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♠ Family-Friendly  ·  Tournament-Ready ♠

Amsterdam

The Meet or Beat Card Game

Match it, beat it, or pick up the pile. Easy to learn in five minutes — impossible to stop playing. The card game that's been passed between friends and family for over 25 years.

Learn How to Play Open Score Tracker
25+
Years played
organically
2–10
Players per
game
5 min
To learn
the rules
1 Deck
2–5 Players
2 Decks
6–10 Players
3
Wild Cards
9
Cards Per Player
1
Loser Per Round
The Game

Simple rules. Real competition.

Amsterdam is a fast-paced card game where every hand matters. Many players win each round — but there's only one loser, and they deal next.

🎯

One Core Rule

Meet or beat the card played to you — or pick up the pile. Everything flows from that.

⚡

Three Wild Cards

The 2, 3, and 10 can flip the game in a single move. Learn them and you have an edge.

🏆

Tournament Ready

Official scoring. Sets of 10. The only casual card game built for real competition.

🌍

Play Anywhere

One standard deck. No special pieces. Game nights, camping trips, family tables.

Rules

How to Play Amsterdam

You'll be playing your first round in under five minutes.

01

The Setup

Deal 9 cards to each player: 3 face-down (no peeking), 3 face-up on top of those, and 3 in hand. The rest is the draw pile. Before play begins, each player may swap any of their face-up cards with cards from their hand.

02

To Start

The dealer asks the player to their left: "Do you have a 4?" The first player holding a 4 opens play. If nobody has a 4, move to 5, then 6, and so on until someone can open.

03

Your Turn

Play a card from your hand that meets or beats the top card on the discard pile. You can play multiple cards of the same value at once. If you can play — you must. If you can't, you pick up the entire discard pile.

04

Draw

While the draw pile lasts, keep at least 3 cards in hand. Play 1, draw 1. Play 2, draw 2. If you pick up the discard pile, all those cards become your hand — you don't draw again until you're back below 3.

05

Can't Play? Pick Up.

If you can't beat the top card, pick up the entire discard pile. That's your new hand. No sandbagging — if you can play, you must.

06

The Layers

Your cards exist in three layers — hand, face-up, face-down. You always play from your hand first. Once the draw pile is gone you move to face-up cards, and face-down cards come last. You can never skip ahead: if you pick up and go back to hand cards, you must fully clear each layer before advancing to the next.

07

The Endgame

When the draw pile runs dry, play your face-up cards. Can't play one? Pick up the pile — clear your hand completely before returning to face-up cards. Once all face-up cards are gone, blindly flip one face-down card per turn. Unplayable? Pick up everything. Clear your hand before flipping another. Every card must be earned.

08

Many Win. One Loses.

Players exit as they clear their cards — some cards have been cleared from play entirely. The last player still holding cards loses and deals the next round.

Natural 4-of-a-Kind: If four cards of the same value are played consecutively — by one player or across multiple players — the pile clears and the last player gets a free turn. (Example: playing four 6s on a 5 counts.) Only a natural 4-of-a-kind clears — a 3 (Mirror) played into the sequence counts as the card it mirrors, which interrupts the streak and resets the count.

Wild Cards

The 3 Cards That Change Everything

Master these three cards and you'll win more than your share of rounds.

2
♥
Make It Low

The 2 — "Make It Low"

Resets the pile. The next player can play any card, even the lowest in their hand. One rule: you can never play a 2 on a 3.

3
♦
Mirror

The 3 — "Mirror"

Becomes whatever card it covers. Play a 3 on a King — next player needs a King or better. The 3 takes on the identity of the card beneath it.

10
♣
Clear

The 10 — "Clear"

Wipes the entire discard pile from the game. Those cards are gone. And you get another turn. The most powerful card on the table.

Our Story

25 Years in the Making

"We learned a version of the game from a friend who'd just been to Amsterdam. Half the rules were missing — so we figured them out ourselves and kept playing."

This game came to be in a small apartment in Estes Park, Colorado, after a friend returned from a trip to Amsterdam with an incomplete card game. The rules were half-finished. So we did what anyone would do — argued, refined, and kept playing.

Over 25 years, Amsterdam spread through family game nights, camping trips, and scout troop weekends. No ads. No algorithm. Just a genuinely great game that people couldn't stop teaching to others.

90s

The Amsterdam Connection

A friend returns from a trip to Amsterdam with an incomplete card game. We fill in the blanks in a small apartment in Estes Park, Colorado.

00s

It Spreads Organically

Game nights, camping trips, scout troop events. The rules sharpen. The game gets better.

2025

Tournament Play Develops

A group of friends who play every year on a ski trip develop an official scoring system so they can crown a weekend champion. Sets of 10. A last-place penalty that makes every game count.

Now

Amsterdam Goes Official

25 years of organic play. Now it has a home. Welcome to Amsterdam.

Difficulty

Play at Every Level

Whether you're teaching someone new or playing with regulars, Amsterdam scales with the room.

Setup

  • 3 face-down, 3 face-up, 3 in hand as normal
  • Before play starts, you may swap any face-up cards with cards from your hand
  • Strategy tip: put strong cards face-up, keep a 10 in hand

Best For

  • First-time players and younger players
  • Casual game nights where everyone should feel capable
  • The swap moment gives new players time to think

Setup

  • 3 face-down, 3 face-up, 3 in hand as normal
  • No swapping — face-up cards stay as dealt
  • Play with what you're given

Best For

  • Groups that know the game and want more challenge
  • Regular game nights where everyone is comfortable with the rules
  • Builds real strategy around hand and pile management

Setup

  • 3 face-down, 3 face-up, 3 in hand — no swapping
  • Unplayable face-down card? Pick up the entire pile
  • An unplayable face-down card does not go to your hand — it becomes a face-up card. Pick up the pile, clear your hand, then play that new face-up card before flipping your next face-down card. Three layers, earned in order: hand → face-up → face-down.

