Objective of the Game
Fan Tan is a simple card game in which the goal is to be the first player to get rid of all your cards. The winner is the player who first has no cards remaining in their hand.
Game Materials
A standard 52-card deck without Jokers is used for the game.
Number of Players
The game can be played with 3 to 7 players.
Setup
Shuffle the deck and deal all cards equally among the players. It's fine if some players receive one more card than others.
Gameplay
- The player to the left of the dealer begins.
- The game starts with the laying down of the Sevens from all suits. If a player has a seven, they lay it in the middle of the table. If it's not possible, the player must pass.
- On a player's turn, they may either lay a card next to an already played card or start a new seven of a different suit.
- Only sequential cards can be played. For example, after the 7 of Diamonds you may lay the 6 of Diamonds or the 8 of Diamonds.
- Sequences are built up to the King and down to the Ace.
- If a player cannot place a card, they must pass their turn to the next player.
Rules
- A player may only lay one card per turn.
- The player must either extend existing sequences or play a new 7 if they have one in a suit not yet in play.
End of the Game
The game ends when a player successfully lays down all their cards. This player is the winner.
Strategy Tips
- Keeping cards in different suits can be advantageous for reacting flexibly to the other players' plays.
- It's beneficial to play your Sevens as early as possible to create blocks for other players.
- Observe the other players' cards and try to gauge what potential hands they might have.
