Nertz Card Game
Nertz Card Game Instructions
Nertz Card Game Instructions
Nertz Card Game Near Me
As I have played Nertz over the years, I have discovered there many variations to the game, including the spelling of the name. Many people spell it Nerts. When I teach people to play the game, the question is asked 'Where can I go on the web to learn the rules of the game?'. There is not a site that has the same rules that I have used through the years so I have created this page as a guideline. The rules on this page are based on the standard rules of the National Nertz Association. Some of the rules I was taught years ago do not adhere to the NNA rules so when I play with people who originally taught me the game, I use their rules but when I teach people the game, I usually try to adhere to the official rules. Steve Nertz Card Game Instructions
Play
In-Depth Rules
Variations 1. Game Equipment
Nertz is a fast paced multi-player solitaire card game for 2-4 players, each playing with their own deck of cards. The objective of Nertz is to score more points than your opponents by playing cards in sequence from ace to king onto shared foundation piles. Card Game Rules Nerts, or Peanuts, is a multiple person solitaire game played with a standard 52 playing card deck for each player. Each deck must have a unique design on its back as it will be easier to calculate players points. In Nerts, Kings are high and Aces are low. Each player deals a Nerts pile of thirteen cards - twelve cards face down and the thirteenth face up on top. Next to this pile, each player deals four cards face-up.
To play Nertz you will need the following: (1) 52-card deck of standard playing cards per team Play craps . , a large table or open floor space, something to write with and enough paper for scoring multiple rounds for multiple players. Note that each deck of cards used must be clearly distinguishable from the others being used. In other words, a deck must look different from any other deck being used in the game. This is to ensure that the cards played into the Lake are properly tallied and returned to the proper player or team after each hand. 2. Object
The object of Nertz is to be the first player or team to reach 100 points in a series of hands. The object of a hand is to be the first player or team to get rid of a 13-card Nertz pile and shout Nertz. After Nertz is called the hand ends and each player or teams scores are added to the hand before it until one player or team reaches 100 or more points.
Some people play to 150 points. See Variations at the bottom of this page.
Some people award bonus points to the player or team calling 'Nertz'. See Variations at the bottom of this page. 3. Overview
Nertz, simply put, is a multiple player game of solitaire. Its a fast paced game that only gets faster when more players are added to a game. During a hand everyone plays simultaneously which means it is not a turn based card game. Nertz can be played amongst individuals or in teams of two. When playing a hand, your goal is to try to be the first player or team to get rid of your 13-card Nertz pile and call Nertz. To do this you have three groups of card piles to aid you, which are the Lake (a community area), your River , and your Stream pile. 4. Game Preparation
First, make sure that you have enough decks for the amount of people that will be playing. Depending on if you play with teams or not, there may be an odd player out. In recreational Nertz games it is common to see one player playing by him/herself against a table full of two-player teams. Next, designate the score keeper and have them write down all of the teams on paper, a note pad, or scoring pad. Before preparing the hands make sure everyone knows how you will be playing this game. Agree on a score to play to, what will or will not be allowed, and any other rules that may not be covered on this web page. Be prepared to count both your remaining Nertz cards and your Lake cards after every hand before grouping them back together. Lastly, know that negative scores happen frequently in Nertz, so dont be discouraged. It happens to everyone. 5. Preparing a Hand
Shuffling
Properly shuffling and maintaining the order of cards after the shuffle is very important in Nertz. Before dealing, each team shuffles their deck at least five times and cuts the deck at least once. Some people may decide to take part in round-robin shuffling. Round-robin shuffling is when each team's deck is passed to a neighboring team to be shuffled before the deal. After an opposing team shuffles their neighbors deck thoroughly, they are then given back and ready for use. At that point, the decks should not be tampered with until teams begin dealing.
Dealing
In Nertz you must deal the cards individually from the top of the deck. The first group of cards you are to deal should be the River . The River is dealt facing up and should consist of 4 cards placed beside one another directly in front of you or your team on the table. From left to right or right to left, it does not matter the order in which the River cards are dealt, as long as there are four. Immediately after the River is dealt you are then to deal the Nertz pile. This pile consists of 13 cards dealt facing down, one by one, on top of the card placed before it. The thirteenth card is dealt facing up at the top of the pile. The remaining 35-card pile is now your teams Stream pile, which also should be facing down before beginning. Teams cannot look at the cards that are facing down before the start of the game or during the game. They may however use the time that there is between the deal and the start of a hand to observe any plays that they may have with the cards that are facing up. They can also observe their opponents starting hands. Teams may rearrange their starting River cards if they wish before the hand begins. Before a hand, a player or team may hold both the Nertz piles and the Stream piles in their hands to start. The rest of the cards should remain on the table. Also, teams may not shield any piles from their opponents view in preparation or during play. Every team should be able to see all of their opponents available cards just as their opponents view their own. Once all teams have finished dealing, it is important to make sure that all teams are ready before beginning. If you are playing in teams, before the start of a hand, designate which teammate will control the Nertz pile and which teammate will control the Stream Pile. Generally, a team of two alternates control of the piles after every hand to keep the games balanced, however this is not mandatory. If you are playing alone you will be in charge of both piles.
