How Many Cards Are Dealt for Phase 10?
Quick answer
For Phase 10, the dealer deals 10 cards to each player, face down, every round. The deck has 108 playing cards: 96 numbered cards, 8 Wilds and 4 Skips.
With 4 players, 40 cards are dealt, 1 starts the discard pile and 67 stay in the draw pile.
Pick your number of players to see the deal
Tap your number of players. The calculator shows how many cards go out and how many are left to draw.
How many cards for your table?
4 players: deal 10 cards each, 40 in all. Turn 1 card up for the discard pile. That leaves 67 cards in the draw pile.
- 40 cards dealt
- 67 in the draw pile
- 16 draws each before the pile runs out
- Players’ hands: 40
- Discard: 1
- Draw pile: 67
Out of 108 playing cards. “Draws each” assumes everyone takes from the draw pile every turn; taking discards makes it last longer.
Everyone gets 10 cards, so the draw pile shrinks as players are added
| Players | Cards dealt | Discard pile | Draw pile | Draws each |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 20 | 1 | 87 | 43 |
| 3 | 30 | 1 | 77 | 25 |
| 4 | 40 | 1 | 67 | 16 |
| 5 | 50 | 1 | 57 | 11 |
| 6 | 60 | 1 | 47 | 7 |
“Draws each” is how many turns the draw pile lasts if every player draws from it. With 2 players it hardly ever runs out. With 6 players it can, especially when phases take a while. Picking up discards makes the pile last longer.
The deck: 108 cards, 24 in each color plus Wilds and Skips
- 96 numbered cards: 1 to 12 in red, blue, green and yellow, 2 of each. That is 8 of every number.
- 8 Wild cards: each can stand for any number or any color.
- 4 Skip cards: discard one to make a player lose their next turn.
- 2 phase reference cards in boxes since 2018, which list the phases. They aren’t played, which is why the box says 110.
How to deal Phase 10 in four steps
- Shuffle all 108 playing cards. Leave the reference cards out where everyone can see them.
- Deal 10 cards face down to each player.
- Put the rest face down in the middle as the draw pile. Turn the top card face up beside it as the discard pile.
- The player on the dealer’s left goes first. Next round, the deal moves one seat to the left.
First card turned up is a Skip? The first player loses their turn. A Wild? The first player may take it.
In 10 cards you will usually hold a Wild
These odds are worked out exactly from the deck, for any number of players:
| In your 10 cards | Chance |
|---|---|
| At least 1 Wild | 55% |
| 2 or more Wilds | 16% |
| At least 1 Skip | 33% |
On average a hand holds 0.74 Wilds. That is why the later phases often take more than one round. Learn how to use them on our Skip and Wild cards page.
If you like Phase 10, try
Hand and Foot
2–6 players · 90 min · Learn in a game or two
Canasta’s big-family cousin: play your hand, then pick up your foot.
Canasta
2–6 players · 60 min · Learn in a game or two
Meld sevens of a kind with your partner. Red threes are a bonus.
Gin Rummy
2 players · 20 min · Easy to learn
Build runs and sets, then knock when your leftovers are low.
Questions people ask
How many cards do you deal for Phase 10?
10 cards to each player, face down, every round. The rest of the deck is the draw pile. Turn its top card face up to start the discard pile.
How many cards are in a Phase 10 deck?
108 playing cards: 96 numbered cards, 8 Wilds and 4 Skips. Boxes since 2018 also hold 2 phase reference cards, so the box says 110 cards.
How many of each number are in Phase 10?
8 of each number from 1 to 12: 2 in each of the 4 colors (red, blue, green and yellow).
Do you deal 10 cards every round?
Yes. After each round, all the cards are gathered and shuffled, the deal moves one player to the left, and everyone gets 10 new cards, whatever phase they are on.
How many people can play Phase 10?
The box says 2 to 6 players. With 6, 60 cards are dealt and 47 stay in the draw pile.
What if the draw pile runs out?
The official instruction sheet doesn’t say. A common house rule is to keep the top discard, shuffle the rest of the discard pile and turn it over as a new draw pile. Agree on it before you start.