Nertz
Encyclopedia
Nertz is a fast-paced, real-time, multiplayer
card game involving multiple decks of playing cards. It is often described as a combination of the card games Speed
and Solitaire
.
Nertz is known by a number of different names, although the name "Nertz" appears to be the most recognized. Pounce, Nerts, and Peanuts are alternate names that are often common substitutes when referring to the game of Nertz.
, a card game similar in set-up to Nertz, was created in the 1890s and seems to be the closest relative in the family tree of cards games. In fact, if one were to attempt to play Nertz alone, one would essentially be playing Canfield, a variant of Klondike
Solitaire or Patience
.
throughout the game. The number of players or teams that can play in a game is only limited to the amount of card decks and/or the amount of space that is available. This means there may be as many players or teams as desired. All the players or teams race to get rid of their Nertz piles creating an exciting and hectic game experience.
Hands
During a hand, every player or team plays simultaneously (real-time) and may play cards on one another's Lake cards. There are four areas that a player or team uses in Nertz which include the Lake, the River, the Stream, and the Nertz pile. The Lake is the central area, used to score points, in which any player or team may use by building suited piles in ascending order without doubles. The River is a 4-columned personal area that a player or team uses by cascading and/or playing cards from columns of alternating color and descending order (like the tableau piles in Solitaire). The Stream is a pile that is continually flipped (usually in groups of three cards at a time) in search of cards to play into the Lake or River. Lastly, the Nertz pile is a 13-card pile that players try to get rid of by playing cards from the pile one at a time, from the top of the pile, into available Lake or River destinations. The first player or team to successfully get rid of their Nertz pile calls or shouts "Nertz". Once "Nertz" is called all play for that hand stops. The diagram shown in this article may help to clarify these four areas and how they are utilized. From this diagram one can conclude that basic Solitaire rules govern this game.
Scoring
In a hand, players or teams earn points which are determined by a formula using the amount of cards played into the Lake subtracted by twice the amount of cards remaining in the Nertz pile. Awarding 10-point bonuses to players or teams that call Nertz is a fairly common practice among the Nertz playing community. Generally a game is played to a set score like 100 points in which case players will play as many hands as needed until a winner emerges. On occasion, players will keep tallies of games won instead of adding hand scores and then they will use the tallies to determine a winner. It is also not uncommon for players or teams to receive negative numbers for hand and game scores.
, a card game website, also has rules for Nerts posted on their website. It is well-known that not every Nertz player plays by the exact same rules. Therefore, when playing with others, one may notice some elements of this game such as the terms, game-play, scoring, set-up, shuffling and dealing procedure, and penalty procedure may be different than those defined by some of the more credible Nertz sources on the internet.
, Dutch Blitz
,Solitaire Frenzy, Wackee Six, Nay Jay!, and Perpetual Commotion are all in close relation to one another. Each is slightly different from the next, however, they all share the same basic elements found in many of the games listed within the Nertz Card Game Category. They all have piles that players race to get rid of as the hand objective. They all require multiple decks. They all have both communal and personal areas. They all use the same-suit (or color), ascending builds for Lake piles and the alternating-suit (or color) builds for River Piles. Lastly, they all are played in real-time as opposed to many turn-based card games. Taking that into account, it is clear to see why these commercial game sets are widely considered to be Nertz-style games.
