Beat the dealer

How to play

You are dealt five country cards, and the dealer holds five. Each trick, one card from each side is played and the country with the larger population wins. Every card is used once, so the skill is saving your giants for when you need them and winning cheap tricks with your smaller countries. Win as many of the five tricks as you can.

Difficulty

Easy shows the populations on your cards. The dealer leads and you reply. Medium hides the populations, so you rely on what you know. Hard hides them and makes you lead, with a dealer that always answers with the smallest card that can beat yours.

Unlimited

Win a hand by taking three or more tricks and you are dealt another. Lose a hand and it is over.

About the numbers

Populations are rounded estimates for around 2024, in millions. No two cards in a hand ever have the same population.

Difficulty and modes

Easy, Medium and Hard each have their own puzzle every day, so there are three to play. A tick on the tab means you have finished it. Unlimited is endless survival play at the difficulty you choose: keep going until you slip, and try to beat your personal best, which is saved in your browser.

More games: Longer Flight, Route Ranking, Code Quiz, Plane Spotter, Population Match, Border Run, Pinpoint, Antipode, Mystery Country, Flag Mixer, Outline, Neighbour Rush, Capital Hunt, Shortcut, Population Showdown, Overflown.