How to play Nertz
Nertz (also Nerts, Pounce or Racing Demon) is a racing patience game for two or more players. Everyone plays at the same time with their own deck. You race to get rid of your Nertz pile by playing cards onto your work piles and onto shared piles in the middle. Play it now in our Nertz game.
What you need
One normal 52-card deck for each player, each with a different back. It is a very good game for two and fun for three or four.
The layout
- Nertz pile: 13 cards in one pile, 12 face down and the 13th face up on top.
- Work piles: four cards face up in a row next to it, one per pile.
- Stock: the other 35 cards, face down in your hand.
Playing
Everyone plays at once, as fast as they like, using one hand at a time. You move only your own cards and the shared piles in the middle.
Foundations (the middle)
Foundation piles always start with an ace. Build them up in the same suit to the king. Anyone may play on any foundation, and anyone may start a new one with an ace. A full pile (ace to king) is turned over and set aside.
A foundation builds up in one suit.
You may play to the middle: the top card of your Nertz pile, the top card of your waste pile, and the exposed (last) card of each work pile.
Work piles
Work piles build down in alternating colours: a red 6 on a black 7, a black 10 on a red jack. You may move a card, together with the cards on top of it, from one work pile onto another if it fits. An empty work pile can be filled with any card from your Nertz pile, your waste or another work pile.
A work pile: black 7, red 6, black 5.
Nertz pile
Play the top card of your Nertz pile onto a work pile or a foundation. Then turn up the next one.
Stock and waste
Turn your stock three cards at a time onto your waste pile, keeping their order. You can play the top waste card. When only one or two cards are left, turn them onto the waste, then turn the whole waste over to make a new stock.
Calling Nertz
When your Nertz pile is empty, you may call “Nertz!” and the deal ends at once. You don’t have to call straight away: you may keep playing to get more cards into the middle first.
When everyone is stuck
If all players are stuck, everyone picks up their waste pile to make a new stock and moves the top card to the bottom. If nobody can play at all any more, the deal ends and is scored as usual.
Scoring
| What | Points |
|---|---|
| Each of your cards in the middle | +1 |
| Each card left in your Nertz pile | −2 |
Play more deals until someone reaches the target, usually 100 points. The highest score wins. Some people play just one deal, or give a 25-point bonus for calling Nertz.
How our Nertz game plays
- Each player has their own deck, as in the real game. You play against 1, 2 or 3 computer players.
- Tap a card to play it to the middle when it fits; otherwise tap it and then a work pile.
- The game notices when you have been through your whole stock with nothing to play, or you can press “I’m stuck”. When everybody is stuck, the stocks are reset for all players.
- Choose the game target in Settings: 100 points, 50 points or one deal.
Questions
How many cards are in the Nertz pile?
Thirteen in the usual rules: twelve face down with the thirteenth face up on top. Some people use 12 or 11.
Can you move several cards at once?
Only when you move a run of cards from one work pile to another. Otherwise you move one card at a time.
Why does each player need a different deck?
So that the cards in the middle can be sorted by owner at the end of the deal for scoring.