What Is 31?
31, also called Thirty-One, Scat or Schwimmen in some regions, is a quick card game for three or more players. Each player holds three cards and tries to get as close to 31 as possible using cards of a single suit. It is played with a standard 52-card deck and a few tokens or counters, and rounds are short.
Rules differ widely between families, especially for ties, so this guide explains the common version and lists the usual tie-break choices.
What You Need
- A standard 52-card deck.
- Three tokens, coins or “lives” for each player.
- Typically three or more players, up to around eight or nine in a larger group.
Card Values
- Ace counts as 11.
- King, Queen, Jack and 10 count as 10 each.
- Number cards 2 through 9 count at face value.
Your hand total is the sum of the cards that share a suit. Cards of other suits do not count toward that total, so your score is your best single suit.
For example, K of hearts, 7 of hearts and 9 of spades scores 17, since only the two hearts count.
Special Hands
- 31: Ace plus two ten-valued cards of the same suit is the best possible hand.
- Three of a kind: many groups score this as 30 points. Some groups count 30.5 so it ranks just below 31, which prevents ties with a 30-point suit hand.
Setup and Deal
Each player gets three cards. Three cards are often dealt face up in the middle as a “widow”, and the rest of the deck becomes the stock. Some groups play without a widow, using a draw pile and a discard pile. Each player starts with three lives.
How a Turn Works
On your turn you may either:
- Draw one card from the stock and discard one card, or
- Take one card from the discard pile and discard another (or take from the widow and swap), so your hand always stays at three cards.
Instead of drawing, you may knock by tapping the table. Everyone else then takes one final turn. After that, hands are revealed. Some groups let you swap all three cards at once, which is a variation worth agreeing on in advance.
Ending a Round
A round ends in one of two ways:
- A player gets exactly 31 and shows their hand. The round ends immediately.
- A player knocks and all other players take one last turn.
After hands are revealed, the player or players with the lowest total lose a life.
Tie Breaks
Ties for the lowest score are the most debated rule in 31. Common options include:
- All tied players lose a life. This is simple and a very common choice.
- The knocker loses ties. A player who knocked but tied for lowest loses a life, which discourages risky knocking.
- The knocker is protected. If the knocker ties for lowest, another tied player loses instead.
- Compare the second suit or highest single card. Used by some groups as a deeper tie breaker.
- Replay the round without losing lives.
Decide on one option before the game. This keeps arguments short.
The 31 and Last Card Question
Some players ask whether you earn extra points for 31 and the last card. This is a house rule rather than a standard rule. In the common version, a 31 ends the round and everyone else loses a life, and no extra bonus is given.
Winning the Game
When you lose all your lives, you are out, though some groups let you stay in for a “second chance” by paying a token. The last player with lives remaining wins.
Tips for Beginners
- Commit to a suit early rather than spreading across several.
- Keep high cards of your main suit and discard the rest.
- Be careful about knocking early. A hand that looks good may lose to someone who draws well on their last turn.
- Pay attention to what others pick up from the discard pile.
If you like fast rummy-style draw-and-discard games, try Five Crowns, or the two-player Coon Can. For a trick-taking alternative with a bigger table, see Euchre rules and strategy.