How to Play

Nertz is a competitive multi-player solitaire where everyone plays simultaneously with their own deck, racing to empty a 13-card Nertz pile while building shared Ace-to-King foundations.

Nertz (also Pounce, Nerts, or Racing Demon in Britain) is a competitive multi-player solitaire that combines a private Klondike-style game with a shared race. Each player uses their own distinctly-backed 52-card deck, sets up a personal layout (a 13-card Nertz pile, a four-card river/tableau, and a stock dealt three cards at a time), and then everyone plays simultaneously, with no turns. The shared 'lake' in the centre of the table holds Ace-to-King foundation piles that anyone can build on. The first player to empty their 13-card Nertz pile shouts 'Nertz!' and the round ends instantly. Cards in the lake score one point each for whoever played them, and every card still in your Nertz pile costs two points; the bonus for calling Nertz first varies by house rules. Matches are usually played to a target like 100 points.

Players

2 to 6 players, occasionally up to 8 if the table is large enough. Every player has their own deck, all backs visibly different, so the lake can be sorted back at the end. Pairs format is common: partners share both layouts and call Nertz when either of them empties their pile, but each partner still plays only their own side.

Card Deck

Each player uses one full 52-card deck, no jokers, ranks Ace (low) through King (high) in four suits. Decks must have visibly different backs from every other deck at the table because cards from all decks mix in the lake during play. Spare deck of similar size is fine for partners, provided each pair has two visibly distinct backs.

Objective

Empty your 13-card Nertz pile faster than anyone else and score points by playing your cards to the shared foundations. Across multiple rounds, reach a target score (commonly 100 points) before any opponent.

Setup and Deal

1. Each player shuffles their own 52-card deck and deals it into three areas in front of themselves: (1) a face-down Nertz pile of 13 cards with the top card flipped face up; (2) a 'river' of 4 cards face up in a row beside the Nertz pile; (3) the remaining 35 cards held face down as a personal stock.
2. Leave a wide central 'lake' area on the table for the shared foundation piles. The lake starts empty; foundations are created when an Ace is played to it.
3. Players agree before play whether the stock is dealt one card at a time (easier) or three cards at a time with only the top card playable (standard). Most groups also pre-agree the bonus chips for calling Nertz, the score target, and any 'no slamming' or 'no thrown card' table etiquette.
4. Choose someone to count down 'Three, two, one, go!'. All players begin simultaneously. There are no turns and no waiting; every player races to manage their own layout while reaching across to the lake.

Gameplay

1. Simultaneous play: From the moment the round starts, every player may play any legal move at any time. Two players may reach for the same lake card; the card actually placed first wins the spot, and a card placed on top of the wrong foundation rank can be politely retrieved by its owner.
2. Lake (foundations): The first Ace played to the lake starts a new foundation pile. Foundations build up by suit from Ace through King: then then up to . Any player may play on any foundation regardless of who started it; this is the only place point-scoring cards go.A♠2♠3♠K♠
3. River (tableau): Build the four river piles down by alternating colours (red on black, black on red), exactly like the tableau in Klondike. Move single cards or grouped sequences between piles. The bottom card of any river pile is always playable.
4. Nertz pile: The top card is always face up and playable. You may play it to a foundation in the lake, to a river pile (matching the alternating-colour, descending-rank rule), or into an empty river column. Each time you play the Nertz top card, flip the next card up.
5. Empty river column: When a river pile is emptied, fill the gap with the top card of your Nertz pile (preferred) or, if your Nertz pile is empty, with any single card or sequence from another river pile or your stock waste.
6. Stock: Hold the stock face down. Deal three cards at a time face up to a personal waste pile beside the stock; only the top card of the waste is playable. Continue dealing three at a time when needed; when the stock runs out, turn the waste face down to form a fresh stock and continue.
7. Calling Nertz: The first player to flip their Nertz pile face down empty shouts 'Nertz!' (or slaps the table). All play stops immediately, even if other players have a move in progress.
8. Disputes: A card already laid on a foundation belongs to whoever placed it; if two cards arrive simultaneously, the bottom one stands. Some groups use a 'top card wins' tie-breaker; agree before play.