Some people use five cards in the River instead of four. See Variations at the bottom of this page.
Some people require control of the piles be alternated. See Variations at the bottom of this page. 6. Play
When the table is ready, one person will give the proper commands for the game to begin. It is best to give a Ready, Set, Go! or a 1, 2, 3, Go to allow teams proper time to prepare for play.
Get a free Holdem Genius license when you sign up and make a deposit with one of our 250+ poker room partners. On top of our advanced poker odds calculator, you'll also get a great sign-up bonus from the poker room. I want a free Holdem Genius License Buy a. Holdem genius. The Holdem Genius support page offers in-depth answers to the most frequently asked questions by our existing customers. Please check here for help with the registration, installation and use of our software. Links throughout the answers will guide you to. Holdem Genius is a piece of poker software that attaches itself to your online poker table and immediately starts coaching you. In a glance you can see all important parameters concerning the value of your hand, the probabilities of your opponents hands. Holdem Genius works with over 100 poker rooms including the all popular rooms such as PokerStars, FullTilt Poker and the most other major networks. The software is compatible with Windows XP, Vista & the new Windows 7. Also get a great bonus for your deposit in addition to the free Holdem Genius license.
Once a hand has started there are four areas you may utilize to try to achieve victory. These areas are the Lake , your River , your Stream , and your Nertz pile.
Nertz Pile
Your goal is to try to get rid of your Nertz pile. You may play cards from your Nertz pile into your River as well as into the Lake . Once a Nertz card is played you may turn over the next card at the top of the Nertz pile so that you may view it and play it. You may only view the top Nertz at any given time. The rest of the pile must remain facing down. If you cant get rid of a Nertz card you may not try to play any others from beneath it as it is illegal to look at or play the blocked Nertz cards. Holding the Nertz pile is allowed but it must remain in the vision of all players.
River
The River is the four-card area in front of a player or team at the start of a hand. To play cards on River cards they must be in descending numerical order and of opposite suit throughout the pile. For example, if you had a red jack to start on of your River piles, the only card you could play on top of it would be a black 10. From there you could play a red 9 on top of that. Just like in Solitaire, River piles can be built from kings all the way down to the 2s as long as they alternate in color. You may play cards from both your Nertz pile and your Stream pile onto your River columns. It is best to stagger River piles, forming a column, so that you may better view what you have played within one of your four River piles/columns. It is not mandatory to stagger the River piles in this way, though it may be unwise and can appear shady not to do so. You can play a River card in the Lake as well as play a River column on another River column. Many times playing cards or columns of cards from your River create open River slots. As there are only four River slots, there can only be four River columns at any given moment in a game. When one of those slots is free, you may fill this slot by playing a Nertz card there to aid in getting rid of your Nertz pile. It is not mandatory to play a Nertz card in these available River slots. You may play available Stream cards to fill slots for strategic purposes as well. You may only play on and from your teams River . You may not play cards on or from any other teams River . In fact, you may not touch any other teams cards during a hand unless it is to return a misplaced card.
Stream Pile
The Stream pile can be used for scoring points and helping your Rivers flow. To play from the Stream you must begin flipping through the pile in three-card groups as done is Solitaire. While flipping through your Stream , if you see a card on the top of a three-card group that can be played into the Lake or River then you may play it. You may not play cards that are under the top card in a three-card group. You may not put more cards into your Stream . Each three card group is placed on top of the one before it, maintaining the same starting order of the pile (minus the cards played from it). Once a Stream pile has been entirely flipped through, the pile should be on the playing surface facing up, as opposed to when you started the game and it was facing down. You may then pick up the pile, again keeping the same order, and turn it over to be flipped through again. You may continue to do this as needed. When you get to the end of a pile you may only have a one or two-card grouping instead of three. Just turn that grouping over and you may play the top available card from it before cycling through the Stream again. You may not retract a three card grouping to get to the card under it. To get back to that card you must cycle through the entire pile again in which case there is a chance that it may not be available any longer.
