Instructions 31

Objective

The goal in the card game 31 is to achieve the highest possible point total collected with your cards, without exceeding 31 points.

Components

• A standard deck of 52 cards (excluding Jokers).

Card Values

• Ace: 11 points
• Face cards (King, Queen, Jack): 10 points
• Number cards: Correspond to their number (e.g., 7 counts as 7 points)

Number of Players

• Minimum: 2 players
• Maximum: Unlimited, but ideally up to about 6 players

Rules

1. Dealing: Each player is dealt three cards. The remaining cards are placed face down on the table as the draw pile, and the top card is flipped over to start the discard pile.

2. Turn:

3. The player to the left of the dealer begins. During their turn, a player can:

   • Draw a card: The player can draw the top card from either the draw pile or the discard pile.
   • Discard a card: The player must then discard one card of their choice to the discard pile, maintaining a hand of three cards.

4. Declaring 31: If a player reaches exactly 31 points in one suit, they declare it and the round ends immediately with them as the winner.

5. Knocking:

6. A player who thinks they are close to 31 may "knock" (after their turn). This means each other player gets one more turn before the round ends.

7. All players then reveal their hands, and scores are compared. The player with the lowest point total loses a life or faces a set penalty.

8. End of Round: If the draw pile is exhausted, shuffle the discard pile to form a new draw pile.

9. End of Game: The game is played over several rounds until a player loses all of their lives or after a pre-agreed number of rounds.

Strategic Tips

• Focus on Suits: Aim to collect cards in the same suit, ideally high-value cards (e.g., Ace, King).
• Knock Tactically: Knowing when to "knock" strategically can give you an advantage.
• Watch Your Opponents: Keep track of the cards that other players might be collecting.

By playing attentively and tracking scores, you can increase your chances of winning in "31".