Card ranking
Ranks run 3 (lowest), 4, 5 … 10, J, Q, K, A, 2 (highest) — the 2 is the boss card, above the ace. Suits rank ♠ < ♣ < ♦ < ♥ (spades low, hearts high), but suit only ever breaks ties between equal ranks: a 5♠ beats any 4, and a 5♥ beats a 5♣. Every card in the deck therefore has a unique strength, from the 3♠ at the very bottom to the 2♥ at the very top.
Deal and the opening play
All 52 cards are dealt: 13 to each player. Whoever holds the 3♠ — the lowest card in the game — leads the first trick of the game and must include the 3♠ in that opening play (alone or inside any legal combination). From the second hand onward, the previous hand's winner leads, with no required card.
Combinations
A play is one of six combination types. Sequences never contain 2s, and their suits need not match.
| Combination | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Single | One card | 9♦ |
| Pair | Two cards of one rank | 9♦ 9♥ |
| Triple | Three cards of one rank | J♠ J♣ J♦ |
| Four of a kind | All four cards of one rank (also a bomb) | 6♠ 6♣ 6♦ 6♥ |
| Sequence | 3+ consecutive ranks, any suits, no 2s | 4♣ 5♥ 6♠ |
| Double sequence | 3+ consecutive pairs, no 2s (also a bomb) | 7♠7♦ 8♣8♥ 9♠9♥ |
To beat a play you must put down the same type and the same size with a higher top card — pairs over pairs, five-card sequences over five-card sequences. The top card comparison uses the full rank-then-suit order, so a K♥-topped sequence beats a K♣-topped one. A triple never answers a pair, and a longer sequence never answers a shorter one.
Bombs: how 2s die
The 2 cannot be part of any sequence — bare 2s are the strongest singles, pairs and triples in the game. Bombs exist precisely to punish them:
- A four of a kind or a double sequence of 3+ pairs beats a single 2.
- A double sequence of 4+ pairs beats a pair of 2s.
- A double sequence of 5+ pairs beats three 2s.
Once a bomb sits on the trick, only a higher bomb of the same type may follow: a four of a kind over a four of a kind (higher rank), or a double sequence over a double sequence — longer wins, and at equal length the higher top card wins. Ordinary combinations can no longer enter the trick at all.
The trick: playing and passing
- Leading. On an empty table the leader may play any legal combination — this is the moment to shed awkward cards cheaply.
- Following. Beat the current play (same type/size, higher top; or a legal bomb) — or pass.
- Passing locks you out. You may pass even while holding a beating play, but a pass benches you until the trick is cleared from the table.
- Clearing. When nobody is left willing or able to contest the last play, the trick is cleared to the side and its owner leads afresh. If that owner has already shed out, the next player around the table who still holds cards leads instead.
Example: a trick, then a bomb
You lead the sequence 5-6-7 (topped by the 7♦). West must answer with a three-card sequence topped by something higher: she plays 6-7-8. North passes — he holds a beating run but wants to keep it whole, and the pass benches him for the rest of this trick. East plays J-Q-K. You and West pass; nobody is left to contest, so East clears the trick and leads.
East now leads a single 2♠ — normally a near-certain trick. But you hold 9-9-10-10-J-J, a three-pair double sequence, and that is a bomb: it legally beats a single 2. The trick is now in bomb mode. West holds four 4s — also a bomb — but a four of a kind cannot answer a double sequence; only a higher double sequence could. Everyone passes, your bomb stands, and you lead into a table that has just watched a 2 die.
Two lessons live in this example: passing is a real decision with a real cost (North sat out a trick he could have won), and bombs are answered only in kind — knowing which bomb beats which is what separates Thirteen regulars from visitors.
Scoring and winning the game
When the third player sheds out, the hand ends and places pay: 1st = 3 points, 2nd = 2, 3rd = 1, 4th = 0. Fresh hands are dealt — the previous winner leading — until someone reaches 10 or more points with the sole top score. A tie at the top keeps the game going: more hands are dealt until one player stands alone.
