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The 10 Phases of Phase 10: What Each Needs and How Hard It Is

Quick answer

The 10 phases of Phase 10 are: 1. 2 sets of 3; 2. 1 set of 3 + 1 run of 4; 3. 1 set of 4 + 1 run of 4; 4. 1 run of 7; 5. 1 run of 8; 6. 1 run of 9; 7. 2 sets of 4; 8. 7 cards of 1 color; 9. 1 set of 5 + 1 set of 2; 10. 1 set of 5 + 1 set of 3. You must make them in order, one phase per round.

Phases 7 and 10 are the hardest: a fresh deal holds each of them less than 1% of the time. Phase 2 is the easiest.

Keep score on your phoneFree, no sign-up. Tracks every player’s phase and points.

The 10 phases, in the order you play them

Every player starts on Phase 1. Make your phase and you move up one next round. Miss it and you try the same phase again. The last column shows how often the 10 cards you are dealt already hold that phase.

PhaseWhat you needCardsIn a fresh deal
12 sets of 3618%
21 set of 3 + 1 run of 4730%
31 set of 4 + 1 run of 485.3%
41 run of 7716%
51 run of 886.5%
61 run of 992.0%
72 sets of 480.3%
87 cards of 1 color72.8%
91 set of 5 + 1 set of 273.1%
101 set of 5 + 1 set of 380.4%

A set is cards of the same number. A run is numbers in a row. Colors don’t matter in either one, only in Phase 8. A Wild can fill any spot.

Test any hand: which phase does it make?

Not sure whether your cards make a phase? Build the hand below. The checker looks at all 10 phases at once and tells you exactly which cards are missing.

Phase checker: which phase does your hand make?

Build a hand of up to 11 cards (your 10 plus the card you draw). Pick a color, then tap numbers. Tap a card in your hand to take it out.

Your hand: Blue 3, Green 4, Yellow 5, Red 7, Blue 7, Green 7, Red 9, Red 10, Yellow 10, Wild card.

10 cards. Complete: Phases 1, 2.

  1. Phase 1 (2 sets of 3): Yes, with 1 Wild.Set of 3 (7s): Red 7, Blue 7, Green 7. Set of 3 (10s): Yellow 10, Red 10, Wild (as 10).
  2. Phase 2 (1 set of 3 + 1 run of 4): Yes, with 1 Wild.Set of 3 (7s): Red 7, Blue 7, Green 7. Run of 4 (2–5): Wild (as 2), Blue 3, Green 4, Yellow 5.
  3. Phase 3 (1 set of 4 + 1 run of 4): 1 more card needed: a 2 (Wilds work too).
  4. Phase 4 (1 run of 7): 1 more card needed: an 8 (Wilds work too).
  5. Phase 5 (1 run of 8): 1 more card needed: an 8 (Wilds work too).
  6. Phase 6 (1 run of 9): 2 more cards needed: a 6 and an 8 (Wilds work too).
  7. Phase 7 (2 sets of 4): 2 more cards needed: two 10s (Wilds work too).
  8. Phase 8 (7 cards of 1 color): 3 more cards needed: three red cards (Wilds work too).
  9. Phase 9 (1 set of 5 + 1 set of 2): 1 more card needed: a 7 (Wilds work too).
  10. Phase 10 (1 set of 5 + 1 set of 3): 2 more cards needed: a 7 and a 10 (Wilds work too).

The checker tries every possible set, run and color, and uses Wilds wherever they help. It ignores phase order, so it shows every phase the hand holds, not only the one you are on. Skips never count toward a phase.

Phases 7 and 10 are the hardest. Phase 2 is the easiest.

We had a computer shuffle and deal a 10-card hand 1,000,000 times and check every phase, using Wilds wherever they help. The bar shows how many cards a hand is still missing, on average, right after the deal. Shorter is easier.

PhaseCards short after the deal (average)DealtAfter 1 draw
2 0.930%45%
1 1.318%28%
4 1.516%24%
3 1.95.3%12%
5 2.16.5%13%
9 2.33.1%6.3%
8 2.52.8%5.9%
6 2.72.0%5.3%
10 3.30.4%1.0%
7 3.30.3%0.9%
  • Phase 2 beats Phase 1. Surprising but true: a fresh hand holds Phase 2 30% of the time and Phase 1 only 18%. A run of 4 is easier to find than a second set of 3.
  • Runs get hard fast. A run of 7 is in 16% of deals, a run of 8 in 6.5%, a run of 9 in 2.0%.
  • Four of a kind is the real wall. Phase 7 (two sets of 4) and Phase 10 (sets of 5 and 3) are each in a fresh deal only about 1 in 280 times or fewer. Expect several rounds on each.

