Learn how to play Thirteen (Tien Len): card ranking, combinations, pass-lock, bombs that beat 2s, and 3/2/1/0 scoring in Quick or four-hand Match play.
How to Play Thirteen (Tiến Lên)
Thirteen, also known as Tiến Lên or Tien Len, is a climbing game: shed every card in your hand before everyone else. Take turns playing a single or combination that beats the current play, or pass. When the battle clears, the next leader starts a new combination.
Easy to learn. Harder to master once you are juggling legal combinations, bomb timing against 2s, and which cards to keep for later. This guide covers Solitaire Arcade’s rules; other tables can differ on bombs. You can play Thirteen online while you learn.
What you're aiming for
Each hand, try to be first to play all 13 cards as singles, pairs, triples, four of a kind, straights, or consecutive pairs. Finishing first wins the hand; everyone else keeps playing for the remaining places, which score toward the match.
On Solitaire Arcade pick Quick (1 hand) or Match (4 hands). Highest total wins, with an extra hand if a Match is tied for the lead. Winning one hand and winning the match are different goals.
The deal and opening lead
One 52-card deck, no jokers. Four players get 13 cards each; on Solitaire Arcade you face three AI opponents, no partners. No stock, no pre-play exchange. You see your hand; theirs stay hidden.
Play moves clockwise. In the first hand of a match, whoever holds 3♠ must lead a legal combination that includes it (the single, or part of a larger legal play). On later hands, the previous hand’s first-place finisher leads any legal combination.
Card rank and suit order
Lowest to highest: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace, 2. A 3 is lowest; a 2 is the highest ordinary rank.
When ranks tie, suits run Spades, Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts (low to high). Rank always comes first: 10♠ beats 9♥. Among nines, 9♥ beats 9♦. Highest individual card is 2♥, though eligible bombs can still beat plays of 2s.
Singles, pairs and triples
A single is one card; beat it with a higher single. A pair is two of the same rank; a higher pair wins, and if ranks tie, compare the highest-suited card in each pair. A triple is three of a rank; higher triples beat lower ones.
2s top ordinary singles, pairs, and triples. A high single cannot answer a pair, and a triple cannot answer a pair either. Match the type unless a bomb exception applies.
Four of a kind
All four cards of one rank (for example all four Jacks). As an ordinary response, a higher four-of-a-kind beats a lower one; four 2s are highest by rank. Four of a kind also bombs a single 2. It does not automatically beat a pair, triple, or straight.
Straights
One card from each of three or more consecutive ranks, suits mixed. 4-5-6 and 8-9-10-J-Q are fine. No 2s, and ranks never wrap: Q-K-A works; K-A-2 and A-2-3 do not. Aces can finish a straight but cannot restart at the bottom.
Answer a straight with the same length and a higher top card (suit breaks a top-rank tie).
Consecutive pairs
Three or more pairs in adjacent ranks, exactly two cards per rank, suits mixed. 5-5, 6-6, 7-7 is legal; two consecutive pairs are not. No 2s and no wrapping: Q-Q, K-K, A-A works; K-K, A-A, 2-2 does not.
An ordinary answer needs the same number of pairs and a higher top rank (or a higher-suited top pair if ranks tie). Specific lengths also act as bombs.
Matching and beating the current play
For an ordinary response, match type and length, then play higher. Rank decides first; suit breaks a tie on the deciding card (for consecutive pairs, that is the top pair). A single Ace cannot answer a pair of 6s, and a longer straight cannot answer a shorter one.
For more worked comparisons, see Thirteen Card Rankings and Combinations.
Bombs: what can beat 2s?
Bombs are specific exceptions. On Solitaire Arcade a single 2 falls to four of a kind or exactly three consecutive pairs. A pair of 2s needs exactly four consecutive pairs. A triple of 2s needs exactly five.
Those lengths are exact, not minimums. You may carve a legal three-pair section from a longer run, but four consecutive pairs do not bomb a single 2, and four of a kind does not bomb a pair or triple of 2s. Bombs do not override ordinary non-2 plays. After a bomb, a higher same-type combination can beat it normally.
For examples and counter-bombs, see Thirteen Bomb Rules: What Can Beat a 2?.
Turns, passing and new leads
Beat the current play or pass. You may pass even with a legal move, but that locks you out of ordinary replies until the battle clears. You cannot pass when leading.
