Nertz (Pounce) Rules

Game Overview

Nertz, also known as Pounce, Racing Demon, Peanuts, Squeal, or Scrooge, is a competitive solitaire card game that originated in the United States. The game is designed for two or more players and requires a standard 52-card deck for each player (or team). The game can be purchased on Amazon here.

Objective

The objective of Nertz is to get rid of all the cards from your Nertz pile (Pounce pile) by building them onto common foundations. The first player to achieve this calls "Nerts!" (or "Pounce!") and the game ends. The winner is the player with the highest score at the end of the game.

Setup

Each player deals a Nertz pile of thirteen cards in one pile, with twelve cards face down and the thirteenth face up on top. Next to this pile, each player deals four cards face-up, side by side and not overlapping, to begin four work piles. The remainder of each player's cards are held face-down as a stock.

The players arrange themselves and their tableaus in a triangle, box, circle, etc. around a common area that all players can access easily. The common area is where the foundations will be placed and built on.

How to Play

Players play simultaneously, moving cards around their own tableau according to the rules. The main objective is to eliminate the Nertz pile by playing cards from it onto work piles or onto foundations. A player whose Nertz pile is exhausted may call "Nerts!" (or "Pounce!" ), but this is not necessary. Players are only allowed to use one hand at a time to move cards, but may hold their stock in their other hand. Only one card at a time may be moved, except when moving a block of cards from one work pile to another.

Work piles are built in descending order, alternating color, overlapping the cards. Cards from the top of the Nertz pile can be played onto empty spaces in your work piles, onto one of your existing work piles, or directly onto a foundation. Foundations are built in the common area and are always begun with an ace, and can be built up by playing the next higher card of the same suit.

Players can turn over cards from their stock three at a time and put them face-up onto their waste pile. The top card of the waste pile may be played to one of your work piles or to a foundation pile if it fits. If all players are stuck (no further legal moves), or no one wishes to play any more cards, everyone picks up their waste pile to re-form their stock, and then puts the top card of the stock on the bottom.

Scoring and End of Game

When someone calls "Nerts!" (or "Pounce!"), play ends, and scoring takes place. Each player (team) scores one point for each of their own cards that they managed to play into the common area. Players subtract two points for every card left in their Nertz pile when play ended. The player who called "Nerts!" does not always have the highest score, but more often than not it results in a good score. Further deals are played until one or more player's scores reach or pass an agreed target score (usually 100).

Common Variants

Nerts can be played by more than five people if they play as partners. Partners will sit next to each other and share a pack.

Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

1. Not building work piles in descending order, alternating color.
2. Trying to play cards that don't fit in the foundations or work piles.
3. Not calling "Nerts!" when your Nertz pile is empty, or waiting too long to call it.
4. Not keeping track of the score and letting the target score be exceeded.
5. Not arranging the players and tableaus correctly.