system and was released for purchase in 1995. It was capable linking nine Atari systems for a large human multiplayer experience and also had an option in which two players could play on a single system. Since then many others have produced electronic Nertz-style games in an attempt to bring the Nertz experience to consoles, PCs, and mobile apps. The first Nertz game offered to PC
's was eNerts released in 2000 by John Drake. One could purchase and download this game for the Windows OS from the eNerts website. eNerts offered users matches against AI
opponents with adjustable difficulty settings. In 2007 Solitaire Showdown was added to the list of free games available to play on Windows Live Messenger
(then MSN Messenger). To play this game one would challenge a friend from their messenger friend list to a heads-up match. In 2008, Games.com (or AOL
Games) added a free online Nertz game called Solitaire Race to there list of games. In this game one could play up to four human or computer opponents. In the same year, two other Nertz PC games, available as software, were released which were Nertz Solitaire and Nerts High Speed Card Game. Nertz Solitaire was a game based on the NERTZ LLC decks using squirrel characters as opponents. This PC game only offered AI opponents and was available for download and purchase online only. Nerts High Speed Card Game was also available for download and purchase online only but this game offered both human and AI opponent capabilities. This game was developed by John Ronnander, the same person who released the first electronic Nertz game in 1995.
Nertz apps
for mobile devices have more recently become popular for the iPhone
, iTouch, iPad
, Android, and WP7
operating systems. Nerts, Pounce, gNerts, Nertz, and iLigretto are just a few of the app names currently available for mobile devices.
The National Nertz Association is a U.S.-based organization offering free international membership that claims to be committed to the growth and welfare of the game of Nertz. It also states that its goal is to someday host a giant live Nertz tournament.
Multiplayer game
A multiplayer video game is one which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time. Unlike most other games, computer and video games are often single-player activities that put the player against preprogrammed challenges and/or AI-controlled opponents, which often...
card game involving multiple decks of playing cards. It is often described as a combination of the card games Speed
Speed (card game)
Speed is a game for two or more players of the shedding family of card games, in which each player tries to get rid of all of his cards. Speed is a game associated with the game Nertz.- Dealing :...
and Solitaire
Solitaire
Solitaire is any tabletop game which one can play by oneself or with other people. The solitaire card game Klondike is often known as simply Solitaire....
.
Nertz is known by a number of different names, although the name "Nertz" appears to be the most recognized. Pounce, Nerts, and Peanuts are alternate names that are often common substitutes when referring to the game of Nertz.
History
According to the National Nertz Association (U.S.), there is not a known inventor or a specific date of creation for the game of Nertz. The NNA also claims that this game has been around since the 1940s. CanfieldCanfield (solitaire)
Canfield is a solitaire card game with a very low probability to win. According to legend, it is originally a casino game, named after the casino owner who is said to have invented it. In England, it is known as Demon.-The story behind the game:...
, a card game similar in set-up to Nertz, was created in the 1890s and seems to be the closest relative in the family tree of cards games. In fact, if one were to attempt to play Nertz alone, one would essentially be playing Canfield, a variant of Klondike
Klondike (solitaire)
Klondike is a Patience game . Many people refer to Klondike as patience or solitaire .- Rules :...
Solitaire or Patience
Patience (game)
Patience is a genre of tabletop games, consisting of card games that can be played by a single player. Patience games can also be played in a multiplayer fashion....
.
Game Description
What makes Nertz different from Solitaire (aside from the fact that it is not played alone) or any other card game for that matter is the fact that players have the option to play cards communally, in real-time, using multiple decks of playing cards. The object in a hand of Nertz is to be the first player or team to get rid of the Nertz pile using a solitaire-style method of game-play. Each player or team uses their own deck of playing cardsPlaying card
A playing card is a piece of specially prepared heavy paper, thin cardboard, plastic-coated paper, cotton-paper blend, or thin plastic, marked with distinguishing motifs and used as one of a set for playing card games...
throughout the game. The number of players or teams that can play in a game is only limited to the amount of card decks and/or the amount of space that is available. This means there may be as many players or teams as desired. All the players or teams race to get rid of their Nertz piles creating an exciting and hectic game experience.
