Thirty-One

The classic card game of collecting 31 in one suit, and not being stuck with the lowest hand. 2–6 players

How to play Thirty-One

Stay in the game the longest. Collect as many points as you can in one suit, and don't have the lowest hand when the cards are shown.

Everyone gets three cards, and one card is put face up next to the stock.
On your turn, take the top card of the stock or the face-up card. Then discard a card. A card you just took from the face-up pile can't go straight back.
Your hand is worth the total of the cards in your best suit: aces count 11, picture cards 10 and the rest their number. Three of a kind is 30½.
If you think your hand is good enough, knock instead of drawing. Everyone else gets one more turn, then the cards are shown. You can only knock once everyone has had a turn.
The lowest hand loses a life. If several are tied, they all lose a life.
If anyone gets exactly 31, the round ends at once and everyone else loses a life.

Everyone starts with three lives. Lose them all and you're out. The last player left wins.

Watch which cards the others take from the face-up pile. It tells you which suit they're collecting.
Knock early with a good hand, before the others can improve.
An ace and two picture cards in the same suit make 31.