Sevens
Build from 7 out — first to empty their hand wins.
Sevens (Fan Tan) is one of the most universally played card games. Build four suit sequences outward from each suit's 7; every turn you must extend a sequence or pass. Plan your holds carefully to block opponents.
🎮 Ways to Play Sevens
Create a Sevens Table
When Sevens launches, you'll create your own table in seconds, get an invite code, and deal in exactly who you want.
Join a Sevens Table by Invite
Joining will be as simple as entering a table code — one tap and you're seated at a friend's Sevens game.
Play Sevens Against the Computer
Smart AI opponents with multiple difficulty levels will make it easy to learn Sevens and practice your strategy solo.
Play Sevens Offline
Sevens will support offline play against computer opponents, so you can play anywhere — no internet connection needed.
🎯 Objective
Be the first player to play all your cards.
🃏 Sevens Setup & Rules
- Use a standard 52-card deck. Deal all cards evenly (some may have an extra card).
- The player holding 7♦ (or any 7) plays first.
▶ How to Play Sevens
- The first player places a 7 face-up, starting that suit's sequence in the centre.
- On your turn, you must play a card that is adjacent to an existing sequence end (e.g., 8♦ extends a 7♦ upward; 6♦ extends it downward) OR start a new suit's sequence with that suit's 7.
- Sequences extend from 7 up to King (high end) and down to Ace (low end).
- If you cannot play any legal card, pass. In some variants, pass tokens are limited.
- First player to empty their hand wins.
🎬 Watch: How to Play Sevens
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📖 Detailed Guide
Setting up the game
- Sevens, also called Fan Tan or Parliament, seats 2 to 7 players and uses the full 52-card deck.
- Every card is dealt out, so hands are uneven when the player count does not divide 52 evenly.
- The player holding the seven of diamonds leads and must play it, which opens the first sequence.
- The table layout grows into four sequences, one per suit, each built outward from its seven.
Playing a card
- On your turn you play one card onto the layout, extending a sequence at either end.
- A sequence runs upward from its seven towards the King and downward towards the Ace.
- You may also open a new suit by playing that suit's seven, which is often the most valuable move available.
- Only the two ends of each suit are live, so at any moment there are at most eight legal cards in the whole deck.
Passing
- If you cannot play, you pass — but passing is only legal when you genuinely hold no playable card.
- That restriction is the heart of the game: you can never hold a card back to block an opponent if it is your only legal move.
- It also means being forced to play a card that unlocks a whole run for someone else is a normal, unavoidable part of Sevens.
- Watching which suits others pass on tells you a great deal about what they are holding.
Winning
- The first player to shed every card wins the hand.
- Cards next to a seven are the most valuable to hold, because releasing them opens the sequence for everybody.
- Sevens themselves are the strongest cards in the game — holding one keeps that suit closed entirely.
- The tension is between opening a suit you can use and keeping it shut on opponents who need it more.
📊 Sevens Scoring
Losers score penalty points equal to the pip values of remaining cards. First to reach an agreed threshold (e.g., 100 points) loses; lowest score wins.
❓ Sevens — Frequently Asked Questions
How many players do you need for Sevens?
Sevens is played with 2–7 players. On Vanikar, empty seats can be filled with AI opponents so you can always start a game.
When is Sevens coming to Vanikar?
Sevens is in development now. Premium subscribers get access first when it launches — download the app to be ready on day one.
Will I be able to play Sevens against the computer?
Yes. Like every Vanikar game, Sevens will support play against smart AI opponents with multiple difficulty levels, plus online multiplayer and private tables with friends.
Is Sevens free to play?
The Vanikar Card Games app is free to download on iOS and Android, and every game is free to play for 2 weeks — no credit card required.
