How to play Thirteen

Game overview

Thirteen is played across rounds 3 through 13. In each round, every player is dealt a number of cards equal to the round number. Round 3 deals 3 cards, round 4 deals 4 cards, and so on until round 13.

Your goal is to arrange your hand into valid groups, finish the round cleanly, and keep your total score lower than everyone else by the end of round 13.

Cards and dealing

Games of 2 or 3 players use one standard 52-card deck plus 2 jokers. Games of 4 to 6 players use two decks shuffled together, with 4 jokers.

The app shuffles and deals for you and picks a random player to start round 3. Each round after that, the first turn moves one seat along.

If the draw pile runs out, every card in the discard pile except the top one is shuffled into a new draw pile.

Valid groups

A valid hand is made of sets and runs. A set is a group of cards with the same rank. A run is a same-suit sequence. Both need at least 3 cards.

Aces can be low or high in runs: A-2-3 and Q-K-A are both valid. Runs cannot wrap around, so K-A-2 is not.

Wild cards and jokers

Two kinds of cards can stand in for missing cards: Jokers, and every card that matches the current round number. In round 7, for example, every 7 is wild.

Wild cards and jokers can help complete sets and runs, and they can also be laid off during final turns if they fit the melds of the player who went out.

How a turn works

Every turn is the same: draw one card, decide how it changes your hand, and discard one card. You can draw from the deck or take the top card from the discard pile.

The app checks your hand after you discard. If your remaining cards can all be arranged into valid sets and runs, you can go out.

Going out and final turns

Going out does not end the round instantly. Instead, everyone else gets one final turn. During that last turn, they can draw, lay cards off onto the melds of the player who went out, and discard to reduce their penalty.

Once every remaining player has had that final turn, the round ends and scores are added.

Scoring

At the end of a round, only unmatched non-wild cards count against you. Number cards score face value. Jacks, Queens, and Kings score 10 each. Aces score 15.

Jokers and the current round's wild rank do not add penalty points if they are left unmatched. The player who went out scores 0 for the round.

Winning the game

After round 13, compare total scores. The player with the lowest cumulative score wins the whole game.

Quick example

In round 5, every 5 is wild. If you discard down to a hand that can be arranged as 7-7-7 and 9-10-J of the same suit, plus one wild card filling a missing spot in another run, you can go out. Everyone else then gets one last turn to lay off cards before scores lock in.

FAQ

Do I have to memorize all of the meld rules? No. The app checks your hand and tells you when you can go out.

How many decks does Thirteen use? Games of 2 or 3 players use one deck with 2 jokers. Games of 4 to 6 players use two decks shuffled together, with 4 jokers.

What happens when the draw pile runs out? Every card in the discard pile except the top one is shuffled into a new draw pile, and play carries on.

Can I practice on my own? Yes. You can play a practice game against a bot at any time.

Do private games work? Yes. Hosts can share a short join code while the game is still waiting for players.