Objective
Collect cards of one suit that add up as close to 31 as possible, and above all, avoid having the lowest hand when a round ends. Each player starts with three lives. Lose them all and you are out, and the last player still in wins.
Setup
Give each player three tokens: coins, chips or matches. These are your lives.
The dealer deals three cards to each player, one at a time. Turn the next card face up to start the discard pile, and put the rest face down beside it as the stock. The deal passes to the left after each round.
How to play
The player to the dealer’s left goes first. On your turn, take either the top card of the stock or the top card of the discard pile, then discard one card face up. You may not take the top discard and throw the same card straight back.
Your hand counts only the cards of one suit. Add up the suit that gives you the highest total: a king of hearts, eight of hearts and four of clubs counts 18, because only the two hearts go together.
When you think your hand will not be the lowest, knock on the table instead of drawing. Your hand is now frozen. Every other player gets one more turn, and then everyone shows their cards.
If you ever hold exactly 31, an ace with two ten-count cards in the same suit, show it at once. The round ends on the spot and every other player loses a life. If you are dealt 31, the round ends before anyone plays.
- 1Draw from the stock or the discard pile
- 2Discard one card face up
- 3Knock instead of drawing when you think you are safe
- 4Show 31 the moment you have it
Scoring
Count only the cards of your best suit. The highest possible hand is 31.
| Card | Value |
|---|---|
| Ace | 11 |
| King, Queen, Jack | 10 each |
| 2 through 10 | Face value |
| Three of a kind (many tables) | 30 |
When everyone has shown, the lowest hand loses a life. If the knocker has the lowest hand, the knocker loses two. If several players tie for lowest, they each lose a life, but at most tables a knocker who ties for lowest is safe. A player who runs out of lives is out of the game.
Variations
On the county: when you lose your last token you are not out yet. You keep playing, and the next life you lose knocks you out. This gives everyone one extra life.
Widow version: deal three cards face up in the middle instead of starting a discard pile. On your turn, swap one of your cards for one of the widow cards. Players put chips in a pot at the start, and the best hand at the showdown takes it.
Tougher knock: if the knocker ties for the lowest hand, the knocker loses two lives and the other tied players lose one.
Tips from the table
Commit to a suit early. Two high cards in one suit are a better start than an ace and a king in different suits.
Watch the discards. If the player after you keeps picking up diamonds, do not hand them a diamond.
Knock early with a solid hand. On the first or second time around, a hand in the mid-twenties is often enough, because the others get only one more draw to catch up.
Be careful knocking late with a middling hand. The knocker pays double for having the lowest hand.
Video Guides Are on the Way
We’re filming Game Guides that walk through full hands at the table, from the deal to the score.
Frequently asked
What happens if I am dealt 31?
Show it right away. There is no play that round, and every other player loses a life.
Do the cards have to be the same suit?
Yes. Only cards of one suit add together. The exception is three of a kind, which many tables score as 30.
What does the knocker do on the last round?
Nothing. Once you knock, your hand is frozen, and everyone else takes one last turn.
How is Thirty-One different from Blackjack?
Both count face cards as 10, but in Thirty-One only one suit counts, you can never go bust, and the goal is to avoid the lowest hand rather than beat a dealer.
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