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Thirty-One is a quick draw-and-discard card game also known as 31, Scat, Blitz, or Cadillac. Your goal is to make the highest score you can in one suit, ideally an exact 31, before you or Mina decides to knock.

How to Play Thirty-One

Each player receives three cards. On your turn, draw the top card from the stock or take the visible discard. You then discard one card so your hand returns to three cards. Only cards from your best single suit count toward your score.

Card Values and Scoring

Aces are worth 11. Kings, queens, and jacks are worth 10. Number cards are worth their printed value. For example, the ace, king, and 7 of hearts score 28, while an off-suit 10 does not add anything to that heart total. Three cards of the same rank score 30.5 in this version.

Knocking and Making 31

You may knock at the start of your turn instead of drawing. Mina then gets one final turn and may draw or stand before both hands are compared. The lower hand loses a life. A knocker who finishes alone with the lower score loses two lives. When the scores tie, the knocker is safe. Making an exact 31 reveals the hands and ends the round immediately.

Lives and On the County

Both players begin with three lives. After losing the third life, a player remains in the match at zero lives, traditionally called being on the county. Losing once more causes elimination and ends the match.

Thirty-One Strategy

Choose a promising suit early, but stay flexible when the discard pile offers a better direction. A score of 27 or more is often strong enough to consider knocking. Watch which cards Mina takes from the discard pile because that reveals the suit or rank she may be collecting.

The Version You Can Play Here

This game uses the US draw-and-discard version of Thirty-One. You choose between the stock and the visible discard, then return your hand to three cards. Some table versions use a shared three-card widow instead, so agree on the variation before playing with friends.

Related Card Games

Try Trash for another approachable draw-and-replace game, 6 Card Golf for multi-round hand management, or Rummy for deeper set and run building.