Lake
The Lake is the community area in which all players or teams may play cards into. The Lake is also where you score points. All Lake piles must start with an ace. These piles are played in ascending order and have to be the same suit (again just like Solitaire). To elaborate, if you play an ace of clubs into the Lake to start a pile, the only card a player or team can play on it would be a 2 of clubs. Once the 2 of clubs is played, only a 3 of clubs may be played on top of the 2. You can build a Lake pile all the way up to a king. When the king is played on the Lake pile it becomes a dead pile. Kings are to be turned over on top of the pile to indicate that the pile is no longer available for play. To be clear, a full Lake should be in this order, suited, with no doubles: A,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,J,Q,K. Teams may play available Nertz cards, available Stream cards, and available River cards into the Lake . Once a card is played in the Lake it cannot be retracted during a hand unless it is a card that has been beat and can no longer play there, or you have mistakenly placed a card on a Lake pile that you realized is not fit to go there.
Real-Time
Once Go is called, any immediate plays you or your team may have observed before the hand may be made. The player in charge of the Stream pile can immediately begin cycling through this pile at the start of a hand while the player in charge of the Nertz pile attempts to find places for their available Nertz cards to be played. Both teammates can make plays into the Lake and River . Players may give available cards to and take available cards from their teammates to make plays. Expect the Lake piles to change constantly since everybody is playing at once. A team may be in route to make a play in the Lake but within a split second they notice that the play is no longer available because another team beat them to it. All players may use both hands to make plays.
Timeouts
Due to the fast and erratic movements of players, occasionally, there will be collisions in the Lake , fumbling of piles, and dropped cards. This is where the timeout rule comes into question. If an accident happens involving two or more teams a timeout can be called. If a team drops a card on the floor or fumbles a pile that does not affect another team, a timeout cannot be called. Therefore, timeouts should only be used in true emergencies or when an accident happens that prevents two or more teams from playing. Strategic uses of timeouts are prohibited and the strategic fumbling of piles in order to change ones card order is prohibited as well. When a timeout is called, players are to immediately stop playing. Nertz is a game in which timeouts should very rarely be used.
In-Game Circumstances
When a team fumbles a pile they are to do their best to reorganize it without cheating. Also if a player has to return a card for improper placement they are to do their best to place it in its previous destination.
Idled Game
If you are playing a game with less than four teams at some point you may experience a stand still in the game. This is known as an Idled Game. To make sure that it is truly an idled game every team is to cycle through their Stream pile twice to look for any possible plays. If still there have not been any plays made, then teams will agree to simultaneously burn a Stream card. If other teams are playing while you are idled then you cannot individually make a burn. All teams have to be idled. To make a burn the players in charge of the Stream piles are to take the top card from the pile and place it at the bottom of the pile. This changes the order of cards so that other plays can be made. Before a burn every teams Stream must be in one pile facing down just like at the start of a hand. Play immediately resumes after a burn. In the rare case that burning the Stream pile does not provide teams with any new plays then you can consider burning a Nertz card. Before the table can burn their Nertz cards they must burn their Stream pile at least three times without having any plays what so ever. Again, if any plays are made what so ever the entire table must cycle again to ensure the game is truly idled. To burn a Nertz card you take the top available top Nertz card from the pile and place it at the bottom just like burning the Stream . You may then flip over the next Nertz card and begin play immediately. 7. After a Hand/Scoring
Calculating scores after each hand is a very important part in a game of Nertz. Immediately after a hand, the teams that did not call 'Nertz' are to count the remaining cards that are left in their Nertz piles. At the same time one player is to gather all of the Lake cards and distribute them back to each team. After distribution players are to count their Lake cards. Each Lake card a team plays is worth one point and each Nertz card they had remaining is worth two points. To find a teams score for a hand a team subtracts their Nertz points from their Lake points. This means that the more cards you play into the Lake and the more Nertz cards you play from your Nertz pile the higher your teams score will be. The math can be done in your head so that the score keeper only has to write down your hand to total. Again this means there is a possibility that you can receive a negative score. Every hand all the scores should be recorded and then added to the previous hand scores until a team reaches a total of 100 points. 8. In-Depth Rules
Nertz can be a complex game. It can be hard to distinguish between certain boundaries and rules without a board for card placement, especially at the speeds Nertz is played at. It is also hard to make sure others are playing by the same rules you are, during a hand, when you are focused on playing your own cards. The following rules are specifically listed for those times when the people at home need some guidance on certain matters. In other words, the following portion of this rulebook can be used to settle many Nertz-related disputes.
