Gulf · Rummy · Every player for themselves
Hand Saudi: rules and how to play
هاند سعودي
Hand Saudi is Hand as it is played on Saudi tables: the same two decks and four jokers, the same sets and runs, but the bar for opening rises through the round. The first player to open needs 51 points, and everyone who opens after them must beat the last opening. Five rounds, lowest total wins.
At a glance
- Players
- 4, each for themselves
- Deck
- 108 cards: two decks and four jokers
- Goal
- Lowest total after five rounds
- A game
- Five rounds
01
How to play in one minute
- Deal 14 cards each; the dealer takes 15 and starts by discarding one.
- On your turn draw from the stock, or take the top discard only if you lay it down at once in a new meld.
- Lay down sets (3 or 4 of a rank, all different suits) and runs (3 or more in a row of one suit). A joker stands in for any card.
- The first player to open in a round needs 51 points. Every later opening that round must beat the one before it by at least 1.
- End every turn with a discard. Empty your hand to score -30; after five rounds the lowest total wins.
02
The rules
Melds
- Set: 3 or 4 cards of one rank, all in different suits.
- Run: 3 or more cards in a row of one suit. The ace is low (A-2-3) or high (Q-K-A), never both.
- A joker stands in for any card, and every meld needs at least one real card.
The rising opening
Your first lay-down, in one go, must reach the bar: ace 11 (1 when low in A-2-3), jack, queen and king 10, other cards their face value, and a joker counts as the card it replaces. The first player to open in a round needs 51. Every player who opens after that in the same round must lay down at least the previous opening's total plus 1: 61 after a 60. Melds laid later by players who are already open don't raise the bar, and the bar starts again every round. A player who hasn't opened and takes the top discard must reach the current bar too.
After you open
Lay down more melds and add cards to any meld on the table, with no minimum. Always keep one card back: you go out by discarding your last card. When the stock runs out, the discards except the top card are shuffled into a new stock.
Scoring
- The player who empties their hand scores -30.
- A HAND, going out in one turn without having opened before and laying at least 14 cards in new melds, scores -60 and doubles everyone else's points for the round.
- Everyone else counts the cards left in hand: ace 11, jack, queen and king 10, others face value, joker 30. A player who never opened scores 100.
- After five rounds the lowest total wins, and tied players share the win.
The first player to open lays down 58. The next player to open needs at least 59, and whoever opens after them must beat that total.
03
Tips from the table
- Open early when you can: the first opening only needs 51, and every opening after it raises the bar for everyone still waiting.
- When a rival opens big, waiting for a better hand gets expensive. Count your melds against the current bar, not against 51.
- A joker can lift a lay-down over the bar, but a joker still in your hand at the end costs 30.
- Taking the discard before you have opened means reaching the current bar that same turn, so plan the whole lay-down first.
Qahwa · قهوة
Play it in Qahwa
Switch the house rules before you deal:
- Rising opening (on in Hand Saudi): each opening beats the last
- Opening minimum of 51, 71 or 91
- A joker left in hand costs 15 or 30
- A HAND doubles everyone else's points
- Swap a joker on the table for the card it stands for
- 3, 5 or 7 rounds
Online, every computer player is labelled and the deal can be checked. How we keep it fair
04
Questions
What is the difference between Hand and Hand Saudi?
The deal, the melds and the scoring are the same. In Hand Saudi the opening bar rises: the first player to open in a round needs 51, and every later opening must beat the previous one by at least a point.
What is a HAND in Hand Saudi?
Going out in one turn without having opened before, laying at least 14 cards in new melds. It scores -60 and doubles everyone else's points for that round.
Can I play Hand Saudi offline?
Yes. Play Hand Saudi against the computer without internet, or online at a private table with friends.
Play it free: Hand Saudi
Qahwa is in testing and not on Google Play yet. Join the early players list and be first at the table.