Roundfello
🃏 How to play
Thirty-One rules
Three cards. One suit. Knock when you think you've got them beat.
- Players
- 2–9
- Time
- 15–30 min
- You need
- Standard playing cards
The goal
Stay in the game. The lowest hand each round loses a life; lose all your lives and you're out. The last player with a life left wins.
How a hand works
- 1
Deal three cards
Each player gets 3 cards. Flip one card to start the discard pile; the rest is the stock.
- 2
Draw and discard
On your turn, take the top stock card or the top discard, then discard one card.
- 3
Count one suit
Your hand is worth the total of your cards in a single suit. A♠ K♠ 5♥ is worth 21 (the spades).
- 4
Knock
Instead of drawing, you may knock. Everyone else gets exactly one more turn, then hands are shown.
- 5
Hit 31
If you ever hold 31 (an Ace plus two 10-point cards in one suit), show it at once — the round ends immediately.
Who loses a life
- Lowest hand after a knock−1 life
- Knocker has the lowest hand−2 lives
- Someone shows 31Everyone else −1
- Tie for lowestAll tied players −1
- Card valuesA 11 · K Q J 10 · pips
Roundfello starts everyone with 3, 4 or 5 lives and keeps playing until only one player has any left.
A knock
- 1.Leo knocks holding K♥ Q♥ 4♣ = 20.
- 2.Mia has A♦ 9♦ = 20. Ava has 10♠ 9♠ 8♠ = 27.
- 3.Leo and Mia tie for lowest — but Leo knocked, so Leo loses 2 lives and Mia loses 1.
Winning tips
- Knock early with 25+ — others may not catch up in one turn.
- Watch what others pick up from the discard pile to spot their suit.
- Only one suit counts — don't hang on to mixed high cards.
Popular house rules
- Three of a kind is worth 30½ in many homes.
- Some tables let you 'ride the bus': your last life lets you stay in until you lose again.
- Some tables don't allow knocking on the first round.
Let Roundfello keep score
Roundfello adds up every Thirty-One hand for you, with live standings and a champion at the end.
Start keeping score