How to Play 31 Card Game: Rules for 2, 3 or 4 Players
Nov 9, 2026 · The Editors
How to play 31 (Scat or Blitz) step by step: dealing three cards, scoring a hand, drawing and discarding, knocking, hitting 31, losing lives, and how it plays with 2, 3 or 4 players.
31 — also called Scat, Blitz or Cards 31 — is a fast, simple card game where everyone holds just three cards and tries to get as close as possible to 31 in one suit. A round takes a couple of minutes, it works with almost any number of players, and the moment someone knocks the whole table tenses up.
What you need
A standard 52-card deck (no jokers) and three tokens per player — coins, chips or matches — to count lives. It works with 2 to around 9 players.
How cards score in 31
Only cards of one suit count in your hand. You add up the cards in your best suit.
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| Ace | 11 |
| King, Queen, Jack | 10 |
| 2 to 10 | Face value |
So A♥ K♥ 9♥ is 11 + 10 + 9 = 31, the best possible hand. A♥ K♥ 9♣ scores only 21 (hearts) — the club does not count. Many tables also let three of a kind score 30 (some play 30½), beating everything but 31.
How to play 31 card game, step by step
1. Deal. Each player gets three cards. Turn the next card face up to start the discard pile; the rest is the stock.
2. Your turn. Starting left of the dealer, take either the top card of the stock or the top card of the discard pile. Then discard one card face up, so you are back to three.
3. Knocking. At the start of your turn, instead of drawing, you may knock on the table if you think your hand will beat at least one other player. Everyone else then gets one last turn, and the round ends.
4. Hitting 31. If you ever hold exactly 31, show it at once. The round ends immediately and everyone else loses a life.
5. Showdown. After a knock, everyone shows their hands. The lowest hand loses a life. If the knocker has the lowest hand, many tables make them lose two lives — the price of a bad knock. Ties for lowest usually all lose a life.
6. Running out. When you lose your last life you are out. In many families you get one last "free ride" before you are truly gone. The last player left wins.
How to play 31 with 2 players
With two players, 31 becomes a duel. The rules do not change, but strategy does: every knock is directly against one opponent, so knock as soon as your hand is decent — a total in the mid-twenties is often enough. Watching which suit your opponent picks up from the discard pile tells you exactly what they are collecting.
How to play 31 with 3 or 4 players
With three or four players, you only need to avoid being the lowest, not to be the highest. That changes when to knock: a hand of 25 or so is often safe, because someone usually has worse. With more players, wait a little longer before knocking.
Playing 31 for chips or money
The classic home version puts a chip or coin in the pot for every life lost, and the last player standing takes the pot. Agree the stakes before the first deal and keep them small; using clay poker chips as lives looks good and keeps the count honest.
Tips for winning at 31
Pick a suit early and commit. Take a high card from the discard pile only if it fits your suit; otherwise draw blind. Never discard a high card in the suit the next player just picked up. And remember that a knock gives everyone a final turn — knock with a hand that can survive one improvement from each opponent.
Any deck works; a characterful one like the Pirate King deck suits a quick game. For more quick games, see card games for 3 players and how to play crazy eights.
