How to Play Nertz

Nertz is a fun and very fast-paced card game for 2 to 10 (or more) players. Nertz is also known by many other names including Pounce, Turkey Stack, Squinch and Snerts. The game can be thought of as a competitive, multi-player version of Canfield solitaire. The game requires one standard 52 card deck for each participant, and each deck should have a distinct card back for determining scores at the end of the hand as well as such that the original decks can be reassembled for the next hand. The ranking of the cards in these decks are as follows (from high to low); King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, Ace.

Since there are no actual turns during this game and all players play simultaneously, there is no need to determine the first player or first dealer. Before beginning the hand, the players should all be seated at the table and each individual deck thoroughly shuffled and placed in front of a specific player. After the deal, each player then creates a layout or tableau in front of himself using his deck. To begin each player deals a row of four, face-up cards. These four cards are the beginning of this player's personal piles or river. After this, he deals thirteen cards in a face-down pile, called his Nertz pile. He should then turn the top card of his Nertz Pile face-up. He then places the remainder of his own personal deck face-down in it's own pile, called his stock pile or stream pile.

After each player has created his own personal tableau, as described, the game can begin. At this time, a designated player then shouts "Go" to start play. Each players objective during the hand is to play every card from his Nertz pile, thus winning the hand.

Four player game of Nertz in progress In this game there are no actual turns, with all players playing simultaneously as legal plays are discovered. There are a number of legal plays a player can make during play: The game continues in this manner until a player plays his last Nertz card in any legal play, he immediately shouts "Nertz" and all play immediately ceases for the hand and the hand is then scored. The player who legally calls Nertz scores 10 points immediately. Each player (including the player who called Nertz) then scores 1 point for each card they managed to play to the Lake throughout the hand. For each card that still remains in a player's Nertz pile at the end of the hand, he must subtract 2 points from his current score.

After the scoring is completed, each deck should be reconstituted and returned to that player for the next hand. A player who had accumulated 50 or more points at the end of a hand is declared the winner of the game.
Variations and Optional Rules

Differing Scores: Although this game is most commonly played to a total of 50 points, some players prefer for a longer game. In those cases, the game is sometimes played to 100, 250, or even 500 points, with the first player to reach or exceed that amount declared the winner of the game.

Nuts: Nuts (also known as Peanuts, Two-Handed Solitaire or Team Solitaire) is another game which bears a striking resemblance to a solitaire game but is designed for multiple players. It is essentially a team version of Nertz. This game is designed for four players, playing in two partnerships. The game requires the use of two standard 52 card decks. Each deck should have a different back design to allow the decks to be reconstituted after each hand and for easy recognition in scoring of the hand.

Initial setup example for playing Nuts Determination of partnerships and seating positions can be done in a variety of ways with drawing of cards from a shuffled deck a common method. As opposed to many other partnership type games, the two partnerships usually sit alongside each other at the table rather than across the table from each other.

One of the players from each partnership then shuffles one deck thoroughly and then counts off the top 11 cards from the deck in a face down pile on the table (the cards in this pile are called the Nut cards). He then lays the remainder of that deck next to this pile, also face down (this pile is called the Cards pile). This player then passes both piles to the opposing players, directly across the table, such that each partnership is using the piles shuffled and dealt by the opposing team. The player in the partnership for the hand then picks up the Nuts pile of cards and his partner picks up the Cards pile. Neither player should yet look at the faces of these cards. The player who shuffles on each hand should alternate between the two players in each partnership.

The player who has the Cards pile then creates a tableau in front of themselves. Similar to various forms of solitaire, this consists of several columns of cards, with the top card of each row face up and all cards under this card dealt face down. Thus, he first deals a row of five cards on the table in four distinct columns, four cards face down and the fifth card face up. He then deals another row on top of the last row, this time consisting of four rows. No additional card is added to the row consisting of the face up card. The last card of this second row is also dealt face up. He then deals a row of three cards, one card on each row in which each card has previously been dealt face down, with the last card in the row dealt face up. He continues until he has completed the five columns of cards, with the top card of each row face-up. This complete tableau is called the Table Cards. He then sets the remaining cards in a face-down pile, near the Table cards. This remainder of the Cards pile is still referred to as the Cards pile. That player's partner then turns over this Cards pile, face up in a pile, such that only the top card of the pile is visible and playable at a time.

