Live Game Labs

The Live Game Labs blog

Deal yourself in.

Rules, strategy and tips for the card and board games we love, from 29 and Hazari to Ludo and carrom. Every one of them is free to play offline.

Rummy: a set of three sevens and a run of hearts laid down as melds Card games2 October 20265 min read

How to Play Rummy: Sets, Runs, Melding and Scoring Explained

Learn how to play Rummy step by step: the deal, drawing and discarding, sets and runs, laying off, going out and scoring, plus the main Rummy variants to try.

Read more → Poker hand rankings: a royal flush of spades fanned out, ten to ace Teen Patti2 October 20267 min read

Poker Hand Rankings: All 10 Hands From Best to Worst, Explained

Poker hand rankings from royal flush to high card, with examples, how kickers break ties, real 5-card odds and how poker compares to Teen Patti.

Read more → Solitaire (Klondike): seven tableau columns of cards and four foundation piles Offline games2 October 20267 min read

How to Play Solitaire: Klondike Rules, Scoring and Winning Tips

Learn how to play solitaire (Klondike): the setup, legal moves, draw 1 vs draw 3, standard and Vegas scoring, plus easy tips to win more of your games.

Read more → Colourful shedding-game cards: number cards, a skip, a reverse and a draw two on a discard pile Card games2 October 20266 min read

UNO Rules: Action Cards, Wild Draw Four, Scoring and Stacking

Official UNO rules explained: setup, every action card, the Wild Draw Four challenge, when to say UNO, scoring to 500 and which house rules aren't official.

Read more → Card games for four: four hands of cards around a table with a trick in the middle Card games1 October 20262 min read

Best Card Games for 4 Players: 8 Classics for Family Night

The best four-player card games for friends and family: 29, Callbreak, Hazari, Spades, Hearts, Teen Patti, Rummy-style and Bridge, with how each one plays.

Read more → Shuffling cards: a riffle shuffle with cards arcing between two halves of the deck Card games28 September 20263 min read

How to Shuffle Cards: Riffle, Overhand and Hindu Shuffle

Step-by-step guide to shuffling a deck of cards: the riffle, bridge finish, overhand and Hindu shuffle, plus why seven riffle shuffles make a deck truly random.

Read more → Card games for two: two hands of cards facing each other across a small table Card games28 September 20263 min read

10 Best Card Games for 2 Players (Easy to Learn, Fun to Master)

The best two-player card games: rules in a nutshell for Rummy-style games, Crazy Eights, War, Cribbage, Gin, Speed and more, plus how to play 4-player favourites with bots.

Read more → A Ludo board with red, green, yellow and blue tokens and a die Board games28 September 20263 min read

Ludo Rules: The Complete Guide for 2, 3 and 4 Players

Official-style Ludo rules explained: the board, starting with a six, bonus rolls, capturing, safe squares, the home column, exact finishing and popular house rules.

Read more → Chess rules for beginners: the starting position on a wooden chessboard Board games28 September 20263 min read

Chess Rules for Beginners: How Every Piece Moves

Learn to play chess from scratch: setting up the board, how each piece moves and captures, check and checkmate, and the three special moves every beginner must know.

Read more → Hearts: the queen of spades and a spread of heart cards on the table Card games27 September 20263 min read

Hearts Card Game Rules: Passing, Scoring and Shooting the Moon

How to play Hearts: passing three cards, leading the two of clubs, breaking hearts, the 13-point Queen of Spades, shooting the moon and winning with the lowest score.

Read more → Spades: a winning hand of spades with the ace of spades in front Card games26 September 20263 min read

Spades Card Game Rules: Bidding, Nil, Bags and Scoring

Learn how to play Spades: partnerships, bidding, breaking spades, nil and blind nil, bags and the 10-bag penalty, and how to score your way to 500.

Read more → The four top cards of the 29 card game: jack, nine, ace and ten of hearts fanned on a green table 2925 September 20264 min read

How to Play 29 Card Game: Rules, Points and Winning Tips

Learn the 29 card game step by step: card ranks, points, bidding, the hidden trump, the pair bonus and scoring, plus tips to win more hands.

Read more → Offline card games on an Android phone, with a crossed-out Wi-Fi symbol Offline games24 September 20262 min read

Best Offline Card and Board Games for Android (No Wi-Fi Needed)

The best free card and board games you can play offline on Android: 29, Callbreak, Hazari, Teen Patti, Ludo, carrom and chess, and what to look for in an offline game.

Read more → Hazari: thirteen cards sorted into four groups on a green table Hazari22 September 20263 min read

Hazari Card Game Rules: How to Play and Score 1000 Points

A clear guide to Hazari (the 1000-point card game): dealing 13 cards, splitting them into 3-3-3-4, hand rankings from Troy to Indi, scoring and strategy.

Read more → Callbreak: four cards played in a trick with the ace of spades as trump winning it Card games19 September 20263 min read

Callbreak Rules and Strategy: A Complete Beginner's Guide

How to play Callbreak: dealing, calling your bid, why spades are always trump, the follow and overtake rules, scoring, and 6 strategy tips to beat the bots.

Read more → Teen Patti hand rankings: trail, pure sequence and sequence shown as three-card hands Teen Patti17 September 20263 min read

Teen Patti Hand Rankings Explained (Play Just for Fun)

Teen Patti hand rankings from Trail to High Card, with examples, how ties are broken and how the three-card ranking compares to Hazari. Social play, no betting.

Read more → Ludo tips: a token about to capture another on the track, with a rolled six Board games15 September 20263 min read

Ludo Tips and Tricks: 9 Ways to Win More Games

Win more Ludo games: the rules that matter, when to open a new token, safe squares, when to chase and when to run, and how to use sixes well.

Read more → A carrom board with the queen and coins in the centre circle and a striker on the baseline Board games12 September 20263 min read

Carrom Rules for Beginners: Scoring, Fouls and Covering the Queen

Learn carrom: the board and pieces, how to strike, pocketing and covering the queen, fouls and penalties, board scoring to 25 points, and aiming tips.

Read more → Scholar's Mate: the white queen and bishop attacking f7 for a quick checkmate Board games10 September 20263 min read

Quick Chess Traps: Scholar's Mate, Fool's Mate and Carlsen's 9-Move Win

The fastest checkmates in chess: Fool's Mate, Scholar's Mate and Magnus Carlsen's famous 9-move mate against Bill Gates, plus how to defend against each.

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