31 Card game rules

Which cards are used in 31?

31 is played with a standard deck of 52 cards. Card values are as follows:

• Ace: 11 points
• Jack, queen, king, and 10: 10 points
• Other cards hold their face value. For instance, a 7 is worth 7 points.

How many players can play 31?

31 can be played with 2 to 8 players.

How are scores calculated?

Points are earned based on the cards in your hand. The total score is the sum of cards of a single suit. For example, if you have 2 spades and 1 heart, you probably sum up the points from the spades. If you have 3 cards of different suits, only the highest card counts. You also earn points if you have 3 cards of the same rank (e.g., three eights). In this case, you receive 30.5 points.

Having an ace and two face cards results in the maximum score of 31.

Gameplay 31 card game

Gameplay progresses as follows:

• The dealer shuffles the deck and deals each player 3 cards one by one.
• The dealer then places 3 cards face-up in the center, forming the widow. These widow cards are visible to all players.
• Players then take turns swapping one of their hand cards with a card from the widow, aiming to get as close to 31 as possible.
• When a player believes they have the highest score, they call “Pass” on their turn. After a player calls “Pass,” each remaining player may swap one more card with the widow. Scores are then compared, and the player with the highest score wins. Players can only call “Pass” after the first full round. Alternatively, a player can also knock instead of calling “Pass”.
• If 2 or more players have the same highest score, then the player with the highest-ranking card wins. If the highest cards are of equal rank, then the next highest cards are compared.
• If a player has exactly 31 points, they may call “Pass” or knock immediately and this player wins the pot. A player can do this at any point of the round, even if the first round of exchanging cards hasn’t ended.

Scoring in 31

31 is often played as a tournament. Each player begins the game with 4 points. After each round, the player with the lowest score receives one penalty point. If multiple players share the lowest score, each receives a penalty point. Players are eliminated when their score reaches zero. Play continues until only one player remains.

31 can also be played as a zero sum game. Before each round all player put a chip into the pot. The winning player receives the pot. If more than one player wins, the pot is split among the winning players.