Best For

  • Seasoned players and tournament play
  • High-stakes nights where every decision matters
  • The face-down cards become a real gamble at the end
Competitive Play

Tournament Mode

The only casual card game with an official scoring system built for real competition.

1–2
Deck Options
1 deck: 2–5 players · 2 decks: 6–10 players
10
Games per Set
Complete 10 games to finish a Set
3
Sets per Tournament
The player with the lowest total score across all Sets wins the tournament
📊
Official Scoring
Lowest total score wins — your finish position is your score

Points Per Game

FinishPointsNotes
1st Out 🏆0First to clear all cards
2nd Out2—
3rd Out3—
4th Out4—
Last PlacePlayers + 15-player game = 6 pts penalty

Your score each game is simply your finishing position — 2nd out scores 2, 3rd out scores 3, and so on. 1st place scores 0, rewarding the player who goes out first. Last place scores their position plus 1 (the point from 1st place) as a penalty — going out last costs extra. There is intentionally no score of 1. Last place also deals the next round.

Track Your Set ↓
Live Scoring

Amsterdam Score Tracker

Official scoring — lowest wins. Track your full Set in real time.

Set Up Your Game

Set in Progress  ·  Game 1 of 10  · 
🏆 Set Complete! The player with the lowest total wins.
Stay in the Game

Get the Free Amsterdam Rules Card

A printable quick-reference card — perfect for keeping in any deck box. Free when you sign up for the Amsterdam newsletter. We'll keep you in the loop on tournaments, strategy tips, and be the first to know when official Amsterdam merchandise drops.

📥Instant PDF download  ·  Free Rules Card  ·  First to know when merch drops
Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Amsterdam Card Game

Everything you need to know before your first game.

Amsterdam is a fast-paced, family-friendly card game for 2–10 players. You play with any standard 52-card deck — no special cards needed. The core rule is simple: meet or beat the top card on the discard pile, or pick up the entire pile. The game features three wild cards that add real strategy, three levels of difficulty, and an official tournament scoring system. It's easy enough to learn in five minutes, but deep enough to keep experienced players coming back for years.

If you've played Shithead (also known as Palace, Karma, Shed, or Castle), you already know the foundation. Amsterdam is a refined, polished version of that same family of games — same core mechanic, but with official wild card rules, three structured levels of play, and a tournament scoring system that no other casual card game offers.

The biggest differences: Amsterdam's wild cards have specific names and behaviors (the 2 is "Make It Low," the 3 is "Mirror," the 10 is "Clear"), the rules are consistent everywhere instead of varying from group to group, and the scoring system lets you run real competitive tournaments with sets of 10 games. Plus, it has a name you can say at family dinner.

No. Amsterdam is played with any standard 52-card deck — the same deck you probably already have at home. Use 1 deck for 2–5 players and 2 decks shuffled together for 6–10 players. No proprietary cards, no special equipment, no extra purchase needed. You can play tonight.

2 to 10 players. It works great with small groups and large ones. With 2–5 players, use one standard deck. With 6–10 players, shuffle two decks together. The game scales naturally — more players means more competition, more wild card moments, and a longer path to clearing your cards.

The 2 — "Make It Low": Resets the pile. The next player can play any card, even the lowest in their hand. One rule: you can never play a 2 on a 3.

The 3 — "Mirror": Becomes whatever card it covers. Play a 3 on a King, and the next player needs a King or better.

The 10 — "Clear": Wipes the entire discard pile out of the game. Those cards are gone forever. And you get another turn. The most powerful card on the table.

Amsterdam uses an official scoring system built for real competition. Play sets of 10 games. Each game, your score equals your finishing position — 1st place scores 0 points, 2nd out scores 2, 3rd scores 3, and so on. Last place scores their position plus 1 as a penalty (in a 5-player game, last place gets 6 points). Lowest total score across all sets wins the tournament. There is intentionally no score of 1.

Most people learn the basic rules in under 5 minutes. The core concept is simple — meet or beat the card, or pick up the pile. The wild cards and three-layer card system add strategic depth over time, but the fundamentals are easy enough for kids and adults alike. By your second or third round, you'll have it down.

There are two ways to clear the discard pile — meaning those cards are removed from the game entirely and set aside.

1. Play a 10 ("Clear"): A 10 can be played on any card at any time. It wipes the entire discard pile out of the game and gives the player who played it another turn. It's the most powerful card in the game.

2. Natural 4-of-a-kind: If four cards of the same value are played consecutively — whether by one player or across multiple players — the pile clears automatically. The last player to complete the 4-of-a-kind gets a free turn. For example, if a 6 is on the pile and three more 6s are played in sequence, that's a natural 4-of-a-kind. One important detail: a 3 (Mirror) played into the sequence does not count toward the streak — it mirrors the card below it, but it breaks the 4-of-a-kind count and resets it.

Absolutely. Amsterdam was built for mixed groups — it works at a Thanksgiving table with grandparents and grandkids, at a Scout troop campout, or on a road trip. The Beginner level lets new and younger players swap cards before play starts, giving them a strategic advantage while learning. The game is competitive without being cutthroat, and the "many win, one loses" format means most players finish feeling good about their game.

What Players Say

Heard Around the Table

Real players. Real game nights. No scripts.

I love watching my kids try to outsmart each other.

Paulette B.

Easily my go-to favorite game to play when we travel. The kids love it and it's easy for anyone to pick up, so we love sharing the game with our friends.

Jeff K.

A game my 8 year old and 20 year old can have fun playing together.

Stephen G.