How to Play Clear the Deck

OBJECT

To “go out” by playing all of your cards. And if you’re one of the other players, to be left with as few points in your hand as possible.

REQUIRED

Enough standard playing cards so each player can be dealt 20 cards. For 3, 4, or 5 players, two 52-card decks of playing cards are needed (without jokers). For 6 or 7 players, three decks are needed. For 8, 9 or 10 players, four decks.

A SET

A set is four or more cards of the same value. When this occurs the player can “Clear the Deck” (remove all the cards in the center pile) and takes an additional turn. Suits are not used in this game.

CARD VALUES

King is high and Ace is low.

BEFORE PLAY

Choose one player to be the dealer. The dealer shuffles the cards and deals four cards face down to each player, one card at a time going around the table. The deal continues going around the table with each person receiving four more cards, face up on top of each down card. Finally, each player is dealt 12 cards, still going around the table, that they will hold as their hand. Each player will have a total of 20 cards. The remaining undealt cards become the discard pile.

PLAY

The player to the left of the dealer begins by playing as many cards of the same value as desired from among his hand and his face-up cards in the center of the table (i.e., two Kings, three nines, five threes, etc.). A face-down card cannot be played while it is still covered by a face-up card. See NOTE below.

If the player drops a set (four or more cards of same value) he “Clears the Deck,” placing those cards face down on the discard pile and taking an additional turn. The play continues clockwise and the next player must play cards of EQUAL or LESSER value than the player before him. If this player creates a set of four or more of the same value by adding to the previously played cards, he “Clears the Deck,” placing the entire center stack on the discard pile, then takes an additional turn.

If a player plays a card of GREATER value than the previous player, he must take the entire center stack into his hand, then receives an additional turn.

NOTE: A player can only play a face down card when it is no longer covered by a face up card. At no time can a player look at his face down card until he chooses to play it by flipping it over. Once revealed, that card must be played. Additional matching cards from the player’s hand or face up cards can be played along with it. As in all other play, if it exceeds the value of the previously played card the player must pick up the center stack. If it is of equal or lesser value than the previously played card, the game continues. If it creates a set, the player will “Clear the Deck” and receive an additional turn.

Play continues until someone “goes out” by playing all 20 of their cards. At that point the round ends.

NOTE: During play the number of cards in each player’s hand must remain visible or be shown upon request. Also, cards played in the center must remain visible and can be examined by any player at any time. 

WILD

Tens are considered wild cards, in that they can be played to “Clear the Deck” at any time with the player receiving an additional turn. However, any tens held in a player’s hand when play ends count as 25 points against that player.

SCORING

The player who goes out receives zero points for that round. The other players will be awarded points based on values of the cards remaining in their hand (including those on the table, both face up and face down).

Numbered cards are their face value. A King is 13 points, Queen is 12, Jack is 11, and an Ace 1 point. Tens held at the end are 25 points!

After each player is awarded their points for the round, the deal moves clockwise to the next player and the game continues. Players can pre-designate how many rounds constitute an entire game or whether to play until someone reaches a certain high score. At the end, the player with the lowest total score is the winner.