How to Play Manni
Three players, a spare hand called the Manni, and a race to 10 points.
Learn Manni, the Icelandic game for 3: the 48-card deck, the Manni you may swap your hand for, trumps that rotate each deal and a point per trick beyond 4. Follow one deal, then play in your browser.
A deal with hearts as trumps
Hearts are trumps on deal 1. You lead the A♠; the next player follows with the 10♠, and the third, with no spades, plays the 4♥: the lowest trump beats your ace and the trick is theirs. Later you lead the K♦ and both follow with lower diamonds, so you win. At the end you have 6 tricks, the player who took the Manni has 4 and the third player 2: you score 2 points, the others none.
| Situation | Result |
|---|---|
| A♠ led, 10♠, then 4♥ from a hand with no spades (♥ trumps) | The 4♥ wins: any trump beats the highest card of another suit |
| K♦ led, 9♦, 7♦ | The K♦ wins: no trump played, so the highest diamond takes it |
| 6 tricks, 4 tricks, 2 tricks at the end of the deal | 2 points, 0 and 0: only tricks beyond 4 count |
| A player on 9 points takes 5 tricks | 1 point: 10 reached, and the game ends if nobody else is level |
The Manni is offered once a deal, from the dealer's left clockwise, and swaps all 12 cards or none. Follow suit if you can; the highest trump wins, else the highest card of the suit led. The first player at or past the target, 10 by default, and alone at the top after a deal wins.
Practise this game in your browser🎯 Objective
Be the first player at or past the target score, 10 by default, alone at the top. Each trick beyond your fourth in a deal is 1 point.
🃏 Manni Setup & Rules
- Exactly 3 players, everyone for themselves: you and 2 app opponents. The only setup option is the target score, 10 by default, from 5 to 20.
- A standard deck without the four 2s: 48 cards ranked ace (high) down to 3 (low) in every suit. The app deals 12 cards to each player in packets of 4 and lays the 12 left over face down in the middle as the Manni.
- Trumps rotate in a fixed order: hearts on the first deal, then spades, diamonds, clubs, and hearts again. The 2 of the trump suit sits beside the Manni as a reminder, and the deal moves one seat to the left each hand.
▶ How to Play Manni
- Before play, the player to the dealer's left is offered the Manni: take it or keep your hand. Taking it swaps all 12 cards at once; you cannot pick and choose.
- If they keep their hand, the offer passes clockwise. Only one exchange is allowed per deal: once someone takes the Manni, nobody else may, and if all 3 keep, the Manni stays unseen. The hand a taker gives up goes face down in its place and nobody sees it.
- The player to the dealer's left leads the first trick. You must follow suit if you can; if you cannot, you may play any card, a trump included.
- The highest trump in the trick wins it; with no trump played, the highest card of the suit led wins. The winner leads the next trick.
- A deal is 12 tricks. When they are played, the app scores the deal, shows each player's tricks and points, and the next deal begins with the next trump suit.
🎬 Watch: How to Play Manni
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📖 Detailed Guide
Setting up your table
- From the game menu choose Manni. It seats exactly 3 players, everyone for themselves, so app opponents fill the 2 seats you do not.
- Set the target score: 10 by default, anywhere from 5 to 20. A lower target is a shorter game.
- The app shuffles the 48-card deck, a standard pack without its four 2s, and deals 12 cards to each seat in packets of 4, from the dealer's left. The 12 left over are the Manni, face down in the middle.
- Hearts are trumps on the first deal, then spades, diamonds and clubs in turn; the 2 of the trump suit lies beside the Manni as a reminder. The deal moves one seat to the left each hand.
The Manni exchange
- Starting with the player to the dealer's left, each player in turn chooses Take the Manni or Keep your hand. The app does not let anyone play a card until this is settled.
- Taking it swaps all 12 of your cards for the 12 in the Manni at once; you cannot pick and choose.
- If you keep your hand, the offer moves clockwise. Once someone takes the Manni, nobody else may, and if all 3 keep, the Manni stays unseen for the deal.
- The hand a taker gives up goes face down in the Manni's place and nobody sees it: those 12 cards are out of the deal.
Playing the tricks
- The player to the dealer's left leads the first trick, whoever took the Manni.
- Follow suit if you can; the app refuses any other card while you hold the suit led. With none of it, play any card, a trump included.
- The highest trump in the trick wins it; with no trump played, the highest card of the suit led wins. The ace is high and the 3 is low.
- The winner of each trick leads the next until all 12 tricks are played.
Scoring and winning
- Each trick beyond your fourth is 1 point: 5 tricks score 1, 6 score 2, 4 or fewer score 0. Points carry over from deal to deal.
- After each deal the app shows every player's tricks and points, then deals the next hand with the next trump suit.
- The game ends after a deal in which a player is at or past the target, 10 by default, and alone at the top. If 2 players pass it in the same deal, the higher total wins.
- Players tied at the top play another deal. The app plays this plain Manni only: there are no Hornafjarðarmanni contracts, no nóló and no Trjámann.
📊 Manni Scoring
Each trick you take beyond 4 scores 1 point: 6 tricks are 2 points, 4 tricks or fewer are 0. Scores carry over from deal to deal. After a deal, a player at or past the target, 10 by default, and alone at the top wins the game; if 2 players pass it in the same deal the higher total wins, and if they are tied, another deal is played. The app plays this plain Manni only: no Hornafjarðarmanni contracts and no Trjámann.
❓ Manni — Frequently Asked Questions
How many players do you need for Manni?
Manni is played with 3 players. On Vanikar, empty seats can be filled with AI opponents so you can always start a game.
Do you have to take the Manni?
No. The Manni is offered to each of the 3 players in turn, starting left of the dealer, and each may take it or keep their hand. Taking it swaps all 12 cards at once. Only 1 player may take it per deal; if all 3 keep their hands, the Manni stays face down and unseen.
How does Manni scoring work?
Every trick beyond 4 is 1 point: 5 tricks score 1, 6 score 2, 8 score 4, and 4 or fewer score 0. There are 12 tricks in a deal, and points carry over until someone reaches the target, 10 by default.
What suit is trumps in Manni?
It rotates with the deal in a fixed order: hearts on deal 1, spades on deal 2, diamonds on deal 3, clubs on deal 4, then hearts again. The 2 of the trump suit lies beside the Manni as a reminder, and a trump of any rank beats every card of the other suits.
Can 4 play Manni?
Not in the app: Manni seats exactly 3 players, everyone for themselves, so you play with 2 app opponents. The 48-card deck splits into 3 hands of 12 and a 12-card Manni, which is why the game is built for 3. The app plays the plain Manni only, with no Hornafjarðarmanni or Trjámann variants.
