Nertz Card Game Rules: How to Play, Set Up and Score
Nov 11, 2026 · The Editors
Nertz card game rules: setting up the nertz pile and work piles, building on the shared foundations, calling nertz, scoring, and the game's other names.
Nertz is a fast, noisy race in which every player plays their own solitaire at the same time, all building on shared piles in the middle of the table. The first player to empty their nertz pile calls "Nertz!" and ends the hand. Each player needs their own deck with a different back, so cards can be sorted out afterwards.
What you need
- Players: 2 to about 8. More players need a bigger table.
- Cards: one standard 52-card deck per player, each with a different back design or colour.
- Space: a table everyone can reach the middle of.
How to set up nertz
Each player shuffles their own deck and lays out:
- The nertz pile: 13 cards, 12 face down and the top one face up.
- Four work piles: four cards face up in a row beside the nertz pile.
- The stock: the remaining 35 cards, held face down in your hand.
The middle of the table is left empty for the foundations, which everyone shares.
How to play
There are no turns. On "Go", everyone plays as fast as they can:
- Foundations (the middle): any player can start a foundation with an ace, and anyone can add the next card of the same suit in order, ace up to king.
- Work piles: build down in alternating colours (a red 6 on a black 7). You can move a card, or a whole sequence, from one work pile to another. When a work pile is empty, fill it with the top card of your nertz pile or any card.
- Nertz pile: its top card can go onto a foundation or a work pile. Turn the next card up as soon as it is played.
- Stock: turn cards three at a time into a face-up waste pile; you can play the top card of the waste. When the stock runs out, turn the waste over and go again.
If everyone is stuck, all players move the top card of their stock to the bottom and carry on.
Only one hand may play at a time, and if two players try to put the same card on a foundation, the card that lands first stays.
Calling nertz
When your nertz pile is empty, call "Nertz!" and everyone stops at once.
Nertz scoring
Sort the foundation cards by their backs. Then each player scores:
- +1 for every one of their cards on the foundations.
- −2 for every card left in their nertz pile.
The first player to reach 100 points (or a target agreed beforehand) wins.
Nertz card game other names
Nertz is also called Nerts, Pounce, Racing Demon and Peanuts, and is close to the two-player game speed. The rules differ a little from place to place — some use a 12-card nertz pile or turn the stock one card at a time.
Tips
- Play from the nertz pile first. It is the only pile that scores against you.
- Keep work piles open to make space for nertz cards.
- Watch the foundations, not your own cards, when you have nothing to play.
Distinct decks are the one essential, and decks with very different backs — a pirate skull deck next to a polka-dot deck — make the sort at the end quick. Plastic cards survive the slapping better than paper ones; see plastic vs paper playing cards.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards are in a nertz pile?
The standard nertz pile is 13 cards: 12 face down and the top card face up.
How do you score nertz?
Each player gets 1 point for each of their cards on the foundations and loses 2 points for each card left in their nertz pile. The first to 100 wins.
What are other names for nertz?
Nertz is also known as Nerts, Pounce, Racing Demon and Peanuts.
Do you need separate decks to play nertz?
Yes. Each player needs a deck with a different back so the cards can be sorted for scoring.