Common Issues
Available Cards Available cards are cards that you can play or play on. At any given moment there are only six available cards you can play into the Lake which are: the current available Nertz card, the current available Stream card, and the top cards on each of your four River columns. All cards in piles underneath available cards are considered blocked.
Withholding Cards All available aces must immediately go into the Lake . If a Nertz card can be played into the Lake it must be unless you have an available spot for it in your River at that very moment. You cannot withhold Nertz Cards from the Lake . This is so that the Flow of the Game may be maintained. The only cards you may withhold from the Lake are Stream and River cards. This is for the strategic purpose of making more plays available for your Nertz cards. The reason you may not withhold Nertz cards in the same way is because the Flow of the Game trumps individual strategy.
Stacking The controversial method of placing more than one card in the Lake at a time. Stocking is permitted only if everyone participating in the game unanimously agrees that stacking is permitted. A stack occurs when you take the card you are about to play and stack the next card or cards (that you might have available) on top of that one and then place the group of cards in an appropriate Lake pile. This may prevent or deny other teams from making plays off of the single card that you may have played if you did not stack the preceding card or cards you had available. It is up to you to decide if you want to allow stacking. You can only stack available cards. You cannot use the cards under the cards you are about to stack in the same stack. Since, at any given moment there are only six available cards you can play into the River , therefore, you can only have up to a six card stack.
River Issues Method River Transfer is a legal move to save time, in which a card is slid under a River card or a group of River cards instead of placing that card in an available slot and having to move the entire River column over to it. This easily looks like an illegal slide under but is validated by the available or open River slot. A slide under is an illegal play if a card is slid behind a River column when all available River slots are filled. Strategic River Play is a legal method of moving not just one card but columns of cards back and forth, as needed, through the River rows to free a slot or card you can play immediately or in the near future. Like Solitaire, as long as the cards stay in ascending numerical and alternating color order you may move columns or partial columns in the River as needed. You may not play single River cards from the back or middle of a River column into the Lake . The only time you can use a blocked River card is if the rest of the column that is on top of it goes with it to another legal destination within the River . It also is not mandatory to fill a River slot. You may leave a slot open for strategic purposes.
End of a Hand Issues If Nertz is called at the moment you are in-route with a card to an available destination the play is allowed. This is known as the Last Card In Hand Rule. If you have a card in your hand and Nertz is called and then you realize it can play somewhere, it is too late. You cannot play it. When Nertz is called all play must stop.
Hand Rules If a card or group of cards you are about to play has not fully left your hand yet, then you can retract them if you havent let go.
Handling Misplaced Card If a card is discovered to be improperly placed in a pile, a player is to try to return it to the place in which they found it before, along with all the cards that it may have affected.
Ties In the event that two teams reach more than 100 points, obviously the team with the most points wins the game. If you are keeping track of who has called Nertz each hand then you can decide a winner by who called the most Nertz. If you werent keeping track, then they can play a tie breaker with all the teams involved, knowing that both could drop below 100, giving the others a chance to continue the game or even a chance at victory. 9. Recommendations
Try to play on a playing surface that has an equal amount of space, and has equal distances to the Lake for all players. If you cant find one, try rotating positions between hands so that everyone has a chance to play in spots with better or worse position. Also, use a playing surface in which it is easy to pick up cards from. In a related note, when playing, try to keep your piles organized. In not doing so, you could unintentionally make illegal plays which could result in penalties.
Good communication between teammates can go a long way in a Nertz game. It is perfectly legal to talk to your partner about what cards need to be played so take full advantage. It is also legal to stand at a table especially if the table is oblong. 10. Variations Nertz Card Game Instructions
Number of points needed to win Some people play to 150 points instead of 100.
Bonus points on Nertz Some people award 10 bonus points to the player or team that calls 'Nertz'. In this case the number of points to win is usually set at 150. If Nertz is called by two teams around the same time then the table will decide who called it first. If it is decided that they were called at the exact same time the teams split the ten points which only gives each team that called 'Nertz' five points. If more than two teams called Nertz, divide the points using a table vote.
River contains five cards Some people use five cards in the River instead of four.
