How many players do you need to play Sevens?

Sevens works with 3 to 8 players, though 4 to 6 players gives the best balance of strategy and pace. The whole deck is dealt out among the players, so larger groups simply mean smaller hands.

Who goes first in Sevens?

In most versions, the player holding the seven of diamonds plays it first to open the layout. If you are not using that rule, the player to the dealer's left starts and play continues clockwise.

Can you pass if you have a card you could play?

No. You must always make a legal play if one is available. You may only pass when you genuinely cannot add any card to the layout. This rule is central to the game and makes blocking strategies meaningful.

What is the blocking strategy in Sevens?

Because a suit cannot grow until its seven is played, and a row stalls at any missing card, you can hold back sevens, sixes, and eights to freeze suits and strand your opponents' cards. Just be careful not to trap yourself by holding cards too long.

Why is Sevens also called Fan Tan?

Fan Tan is one of several traditional names for the same game, alongside Parliament, Domino, and Card Dominoes. They all describe the same layout game of building suit sequences outward from the sevens.

Is Sevens free to play online?

Yes. You can play Sevens free in your browser at lovecardgames.com with no signup, no download, and no payment. Practice against bots or play live multiplayer with friends.

How to Play Sevens (Fan Tan)

Sevens, also known as Fan Tan, Parliament, or Domino, is a simple but cleverly tactical shedding game where players build sequences of cards out from the sevens. The goal is wonderfully clear: be the first to play every card in your hand. Easy to learn yet full of clever blocking decisions, Sevens is a perfect family game for 3 to 8 players. Here is everything you need to know to play.

What is Sevens?

Sevens is a classic shedding card game played with a standard 52-card deck. It goes by many names: Fan Tan, Parliament, Domino, Card Dominoes, and simply Sevens. The aim is to get rid of all your cards by playing them onto a shared layout on the table. That layout is built outward from the four sevens, one row per suit, until every card from the ace down to the two has been placed.

Despite its simple rules, Sevens rewards careful thinking. Deciding which card to play, and which to hold back, can block your opponents and speed your own victory. The first player to empty their hand wins.

What You Need

A standard 52-card deck (no jokers).
3 to 8 players, with 4 to 6 being ideal.
Optional: chips or counters if you want to play for a pot.

Setting Up the Game

Choose a dealer. The dealer shuffles and deals all the cards out clockwise, one at a time, starting with the player to their left. Some players may end up with one extra card if the deck does not divide evenly among the group, which is perfectly fine. Over several hands the extra cards even out as the deal rotates.

Within each suit, cards rank in order from ace (high) down to two (low): A-K-Q-J-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2. Keep this ranking in mind, because the layout is built around it.

How the Layout Works

The table layout will eventually hold four rows, one for each suit. Each row begins with the seven in the middle. From the seven, the row builds up toward the eight, nine, ten, and onward to the ace, and builds down toward the six, five, four, and onward to the two. So a complete heart row, for example, reads from one end to the other: 2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-J-Q-K-A of hearts.

A suit cannot be started until its seven has been played. Once the seven is down, that suit's row is open for building in both directions.

Playing the Game

In many versions the player holding the seven of diamonds goes first and must play it to open the layout. Otherwise, the player to the dealer's left begins. Play then continues clockwise around the table.

On your turn you must play exactly one card to the layout if you legally can. A legal play is any of the following:

Any seven. Playing a seven starts a new row for that suit.
The next card up in a suit whose row already exists. For example, if the eight of clubs is showing, you may add the nine of clubs.
The next card down in a suit whose row already exists. For example, if the six of spades is showing, you may add the five of spades.

You may only ever extend a row by one card per turn, and only at the open ends. You cannot jump ahead or place a card out of sequence.

Passing

If you cannot make a legal play on your turn, you must pass and play moves to the next player. Importantly, you are not allowed to pass if you hold a card you could legally play. You must play when you are able to. This rule is what makes the game flow, and what makes blocking so powerful.

Blocking: The Heart of Sevens Strategy

Here is where Sevens becomes a thinking game. Because a suit cannot grow until its seven is down, and because a row stops dead at any missing card, you can deliberately hold cards back to stall your opponents.

Hold your sevens. A suit is frozen until you play its seven. If you hold the seven of a suit your opponents are loaded with, you trap their high and low cards.
Hold sixes and eights. These are the gatekeepers next to each seven. Sitting on a six or eight blocks the entire run beyond it in that direction, stranding opponents' lower or higher cards.
Watch your own hand. Blocking is a double-edged sword. If you cling to a card too long, you may be forced to play it late and leave yourself stuck. Balance disruption against your own need to shed.

The strongest players plan a few turns ahead, releasing cards that help them while denying useful plays to everyone else.

How to Win

The first player to play their very last card wins the hand. The game ends immediately at that moment. If you are playing with chips, each player puts a chip in the pot before the deal, and anyone who passes adds a chip too. The winner collects the entire pot plus one chip from every opponent for each card still left in their hand, so getting caught holding many cards stings.

Quick Tips for New Players

Play your most extreme cards (closest to ace or two) when you safely can, since they are the hardest to unload later.
Track which sevens are still missing to know which suits are locked.
Do not over-block. Freezing the table can backfire if it leaves you holding the bag.

Related Games to Try

If you enjoy shedding games where the goal is to empty your hand, you will likely love Crazy Eights, Big Two, President, Tien Len, and Switch. They share that satisfying race to play your final card, each with its own twist.

Play now

Ready to build out from the sevens? Play Sevens (Fan Tan) free online at lovecardgames.com. It runs right in your browser with no signup, no download, and no payment. Play against smart bots to learn the ropes, or jump into a multiplayer table with friends and family. Deal yourself in and race to empty your hand.