Nertz (also called Pounce, Nerts or Racing Demon) is a fast card race. Every player has their own deck and races to empty a 15-card Nertz pile while building shared Ace-to-King piles in the middle of the table.

Is Nertz free to play online?

Yes. Nertz! at nertz.app is free and runs in your browser with no download. Play the computer at five levels or share a room code with family and friends.

How do you score in Nertz?

Cards you play to the middle score for you: Ace through 9 are worth 1 point, 10 through King are worth 5. Cards left in your Nertz pile count against you the same way. Capturing a pile with its King is +10, and going out (Nertz) is +50.

How many people can play Nertz?

Nertz! supports 2 to 32 players at one table — online with friends, or against up to 31 computer players.

Can I track my Nertz stats?

Yes. Sign in and every match is saved: win-rate, Nertz-call and capture trends over time, a recent-match log, and full match history with final scores for the whole table.

Play your first round in 5 minutes

Getting started 3 min readLast updated October 3, 2026

A step-by-step walkthrough of a first Nertz round: choosing a mode, setting the table, and the five moves you can make once the countdown ends.

Before you start

Nertz! works in any modern browser on phone, tablet or computer. Nothing to install.
The game plays sound, so if you are somewhere quiet, use the speaker button in the top bar of the table to mute it.

Step 1: choose how you want to play

1Open nertz.app. The home screen shows "Play the computer" and "Family & friends".
2Tap "Play the computer" to set up a solo table against computer players.
3Or tap "Family & friends" to open a live table with other people.
4New to the game? Tap "How to play" first. It is a five-step tour with the scoring table, and it opens over the home screen.

Step 2: set up a solo table

1Type your name in "Your name" (up to 16 characters). Leave it blank and you play as "You".
2Pick a level: Cozy, Easy, Classic, Hard or Card Shark. Hints start switched on for Cozy and Easy.
3Set how many computer players to race with the quick buttons (1, 2, 3, 5 or 7) or the slider, up to 31.
4Choose the target score for the match: 100, 250, 500, or No limit for a single endless race.
5Tap the deal button at the bottom of the screen. A three second countdown starts, then everyone plays at once.

Tip

Your name, level, player count and target are remembered on this device, so the next solo game is one tap away.

Step 3: the five moves you can make

1Play to the middle: an Ace starts a new pile, and any next card in that suit can be added by anyone at the table.
2Play the King to finish a pile. That captures the pile and earns you 10 bonus points.
3Stack down on your four own piles, alternating red and black, one card at a time.
4Tap your hand to flip three cards and play the top one. When your hand runs out, your flipped cards come back.
5Play a card onto your Nertz pile from the top of your hand or a pile. Empty that pile and Nertz is called for you.

Step 4: finish the round

The round ends the moment somebody empties their Nertz pile (that player is the caller and gets the 50 point Nertz bonus), or when nobody can move for 25 seconds and the table gets stuck. Either way a summary opens with every player's score for the round and their running match total.

Step 5: play the next round

From the summary you can deal the next round, start a rematch, or leave the table. Points build up across rounds until somebody reaches the target score you picked.

Common problems on a first game

Common problems

I cannot move any card and the table is quiet.

Tap your hand to flip three cards, or move a card between your own piles to free something up. If nobody can move at all for 25 seconds the round ends by itself and is scored. See "Why the round ended by itself".

Someone shouted Nertz and the round stopped.

That is the end of the round. The player who emptied their Nertz pile gets the 50 point bonus, and cards still left in other players' Nertz piles lose points.

I do not see my score afterwards.

Rounds only save to your profile when you are signed in. The summary shows a "Sign in" link when you are playing as a guest.

Was this helpful?

What is Nertz!? 2 minNertz (also called Pounce) is a fast, loud card race for 2 to 32 players. Here is what the game is and the three ways to start playing.Getting started Use your four piles and flip your hand 2 minHow to stack your four work piles, move cards between them, and use the three card flip when you are stuck.Rules & scoring How scoring works, and why you lost points 2 minEvery way points change in Nertz!: middle cards, King captures, the Nertz bonus and the cards left in your Nertz pile, with a worked example.Rules & scoring Set up a solo table: level, players and target score 2 minWhat each computer level changes, how many computer players you can race, and what the target score does in a solo match.Playing the computer

Where to go next

Still need help?

Tell us what happened and a person will read it. You will get a reference number, and the reply comes back in the same thread. If you would rather write from your own mailbox, support@nertz.app reaches the same place.

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