Brief Game Summary
A game of Nertz is typically played as a series of hands. Between hands, scores are tallied and the cards are sorted and given back to the players or teams that played them. After the cards are returned, the decks are shuffled and set up for the next hand and this process is repeated until a player wins.Hands
During a hand, every player or team plays simultaneously (real-time) and may play cards on one another's Lake cards. There are four areas that a player or team uses in Nertz which include the Lake, the River, the Stream, and the Nertz pile. The Lake is the central area, used to score points, in which any player or team may use by building suited piles in ascending order without doubles. The River is a 4-columned personal area that a player or team uses by cascading and/or playing cards from columns of alternating color and descending order (like the tableau piles in Solitaire). The Stream is a pile that is continually flipped (usually in groups of three cards at a time) in search of cards to play into the Lake or River. Lastly, the Nertz pile is a 13-card pile that players try to get rid of by playing cards from the pile one at a time, from the top of the pile, into available Lake or River destinations. The first player or team to successfully get rid of their Nertz pile calls or shouts "Nertz". Once "Nertz" is called all play for that hand stops. The diagram shown in this article may help to clarify these four areas and how they are utilized. From this diagram one can conclude that basic Solitaire rules govern this game.
Scoring
In a hand, players or teams earn points which are determined by a formula using the amount of cards played into the Lake subtracted by twice the amount of cards remaining in the Nertz pile. Awarding 10-point bonuses to players or teams that call Nertz is a fairly common practice among the Nertz playing community. Generally a game is played to a set score like 100 points in which case players will play as many hands as needed until a winner emerges. On occasion, players will keep tallies of games won instead of adding hand scores and then they will use the tallies to determine a winner. It is also not uncommon for players or teams to receive negative numbers for hand and game scores.
Rules
Until the publication of the first Official Nertz Rulebook, there where no codified rules for Nertz. Nertz rules often varied (and still do) depending on where Nertz was being played and who was playing. The first Official Nertz Rulebook was created in 2004 and made available online in 2007. The current edition is provided at the National Nertz Association's website. PagatPagat.com
Pagat.com is a website containing rules to hundreds of card games from all over the world. Maintained by John McLeod, it contains information for traditional, commercial, and newly invented card games from all over the world....
, a card game website, also has rules for Nerts posted on their website. It is well-known that not every Nertz player plays by the exact same rules. Therefore, when playing with others, one may notice some elements of this game such as the terms, game-play, scoring, set-up, shuffling and dealing procedure, and penalty procedure may be different than those defined by some of the more credible Nertz sources on the internet.
Commercial
Nertz-inspired retail game sets like the NERTZ! Llc decks at Nertz.com, LigrettoLigretto
Ligretto is a card game for two to twelve players. The aim of the game is to get rid of all your cards faster than all the other players by discarding them in the middle of the table. Instead of taking turns, all players play simultaneously. Play is fast and lively, and demands attention to the...
, Dutch Blitz
Dutch Blitz
Dutch Blitz is a fast-paced, family oriented, action card game played with a specially printed deck. The game was created by Werner Ernst George Muller, a German immigrant from Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The game is very popular among the Pennsylvania Amish and Dutch community, and among Christian...
,Solitaire Frenzy, Wackee Six, Nay Jay!, and Perpetual Commotion are all in close relation to one another. Each is slightly different from the next, however, they all share the same basic elements found in many of the games listed within the Nertz Card Game Category. They all have piles that players race to get rid of as the hand objective. They all require multiple decks. They all have both communal and personal areas. They all use the same-suit (or color), ascending builds for Lake piles and the alternating-suit (or color) builds for River Piles. Lastly, they all are played in real-time as opposed to many turn-based card games. Taking that into account, it is clear to see why these commercial game sets are widely considered to be Nertz-style games.
