Learn what beats what in Thirteen: rank and suit order, legal combinations, matching lengths, and the exact cards that decide a tie.
What Beats What in Thirteen?
Thirteen, also known as Tiến Lên or Tien Len, is a climbing game. Each player tries to beat the current play with a higher legal combination, or passes.
The important part is that higher cards alone are not enough. An ordinary response must match the type and size of the current combination before you compare its strength. Rank comes first, with suit breaking ties.
A pair does not normally beat a straight just because the pair contains higher cards. A triple cannot answer a pair either.
This guide focuses on the ranking and combination rules used on Solitaire Arcade. Bombs are the main exception to ordinary comparisons; we will explain their place without turning this into a full bomb guide.
For the complete setup and turn flow, start with the How to Play Thirteen guide.
Thirteen Card Rank Order
The rank order from low to high is:
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace, 2
A 3 is the lowest rank. A 2 is the highest ordinary rank.
That means a 7 beats a 6, a Queen beats a Jack, an Ace beats a King, and a 2 beats an Ace when you are comparing singles. The same rank order applies within matching pairs, triples and four-of-a-kind combinations.
The position of the 2 is one of the biggest differences between Thirteen and many other card games. It sits above the Ace, although it cannot be used in straights or consecutive-pair runs.
Suit Order: Spades, Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts
When the compared ranks are equal, suit breaks the tie. On Solitaire Arcade, the suit order from low to high is:
Spades, Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts
So among four 9s:
9♠ < 9♣ < 9♦ < 9♥
The Heart is highest, but rank still takes priority. A 10♠ beats a 9♥ because 10 is a higher rank than 9. Likewise, J♠ beats 10♥ despite having the lowest suit.
There is no trump suit that lets a lower-ranked single beat a higher-ranked one. Use the suit order only when the ranks you are comparing are equal.
Singles: One Card Against One Card
A single is one card. To beat an ordinary single, play a higher single.
7♣ beats 6♥ because rank takes priority over suit.
9♦ beats 9♣ because the ranks are equal and Diamonds rank above Clubs.
Now suppose the current play is Q♣ and you hold Q♦, K♠ and A♣. All three can beat it: Q♦ wins on suit, while the King and Ace win on rank.
Which one you should spend is a separate decision. You may want to preserve the Ace for later. For choosing between legal plays, see Thirteen (Tiến Lên) Strategy: How to Win More Games.
A 2 is the highest ordinary single, with 2♥ highest of all. Eligible bombs can still beat a 2 while the battle continues.
Pairs: Compare the Rank, Then the Highest Suit
A pair is two cards of the same rank, such as 5♠ + 5♥, J♣ + J♦, or A♠ + A♥.
To beat a pair, you normally need a higher pair. A pair of 10s beats a pair of 9s, and a pair of Kings beats a pair of Queens. A pair of 2s is the highest ordinary pair by rank.
If two pairs have the same rank, compare the highest-suited card in each pair. For example:
9♠ + 9♥ beats 9♣ + 9♦
Both pairs are 9s, so the comparison is between 9♥ and 9♦. The pair containing the Heart wins. You do not add up suit values or compare the lower card first.
If a pair of 9s is on the table and you hold 10♠ + 10♣ and K♦ + K♥, either pair can beat it. The Kings are stronger, but the 10s may let you keep them for later. The ranking rules tell you what can beat the play; strategy decides which response is worth making.
Triples: Three Cards of the Same Rank
A triple is three cards of the same rank. For example:
8♠ + 8♣ + 8♥
To beat a triple, play a higher triple. Three Queens beat three Jacks, three Aces beat three Kings, and three 2s are the highest ordinary triple.
A pair of Aces cannot beat a triple of 6s. The pair contains high cards, but it is the wrong type of play.
With one standard deck, two players cannot hold separate triples of the same rank: that would require six cards of that rank. In normal play, triple comparisons are therefore decided by rank.
Four of a Kind: An Ordinary Combination and a Bomb
Four of a kind uses all four cards of one rank, such as:
10♠ + 10♣ + 10♦ + 10♥
As an ordinary response, a higher four-of-a-kind beats a lower one. Four Kings beat four Queens, four Aces beat four Kings, and four 2s are highest by rank.
Four of a kind also has special bomb behaviour against a single 2. That does not let it beat any combination you choose. It cannot answer an ordinary straight or a non-2 single merely because it is a bomb.
Keeping those two uses separate helps: it can climb against another four-of-a-kind, or use its specific bomb exception against a single 2.
Straights: Three or More Consecutive Ranks
A straight contains one card from each of three or more consecutive ranks. The cards do not need to share a suit.
Examples include 4–5–6, 7–8–9–10, and 9–10–J–Q–K.
On Solitaire Arcade, 2s cannot be included in straights, and ranks never wrap. Q–K–A is valid, but K–A–2 and A–2–3 are not. An Ace can finish a straight; it cannot restart one at the bottom.