Alternating control of the piles Some people require control of the Nertz pile and the Stream pile be alternated between team players after each hand. Nertz Card Game Near Me
Nertz Card Game Instructions
Nertz Card Game Near Me
As I have played Nertz over the years, I have discovered there many variations to the game, including the spelling of the name. Many people spell it Nerts. When I teach people to play the game, the question is asked 'Where can I go on the web to learn the rules of the game?'. There is not a site that has the same rules that I have used through the years so I have created this page as a guideline. The rules on this page are based on the standard rules of the National Nertz Association. Some of the rules I was taught years ago do not adhere to the NNA rules so when I play with people who originally taught me the game, I use their rules but when I teach people the game, I usually try to adhere to the official rules. Steve Nertz Card Game Instructions
Play
In-Depth Rules
Variations 1. Game Equipment
Nertz is a fast paced multi-player solitaire card game for 2-4 players, each playing with their own deck of cards. The objective of Nertz is to score more points than your opponents by playing cards in sequence from ace to king onto shared foundation piles. Card Game Rules Nerts, or Peanuts, is a multiple person solitaire game played with a standard 52 playing card deck for each player. Each deck must have a unique design on its back as it will be easier to calculate players points. In Nerts, Kings are high and Aces are low. Each player deals a Nerts pile of thirteen cards - twelve cards face down and the thirteenth face up on top. Next to this pile, each player deals four cards face-up.
To play Nertz you will need the following: (1) 52-card deck of standard playing cards per team Play craps . , a large table or open floor space, something to write with and enough paper for scoring multiple rounds for multiple players. Note that each deck of cards used must be clearly distinguishable from the others being used. In other words, a deck must look different from any other deck being used in the game. This is to ensure that the cards played into the Lake are properly tallied and returned to the proper player or team after each hand. 2. Object
The object of Nertz is to be the first player or team to reach 100 points in a series of hands. The object of a hand is to be the first player or team to get rid of a 13-card Nertz pile and shout Nertz. After Nertz is called the hand ends and each player or teams scores are added to the hand before it until one player or team reaches 100 or more points.
Some people play to 150 points. See Variations at the bottom of this page.
Some people award bonus points to the player or team calling 'Nertz'. See Variations at the bottom of this page. 3. Overview
Nertz, simply put, is a multiple player game of solitaire. Its a fast paced game that only gets faster when more players are added to a game. During a hand everyone plays simultaneously which means it is not a turn based card game. Nertz can be played amongst individuals or in teams of two. When playing a hand, your goal is to try to be the first player or team to get rid of your 13-card Nertz pile and call Nertz. To do this you have three groups of card piles to aid you, which are the Lake (a community area), your River , and your Stream pile. 4. Game Preparation
First, make sure that you have enough decks for the amount of people that will be playing. Depending on if you play with teams or not, there may be an odd player out. In recreational Nertz games it is common to see one player playing by him/herself against a table full of two-player teams. Next, designate the score keeper and have them write down all of the teams on paper, a note pad, or scoring pad. Before preparing the hands make sure everyone knows how you will be playing this game. Agree on a score to play to, what will or will not be allowed, and any other rules that may not be covered on this web page. Be prepared to count both your remaining Nertz cards and your Lake cards after every hand before grouping them back together. Lastly, know that negative scores happen frequently in Nertz, so dont be discouraged. It happens to everyone. 5. Preparing a Hand
Shuffling
Properly shuffling and maintaining the order of cards after the shuffle is very important in Nertz. Before dealing, each team shuffles their deck at least five times and cuts the deck at least once. Some people may decide to take part in round-robin shuffling. Round-robin shuffling is when each team's deck is passed to a neighboring team to be shuffled before the deal. After an opposing team shuffles their neighbors deck thoroughly, they are then given back and ready for use. At that point, the decks should not be tampered with until teams begin dealing.
Dealing
In Nertz you must deal the cards individually from the top of the deck. The first group of cards you are to deal should be the River . The River is dealt facing up and should consist of 4 cards placed beside one another directly in front of you or your team on the table. From left to right or right to left, it does not matter the order in which the River cards are dealt, as long as there are four. Immediately after the River is dealt you are then to deal the Nertz pile. This pile consists of 13 cards dealt facing down, one by one, on top of the card placed before it. The thirteenth card is dealt facing up at the top of the pile. The remaining 35-card pile is now your teams Stream pile, which also should be facing down before beginning. Teams cannot look at the cards that are facing down before the start of the game or during the game. They may however use the time that there is between the deal and the start of a hand to observe any plays that they may have with the cards that are facing up. They can also observe their opponents starting hands. Teams may rearrange their starting River cards if they wish before the hand begins. Before a hand, a player or team may hold both the Nertz piles and the Stream piles in their hands to start. The rest of the cards should remain on the table. Also, teams may not shield any piles from their opponents view in preparation or during play. Every team should be able to see all of their opponents available cards just as their opponents view their own. Once all teams have finished dealing, it is important to make sure that all teams are ready before beginning. If you are playing in teams, before the start of a hand, designate which teammate will control the Nertz pile and which teammate will control the Stream Pile. Generally, a team of two alternates control of the piles after every hand to keep the games balanced, however this is not mandatory. If you are playing alone you will be in charge of both piles.
