What you need
A standard 52-card deck (add a second deck for 5–6 players). Aces are low.
Setup
- Deal 10 cards each for 2 players, 7 cards for 3–4, or 6 cards for 5–6.
- Place the rest face-down as the stock. Flip the top card next to it to start the discard pile.
How to play
On your turn:
- Draw one card — either the top of the stock or the top of the discard pile.
- Meld if you can. A meld is either:
- A set: 3 or 4 cards of the same rank (e.g. 7♠ 7♥ 7♦).
- A run: 3+ cards of the same suit in sequence (e.g. 4♣ 5♣ 6♣).
- You may also lay off cards onto your own or other players' existing melds.
- Discard one card face-up to end your turn.
Winning
First player to get rid of all their cards wins the round. The winner scores points from cards left in opponents' hands: face cards = 10, aces = 1, number cards = face value. First to 100 (or 500 for a longer game) wins overall.
Beginner tips
- Watch the discard pile — picking it up signals what you're collecting.
- Hold high cards only if they're close to a meld; otherwise discard them early.
- Cards that connect two possible melds (like a 7 that fits a set and a run) are gold.