Article collected by players ahead of a card game (7)
I believe the answer is:
canasta
'card game' is the definition.
(I know that Canasta is a card game)
'article collected by players ahead of a' is the wordplay.
'article' becomes 'an' (indefinite article).
'collected by' indicates putting letters inside.
'players' becomes 'cast' (group of actors).
'ahead of' says to put letters next to each other (some letters go in front of others).
'an' going into 'cast' is 'canast'.
'canast'+'a'='CANASTA'
(Other definitions for canasta that I've seen before include "Game played with two packs of cards and jokers" , "Card game -- as an act (anag)" , "Decorated with artificial jewels" , "Card game at a scan" , "Card game of the rummy family" .)