Once both partnerships have arranged his hand in this way, a designed player then announces "Start" which begins play of the hand. There are no actual turns in this game with all players making moves when and as able. The object of the game is to be the first partnership to successfully play his entire Nuts card pile to his own center layout, while at the same time attempting to maximize cards played in the center layout for scoring potential (see below).

The legal plays a player can make are as follows: While either player of the partnership can move cards amongst that teams tableau, only the player who originally was given the Nuts card pile may play from the Nuts card pile (top card) and the player who was dealt the Cards pile is the only player who may play cards from the Cards and waste pile (once exposed). At any time during his choosing, the player of the Cards pile deals three cards from his own team's Cards pile (called the Stock) and lays them in a pile next to the face-down remainder of the Cards pile, face-up and with the top card exposed. This is called the waste pile. The top card of this exposed waste pile may then be used in plays to that teams tableau or the Center piles as appropriate. He may continue playing cards from this pile as able. When unable to play, that player may then deal three more cards from the top of the Stock and lay them on the top of the exposed waste pile and play these in a similar manner. He continues doing this until he reaches the end of this deck (the last batch turned over may be fewer than three cards). He may then, when unable to make further plays from the exposed waste pile turn this entire pile over (making a new Cards pile) and begin the process again, dealing in batches of three cards at a time.

Once the Nuts player has played the last card from his Nuts card pile, he shouts "Nuts" which immediately terminates the hand. At this time, this hand is then scored. One player gathers all the cards played to the Center and divides these cards into piles played by each team (distinguished by the back design of the deck). The players who were in charge of the Nuts cards during the hand then count the number of cards remaining in their Nuts card piles (if any). The final score for each partnership is the total number of cards played to the center subtracted by two times the number of Nuts cards remaining in his own teams Nuts cards pile. Negative scores are possible and should be recorded as such.

After scores are tallied for the hand, the decks are reformed, reshuffled and a new hand is dealt. The first team to reach or exceed 250 points at the end of a hand is declared the winner of the game.

Double Solitaire, hand in progress Double Solitaire - Simplified Version: Another two-player game which is played similar to Spite and Malice and Nertz is this version of Double Solitaire. This game should not be confused with another somewhat more complex game called Double Solitaire in which more elaborate center foundations are used. The rules for that version of Double Solitaire are described on another page.

This variant uses one standard deck with no Jokers added. The ranking of the cards used in the deck is as follows (from high to low); King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, Ace.

Determination of first dealer can be done in any of the standard methods, with drawing for high card probably the most common. After the first dealer is determined, he thoroughly shuffles the deck and offers it to his opponent to cut. After the cut, he then deals four cards face up on the table to begin the foundation piles. After doing this he then deals out the remainder of the cards alternating between his opponent and himself. These are dealt in a face down stack in front of each player. Before the start of the game (and before any cards in the piles are seen by either player) the dealer's opponent may ask to exchange his pile for the dealers, which the dealer must honor if requested.

The dealer's opponent then has the first turn. To begin his turn he picks up the top card of his stock pile. He may then make any available plays using this card and any other cards on the board. The following are the legal plays a player can make on his turn: A player may continue to make moves on his turn until no more legal moves can be found. He then places his current card drawn from his stock pile next to his own stock pile. If there are already cards in the discard pile, he lays it on top of the current pile.

If on a player's turn he finds that his stock pile has been depleted (but he still has a discard pile), he simply turns his entire discard pile over (without shuffling) to start a new stock pile.

The game continues until one player is able to play all cards from his discard and stock pile, at which time he is declared the winner of the game.

Double Solitaire, hand in progress Pishe Pasha: Pishe Pasha is a game played very similarly to Double Solitaire and is designed for two players using one standard deck. It should not be confused with the similarly named but unrelated game Pisha Pasha which is a variant of the game War. The rules for that game can be found at this link.