When everyone else has passed, the last unbeaten play wins the battle, the table clears, and that player leads any legal combination (new type allowed). If that player has already emptied their hand, the next still-active player clockwise gets the lead.
A battle is one contest over the current play. A hand is the full deal. A match adds several hands’ scores.
Bombing after passing
If you have passed, you may still bomb eligible 2s on your normal turn. There is no out-of-turn interrupt. The current play must still be a qualifying single, pair, or triple of 2s. If someone already bombed with four of a kind, your earlier pass stops you from answering that four-of-a-kind as an ordinary play.
A higher-suited 2 alone does not let a passed player back in. An eligible bomb does, and once you play it the pass lock lifts for later turns.
Finishing a hand
First to empty takes first place. Any legal final combination can finish; you do not have to save or dodge a special last card. Your place locks immediately: if your last play includes 2s, a later bomb cannot undo the finish.
Others continue for second and third. When one player alone still holds cards, they take fourth automatically and the hand ends. Going out does not grant another lead; if your unbeaten play would have earned the lead, it moves to the next active player clockwise.
Scoring and winning the match
First scores 3, second 2, third 1, fourth 0. Higher totals are better. Quick is one hand; Match is four hands with the same scoring each time (for example first, third, second, first = 9).
Highest score after a Match wins. Tie for the lead and all four play an extra hand; among the players who were tied, best finish in that hand wins the match. Someone outside the tied group cannot steal the match by winning the tiebreak hand. A Quick game is just the single hand.
Playing a hand, step by step
Choose Quick or Match, then Easy, Medium, or Hard. Each player gets 13 cards. First hand: 3♠ holder leads a combination containing it. Later hands: previous winner leads. On your turn, match and beat, bomb if eligible, or pass; when you have a fresh lead, play a legal combination. Continue until places are set, add points, then after four Match hands resolve any lead tie with an extra hand.
Playing on Solitaire Arcade
Quick or Match, then difficulty. Rankings, combinations, bombs, and placement scoring stay the same. Tap cards to select a combination; a legal selection can play automatically when it cannot grow into a larger legal play. Use Play to submit a waiting selection, or Pass to leave the battle. Hint may select cards and can result in a play. After a Match hand, review scores and choose Next Hand; the final score card shows the result.
Strategy that actually helps
See your hand as possible combinations, not just thirteen singles. Before you play, ask what you would be left holding. Find routes for awkward low singles, and avoid breaking a useful pair or straight without a plan for the leftovers.
Keep some high cards to reclaim the lead, but do not hoard every strong combination while opponents get close to emptying. Passing can protect value, and it also gives up ordinary replies for that battle. Weigh both.
For deeper decisions and endgames, read Thirteen Strategy: How to Win More Games.
Mistakes that stall a hand
Answering with the wrong type (a high single into a pair). Treating two consecutive pairs as a run (you need three). Assuming any bomb beats anything (check the exact 2s and required length). Forgetting the pass lock. Confusing a hand win with a Match win.
Quick Thirteen FAQ
Is Thirteen the same as Tiến Lên?
Thirteen is a common English name for forms of Tiến Lên (also written Tien Len). House rules differ; this guide is Solitaire Arcade’s version.
What is the highest card?
2♥. A higher-suited 2 can beat a lower-suited 2 normally, and eligible bombs can beat plays of 2s.
Can a single or triple beat a pair?
No for ordinary replies. Neither is a bomb against a pair of 2s.
Can a longer straight beat a shorter one?
No. Match the length.
Can 2s join straights or consecutive pairs?
No. Runs can end at Ace but cannot include 2s or wrap.
Does four of a kind beat every 2 combination?
No. It bombs a single 2 only. Pairs and triples of 2s need four and five consecutive pairs.
Can I pass when leading?
No. Leading requires a legal combination.
Does the hand stop when someone finishes?
No. Others continue for places; the last player gets fourth automatically.
Play Thirteen
Learn the rank order, match the current combination, and check the exact bomb exceptions. Once those feel familiar, focus on the play that leaves your hand easier to finish.
Choose your length and difficulty, then play Thirteen on Solitaire Arcade. You can also browse How to Play Hearts, How to Play Spades, and How to Play Crazy Eights.