Some people use five cards in the River instead of four. See Variations at the bottom of this page.
Some people require control of the piles be alternated. See Variations at the bottom of this page. 6. Play
When the table is ready, one person will give the proper commands for the game to begin. It is best to give a Ready, Set, Go! or a 1, 2, 3, Go to allow teams proper time to prepare for play.
Get a free Holdem Genius license when you sign up and make a deposit with one of our 250+ poker room partners. On top of our advanced poker odds calculator, you'll also get a great sign-up bonus from the poker room. I want a free Holdem Genius License Buy a. Holdem genius. The Holdem Genius support page offers in-depth answers to the most frequently asked questions by our existing customers. Please check here for help with the registration, installation and use of our software. Links throughout the answers will guide you to. Holdem Genius is a piece of poker software that attaches itself to your online poker table and immediately starts coaching you. In a glance you can see all important parameters concerning the value of your hand, the probabilities of your opponents hands. Holdem Genius works with over 100 poker rooms including the all popular rooms such as PokerStars, FullTilt Poker and the most other major networks. The software is compatible with Windows XP, Vista & the new Windows 7. Also get a great bonus for your deposit in addition to the free Holdem Genius license.
Once a hand has started there are four areas you may utilize to try to achieve victory. These areas are the Lake , your River , your Stream , and your Nertz pile.
Nertz Pile
Your goal is to try to get rid of your Nertz pile. You may play cards from your Nertz pile into your River as well as into the Lake . Once a Nertz card is played you may turn over the next card at the top of the Nertz pile so that you may view it and play it. You may only view the top Nertz at any given time. The rest of the pile must remain facing down. If you cant get rid of a Nertz card you may not try to play any others from beneath it as it is illegal to look at or play the blocked Nertz cards. Holding the Nertz pile is allowed but it must remain in the vision of all players.
River
The River is the four-card area in front of a player or team at the start of a hand. To play cards on River cards they must be in descending numerical order and of opposite suit throughout the pile. For example, if you had a red jack to start on of your River piles, the only card you could play on top of it would be a black 10. From there you could play a red 9 on top of that. Just like in Solitaire, River piles can be built from kings all the way down to the 2s as long as they alternate in color. You may play cards from both your Nertz pile and your Stream pile onto your River columns. It is best to stagger River piles, forming a column, so that you may better view what you have played within one of your four River piles/columns. It is not mandatory to stagger the River piles in this way, though it may be unwise and can appear shady not to do so. You can play a River card in the Lake as well as play a River column on another River column. Many times playing cards or columns of cards from your River create open River slots. As there are only four River slots, there can only be four River columns at any given moment in a game. When one of those slots is free, you may fill this slot by playing a Nertz card there to aid in getting rid of your Nertz pile. It is not mandatory to play a Nertz card in these available River slots. You may play available Stream cards to fill slots for strategic purposes as well. You may only play on and from your teams River . You may not play cards on or from any other teams River . In fact, you may not touch any other teams cards during a hand unless it is to return a misplaced card.
Stream Pile
The Stream pile can be used for scoring points and helping your Rivers flow. To play from the Stream you must begin flipping through the pile in three-card groups as done is Solitaire. While flipping through your Stream , if you see a card on the top of a three-card group that can be played into the Lake or River then you may play it. You may not play cards that are under the top card in a three-card group. You may not put more cards into your Stream . Each three card group is placed on top of the one before it, maintaining the same starting order of the pile (minus the cards played from it). Once a Stream pile has been entirely flipped through, the pile should be on the playing surface facing up, as opposed to when you started the game and it was facing down. You may then pick up the pile, again keeping the same order, and turn it over to be flipped through again. You may continue to do this as needed. When you get to the end of a pile you may only have a one or two-card grouping instead of three. Just turn that grouping over and you may play the top available card from it before cycling through the Stream again. You may not retract a three card grouping to get to the card under it. To get back to that card you must cycle through the entire pile again in which case there is a chance that it may not be available any longer.
