Nertz Card Game Online
Real-time competitive solitaire, also known as Racing Demon: everyone plays at once, sharing the foundations in the middle. Empty your Nertz pile first and shout “Nertz!”
Choose how many computer players you face and how fast they play. First to 100 points wins!
How to play Nertz
Every player has their own deck. You deal a Nertz pile of 13 cards with the top card face up, 4 work piles of one card each, and keep the rest as your stock. There are no turns: you and the computer players all play at the same time.
The foundations in the middle belong to everyone: any Ace starts a new one, and it is built up in the same suit from Ace to King. On your work piles you build down in alternating colors (a red 6 on a black 7) and you can move runs between them; an empty work pile takes any card. Tap your stock to turn over 3 cards and play the top one. A card that fits a foundation goes there with one tap.
The round ends as soon as someone empties their Nertz pile. You score 1 point for every one of your cards on the foundations and lose 2 points for every card left in your Nertz pile. The first player to reach 100 points wins the game.
Frequently asked questions
Is Nertz the same as Racing Demon or Pounce?
Yes, they’re the same family of games. Nertz is the American name; in Britain it’s usually called Racing Demon, and Pounce or Peanuts are other names. Details such as the size of the Nertz pile and how the stock is turned vary slightly.
What if everyone gets stuck?
At the table, everyone moves the top card of their stock to the bottom and keeps going. Here, each time you go through your stock one card is moved to the bottom automatically, and if nobody plays on the foundations for a while you can end the round.
What’s the best Nertz strategy?
Focus on your Nertz pile: every card left in it costs you 2 points, while cards on the foundations only earn 1. Keep a work pile free for Nertz cards when you can, and play to the foundations quickly before the computer gets there first.