![How To Play 31 [Card Game]](https://ourlivelyadventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/IMG_9890.png)
Hi friends! Today I’m sharing how to play 31 the card game! I’m unusually excited about this post. I have such fond memories of crowding around my grandparents kitchen table playing different card games with my aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Now that my kids are a bit older and have a little more patience (most days), I’ve started teaching them a few easy-to-learn card games from my childhood. So far we have played Uno, Pass The Trash, Up Down, and War. Next up is to show them how to play 31. This game might be a smidge too advanced for my kindergartener, but with a little practice she will get the hang of it. My second grader shouldn’t have any issues.
One of the things I love about 31 is that it can be played with a standard deck of 52 cards. The concept of 31 is simple – get the value of the cards in your hand closer to 31 than at least one other player. The player furthest from 31 when the round ends loses a point. The last person with points/chips/candies remaining is the winner!
How To Play 31
What You Need To Play
- A standard deck of playing cards
- Poker chips/candies/pennies/etc – enough for every player to have 3
Objective
Be the first person to reach 31 all in one suit OR be the closest to 31 in one suit after a player knocks.
card value
Cards can only be added together if they are in the same suit.
- Ace = 11 points
- King/Queen/Jack = 10 points
- 2-10 = Face Value
Game Play
- The dealer gives each player 3 cards and then places the remaining cards in the middle of the table with 1 card turned face up. The stack of cards in the middle is the draw pile.
2. Play begins with the person sitting to the left of the dealer. Player may draw a card from the draw pile or pick up the top card from the discard pile. Player must discard 1 card, face up, to the discard pile. Players may only have 3 cards in their hand at all times.
3. Players take turns clockwise around the table trying to improve the value of their cards. Once a player is satisfied with the cards they hold they knock on the table. The player who knocks does not draw another card. The other players get one more turn.
4. Players show their cards. The player with the lowest number in a single suit loses and places a chip in the pot. **If the player who knocks has the lowest number, he/she loses 2 chips.
5. If at anytime a players cards total 31 they immediately show them to the table and say “31.” Everyone except the person who called 31 puts a chip in the pot.
6. The last person with a chip remaining is the winner of the game!
More Games To Play
I grew up playing different card games around the kitchen table with my family. I’m excited to share as many as I can with you! This is what I have shared so far:
Pingback: itemprop="name">How To Play "Up Down" [Card Game] - Our Lively Adventures
Pingback: itemprop="name">How To Play "Pass The Trash" [Card Game] - Our Lively Adventures
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This simple yet engaging game, which only requires a standard deck of cards and a few chips, is perfect for family fun.