Finish the five deals with the lowest total: in Hand, points count against you.
The cards and the deal
Hand uses two standard 52-card decks plus two jokers, 106 cards in all, so every card has a twin.
Each player gets 14 cards and the first player gets 15. The rest form the face-down stock, next to the discard pile (the "fire").
The first player starts without drawing, since they hold 15 cards. The first player of the match is chosen at random, and the start then moves to the next player each deal.
When creating a table you can play Hand with 2, 3 or 4 players each on their own, or with 4 players in two teams, partners sitting opposite.
Your turn
On your turn:
- Draw the top card of the stock, or take the top card of the fire.
- If you take from the fire, that card must go into a meld this same turn. The app only lets you take it when it can be used, and you can put it back and draw from the stock instead.
- Lay down melds if you want, or add to melds on the table once you have opened.
- End your turn by throwing one card onto the fire.
- When the stock runs out, the fire (all but its top card) is shuffled into a new stock.
Melds and jokers
A meld is three or more cards, of two kinds:
- Run: consecutive cards of one suit. The ace can be low (A-2-3) or high (Q-K-A) but never wraps around (K-A-2 is not allowed).
- Set: three or four cards of the same rank, each of a different suit.
- A joker stands for any missing card, with at most one joker per meld.
- Once you have opened, you can take a joker back from a meld on the table by laying the card it stands for (in a run, that exact card; in a set, when all four suits are then present). The joker returns to your hand.
Opening (51)
The first time you lay down, your melds must total 51 points or more. Card values: ace 11, K Q J 10, other cards their number, and a joker the value of the card it stands for.
Before opening you cannot add to other players' melds. After opening you can lay new melds and add to any meld on the table.
You must keep at least one card after laying down, because every turn ends with a discard.
End of a deal and scoring
A deal ends when a player throws their last card. Points count against you, so lower is better:
- The player who went out: −30.
- A player who opened but didn't go out: the total of the cards left in hand (ace 11, picture cards 10, joker 15, others their number).
- A player who never opened: 100.
- Hand: if a player goes out by laying down all their cards in one turn, with no melds of their own on the table before and without adding to anyone else's, everything is doubled: −60 for them and double for everyone else (200 for not opening).
- Partnerships: each team has one score. The team of the player who went out gets −30 (or −60), and the other team scores both its players' hands.
How the game ends
A match is five deals. After the fifth, the lowest total wins; if several players share the lowest total, they all win.
If the stock runs out and the fire has too few cards to reshuffle, the deal is cancelled and dealt again.
Tips for beginners
- Never opening costs 100, so aim to reach 51 early.
- Discard high cards that don't fit any meld; they count against you if the deal ends.
- Keep a joker for a meld that gets you to 51.
- Watch what the next player picks up and avoid throwing them a card they need.
Questions
How many points do I need to open in Hand?
Your first lay-down must total 51 or more. After that you can lay down and add cards with no minimum.
What does "Hand" mean in the game?
Going out by laying down all your cards in a single turn, without having opened before and without adding to others' melds. All scores for that deal are doubled: −60 for you, double for everyone else.
Can I take the card from the fire whenever I want?
Only if you will lay it down in a meld this turn. If you haven't opened yet, it has to be part of melds worth 51 or more.
How many deals are in a Hand match?
Five. The player with the lowest total at the end wins.