How to Play Lucky 7

Lucky 7 is a press your luck card game. Flip cards to collect numbers, stay to bank your points, and never flip a number you already hold. Here are the complete rules.

The goal

Be the first player to reach the target score. Every game is a race to 100, 200 or 300 points, chosen when the game is created. You score points round by round, and each round is a choice between banking what you have and flipping for more.

The deck

Number cards run from 0 to 12, and higher numbers are more common: there is one 0, one 1, two 2s, three 3s, and so on up to twelve 12s. That means big numbers score more but are also the ones most likely to show up twice.

Every deck also includes three Lockdown, three Force 3 and three Shield cards, plus one each of the +2, +4, +6, +8, +10 and x2 bonus cards. The table can switch on extra special cards too. See the special cards guide for every one.

A turn

Each round starts with one card dealt face up to every player. Then play goes around the table. On your turn you choose one of two moves:

• Flip: turn over the top card of the shared deck and add it to your cards. Then play passes to the next player.
• Stay: bank your round points. They are safe for the rest of the round, but you flip no more cards until the next round.

The round ends when every player has either stayed or busted, or as soon as someone hits a Lucky 7. The player who goes first rotates each round.

Busting

If you flip a number you already have in front of you, you bust. You score nothing for that round and sit out until the next one begins. Your total from earlier rounds is never touched by a bust.

Two cards can soften the blow. A Shield automatically blocks one duplicate, and a Vault locks in half of your round points at the moment you draw it, so you keep them even if you bust later.

The Lucky 7 bonus

Scoring a round

When the round ends, each player who stayed (or was still in) scores their cards in this order:

1. Add up your number cards. A number doubled by Double Down counts twice.
2. If you hold the x2 card, double that total. If a rival placed a ÷2 on you, halve it (rounded up).
3. Add your bonus cards (+2 to +10) and subtract any penalty cards (-2 to -10) placed on you.
4. Add +15 if you hit a Lucky 7.

Penalties can push a round below zero, which lowers your total, but your game total never goes below 0. A busted player scores 0 for the round, or their vaulted points if they drew a Vault.

Winning

Totals are updated at the end of every round. When at least one player has reached the target score, the game ends and the highest total wins. If nobody has reached it yet, a new round starts with a fresh deal.

Action cards in every deck

Lockdown

Pick a player. They bank their current points right away and are out for the rest of the round. Use it to freeze a rival on a small score, or on yourself to lock in a big one.

Force 3

Pick a player. They must flip three cards in a row, with all the bust risk that comes with it. Action cards they draw along the way play after the flips.

Shield

Keep it in front of you. It blocks the next duplicate bust automatically. You can also spend it to block a Steal, Swap, Trash or the Time Bomb's blast. You can only hold one; a second Shield goes to another player.

For Steal, Wild, Vault, Double Down, Mirror, Skip, Time Bomb and more, read the special cards guide.

Playing with friends

Open Lucky 7 and create a private room. You get a six-letter room code to share. Tap invite to send a text with the code and a link like lucky7.ashishpatel.ca/join/ABC123. On an iPhone with the app installed the link opens straight into your room. Friends without the app are sent to the App Store and can type the code in after installing.

Private rooms seat up to ten players. As host you choose the race length (100, 200 or 300) and which special cards are in the deck. Private games are just for fun and do not pay coins.

Live tables

Want a game right now? Browse the live public tables, from two player duels up to ten player tables, filter by race length, and take a seat. Every table is free to join. The winner earns in-game coins, and the prize grows with the table size and race length. Results count toward the worldwide and country leaderboards. Offline, you can play practice tables against bots.

Strategy tips

1. Count what you hold, not just your score. Every unique number you collect is one more way to bust. With five or six numbers out, the next flip is risky even if your score is small.
2. Big numbers are the most common. There are twelve 12s and eleven 11s in the deck. If you already hold a 12, a lot of the deck can bust you.
3. Low numbers are your friends on the way to seven. Holding 0, 1 and 2 adds almost no bust risk because so few copies exist, so they are great steps toward a Lucky 7.
4. Watch the leader. If a rival is close to the target, a modest safe score will not catch them. That is the time to push for more.
5. Flip with a Shield up. A held Shield makes your next duplicate harmless, so it is the best moment to take one more card.
6. Aim Lockdown and Force 3 carefully. Lockdown hurts most on someone holding a small score early. Force 3 hurts most on someone holding many numbers.
7. Late in the race, bank the win. If staying puts you over the target, stay. There is no bonus for winning by more.

Frequently asked questions