To begin the dealer deals out a stack of 26 face down cards to each player. The dealer's opponent has the first turn. On this first turn, the dealer's opponent simply turns over the top card of his stack. If this card is not an Ace, he sets it beside his stock pile and ends his turn. If the card is an Ace, he places it face-up in the center of the table to start a foundation pile for cards of that suit to be played on in an ascending order. In that case, the dealer's opponent then turns up the next card from his stock pile. If the card is another Ace or a card that can be played on top of any other card already found in the foundation pile he must play it. A card can be played to an existing foundation pile if it is the next highest card in sequence of that same suit. The dealer's opponent continues play in this manner until the card drawn from the stock cannot legally be played, after which he then places the card to start his discard pile, ending his turn.

After the dealer's opponent completes his turn, the dealer then begins his turn. He also turns over the top card of his own stock pile and has the same options for his turn as did his opponent. However, he also has one other option. If his card is exactly one rank or higher than the top card of his opponent's discard pile (regardless of the suit of that card) he may opt to play the card onto the top of that pile. As did his opponent, he continues turning cards from his stock pile until he no longer has any legal plays, after which he places the unplayable card to start his own stock pile.

After each player has had his first turn, the turn then alternates between each player, starting again with the dealer's opponent. On each of these turns, the player begins by making any plays from his discard pile to the foundation piles if that card is of the same suit and the next card in sequence of the card currently found on the top of the foundation pile. Additionally, if the top card of the discard pile is exactly one rank higher or lower then the current top card (regardless of suit) of his opponent's discard pile he may play the card to the top of the discard pile. Plays to the foundations are mandatory but plays to the opponent's discard pile are optional for the player. Once he no longer has any mandatory plays and no plays he wants to make (or his discard pile is empty), the player then turns over the next card of his stock pile. If he is able to make a legal play to the foundations with that card he must make that play. He may also optionally play the card to his opponent's discard pile if the card is exactly one rank higher or lower than the top card on the discard pile (irregardless of suit). He may also make further plays from his discard pile if able. Plays to the foundation from the discard pile always must be played, while plays to the opponent's discard pile are optional. Once the card drawn from the top of the player's stock pile is not played, the player places it face up on the top of his discard pile.

This continues, with the turns alternating between each player. If a player depletes his stock pile, but still has cards in his discard pile, when he is ready to draw the next card from that pile during his turn, he simply turns over the discard pile to create a new stock pile. His first discard will then create a new discard pile for that player.

The game continues in this way, with the turns alternating until one player manages to play every card form his stock and discard pile, after which time he is declared the winner. He then scores one point for each card remaining in his opponent's stock and discard piles.

If a player notices that his opponent has made an incorrect move, or failed to make a mandatory play during his turn he may call "Stop". Upon a valid call of "Stop" the player making the call may either require his opponent to correct the move or may require his opponent to immediately terminate his current turn, with his opponent then beginning his next turn.

Canfield: Canfield is a solitaire game from which Nertz appears to have been based. It plays very similarly to Nertz, but is designed to be played by one player and uses one full 52 card deck. Canfield is sometimes mistakenly called Klondike, but Klondike is a distinctly different solitaire game (described at this link). Canfield was created by Richard A. Canfield in the 1890's.

To begin, the deck should be thoroughly shuffled. After the shuffle, the player then creates a layout on the table in front of himself.

Example initial setup for playing Canfield He first deals thirteen cards face up in a pile to his left. He should ensure that none but the top card of this face-up pile is visible at any one time. This pile is called the reserve. He then deals the next card from the stock face-up to be his first foundation pile. The rank of this card should be noted as this is the foundation card which each foundation pile must start. After this first foundation card, he then deals, below the foundation card, four face-up cards in a row. These are the tableau piles. After dealing these four cards he places the remainder of the deck face-down on the table as the draw pile or stock.

After creating the layout, play of the hand begins. There are several legal play types a play can make during the game, as follows: If the player manages to play all 52 cards to the four foundation piles he is said to have won the game.

                     
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