Four short tutorials show you where a card belongs, when to pass and how a deal ends. Then play a full shuffled game against Robin, Alex and Sam.
CHOOSE YOUR FIRST DEAL
YOUR HAND · SORTED BY SUITSelect a card, then Play.
Follow the visible moves
ONE CARD PER TURN · FIRST OUT WINS
♧ Browser-based practice · No downloadFour players · Aces low · Diamond seven opens
SEVENS RULES IN ONE MINUTE
The middle first. The rest follows.
Sevens is a race to clear your hand by filling a shared layout. You are not matching the last card played: you are adding to one of four separate suit rows.
Our deal opens with 7♦. After that, any seven can begin another row.
02
Extend one open end.
Add the next rank in the same suit. No gaps, no changing suit, one card per turn.
03
Play if you can. First out wins.
Pass only when nothing fits. Empty your hand to end the deal immediately.
THE TABLE, EXPLAINED
Four rows. Plenty of possibilities.
A visual guide to dealing, legal moves and the moments that make people reach for the rules.
01
Deal every card. Find the diamond seven.
Remove the jokers from a standard pack. With four players, deal one card at a time until everyone has 13. Keep your hand private and sort it by suit to make neighbouring cards easier to spot.
52 cardsOne complete pack. No stock or discard pile.
13 eachFour equal hands in the practice game.
7♦ firstIts holder opens; play then moves clockwise.
The opening move is compulsory here: play 7♦, even if you hold other sevens. You do not need to be the dealer or sit in a particular seat to start. In free play, a computer may hold it and make the first move.
02
Make a path. Never leave a gap.
Each suit has its own row. A seven begins that row; lower ranks build towards the ace and higher ranks towards the king. You may add to either end, but only the immediately neighbouring rank in the matching suit fits.
Read the row, not the previous turn.
If hearts currently show 5♥–6♥–7♥–8♥, the next heart must be 4♥ or 9♥. You could instead start clubs with 7♣ or extend another suit. What the previous player chose does not force your suit.
7♥♥
Imagine that only 7♥ is on the table. Would this card fit? Choose an example.
Yes. 6♥ fits immediately below 7♥. The suit matches and there is no missing rank.
At this table, aces are low: A–2–3–4–5–6–7–8–9–10–J–Q–K. An ace goes after its two has been played. A king goes after its queen. You cannot wrap from king back to ace.
03
Waiting is a move. Only when you must.
If you have any legal card, you must play one. You may choose between available moves, but cannot withhold every playable card and pass instead. When none of your cards fits, say “pass” and the next player takes a turn.
A blocked card is not a bad card.
Holding 3♠ before spades has started? It waits for 7♠, then 6♠, 5♠ and 4♠. You keep it in your hand. There is no drawing to escape a pass, and no passing penalty in our version.
The practice table highlights legal choices. Its Pass button becomes available only when no move exists; it cannot skip a playable turn.
04
One last card. That is the finish.
The first player to place every card wins. End the deal as soon as their final legal card joins the layout. The other players do not get another turn, and the four rows do not need to be complete.
1 card leftHaving one card left does not itself win.
It fitsPlay it normally on your turn.
0 cardsYou win. Stop the deal immediately.
Our result panel shows the winner, the final card and how many cards remain in each hand. Those counts explain the finish; they are not a separate scoring system. Deal again for a fresh game.
05
Look beyond the card you can play.
Look for a move that helps the cards still in your hand. If you hold 7♣, 8♣ and 9♣, starting clubs creates a route for your own follow-up cards. A move at the other end of a row may help opponents as well as you.
You can sometimes delay opening a suit while playing elsewhere. You cannot delay by passing when that seven is your only legal card. Watch the visible layout and opponents’ card counts, rather than guessing that you know their hands.
The computer follows the same legal-move rules and makes choices using its own hand and the shared rows. The optional “Suggest a move” button offers one legal choice, not a guaranteed winning strategy.
06
Agree the version. Then deal.
You may know this game as 7s, Fan Tan or Parliament. Names overlap, and groups do not always use identical rules. Our practice table is fixed to the version stated above.
Who starts, and where does the ace go?
Some groups start left of the dealer with any seven, rather than requiring 7♦. Some place the ace above the king. We use a diamond-seven opening and aces below the two. Decide both points before a real game.
What about other player counts or scoring?
Sevens is often played with three to eight people; when the pack does not divide evenly, some hands have an extra card. Our interactive game uses four equal hands. Some groups score remaining cards or add stakes, but this practice version uses neither.
Rules checked against Pagat’s Sevens / Fan Tan guide, including its opening and ace-order variants. The explanations, examples and practice game here use our stated combination of rules. Reviewed 17 October 2026.
FOR THE REAL CARD TABLE
A small reminder. A smoother game.
Keep the essentials nearby. This sheet follows the same diamond-seven, ace-low version as the practice table.
52 cards, no jokers. Four players receive 13 cards each.
Opening
The holder of 7♦ plays it first. Continue clockwise.
Your turn
Play one legal card: a new seven, or the adjacent rank at either end of its own suit row.
Order
A–2–3–4–5–6–7–8–9–10–J–Q–K. No gaps or wrapping.
Passing
Pass only if nothing fits. No drawing or penalty.
Winning
Play your final card legally. The deal ends immediately.
House rules vary. Agree the opening seven, ace position and any scoring before playing. This sheet uses no betting or points target.
CARD GAME RULES · LEARN. PLAY. REPEAT.♣ ♦ ♠ ♥
SETTLE IT AT THE TABLE
Good questions. Clear answers.
How do you play Sevens?
Deal the pack, start with 7♦ and take turns adding one card to the suit rows. Start a new suit with its seven or extend an existing suit by the next rank. Pass only if no card fits. First out wins.
Can you pass if you have a playable card?
No. You must play one legal card if possible. With several choices you can pick any one; with none, you pass and keep your hand.
Are aces high or low in Sevens?
Aces are low in this version, below the two. Some groups play them above the king instead. Agree the sequence first and do not change it during a deal.
How many cards do you deal?
Deal the whole 52-card pack. Four players get 13 each. Other player counts can produce hands differing by one card; this online table always uses four players.
Can you play a seven at any time?
After the compulsory 7♦ opening, any seven can start its own suit on your turn. Playing a seven uses your one move; you do not also add its six or eight.
Is 7s the same as Sevens or Fan Tan?
7s is a common spelling of Sevens. Fan Tan and Parliament are also names used for this suit-building card game. Check the opening and ace-order rules, because local versions differ.
Can you play Sevens with two players?
You can agree a two-player house version, but it changes the feel and the information available. The tutorial and free game here teach four-player Sevens; they do not implement a two-player variant.
Do you have to finish all four rows?
No. The game ends when someone empties their hand, even if there are gaps still waiting at the unplayed ends. Unfinished rows are normal.