Lake
The Lake is the community area in which all players or teams may play cards into. The Lake is also where you score points. All Lake piles must start with an ace. These piles are played in ascending order and have to be the same suit (again just like Solitaire). To elaborate, if you play an ace of clubs into the Lake to start a pile, the only card a player or team can play on it would be a 2 of clubs. Once the 2 of clubs is played, only a 3 of clubs may be played on top of the 2. You can build a Lake pile all the way up to a king. When the king is played on the Lake pile it becomes a dead pile. Kings are to be turned over on top of the pile to indicate that the pile is no longer available for play. To be clear, a full Lake should be in this order, suited, with no doubles: A,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,J,Q,K. Teams may play available Nertz cards, available Stream cards, and available River cards into the Lake . Once a card is played in the Lake it cannot be retracted during a hand unless it is a card that has been beat and can no longer play there, or you have mistakenly placed a card on a Lake pile that you realized is not fit to go there.
Real-Time
Once Go is called, any immediate plays you or your team may have observed before the hand may be made. The player in charge of the Stream pile can immediately begin cycling through this pile at the start of a hand while the player in charge of the Nertz pile attempts to find places for their available Nertz cards to be played. Both teammates can make plays into the Lake and River . Players may give available cards to and take available cards from their teammates to make plays. Expect the Lake piles to change constantly since everybody is playing at once. A team may be in route to make a play in the Lake but within a split second they notice that the play is no longer available because another team beat them to it. All players may use both hands to make plays.
Timeouts
Due to the fast and erratic movements of players, occasionally, there will be collisions in the Lake , fumbling of piles, and dropped cards. This is where the timeout rule comes into question. If an accident happens involving two or more teams a timeout can be called. If a team drops a card on the floor or fumbles a pile that does not affect another team, a timeout cannot be called. Therefore, timeouts should only be used in true emergencies or when an accident happens that prevents two or more teams from playing. Strategic uses of timeouts are prohibited and the strategic fumbling of piles in order to change ones card order is prohibited as well. When a timeout is called, players are to immediately stop playing. Nertz is a game in which timeouts should very rarely be used.
In-Game Circumstances
When a team fumbles a pile they are to do their best to reorganize it without cheating. Also if a player has to return a card for improper placement they are to do their best to place it in its previous destination.
Idled Game
If you are playing a game with less than four teams at some point you may experience a stand still in the game. This is known as an Idled Game. To make sure that it is truly an idled game every team is to cycle through their Stream pile twice to look for any possible plays. If still there have not been any plays made, then teams will agree to simultaneously burn a Stream card. If other teams are playing while you are idled then you cannot individually make a burn. All teams have to be idled. To make a burn the players in charge of the Stream piles are to take the top card from the pile and place it at the bottom of the pile. This changes the order of cards so that other plays can be made. Before a burn every teams Stream must be in one pile facing down just like at the start of a hand. Play immediately resumes after a burn. In the rare case that burning the Stream pile does not provide teams with any new plays then you can consider burning a Nertz card. Before the table can burn their Nertz cards they must burn their Stream pile at least three times without having any plays what so ever. Again, if any plays are made what so ever the entire table must cycle again to ensure the game is truly idled. To burn a Nertz card you take the top available top Nertz card from the pile and place it at the bottom just like burning the Stream . You may then flip over the next Nertz card and begin play immediately. 7. After a Hand/Scoring
Calculating scores after each hand is a very important part in a game of Nertz. Immediately after a hand, the teams that did not call 'Nertz' are to count the remaining cards that are left in their Nertz piles. At the same time one player is to gather all of the Lake cards and distribute them back to each team. After distribution players are to count their Lake cards. Each Lake card a team plays is worth one point and each Nertz card they had remaining is worth two points. To find a teams score for a hand a team subtracts their Nertz points from their Lake points. This means that the more cards you play into the Lake and the more Nertz cards you play from your Nertz pile the higher your teams score will be. The math can be done in your head so that the score keeper only has to write down your hand to total. Again this means there is a possibility that you can receive a negative score. Every hand all the scores should be recorded and then added to the previous hand scores until a team reaches a total of 100 points. 8. In-Depth Rules
Nertz can be a complex game. It can be hard to distinguish between certain boundaries and rules without a board for card placement, especially at the speeds Nertz is played at. It is also hard to make sure others are playing by the same rules you are, during a hand, when you are focused on playing your own cards. The following rules are specifically listed for those times when the people at home need some guidance on certain matters. In other words, the following portion of this rulebook can be used to settle many Nertz-related disputes.
