Overview
Pairs is a fast, simple press-your-luck pub card game using an unusual “triangular” deck. There is no winner – just one loser. Players take turns deciding whether to hit (draw a card) or fold, trying to avoid catching a pair. The first player to reach the target score loses. Designed by James Ernest and Paul Peterson.
Components
- 55-card triangular deck: numbers 1 through 10, with 1x1, 2x2, 3x3, … 10x10 (55 cards total)
- Cut card (optional blank card)
Setup
- Shuffle the deck.
- Burn (discard) 5 cards face down into a discard pile. Do this every time you reshuffle.
- Deal 1 card face up to each player. The player with the lowest card goes first.
- Tiebreaker for starting: If tied for lowest, deal additional cards to tied players until the tie is broken; all dealt cards remain in their stacks.
Turn Structure
Play proceeds clockwise from the starting player. On your turn, choose one of two options:
- Hit: Draw the top card of the deck, adding it face up to your stack.
- If the drawn card matches any card already in your stack (a pair), you score points equal to that card’s value. The round ends.
- Fold: Take the lowest card currently in play (from any player’s stack) and keep it as points. The round ends.
When a round ends (by pair or fold), discard all cards in play face down. Deal a new round (1 card each, lowest goes first).
Actions
| Action |
Effect |
| Hit |
Draw 1 card. If it pairs with a card in your stack, score those points. Round ends. |
| Fold |
Take the lowest card in play (from any player) as points. Round ends. |
Scoring / Victory Conditions
- Keep scored cards face up aside (they leave the deck until game ends).
- There is no winner. The first player to reach the target score loses.
| Players |
Target (Losing) Score |
| 2 |
31 |
| 3 |
21 |
| 4 |
16 |
| 5 |
13 |
| 6+ |
11 |
Formula: 60 / number of players + 1
Special Rules & Edge Cases
- Burn 5 cards every time the deck is shuffled (including the first time). This prevents card counting.
- When the deck runs out, pause, reshuffle the discard pile, burn 5, and continue where you left off.
- Scoring cards are kept aside and do not return to the deck until the game is over.
- On the first turn of a round, folding is rarely wise since you would take a low card anyway.
- A pair is any two cards of the same rank in your stack (not across other players).
- If you fold, you may take the lowest card from any player’s stack, not just your own.
Player Reference
Round start: Burn 5 → Deal 1 card each → Lowest card starts
On your turn: Hit (risk a pair) or Fold (take lowest card in play)
Pair = score that rank. Fold = score the lowest card in play.
Losing scores: 2p=31, 3p=21, 4p=16, 5p=13, 6+=11
No winner, one loser.