Fan Tan
About Fan Tan
Fan Tan, also known as Sevens, is a card game about building sequences. Each suit is laid out on the table starting from its seven, and players add cards outward in order, one at a time, working up toward the king and down toward the ace. The first player to empty their hand wins.
It sounds like a polite, orderly game, and on the surface it is, but the real skill is in playing gatekeeper. Since a suit can only extend from cards already on the table, holding onto a key card blocks everyone waiting to play the ones beyond it. Timing when to release those cards is where the game gets sneaky.
You can play Fan Tan free in your browser with no download. The rules are easy to grasp, since you're just extending sequences from the sevens, but the blocking strategy gives it surprising depth. It's a calm game with a competitive undercurrent, and getting out first is genuinely satisfying.
Controls
You play by extending the suit sequences on the table. Tap a card in your hand that continues a suit, or click it with a mouse on a laptop, either the next number up or down from what's already played, to lay it down.
The layout builds out from the sevens:
- Starting from sevens is how each suit begins. The seven of a suit must be played before any other card in it, and then cards build outward in both directions from there.
- Building up or down means adding the next card in sequence, an eight onto a seven or a six below it, working toward the king one way and the ace the other.
You may only pass when you genuinely have no legal card to play, so you cannot hold cards back once you're able to play them, unless a different legal move lets you stall.
The first player to empty their hand wins. The computer chooses at random among whichever cards it's legally allowed to play, so any blocking you run into is a side effect of its hand rather than a deliberate plan.
Tips
- Play the seven that unlocks your hand. Since a suit can't grow until its seven is down, laying a seven that lets you follow up with several of your own cards keeps you shedding steadily.
- Think before releasing a blocking card. Holding a card that others need can stall your opponents, but you must play it when it's your only legal move, so plan which suits you can advance without freeing them.
- Track which cards opponents are waiting on. If a rival keeps passing, they're likely stuck behind a card you hold, so knowing that tells you when releasing it helps you and when it only helps them.
- Balance shedding with blocking. Getting out first is the goal, so don't cling to blockers so long that you fall behind, but do use them to slow a rival who's close to winning.
- Play the extreme cards thoughtfully. The very high and very low cards, near the king and ace, are natural blockers, so timing when you extend a suit to its ends can control the whole table.
- Keep your hand flexible. Try to stay able to play in more than one suit, so you're rarely forced to pass or to release a card you'd rather hold.
Frequently asked questions
Is Fan Tan free to play?
Yes. You can play as much as you want with no download and no account.
How do you play Fan Tan?
Each suit is built outward from its seven. On your turn you add the next card up or down in a suit already started, or start a suit by playing its seven. The first player to empty their hand wins.
Why is it also called Sevens?
Because every suit's sequence begins with the seven, which must be played before any other card in that suit. The whole layout radiates out from the four sevens, which is why the game is often just called Sevens.
How do you win at Fan Tan?
You win by being the first to play all the cards from your hand. Beyond shedding your own cards, the skill is in holding key cards to block opponents and timing when to release them.
Can I play Fan Tan on my phone?
Yes. It runs in any modern mobile browser with tap controls, so it works well on phones and tablets.
How do I get better at Fan Tan?
Play sevens that unlock a run of your own cards, and use high and low cards as blockers to slow rivals, while making sure you don't fall behind by holding them too long. Keeping playable cards in several suits keeps you flexible.
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