Quick Rules
Manni is a trick-taking game for three players from Iceland, where it is a favorite at family tables and holiday gatherings. This is the version from the southeast of the country, often called Hornafjarðarmanni. You play against two computer players, and everyone plays for themselves.
- The cut decides the hand. Before the deal a card is cut from the pack. A 2 to 5 makes the hand Nullo: take as few tricks as you can, no trump, aces low. A 6 to 9 makes its suit trump. A 10 to ace means no trump, and you take as many tricks as you can.
- The deal. Each player gets 12 cards. The other 16 go face down into a spare pile called the Manni.
- The swap. The player on the dealer's left may throw away up to 7 cards and take as many from the top of the Manni; then the player on the dealer's right up to 5; then the dealer may take whatever is left.
- Play. The player on the dealer's left leads. Follow suit if you can. The highest trump wins the trick, otherwise the highest card of the suit led.
- Scoring. Par is 4 tricks. Each trick over 4 is a plus point and each trick under 4 a minus point (the other way round in Nullo). Plus and minus points are kept apart.
- Winning. When someone reaches 10 plus points, the game ends. Subtract each player's minus points from their plus points; the best net score wins.
Want a longer game? Open Settings to play to 15 plus points. See Manni rule variations for the older Basic Manni and other house rules.
Read the full Manni rules with worked examples and a scoring table
Tips for Winning at Manni
- Swap for the contract you were dealt. In a trump hand keep trumps, aces and guarded kings. In Nullo get rid of kings, queens and jacks, and keep your twos, threes and aces.
- Short suits are worth emptying. With no cards in a suit you can trump it, or in Nullo throw away a dangerous high card when it is led.
- Count the trumps. There are 13 in each suit, but some are buried in the Manni or were swapped away. Watch what falls.
- Mind your minus points. A big plus hand can be undone by a bad Nullo. The net score is what wins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this Manni game free?
Yes. You can play as many games of Manni as you like for free, with no account, no email and no download.
Does the computer cheat?
No. The computer players can't see your cards or the Manni. They know their own cards, the cards they swapped away, the cut card and every card played so far, the same kind of things you know. At the end of every hand, tap Show All Hands to see what everyone played with and what they swapped away. Every game has a deal number; tap Replay This Deal, or type the number in Settings, to play the same cards again.
What is the Manni?
The Manni is a spare pile of 16 cards dealt face down at the start of each hand. Before play begins, each player may throw away some of their cards and take the same number from the top of the Manni. You don't see the new cards until you have committed to the swap.
Why is the ace the lowest card sometimes?
When the cut card is a 2, 3, 4 or 5, the hand is Nullo: everyone tries to take as few tricks as possible, there is no trump, and the ace counts as the lowest card, below the 2. In every other hand the ace is the highest card.
I reached 10 points first. Why didn't I win?
Reaching 10 plus points only ends the game. The winner is the player with the best net score, which is plus points minus minus points. A player who collected many minus points along the way can reach 10 first and still lose.
Does the game save my progress?
Yes. Your game is saved in your browser after every cut, swap and card. Close the page and come back later, and you can pick up where you left off on the same device.
Enjoy trick games? Try Whist, the classic partnership game, or Oh Hell!, where you must take exactly the tricks you bid.
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