How to Play Sevens
Sevens (Fan Tan, Domino, Parliament) rules: the deal, the 7 of diamonds, building the rows, when you must play and when you pass, and paying into the pool
What is Sevens?
Sevens is a classic British family card game, also known as Fan Tan, Domino (or card dominoes) and Parliament. Three to seven players share a standard 52-card pack, and the aim is to be the first to get rid of all your cards.
The sevens are the foundations. The player holding the 7 of diamonds plays it to the middle of the table, and from then on the cards go down one at a time, building each suit outwards from its seven, down to the ace and up to the king, like a game of dominoes. If you can play, you must; if you can't, you pass, and in the Fan Tan version every pass costs you a chip.
Rules differ from one household to the next. This page gives the rules played at bs.fyi and notes the common variations. The same game is played in India as Badam Satti, starting from the 7 of hearts, and has its own table here.
The Indian version, with the 7 of hearts and penalty points: Badam Sattiबदाम सत्ती
Sevens rules at a glance
- Players
- 3 to 7, each for themselves (best with 4 or 5)
- Pack
- One standard 52-card pack, no jokers. All the cards are dealt; with 3, 5, 6 or 7 players some have one more card than others.
- Card order
- Ace low: A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K
- Start
- Whoever holds the 7♦ plays it first
- Play
- One card a turn: a 7 to start a new suit, or the next card down or up a suit already on the table
- Pass
- Only when you have no card you can play, and each pass costs a chip into the pool
- Winning a deal
- The first player to play their last card
- Payment
- Everyone antes one chip. The winner takes the pool, plus one chip for every card left in each other hand.
- Winner
- The most chips after five deals (three in a short game)
How to play Sevens, step by step
- 1
Ante and deal
Everyone puts one chip into the pool. The dealer deals the whole pack face down, one card at a time, starting with the player on their left. With four players each gets 13 cards; otherwise the players nearest the dealer's left get one card more. The deal passes to the left after each hand.
- 2
The 7 of diamonds starts
Whoever holds the 7♦ places it face up in the centre. Play then continues clockwise, to the left.
- 3
Build the layout
On your turn, play one card: another seven, which starts its suit's row, or the card next in sequence on a row already down, just below its lowest card or just above its highest. On the 7♦ you can play the 6♦ or the 8♦; then the 5♦ or the 9♦, and so on, down to the A♦ and up to the K♦.
- 4
Play if you can
If any of your cards can go down, you must play one (your choice which). Only when none of them fits do you pass. At bs.fyi the cards you may play are highlighted, and Pass appears only when nothing fits.
- 5
Pay to pass
Each time you pass, you put another chip into the pool. A long hand with the wrong cards gets expensive.
- 6
Go out
The first player to get rid of their last card wins the hand: they take everything in the pool, and every other player pays them one chip for each card still in their hand.
- 7
Five hands
Play five hands (three in a short game). The player with the most chips at the end wins; chips only change hands, so the totals always add up to nothing.
The layout
Each suit forms one row in the middle of the table, always started by its seven and built one card at a time in both directions: 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and finally the ace below it; 8, 9, 10, jack, queen and finally the king above. Nothing can be played beyond an ace or a king.
A card can only be played next to the end of its row. If the clubs run from 5♣ to 10♣, the only clubs you can play are the 4♣ and the J♣. Until a suit's seven has been played, no other card of that suit can go down at all.
- Layout: 7♦ only
- Playable: 6♦, 8♦, 7♠, 7♥, 7♣
- Layout: diamonds 4-9, spades 7
- Playable: 3♦, 10♦, 6♠, 8♠, 7♥, 7♣
- Layout: hearts A-K
- Hearts are complete: no heart can be played
Paying and scoring
The Fan Tan way of paying is the one most British families know: an ante from everyone, a chip for every pass, and the winner sweeps the pool and collects a chip per card from the others. It makes passing hurt, and holding a long hand to the end hurts more.
Some families skip the chips and score penalty points for the cards left at the end of each hand, card by card or by their value, the lowest total winning. That is how the Indian game Badam Satti is scored, and you can play it that way on our Badam Satti table.
- Ante
- 1 chip each into the pool before the deal
- Pass
- 1 chip into the pool each time
- Going out
- Take the pool, plus 1 chip for each card left in every other hand
- Example
- Four players, two passes in the hand: the pool holds 6. You go out while the others hold 3, 1 and 4 cards: you collect 6 + 8 = 14 chips, a gain of 13 after your ante.
Common variations
Who starts
We start with the 7♦, the most common British convention. Some play from the 7♥ (as in Badam Satti), and others let the player on the dealer's left start with any seven.
Ace high
Some tables put the ace above the king, so rows run from 2 up to the ace. We play ace low, as most British and Indian players do.
Passing when you could play
Some casual tables let you pass even when you could play. In the traditional game that is illegal, and in Fan Tan a false pass was punished with a fine of extra chips. We keep the strict rule: play if you can.
Parliament and Domino
Parliament and Domino are older British names for the same game; some households save Fan Tan for the version played with chips.
Sevens strategy tips
- •Keep your sevens back. Playing a seven opens a whole suit for everyone else. Hold it until you have cards of that suit you need to get rid of.
- •Play towards your own cards. Given a choice, play the card that unlocks more of your own: the 8♠ when you also hold the 9♠ and 10♠, rather than a card that only helps your neighbours.
- •Sit on the bottlenecks. A card at the edge of a row blocks everything beyond it. Holding the 6♣ keeps every club from 5 to ace off the table, and makes the players holding them pay to pass.
- •Count the cards. Every card is dealt, so any card not on the table and not in your hand is in someone else's. Before you play, ask which of their cards your card sets free.
- •Remember who passed. A player who passes holds none of the cards that were playable at that moment. Use it to judge which rows are safe to open.
- •Go out quickly when you can. Every card left in the other hands is a chip to you, and every pass you make is a chip to the pool. When the race is close, shed the cards that keep you moving.
Sevens FAQ
How do you play Sevens?
Deal the whole pack to 3 to 7 players. The holder of the 7 of diamonds plays it to the centre. In turn, each player must play one card if they can: a seven to start a new suit, or the next card down or up a suit already on the table, building to the ace and the king. A player who can't play passes. The first player to empty their hand wins.
What is Fan Tan?
Fan Tan is another name for Sevens, usually for the version played with chips: everyone antes, each pass costs a chip into the pool, and the winner takes the pool plus a chip for every card left in the other hands. (It is not the Chinese gambling game of the same name.)
Which seven starts in Sevens?
At bs.fyi, the 7 of diamonds, the usual British convention. Some families start with the 7 of hearts (as in the Indian Badam Satti) or let the player to the dealer's left start with any seven.
Can you pass in Sevens if you can play?
No. In the proper game you must play a card whenever you can, and only pass when none of your cards fits. Passing when you could play was traditionally punished with a fine.
Is the ace high or low in Sevens?
Low in most games, including ours: each row runs from the ace up to the king, with the seven in the middle.
How many people can play Sevens?
Three to seven. All 52 cards are dealt, so with 3, 5, 6 or 7 players some players start with one card more.
Why is it called Parliament or Domino?
The cards are laid out end to end in rows, like a game of dominoes; Parliament is an old British name for the same game. They are all Sevens.
Can I play Sevens online with friends?
Yes. At bs.fyi you can play Sevens free against bots, or start a private table and send the link to friends and family. Empty seats are filled by bots.
Ready to play Sevens?
Build the rows against the computer or with friends, free in your browser.