Common Issues
Available Cards Available cards are cards that you can play or play on. At any given moment there are only six available cards you can play into the Lake which are: the current available Nertz card, the current available Stream card, and the top cards on each of your four River columns. All cards in piles underneath available cards are considered blocked.
Withholding Cards All available aces must immediately go into the Lake . If a Nertz card can be played into the Lake it must be unless you have an available spot for it in your River at that very moment. You cannot withhold Nertz Cards from the Lake . This is so that the Flow of the Game may be maintained. The only cards you may withhold from the Lake are Stream and River cards. This is for the strategic purpose of making more plays available for your Nertz cards. The reason you may not withhold Nertz cards in the same way is because the Flow of the Game trumps individual strategy.
Stacking The controversial method of placing more than one card in the Lake at a time. Stocking is permitted only if everyone participating in the game unanimously agrees that stacking is permitted. A stack occurs when you take the card you are about to play and stack the next card or cards (that you might have available) on top of that one and then place the group of cards in an appropriate Lake pile. This may prevent or deny other teams from making plays off of the single card that you may have played if you did not stack the preceding card or cards you had available. It is up to you to decide if you want to allow stacking. You can only stack available cards. You cannot use the cards under the cards you are about to stack in the same stack. Since, at any given moment there are only six available cards you can play into the River , therefore, you can only have up to a six card stack.
River Issues Method River Transfer is a legal move to save time, in which a card is slid under a River card or a group of River cards instead of placing that card in an available slot and having to move the entire River column over to it. This easily looks like an illegal slide under but is validated by the available or open River slot. A slide under is an illegal play if a card is slid behind a River column when all available River slots are filled. Strategic River Play is a legal method of moving not just one card but columns of cards back and forth, as needed, through the River rows to free a slot or card you can play immediately or in the near future. Like Solitaire, as long as the cards stay in ascending numerical and alternating color order you may move columns or partial columns in the River as needed. You may not play single River cards from the back or middle of a River column into the Lake . The only time you can use a blocked River card is if the rest of the column that is on top of it goes with it to another legal destination within the River . It also is not mandatory to fill a River slot. You may leave a slot open for strategic purposes.
End of a Hand Issues If Nertz is called at the moment you are in-route with a card to an available destination the play is allowed. This is known as the Last Card In Hand Rule. If you have a card in your hand and Nertz is called and then you realize it can play somewhere, it is too late. You cannot play it. When Nertz is called all play must stop.
Hand Rules If a card or group of cards you are about to play has not fully left your hand yet, then you can retract them if you havent let go.
Handling Misplaced Card If a card is discovered to be improperly placed in a pile, a player is to try to return it to the place in which they found it before, along with all the cards that it may have affected.
Ties In the event that two teams reach more than 100 points, obviously the team with the most points wins the game. If you are keeping track of who has called Nertz each hand then you can decide a winner by who called the most Nertz. If you werent keeping track, then they can play a tie breaker with all the teams involved, knowing that both could drop below 100, giving the others a chance to continue the game or even a chance at victory. 9. Recommendations
Try to play on a playing surface that has an equal amount of space, and has equal distances to the Lake for all players. If you cant find one, try rotating positions between hands so that everyone has a chance to play in spots with better or worse position. Also, use a playing surface in which it is easy to pick up cards from. In a related note, when playing, try to keep your piles organized. In not doing so, you could unintentionally make illegal plays which could result in penalties.
Good communication between teammates can go a long way in a Nertz game. It is perfectly legal to talk to your partner about what cards need to be played so take full advantage. It is also legal to stand at a table especially if the table is oblong. 10. Variations Nertz Card Game Instructions
Number of points needed to win Some people play to 150 points instead of 100.
Bonus points on Nertz Some people award 10 bonus points to the player or team that calls 'Nertz'. In this case the number of points to win is usually set at 150. If Nertz is called by two teams around the same time then the table will decide who called it first. If it is decided that they were called at the exact same time the teams split the ten points which only gives each team that called 'Nertz' five points. If more than two teams called Nertz, divide the points using a table vote.
River contains five cards Some people use five cards in the River instead of four.
Alternating control of the piles Some people require control of the Nertz pile and the Stream pile be alternated between team players after each hand. Nertz Card Game Near Me
