Up to 9 takes two minutes to pick up and one evening to get hooked on. This guide gives you everything you need for your first rounds — without drowning you in detail. The complete rules live on the rules page.
The only things you MUST know before your first round
- You get 11 cards and try to collect one specific combination — at level 1 it's four consecutive cards in the same suit (e.g. ♠5 ♠6 ♠7 ♠8).
- All 2s and 3s are jokers (marked with ★ in the game). They can stand in for any card — but at level 1 no jokers are allowed in the lay-down, so there the run has to be real.
- Each turn you do three things: draw one card → (lay down, if you can) → discard one card.
- The round ends when someone gets rid of all their cards. You then collect penalty points for the cards you're left holding — and you moved up a level if you managed to lay down.
That's it. The rest you'll pick up as you go — the game tells you when you can lay down, and stops you if you try anything illegal.
Getting started on upto9.no
- Create a free account — username, email and password. The email is only used if you forget your password.
- Create a game — the lobby automatically fills up with three computer opponents (bots), so you can start right away. Friends can jump in and take a bot's seat any time before the game starts.
- Pick a difficulty for the bots — Easy is a good place to start; the Hard bots remember what you discard and play surprisingly meanly.
- Your first time, we recommend the built-in tutorial ("📖 Learn" on the front page) — it walks through the first rounds step by step with real examples.
If you play on your phone, you can install Up to 9 as an app: tap "📲 Install app" in the menu, and the game lands on your home screen like a regular app.
Your first turn, in practice
- Look at your hand. Sort the cards with the "Rank" or "Suit" buttons, or drag them wherever you like — the order is remembered, even if you reload the page.
- Draw. You can either take a hidden card from the deck, or the top card of the discard pile if it fits your plan. When an opponent takes from the discard pile it flashes — watch what they pick!
- Consider laying down. When your hand contains the complete combination for your level, "✦ You can lay down!" appears. Tap "Lay down" and place the cards in the slot. Remember: all at once — partial lay-downs don't exist.
- Discard. Pick a card you don't need and put it on the discard pile. The turn passes to the next player.
The four most common beginner mistakes
- Sitting on your jokers too long. A 2 or 3 in your hand at the end of the round costs you 20 penalty points — the most expensive in the game. Use them, or get rid of them once your lay-down is in the bag anyway.
- Forgetting that donating requires laying down. You can't play cards onto the table — your own melds or anyone else's — before you've laid down your own contract. Lay down first, donate after (in the same turn if you like).
- Feeding your opponents via the discard pile. Discard a card your neighbour needs, and they'll say thank you. Watch what they pick from the discard pile — it gives away what they're collecting.
- Chasing the wrong straight. Straights require the same suit. Four consecutive cards in mixed suits are worth nothing. Check the suit before you fall in love with a plan.
From level 1 to level 9
The levels change character as you go, and that's half the charm:
- Levels 1–3 are the warm-up: short straights and three-of-a-kinds, with at most one joker. This is where you learn the rhythm.
- Levels 4–6 are about collecting many of a kind — "6 of a kind" at level 6 sounds brutal, but remember there are several decks in play, and the jokers help.
- Levels 7–9 are long straights in a single suit. Now every discard matters, and donating becomes the weapon that empties your hand. Level 9 — a straight of 9 — decides the game.
Everyone plays against their own level, so nobody gets knocked out — even if you're trailing, you're still playing your own rounds with everything at stake. See the level table for all the combinations, and the strategy page when you're ready to start winning.