Photo: BCD Jeux, partner shopTraditional card games
Thirty-One
- players
- 3–9
- minutes
- 20
- years
- 10+
In the box
32-card deck
Box details
- Origin
- Traditional game, with no specific designer or publisher
- Mechanics
- Betting and BluffingHand ManagementMemoryOpen DraftingPlayer Elimination
Where to buy it
Near you and online
In a shop
Within 50 km.
Online
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The basics
With 32 cards, each player receives three cards and three lives, and three more cards are laid in the centre: the aim is never to have the worst hand. On your turn, swap one card or all three with the centre, or pass; after two passes in a row or a knock on the table, everyone plays one last turn, then the cards of a single suit are added up, and the worst hand loses a life. The game ends when only one player is left in.
The rules, step by step
Setup
32 cards, 3 each, 3 cards in the centre, 3 lives per player
- A 32-card deck, three cards each. Three cards are placed face up in the centre.
- Each player starts with three lives, shown by counters or matches.
How to play
Swap 1 or 3 cards, Or pass, Knock: last turn
- On your turn, exchange one card with the centre, or all three at once, or pass.
- Two passes in a row, or a player knocking on the table, end the round: everyone plays one last turn.
- The hands are then revealed and compared.
Scoring
Ace 11, court cards 10, 31 wins at once, Worst hand loses a life
- Add up the cards of a single suit: ace 11, court cards 10, the others face value.
- Thirty-one, the ace and two ten-point cards (10s or court cards) of the same suit, wins immediately.
- Three cards of the same rank count as 30.5 points, which beats everything except thirty-one.
- The worst hand loses a life; if several tie for last place, they each lose one. The counter records lives lost.
End of the game
3 lives lost: swimming, Last player left wins
- A player who has lost their three lives is "swimming" (nage): they stay in, but the next round they lose knocks them out.
- The game ends when only one player is left in the running.
House rules and pitfalls
A player who knocks can no longer exchange: it is a bet on your hand, not just an announcement.
- A player who knocks can no longer exchange: it is a bet on your hand, not just an announcement.
- Thirty-one dealt straight away costs every other player a life, without playing the round.
Going further
Frequently asked questions · In the same family
Frequently asked questions
What does "swimming" mean in Thirty-One?
It is the state of a player who has lost their three lives. They keep playing, but the next round they lose eliminates them. In French they are also said to be "on the plank" (sur la planche).