Sevens (Card Game): Rules and How to Play
Sevens is a card game for 3 to 6 players that takes about 10 minutes. Build out from the sevens and empty your hand first. Free. In-browser. No account.
Setup
- Three to six players. You need a 52-card deck and one joker.
- Deal the same number of cards to everyone; any spare cards go round one at a time.
- Lay the four sevens on the table. Sevens dealt into hands go straight out.
- The player dealt the seven of diamonds leads.
How to play
- On your turn, lay one card next to a card already on the table — same suit, one step up or down.
- Each suit builds outwards from the seven in one run. You cannot skip a gap.
- A joker can be laid on one open spot whose real card you do not hold. That spot is then blocked.
- If you cannot or do not want to play, you pass. You may pass three times.
- Passing with no passes left puts you out. Cards with empty spots are laid out. Jokers and cards whose spots are filled by jokers are removed from the hand without being laid out.
Winning and scoring
- The order in which players empty their hands sets the places: first, second and so on.
- A player who is out takes the lowest place still open at that moment.
- When only one player is left, they take the next place and the game ends.
Defaults on this site
| Item | Default on this site |
|---|---|
| Players | 3–6 players (set automatically by the party size) |
| Turn time limit | None by default (the host can set 30 or 60 seconds) |
| If someone drops mid-game | Reopening on the same device returns you to your seat. If you do not return, the CPU plays in your place. |
| Draws | In ranked play, a draw counts as halfway between a win and a loss for your rating. |
| Source of the rules | Based on the standard reference rules |
Rules supervised by Qdan, Inc. (based on the standard reference rules)
House rules
Defaults follow the standard reference rules. The party can change these.
| Name | Description | Default | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| PassesPassesYou pass when you cannot play, or when you want to hold a card back. Once you have used them all, passing again puts you out. Cards with empty spots are laid out. Jokers and cards whose spots are filled by jokers are removed from the hand without being laid out. Fewer passes make the game harsher; with 0, your first pass puts you out. | How many times you may pass before you are out. | 3 | Yes |
| Centre card | The rank laid on the table at the start. | 7 | Yes |
| Ace-king linkAce-king linkSay spades have been laid all the way down to the ace. With Off, that row can only grow upwards (8, 9 …). With Link you may also play from the king end inwards (K, Q …), so there are more places to play. With Tunnel the open spot moves to the king end, and the 8 side can no longer be played. | Whether a full end joins on to the other end. | Off | Yes |
| JokersJokersA joker can go on any open spot for a card you do not hold yourself. It lets you push past a row someone is blocking, but the real card for that spot can no longer be played afterwards. More jokers mean rows get stuck less often. | How many jokers go into the deck. A joker fills a spot you do not hold. | 1 | Yes |
| Pass at willPass at willYou may pass on purpose while holding a playable card, to block players who need that row to move on (it still uses up one of your passes). Turn it off and you can only pass when you have nothing to play. | Lets you pass even when you could play, to block the others. | On | Yes |
Terms
- Centre card
- The rank laid out at the start. Normally the seven.
- Pass
- Giving up your turn without playing. Passing with 0 passes left puts you out.
- Out
- Passing with 0 passes left. Cards with empty spots are laid out. Jokers and cards whose spots are filled by jokers are removed from the hand without being laid out. You take the lowest place still available.
- Blocking
- Holding back a card you could play so the others cannot continue.
- Ace-king link
- A house rule that joins the ace end to the king end. Off by default.
FAQ
How many passes do I get?
Three by default. A fourth pass puts you out. Cards with empty spots are laid out. Jokers and cards whose spots are filled by jokers are removed from the hand without being laid out. A party can set this from 0 to 5.
Can I pass when I could play?
Yes — that is how you block the others. A party can turn Pass at will off, and then you may only pass with nothing to play.
What happens to the cards of a player who is out?
Cards with empty spots are laid out. Jokers and cards whose spots are filled by jokers are removed from the hand without being laid out. They may leave gaps, and play still only continues from the nearest open spot to the centre.
Where can the joker go?
On one open spot whose real card you do not hold. The spot is then filled by the joker and the real card can never be played.
Do the ace and the king join up?
Not by default. A party can choose Link (you may also play from the other end) or Tunnel (play moves to the other end).
Play now with these rules
Last updated 2026-09-13 · Run by Qdan, Inc.