How to Play Thirty-One

Thirty-One is the quick pub-and-kitchen card game known as Scat, Blitz or Ride the Bus: three cards, one suit, and a knock that ends the hand.

Values

A hand is worth its best single-suit total: ace 11, king, queen, jack 10, other cards face value. Three cards of the same rank count 30. Three of a suit worth 31 (ace plus two tens or faces) is a blitz.

Play

Four players, three cards each; one card is turned up to start the discard pile.
On your turn, draw the top card of the stock or take the top discard, then discard one card. Your hand is always three cards.
If your three cards make 31, show them at once: every other player loses a life and the hand ends.
Instead of drawing you may knock. Each other player then gets one final turn, after which hands are shown. The lowest hand loses a life; a knocker who is lowest (or tied lowest) loses two.
Everyone starts with three lives. Players with no lives are out; the last one left wins.

When the stock runs out, the discards (except the top card) are shuffled into a new stock.

Playing on kawu

Use Draw, Take or Knock, then tap a card to discard it. Your current value is shown under your name. Hint suggests the move. Losing your last life ends the game.

Next, read the Thirty-One strategy.

Frequently asked questions

Do three of a kind really count 30?

Yes, in the common rules kawu uses: three cards of the same rank are worth 30, just under a blitz. Some tables count them 30½ to beat a plain 30; we don't.

What happens if the knocker has the lowest hand?

They lose two lives instead of one. A tie for lowest costs every tied player a life, and the knocker still pays double.

Can I knock on my first turn?

Yes. Knocking replaces your draw, so you can knock before touching a card if you were dealt a strong hand.

Last updated 2026-10-20