varaq
Learn Dirty Seven, step by step
Varaq teaches Dirty Seven at a real table, one idea at a time. Each step sets up a hand, asks you to make one move, and shows you why it works; Show me plays it for you if you get stuck. The main stages end in a checkpoint, and a strategy stage is offered once you know the rules. The lessons are free, need no account, and run in English and Persian.
Stage 1: First touch
2 steps, then a checkpoint.
- Your first card: Everyone gets 7 cards, and a plain card, never a power card, starts the pile. On your turn, put down one card that matches the top card; then play passes around the table.
- Empty your hand: The first player to empty their hand wins the hand. Everyone else is left holding cards.
- Checkpoint: Your first hand: Match the top card by suit or by rank. Play goes around the table until someone empties their hand.
Stage 2: The rules
10 steps, then a checkpoint.
- Match suit or rank: Play a card of the same suit or rank as the top card. A Jack is wild on an ordinary turn. You may also draw instead.
- Draw, then decide: Draw once, not until a match. Only the drawn card may be played; keeping it ends your turn. Drag a back to your hand or press Enter or Space on the stock.
- When the stock runs out: No card leaves the game: when the stock is empty, the played cards below the top card become the new stock.
- A Jack changes the suit: Any suit is legal; the Jack’s own suit is the default if time runs out. The next player follows the called suit, plays a Jack, or draws.
- Pass the Seven penalty: Each Seven adds two: 2, 4, 6, 8. Drawing the whole penalty ends your turn.
- Call your last card: Call when one card remains, or tick Last call before playing your second-last card. Bots never call people out.
- Catch a missed call: A player left with one uncalled card can be caught by anyone until they call or play their next card. The caught player draws one card.
- An Eight skips: An Eight skips the next player in the current direction.
- A Ten reverses: A Ten flips the direction of play for everyone until another Ten.
- An Ace plays again: Drawing instead of following an Ace ends your turn. Going out on an Ace ends the hand at once.
- Checkpoint: Two cards, one skip: An Ace plays again; an Eight skips the next player. Ace first, so the Eight can still follow it.
Stage 3: Scoring
3 steps, then a checkpoint.
- Go out on a power card: The hand ends the moment a hand is empty, even on a Seven, an Eight or an Ace. Their powers don’t happen.
- Count the cards left: Points are bad. Cards left count their number; J 11, Q 12, K 13, A 14.
- Over 100 ends the match: Each hand adds to your total. When anyone goes over 100, the match ends and the lowest total wins.
- Checkpoint: Out in one turn: An Ace plays again, so Ace then 3♠ empties your hand in one turn. A Jack counts 11.
Stage 4: Get better
5 steps, then a checkpoint. Offered once the earlier stages are done; it never blocks finishing.
- Spend a Seven to stop a win: Keep your Sevens for defence while nobody is close to going out, but spend one when the next player is about to go out. A Seven makes them draw 2 instead of playing their last card, unless they answer it with a Seven of their own.
- Skip the player about to win: When the next player has one card, an Eight takes away their turn, so their last card has to wait. A Ten only turns play around, so in a three-player game it reaches them a turn later.
- Keep the Jack for last: A Jack is wild, so it is the safest last card: it fits on any top card, and only a Seven penalty can stop it. Play the card that might not fit later first, and keep the Jack to go out.
- Call the suit they lack: Call a suit the other players lack and you hold. Watch who draws on which suit: a player who drew when hearts were on top likely has no hearts, so calling hearts makes them draw again while you can still follow.
- Count the suit: Count the played cards of each suit. When you hold the last card of a suit, nobody can follow it except with the same rank or a Jack, so playing it usually makes the next players draw.
- Checkpoint: Stop her, keep the Jack: Stop a player who is about to go out with the cheapest tool you have, such as an Eight, and save the Jack for your own way out. The Eight skips their turn and leaves you the one card that fits on anything.
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