The 3-2-1-0 spread means second place is worth two-thirds of a win — so when the leader is clearly going out, redirect your effort into beating the other two seats rather than burning bombs on a lost race. A typical game runs three to five hands, and a single last-place hand is rarely fatal.
Edge cases and fine print
- The 3♠ rule applies only to the game's very first play — hand two onward, the winner leads anything.
- Suits break ties everywhere, including bombs: a four of a kind of 9s beats a four of a kind of 8s, and between equal-length double sequences the higher top card decides.
- Sequence tops matter, bodies do not. Only the highest card of a combination is compared — 3-4-5 topped by the 5♥ beats 3-4-5 topped by the 5♣.
- Passing is forbidden when leading. The leader must play — and since any single card is a legal lead, a leader always can.
- A pass is per-trick, not per-lap. Once passed, you cannot re-enter even if the play comes back around cheaper.
- Bombs may be led. A four of a kind on an empty table is legal (if extravagant) — it is only *forced* into bomb mode when answering 2s or another bomb.
- Aces cap sequences. Q-K-A is legal; K-A-2 is not, because a 2 can never join a run.
Variants and house rules
This is Southern Tiến lên (Tiến lên miền Nam), the version played online almost everywhere. Differences from other tables:
- No instant wins. Some tables award the hand immediately to a player dealt four 2s, a 3-to-ace dragon, or six pairs. We always play the hand out.
- No Northern rules. Tiến lên miền Bắc requires sequences of a single suit and same-suit beats; our sequences mix suits freely and suit order breaks ties.
- No penalty counting. Some groups fine remaining 2s or count leftover cards for money; our scoring is the flat 3/2/1/0 by place.
- Triple 2s can be bombed (by a 5+-pair double sequence) — a tier some casual tables skip.
Frequently asked questions
Who leads after the first hand of Thirteen?
The winner of the previous hand — the first player who shed all 13 cards — leads the next hand, and may open with any legal combination. The 3♠ requirement only ever applies to the very first play of the game.
Do suits matter in Thirteen sequences?
The cards in a sequence may be any suits — only the ranks must be consecutive. But when two sequences of the same length compete, the top card decides, and suit breaks a rank tie there: ♥ beats ♦ beats ♣ beats ♠.
Can you beat a pair with a triple in Thirteen?
No. A play is only beaten by the exact same combination type and size — a pair by a higher pair, a four-card sequence by a higher four-card sequence. The only exception is bombs answering 2s, or a higher bomb answering a bomb.
Does playing a bomb win the trick instantly?
No. A bomb beats the 2s it targets, but other players may still answer with a higher bomb of the same type — a stronger four of a kind, or a longer (or higher, at equal length) double sequence. Only when everyone passes does the bomb take the trick.
What happens in Thirteen when the trick winner has no cards left?
The trick is cleared as usual, and the lead passes to the next player around the table who still holds cards. The hand continues until three players have shed out and the places are decided.
Is the 2 or the ace the highest card in Thirteen?
The 2 — it sits above the ace at the top of the order, which runs 3 up to 10, J, Q, K, A, 2. The 2♥ is the single strongest card in the game, and only a bomb can beat it when played alone.
How many points do you need to win Thirteen?
Ten, with the top score to yourself. Each hand pays 3 points for 1st place, 2 for 2nd, 1 for 3rd and nothing for last. If two players cross 10 in a tie, the game continues until one of them stands alone on top.
Can a double sequence be played when it is not needed as a bomb?
Yes — a double sequence is a normal combination too. You may lead one, or use it to beat another double sequence of the same length. Its bomb powers only come into play against bare 2s or other bombs.
Related rulebooks
- President rules — climb from scum to president
- Switch rules — draw twos, black jacks and wild aces
- Idiot rules — shed three layers — don't be the idiot
- Crazy Eights rules — match suit or rank — 8s are wild
Last reviewed 2026-08-05 · play Thirteen online free