Electronic Nertz
The first known electronic Nertz game was "Nertz! The Card Game" by John Ronnander and Majicsoft for the Atari STAtari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
system and was released for purchase in 1995. It was capable linking nine Atari systems for a large human multiplayer experience and also had an option in which two players could play on a single system. Since then many others have produced electronic Nertz-style games in an attempt to bring the Nertz experience to consoles, PCs, and mobile apps. The first Nertz game offered to PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
's was eNerts released in 2000 by John Drake. One could purchase and download this game for the Windows OS from the eNerts website. eNerts offered users matches against AI
Ai
AI, A.I., Ai, or ai may refer to:- Computers :* Artificial intelligence, a branch of computer science* Ad impression, in online advertising* .ai, the ISO Internet 2-letter country code for Anguilla...
opponents with adjustable difficulty settings. In 2007 Solitaire Showdown was added to the list of free games available to play on Windows Live Messenger
Windows Live Messenger
Windows Live Messenger is an instant messaging client created by Microsoft that is currently designed to work with Windows XP , Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Mobile, Windows CE, Xbox 360, Blackberry OS, iOS, Java ME, S60 on Symbian OS 9.x and Zune HD...
(then MSN Messenger). To play this game one would challenge a friend from their messenger friend list to a heads-up match. In 2008, Games.com (or AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
Games) added a free online Nertz game called Solitaire Race to there list of games. In this game one could play up to four human or computer opponents. In the same year, two other Nertz PC games, available as software, were released which were Nertz Solitaire and Nerts High Speed Card Game. Nertz Solitaire was a game based on the NERTZ LLC decks using squirrel characters as opponents. This PC game only offered AI opponents and was available for download and purchase online only. Nerts High Speed Card Game was also available for download and purchase online only but this game offered both human and AI opponent capabilities. This game was developed by John Ronnander, the same person who released the first electronic Nertz game in 1995.
Nertz apps
Application software
Application software, also known as an application or an "app", is computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks. Examples include enterprise software, accounting software, office suites, graphics software and media players. Many application programs deal principally with...
for mobile devices have more recently become popular for the iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
, iTouch, iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
, Android, and WP7
Windows Phone
Windows Phone is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft, and is the successor to its Windows Mobile platform, although incompatible with it. Unlike its predecessor, it is primarily aimed at the consumer market rather than the enterprise market...
operating systems. Nerts, Pounce, gNerts, Nertz, and iLigretto are just a few of the app names currently available for mobile devices.
Additional Information
Nertz is a card game in which its players, over the years, have developed a specific list of terminology and have created many game variations. Many Nertz terms and variations are archived and can be found using links at playnertz.com, the official website of the National Nertz Association.The National Nertz Association is a U.S.-based organization offering free international membership that claims to be committed to the growth and welfare of the game of Nertz. It also states that its goal is to someday host a giant live Nertz tournament.
Related Card Games
- LigrettoLigrettoLigretto is a card game for two to twelve players. The aim of the game is to get rid of all your cards faster than all the other players by discarding them in the middle of the table. Instead of taking turns, all players play simultaneously. Play is fast and lively, and demands attention to the...
, a similar game produced in Germany - Dutch BlitzDutch BlitzDutch Blitz is a fast-paced, family oriented, action card game played with a specially printed deck. The game was created by Werner Ernst George Muller, a German immigrant from Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The game is very popular among the Pennsylvania Amish and Dutch community, and among Christian...
, a similar game produced by the Pennsylvania Dutch - Solitaire Frenzy, a similar game played on a board sold with standard playings cards
- Solitaire Showdown, a similar game played online in Windows Live Messenger
- Solitaire Race, a similar game played online at AOL Games
External links
- Nertz llc. – NERTZ! Card Game website with specialized decks.
- The National Nertz Association – An organization devoted to Nertz players.
- Pagat's Rules for Nerts – Contains detailed rules for hundreds of card games.
- Variations for Nertz at Free Forums – Lists many Nertz variations.
- Solitaire TerminologySolitaire terminologyThere are a number of terms common to many card games. These are not listed here, but are instead detailed at Glossary of card terms. Being familiar with those terms will help in understanding the terminology here....
– Shares many terms with Nertz. - Nertz for the Windows Phone – Nertz for the Windows Phone (free)