Each rank must appear once. Two 7s and an 8 do not make a straight, and 5–6–8 is invalid because the 7 is missing.
Although a 2 is the highest ordinary rank, it sits outside straight building.
How One Straight Beats Another
When answering a straight, you must match its number of cards. A four-card straight needs another four-card straight. A longer straight is not automatically a stronger response.
For equal lengths, compare the highest card's rank. For example:
7–8–9–10 beats 6–7–8–9
Both contain four cards, and the first ends on a 10 rather than a 9. But 10–J–Q cannot answer 6–7–8–9. It is higher at the top but contains only three cards.
If the highest ranks are equal, compare the suit of the top-rank card. For example:
5♠ + 6♣ + 7♥ beats 5♦ + 6♥ + 7♣
Both are three-card straights ending on 7. The 7♥ beats the 7♣, so the first straight wins. The suits of the 5s and 6s do not decide the comparison.
Consecutive Pairs Require at Least Three Pairs
Consecutive pairs are a run of three or more pairs whose ranks follow one another. These combinations are also called pair runs.
5–5, 6–6, 7–7 is a three-pair run containing six cards.
8–8, 9–9, 10–10, J–J is a four-pair run containing eight cards.
Two consecutive pairs, such as 8–8, 9–9, are not a legal combination on Solitaire Arcade. They cannot be led together or used as a response. You can still play either pair separately when the current play allows it.
Each rank in the run must contribute exactly two cards, with no gaps between ranks. Suits can mix.
As with straights, 2s are excluded and ranks never wrap. Q–Q, K–K, A–A is valid. K–K, A–A, 2–2 is not.
How Consecutive-Pair Runs Compare
An ordinary response to a consecutive-pair run must contain the same number of pairs. Three consecutive pairs need another three consecutive pairs; four need four.
For example:
6–6, 7–7, 8–8 beats 5–5, 6–6, 7–7
Both contain three pairs, and the first reaches a higher top rank. A four-pair run cannot answer the three-pair run simply because it contains more cards.
When the top ranks are equal, compare the highest-suited card in the top pair. A run ending in 8♠ + 8♥ beats an equal-length run ending in 8♣ + 8♦. The deciding cards are 8♥ and 8♦; the suits in the lower pairs do not matter.
Pair runs can also act as bombs against specific plays of 2s. That exception does not remove the matching-length rule when one pair run answers another.
Why Higher Cards Can Still Be the Wrong Response
Imagine the table shows a pair of 6s and you hold A♥ and 8♣ + 8♦.
Your Ace is a stronger single than either 8, but it cannot answer the pair. The pair of 8s is the matching response.
The same check matters for longer combinations. If the current play is 5–6–7–8, a 9–10–J straight is too short. If the current play contains four consecutive pairs, three consecutive pairs cannot answer it even if their top rank is higher.
Before comparing strength, check that your selection is a legal combination of the required type and size. This avoids most beginner ranking mistakes.
Where Bombs Break the Ordinary Matching Rule
Most responses follow one pattern: match the combination type and size, then play something higher. Bombs are the main exception.
On Solitaire Arcade, four of a kind or exactly three consecutive pairs can beat a single 2. Exactly four consecutive pairs can beat a pair of 2s, and exactly five consecutive pairs can beat a triple of 2s.
These are specific matches, not a rule that a bigger bomb beats anything. Four consecutive pairs do not bomb a single 2, and four of a kind does not bomb a pair of 2s.
After a bomb is played, a higher combination of that same type and length can beat it through the normal comparison rules. There is no universal ladder allowing every larger bomb to beat a smaller one.
For legal examples, counter-bombs and the passing exception, see Thirteen Bomb Rules: What Can Beat a 2 in Tiến Lên?.
What Makes 2s Special?
A 2 is the strongest ordinary rank. A single 2 beats an Ace, a pair of 2s tops the ordinary pairs, and a triple of 2s tops the triples.
But 2s cannot appear in straights or consecutive-pair runs, and eligible bombs can beat plays of 2s. Remember both the strength and the restrictions.
There is also an important finishing distinction: once a legal play empties your hand, your finishing place is secured immediately on Solitaire Arcade. A later bomb cannot undo your finish. You still need a legal opportunity to play your final 2; it cannot answer a pair or straight as an ordinary single.
Put the Rankings into Practice
First check that the selected cards form a legal combination. A straight needs at least three cards; consecutive pairs need at least three pairs. Neither can include 2s.
Next, match the current type and size. If they differ, the response needs a valid bomb exception. Then compare the highest rank, using suit only when those ranks are equal. In a pair run, that means the highest-suited card of the top pair.
Once those checks become familiar, you can spend more time deciding which legal response helps your hand.
Play Thirteen and try the comparisons for yourself.
