9 Card Golf Rules
9-card Golf (also called Nine Card Golf, Crazy Nines, or Nines on Pagat) uses a 3×3 grid. Turns match 6-card Classic. Scoring differs: only three equal ranks in one column score 0. See the 6-card rulebook if you are new to Golf.
Play online: Pick 9-Card Golf on /play. Same grid, three opening flips, and column rules below.
Setup & opening flips
Pagat says Nine Card Golf is "played with two or more decks of cards." Shuffle them together.
Deal nine cards face-down in a 3×3 grid. Do not peek at hidden cards.
Start the discard pile. Each player flips three cards face-up before the first draw.
Turns
On your turn, play like 6-card Classic:
- Draw from the draw pile or take the top discard.
- Stock draw: swap with any card, or discard the draw. Our game matches Pagat here.
- Discard draw: you must swap. You cannot put it back.
- Put the old card on the discard pile. Do not move cards to new slots.
Ending a hole
Pagat uses the same end as 6-card Golf. A hole ends when one player's last card is face-up. Many groups give each other player one more turn.
Our 9-Card mode works that way. Your ninth face-up card starts the final round. There is no Knock button in 9-Card. Knock is only on Knock format.
Scoring by column
Scoring matches 6-card Golf on card values. Pairs do not zero a column. Three equal ranks in one column score 0.
Default values on this site:
- Aces = 1
- 2s = −2 each
- 3 through 10 = face value
- Jacks and Queens = 10
- Kings = 0
Add the three column totals for your hole score.
- Triple column: three of a kind in one column → 0 for that column.
- Anything else: add all three cards. Example: 7, 7, 3 → 17, not 0.
Standard Pagat nine-card play scores columns only, not rows.
Worked scoring example
All nine cards face-up. Standard values (2 = −2):
| Q (10) | 7 (7) | 7 (7) |
| Q (10) | 7 (7) | 3 (3) |
| K (0) | K (0) | 2 (−2) |
- Left column: Q + Q + K = 10 + 10 + 0 = 20 (two Queens do not cancel)
- Middle column: three 7s → 0
- Right column: 7 + 3 + (−2) = 8
Hole total: 20 + 0 + 8 = 28 points
Strategy tips
- Chase triples, not pairs. Two 7s still add 14 until you find a third 7.
- Watch the discard pile. Two matching face-up cards in a column are a real triple target.
- Lock a zero column before you end. A triple column limits damage from hidden cards.
- Kings are 0 each. K–K still needs a third King to zero that column.
Common variations
Pagat lists these options. Our online 9-Card mode does not use them:
- Two opening flips instead of three.
- Twos at +2 and jokers at −2.
- Queens at 12 instead of 10.
- Row or diagonal triples score 0.
- A 2×2 block of four equal cards scores −25.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards do you flip at the start of 9-card Golf?
Three opening flips. Our 9-Card mode uses three too.
When does a column score zero?
All three ranks in the column must match. Two alone never zero it.
Do vertical pairs still matter in 9-card Golf?
No. You need a full triple or you add all three values.
Can I play 9-card Golf online here?
Yes. Use 9-Card Golf on /play for a free 3×3 game against AI.
Play 9-Card Golf free
Play 9-Card Golf free3×3 grid · Triple column = 0 · 6-card rulebook