How to Play 31
How to Play 31
Thirty-One is a quick, easy-to-learn card game about building the strongest three-card hand you can. You need a normal deck of cards and a few people ready to play. If you need one, you can find a regular deck of playing cards from Playmore. This guide uses one common version of Thirty-One; rules can vary a little between families and regions.
Quick facts
| Players | 2–9 |
|---|---|
| Cards | One standard 52-card deck, without jokers |
| Hand | Three cards per player |
| Goal | Make a same-suit total as close to 31 as possible |
| Round length | Usually a few minutes |
What you are trying to do
Your goal is to finish each round with a hand worth more than the other players’ hands. Only cards from one suit count together. A suit is one of the four card symbols: hearts, diamonds, clubs, or spades. You choose the suit that gives your hand its best total.
For example, the ace of hearts, 9 of hearts, and king of clubs are worth 20 points because the two hearts count together: 11 for the ace plus 9 for the 9. The king does not join them, although a king is worth 10 points when it is part of a same-suit total. The best possible hand is an ace, a king, and a 10 all in the same suit: 11 + 10 + 10 = 31.
What you need
Use a standard 52-card deck with no jokers. You will also need a flat playing area and something for scorekeeping, such as paper and a pencil or a notes app. In this friendly version, each player starts with three lives. A life is simply a mark that helps decide who stays in the game; no points or objects need to be placed in the middle.
Card values are simple. An ace is worth 11 points. A king, queen, or jack is worth 10 points. Number cards are worth the number printed on them. If all three cards have the same rank, such as three 7s, count that hand as 30 points. That special three-of-a-kind rule is useful because the cards cannot all be the same suit in a normal deck.
Set it up
Choose a dealer. For a first game, you can pick someone at random. The dealer shuffles and gives three cards face down to each player, one card at a time. Everyone may look at their own cards but should keep them hidden from the others.
Place the remaining deck face down in the middle. This is the draw pile, also called the stock. Turn its top card face up beside it to begin the discard pile. A discard pile is a face-up stack where players leave cards they no longer want. The player to the dealer’s left takes the first turn, and play moves clockwise.
How to play
- Check your three cards. Look for two or three cards in the same suit. Add the values of the cards in your best suit to find your current score. Keep three-of-a-kind in mind as a 30-point hand.
- Draw one card. On your turn, take either the top card of the draw pile or the top card of the discard pile. You may choose the discard card only if it helps your plan or gives you a useful option.
- Discard one card. Add the drawn card to your hand, then place one card face up on top of the discard pile. You must finish every ordinary turn with exactly three cards. You may discard the same card you just drew, but you cannot keep four cards.
- Keep improving. Continue taking turns clockwise. Try to collect cards in one suit, while noticing which cards other players take from the discard pile. A card that someone ignores may be less useful to them, but do not assume you know their whole hand.
- Knock when you are ready. If you believe your hand is strong enough, say “knock” instead of drawing and discarding. Knocking means you are ending the drawing phase soon. Every other player gets one final turn, including the player immediately before the knocker if the turn order requires it. The player who knocked does not take another turn.
- Reveal the hands. After the last player has taken that final turn, everyone turns their cards face up. Each player calculates their best same-suit total, or 30 for three-of-a-kind, and announces it clearly.
- End the round early for 31. If you hold exactly 31, reveal it immediately and announce it. The round ends at once, before anyone else draws. This is the strongest ordinary result.
How you win
At the showdown, the player with the lowest score loses one life. If two or more players tie for the lowest score, they each lose one life. If the player who knocked has the lowest score, that player loses two lives instead, because knocking carries a risk. If a knocker ties for the lowest score, the other tied player or players lose a life, while the knocker is safe for that tie.
Write down each player’s remaining lives after every round. A player is out as soon as their remaining lives reach zero; using a simple four-mark system makes this easy to remember. Continue with the remaining players until only one person is left. That last player wins the game. For a shorter session, you can instead play a set number of rounds and declare the player with the most remaining lives the winner.
When comparing equal scores, use the highest-ranking card as a tiebreaker, then the next highest card if needed. In ordinary play, an exact 31 beats every other hand. Remember that a hand with one high card and two cards in different suits may score less than it looks, because only one suit’s cards are added.
Easy first-game tips
Start by choosing a suit that already has two cards. If you have a 10 and a 7 of diamonds, a diamond ace, king, queen, jack, or another high diamond could make your hand much better. Do not automatically chase a new suit if your current pair is already strong.
Pay attention to the discard pile, but keep your own choices unpredictable. Taking a face-up card can reveal what suit you want, so sometimes drawing from the stock is a smart way to stay mysterious. Before knocking, calculate your score twice. A pair of same-suit cards may be worth 18, while the third card sitting beside them contributes nothing.
Most importantly, learn the rhythm: draw one, discard one, and keep three cards. The game becomes much easier once you stop trying to count every card and focus on making one suit as strong as possible.
Quick questions
Can I draw from either pile?
Yes. Take either the top face-up card from the discard pile or the top face-down card from the draw pile, then discard one card.
What happens if the draw pile runs out?
Leave the top discard card in place, shuffle the rest of the discard pile face down, and use it as a new draw pile.