Scoring

• After play stops, separate the cards in each lake foundation back to their original decks (this is what the differently-backed decks are for) and stack each player's recovered cards in front of them.
• Lake bonus: +1 point for every card you played to the lake.
• Nertz penalty: -2 points for every card still in your Nertz pile (face down or face up).
• Nertz bonus (optional house rule): +10 points to the player who called Nertz, in addition to the lake bonus. Some groups skip the bonus; some give +5 or +25.
• Stock and river cards: Cards remaining in the stock, waste, and river columns score nothing; only lake cards score and only Nertz-pile cards penalise.
• Total each player's score and add it to a running tally. Reshuffle and play another round.

Winning

• Round winner: The player who shouted Nertz earns the call bonus, but the player with the most points overall (after the lake/Nertz scoring) is the round's net leader.
• Match winner: First player to reach the agreed target score (commonly 100 points; tournaments often play to 50 or 200) wins the match.
• Tie-breaker: If two players cross the target on the same round, the player with the higher single-round score wins. If still tied, play one more round between them.
• Forfeit: A player who shouts Nertz with cards still in the Nertz pile (false call) loses the call bonus and pays a -5 chip penalty in most house rules.

Common Variations

• Pairs / partners: Two-on-two play; partners share river and lake plays but each manages their own deck. Either partner may call Nertz when their own pile empties.
• Solo deal: Deal stock one card at a time instead of three; far easier and faster, used for younger players.
• Racing Demon (British): Identical mechanics, fewer house rules; usually played to a fixed number of rounds rather than a point target.
• Pounce: Another American name for the game; rules vary slightly, especially the river column count (some play with five or six instead of four).
• Frustration / Squeal: Same family with renamed piles and small layout changes; foundations are built up the same way.
• Turn-based variant: Simultaneous play replaced with rotating turns; recommended for groups that find the chaos overwhelming.

Tips and Strategy

• Always prioritise playing the top card of your Nertz pile, even over an easy lake play; emptying the Nertz pile is the only path to a round-ending shout and avoids the heavy -2 penalty per card.
• Watch the lake for foundation piles that match a card you can release. Any Ace from your stock or river goes straight to the lake and starts a foundation that helps everyone, including you, but also unblocks your own cards.
• Keep your river columns flexible by alternating colours cleanly. A messy river (mismatched colours, broken sequences) blocks your Nertz top card and costs precious seconds.
• Cycle the stock briskly; the three-card deal often hides a key card on the second or third position. Players who deliberately move slowly through the stock fall behind.
• Open up an empty river column whenever possible so you can dump high cards (Kings) from your Nertz pile into it. A King in the Nertz pile is the most common late-round blocker.
• Speak rather than reach: announce 'Ace of clubs to the lake' if more than one player is grabbing for the same spot. It avoids messy collisions and is faster than two arms tangling.A♣

Glossary

• Nertz pile: The 13-card private pile each player races to empty; the only pile whose remaining cards are penalised at scoring.
• River: The four-column personal tableau, built down in alternating colours like Klondike.
• Stock and waste: The face-down draw pile and the face-up running pile of dealt cards in front of each player; only the top of the waste is playable.
• Lake: The shared central area where Ace-to-King foundation piles are built; only lake cards score points.A♠K♠
• Foundation: A single Ace-to-King pile in the lake, built up by suit.A♠K♠
• Call / shouting Nertz: The verbal signal that ends the round; said by the first player to empty their Nertz pile.
• False call: Shouting Nertz while still holding Nertz-pile cards; penalised by -5 in most house rules.
• Sorting: The end-of-round step in which lake cards are distributed back to each player's deck by back design.