program. Sockets are pretty easy to program (for examples see the perl cook book). The server program keeps track of the score and the cards. The client program displays everything (you could use PerlTk for that) and accepts the moves and bets. The advantage of writing it yourself is that you can make it as interactive as you like as you control the communication protocol.

A drawback would be that your friend have to install Perl too... but then again that is not a real drawback but rather a chance to learn a very enjoyable language.