How to play Hand

Hand

2 to 5 players

Hand is one of the most loved card games in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. It is played by 2 to 5 players, each on their own, with two decks and two jokers. You build sets and runs, lay them down, and race to empty your hand. After 5 rounds, the lowest total wins.

How to play

1 Players 2 to 5, each on their own, no teams. 1

2 Deck Two decks plus two jokers, 106 cards. Each player gets 14 cards; the player to the dealer's right gets 15 and starts by discarding. 2

3 Turn Draw from the stock or take the last discard, then discard one card. If you take the discard, you must lay down that turn. 3

4 Sets Each set has 3 or more cards: a run in one suit, or the same rank in different suits. A joker stands in for any missing card. 4

5 Laying down Your first lay-down must total 51 or more, and each later one must beat the last player's total by at least one. Once you have laid down, you can add to other players' sets. 5

6 Scoring The player who goes out scores minus 30. Everyone else scores the cards left in hand, Ace 11 and joker 15, and a player who never laid down takes 100. Lay everything down in one go (a Hand) and every score is doubled. 6

7 Winning After 5 rounds, the lowest total wins. 7

Tips

Build toward 51

Collect your sets calmly, but do not wait too long: a player who never lays down takes 100.

Watch the discards

What the player before you throws tells you what they do not need, and what someone picks up tells you what they are building.

Get rid of Aces and jokers

An Ace costs 11 and a joker 15 if they stay in your hand, so use them early.

Go for a Hand

If you are close to finishing, try to lay everything down in one go: every score doubles.

Variants and other names

First lay-down

51 is the most common; some tables raise it.

Rounds

5 rounds is standard; some tables play to a points ceiling instead.

Face cards

Many tables count Jack, Queen and King as 10, and the rest at face value.

Questions

How many players does Hand need?

2 to 5, each on their own; 4 is the sweet spot. Short a player? Kemlet finds one near you.

What does Hand mean?

Laying down all your cards in one go without adding to other players' sets. Every score in that round doubles.

What is the first lay-down minimum?

51 or more, and each later lay-down must beat the last one by at least one.

Who wins Hand?

After 5 rounds, the lowest total. Going out in a round scores minus 30.

How is Hand different from Banakil?

Both are set-building games, but Banakil is a team game where high points win, while in Hand everyone plays alone and low points win.