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Phase 10 is a rummy-style race through ten phases, and the drama comes from being stuck on the same phase while everyone else moves on. A drinking version adds an optional sip to the frustrating moments and a small celebration to the good ones. This 2026 guide covers the rules in brief, a fair sip ladder, a shorter phase track for party nights, and sober variations.
Choosing between classic card games? Our Phase 10 vs Skip-Bo guide compares the two. For decks built for drinking, see our best drunk card games.
Phase 10 and party decks
The Phase 10 deck is all you need for this game. The others make good breaks between hands.
- The game: Phase 10 Card Game (tin) — the full deck with Wilds and Skips in a travel tin
- Structured sips: King's Cup Extreme — a quicker drinking game with printed rule cards
- Dares: Do or Drink — dares or sips between deals
- Press your luck: Flip 7 — a fast card game that works with or without drinks
Phase 10 in two minutes
The deck has 108 cards: numbers 1 to 12 in four colors (two of each), 8 Wild cards, and 4 Skip cards. Deal 10 cards to each player. On your turn, draw one card from the draw pile or the top of the discard pile, lay down your phase if you can, then discard one card. Once your phase is down, you can hit, which means adding cards to any phase already on the table. The hand ends when someone gets rid of all their cards. Everyone who completed their phase moves on to the next one, and everyone else tries the same phase again.
Cards left in your hand cost points: 5 for each 1 to 9, 10 for each 10 to 12, 15 for a Skip, and 25 for a Wild. The first player to complete Phase 10 wins. If two players finish it in the same hand, the lower score wins.
The ten phases
- 2 sets of 3
- 1 set of 3 + 1 run of 4
- 1 set of 4 + 1 run of 4
- 1 run of 7
- 1 run of 8
- 1 run of 9
- 2 sets of 4
- 7 cards of one color
- 1 set of 5 + 1 set of 2
- 1 set of 5 + 1 set of 3
Skip cards: discard a Skip to make a player of your choice lose their next turn. Wild cards can replace any number or color in a set, run, or color phase.
The sip ladder
- Someone goes out and you haven't laid down your phase this hand: 1 sip.
- You get skipped: 1 sip.
- You're stuck on the same phase for a third hand in a row: 1 sip, and you pick the next song.
- You complete a phase: hand out 1 sip.
- You get caught laying down an invalid phase (a run with a gap, or a set that doesn't match): 1 sip, then fix it.
- Someone finishes Phase 10: everyone else takes 2 sips, and the drinking ends there.
Limit it to one sip per player per turn so a chain of Skips can't stack up drinks.
A sample hand
You're on Phase 2: a set of 3 and a run of 4. You have the set, but you keep drawing cards that don't help the run. A rival lays down their Phase 2, starts hitting, and goes out. You take 1 sip and repeat Phase 2 next hand. Early in the next hand, someone discards a Skip on you, so that's 1 more sip. That's your cap for the turn, even if things get worse.
A shorter track for party nights
A full game of Phase 10 can take a couple of hours. For a drinking night, play a short track of Phases 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 10. You still get the big finish without the mid-game slog. Write the track on paper before you deal so nobody tries to add phases back halfway through.
Pace and safety
Keep water on the table and let anyone switch to points at any time. Drivers play for points only. If a player finishes early or wants out of the drinking, set up Do or Drink or Flip 7 on the side so they can keep playing something.
Variants
- Team phases: partners share one phase track and split the sips.
- Points only: chips instead of drinks, using the same ladder.
- Color night: completing Phase 8 (seven cards of one color) lets you hand out 2 sips instead of 1.
FAQ
Do we need the official deck?
Yes. Phase 10 needs its 1 to 12 number cards, Wilds, and Skips, so a standard deck doesn't work well. The Phase 10 tin is the easiest version to bring to a party.
How many people can play?
Phase 10 is made for 2 to 6 players. With 5 or 6, use the short track so the game doesn't drag.
What if Skips start feeling personal?
Make the skipper take a sip too. Everyone gets a little more careful about who they target.
Announce the ladder, shorten the phase track if you need to, and let Phase 10's built-in tension do more of the work than the drinks.
