Onze Rules – How to Play and Score

Onze Rules - How to Play Onze

Onze is a 7-round card game for 3 to 7 players. The objective is to be the first to meet the required hand for the round, go out by discarding all your cards, and keep the lowest total score by the end of all rounds. Onze uses custom hand goals for each round, with wild cards and a mix of sets and runs, making it both strategic and fast-paced.

Setup

• For 3-7 players, use two standard 52-card decks plus four Jokers (total 108 cards). Over six players we like to use 4 decks, including all Jokers.
• Shuffle and deal 11 cards to each player (13 cards in Round 7).
• Place remaining cards face-down as the draw pile.
• Flip one card face-up to create the discard pile.

Wild Cards

• Jokers and red Aces (♥ ♦) are wild and can represent any card in a set or run.
• Black Aces (♠ ♣) are not wild and count as 20 points if left in your hand.

How to Play Onze

1. Play proceeds clockwise. The player to the left of the dealer goes first.
2. On your turn, draw one card from either the draw pile or the top of the discard pile.
3. If your hand meets the round requirement, lay it down face-up ("go down").
4. End your turn by discarding one card face-up to the discard pile.

Valid Melds

• Set: 3 or more cards of the same rank (any suits).
• Run: 4 or more consecutive cards in the same suit (e.g., 4♥–5♥–6♥–7♥). Aces may be high or low, but not both (no K–A–2).

Discard Grab Rule

If a player chooses not to take the face-up discard and draws from the pile instead, the top card of the discard pile becomes available. Any other player may claim it before the current player ends their turn. If multiple players want it, priority goes to the next player in turn order. Once a new card is discarded, the opportunity to grab the previous discard expires.

After Going Down

• You must wait until your next turn to play on other players’ sets or runs.
• You may add cards to valid melds (your own or others) after that point.
• Jokers in runs can be replaced by the actual card, but must be used immediately in the same turn.
• Jokers in sets cannot be replaced.

Going Out

• Once you have no cards left in hand, discard your last card face-down to “go out.”
• This ends the round immediately. All other players score the points in their hand.

Scoring

• Going out = 0 points.
• Other players total the value of cards remaining in their hands:
  • Jokers and Red Aces: 30 points
  • Black Aces: 20 points
  • Face cards (K, Q, J, 10): 10 points
  • Number cards (2–9): Face value

Round Requirements in Onze

1. Two sets of 3
2. One set of 3 and one run of 4
3. Two runs of 4
4. Three sets of 3
5. Two sets of 3 and one run of 4
6. Two runs of 4 and one set of 3
7. Three runs of 4 (deal 13 cards)

Optional Rules (House Variants)

• Discard grab: Some groups play “open pounce,” where any player may grab the face-up discard after it’s passed. Others allow only the next player to claim it.
• Play restrictions: You may allow players to lay off cards on the same turn they go down to speed up the game, although traditional rules require waiting one turn.

About the Onze Card Game

Onze is a fast-paced group card game that’s similar to Rummy but played in structured rounds with escalating hand requirements. While not as widely known as classics like Hearts or Spades, Onze is loved for its mix of strategy, surprise, and friendly competition. Learn the rules, keep score, and play smarter with the Game Night app for iPhone and iPad.

History of the Onze Card Game

Onze is believed to have evolved as a homegrown variant of traditional Rummy and Canasta, played in family circles and small groups. The name "Onze" (French for "eleven") refers to the 11 cards dealt in most rounds. Unlike standard Rummy, Onze is played in structured rounds with escalating difficulty, making it ideal for longer game nights and competitive scoring.

Though not widely known in mass-market game catalogs, Onze has developed a loyal following through word of mouth, especially in North America. The use of red Aces and Jokers as wild cards, the specific round-by-round meld requirements, and the requirement to discard to go out make it a distinct and fast-paced game that rewards planning and memory.

Game Night App

Score Onze without paper and keep the rules one tap away. We built Game Night, an app for quick, at-the-table scoring.

• Round-by-round entry and automatic totals
• Game history and player stats
• Works offline on iPhone and iPad

Learn more

Game Night App Screenshots

A look at Onze inside the Game Night app:

Add players and get the game started in seconds.

Quickly enter scores for each player.

Review past games and scores easily.

Game Rules one click away.

Game Hands one click away, but also shown when entering scores.

Game Rules FAQ

Related Games and Apps

• Game Night – Game Night is a free scorekeeping app for card and domino games. Try every game for free, keep the rules for all games forever, and unlock only the game you score often. No subscriptions, works offline.
• iTell – Ask a question and get a mysterious, insightful answer. Inspired by classic fortune-telling games, iTell gives you playful responses to life’s burning questions.