How to play Nertz
The full rules of Nertz, the real-time, multiplayer solitaire card race also known as Pounce, Racing Demon, Peanuts, or Squeal. Read them here, or let the in-app tutorial walk you through a live game.
The setup
Every player has their own standard 52-card deck. From it, each player deals:
The Nertz pile: 13 cards
Face down, with the top card flipped face up. This is the pile you're racing to empty. Emptying it is the whole game.
The work piles: 4 cards
Four cards face up in a row. Build on them solitaire-style: descending rank, alternating colors (red on black, black on red).
The stock: everything else
The remaining 35 cards stay in hand. Flip through them three at a time, playing what you can from the top of the waste.
In the middle of the table sits a shared area for foundations. This space belongs to everyone.
The race
There are no turns in Nertz. When the round starts, everyone plays at the same time, as fast as they can:
Aces go to the middle. Any ace, from anyone, starts a new foundation. Foundations build up by suit (ace, 2, 3… up to king) and any player can play on any foundation.
First card played wins. If two players race a 5 of hearts to the same foundation, only the first one counts. That's the "blitz" part.
Work your piles to free cards. Move cards (alone or in runs) between work piles: descending, alternating colors. An empty work pile can be filled with any card, ideally from your Nertz pile.
Cycle your stock. Flip three at a time; play the top card of the waste to foundations or work piles whenever it fits. When the stock runs out, flip the waste and go again.
Drain your Nertz pile. The top card of your Nertz pile is always available. Every card you move out of it gets you closer to the win, and reveals the next one.
Calling "Nertz!" & scoring
The moment your Nertz pile is empty, yell "Nertz!" and the round ends immediately for everyone. Then count up:
for every card you played onto the foundations in the middle
for every card still stuck in your Nertz pile
Play rounds until someone reaches the target score (commonly 100). Going out first is great, but a player who stuffed the foundations can outscore the one who called Nertz. Speed and volume win.
Five tips to get faster
⚡ Nertz pile first. Every play should serve the goal of emptying it. Foundations points are the bonus, not the mission.
⚡ Keep work piles short. Long runs feel productive but bury the cards you need. Dump to foundations aggressively.
⚡ Watch the middle. Foundations change every second. The 4 you couldn't play a moment ago might fit now.
⚡ Empty work piles are gold. Fill them from your Nertz pile, never from your stock.
⚡ Don't stall on the stock. If a full cycle produces nothing, reshuffle rules vary; in Nertz Blitz the app handles it for you.
Nertz, Pounce, Racing Demon: same game?
Yes. The game travels under many names: Nertz (or Nerts) in much of the US, Pounce in others, Racing Demon in the UK, plus Peanuts, Squeal, and Scrouge. House rules differ in small ways (how many cards in the pile, flipping one vs. three) but the heart is identical: simultaneous solitaire, shared foundations, first to empty their pile. Nertz Blitz plays the classic 13-card, flip-three version.
Easier to learn by playing
The in-app tutorial teaches you hands-on, in about two minutes.