These numbers only cover the deal and your first draw. In a real round you draw every turn and can pick up discards, so most phases get made within a few rounds. The order of difficulty stays about the same.

Phase by phase: what you need and how to get it

  1. Phase 1: 2 sets of 3

    Two groups of three matching numbers. That is 6 of your 10 cards.

    Set 1

    Set 2

    Three 7s and three 10s. The Wild stands in for the third 10.

    Difficulty: 2 of 10 (1 is easiest). Already in your hand after the deal: about 2 in 10.

    • Keep pairs. Any pair can become a set with one more card or a Wild.
    • Both sets may be the same number: six 10s is a legal Phase 1.
    • With 10 cards you have four spare cards, so keep every pair until you see which two will grow.

  2. Phase 2: 1 set of 3 + 1 run of 4

    Three matching numbers, plus four numbers in a row. That is 7 of your 10 cards.

    1 set of 3

    1 run of 4

    Three 4s, then 8-9-10-11. Colors in a run can be mixed.

    Difficulty: 1 of 10 (1 is easiest). Already in your hand after the deal: about 3 in 10.

    • Runs are harder than sets. Build the run first and the set usually follows.
    • Of all ten phases, this one is in a fresh deal most often.
    • A run of 4 has many ways to finish. 5-6-8 is waiting on one 7, but 5-6-7 is waiting on a 4 or an 8.

  3. Phase 3: 1 set of 4 + 1 run of 4

    Four matching numbers, plus four numbers in a row. That is 8 of your 10 cards.

    1 set of 4

    1 run of 4

    Four 12s (one is a Wild), then 3-4-5-6.

    Difficulty: 4 of 10 (1 is easiest). Already in your hand after the deal: about 1 in 19.

    • Hold on to Wilds for the set of 4. It is the part that stalls most players.
    • Unlike Phase 2, you need four of a kind. Save Wilds for the set, not the run.
    • If you have two pairs, keep the one whose number other players are discarding least.

  4. Phase 4: 1 run of 7

    Seven numbers in a row. That is 7 of your 10 cards.

    2 through 8, any colors.

    Difficulty: 3 of 10 (1 is easiest). Already in your hand after the deal: about 2 in 10.

    • Middle numbers (4 to 9) fit the most runs. Throw away 1s and 12s first.
    • Keep one card of each number in your stretch and throw away the doubles first.
    • Runs stop at 12. A stretch in the middle, like 3 to 9, can grow at both ends.

  5. Phase 5: 1 run of 8

    Eight numbers in a row. That is 8 of your 10 cards.

    3 through 10, with a Wild filling the gap at 6.

    Difficulty: 5 of 10 (1 is easiest). Already in your hand after the deal: about 1 in 15.

    • A Wild can fill a gap in the middle of a run, not just the ends.
    • A run of 8 leaves only 2 spare cards in a 10-card hand. Doubles must go.
    • Take a useful card from the discard pile even if it shows others what you need. Speed matters more.

  6. Phase 6: 1 run of 9

    Nine numbers in a row. That is 9 of your 10 cards.

    1 through 9. A run can start at 1 and stop at 12, never wrapping round.

    Difficulty: 8 of 10 (1 is easiest). Already in your hand after the deal: about 1 in 51.

    • With 10 cards and a run of 9, you only have one spare card. Discard doubles.
    • A run of 9 uses 9 of your 10 cards. Every Wild is gold here.
    • Pick your stretch early: 1–9, 2–10, 3–11 or 4–12. Then discard anything outside it.

  7. Phase 7: 2 sets of 4

    Two groups of four matching numbers. That is 8 of your 10 cards.

    Set 1

    Set 2

    Four 6s and four 9s (one Wild).

    Difficulty: 10 of 10 (1 is easiest). Already in your hand after the deal: about 1 in 300.

    • Watch the discard pile. If others throw 9s, collect something else.
    • Each number has 8 copies in the deck, and two sets of 4 need eight of your cards.
    • Keep the numbers others throw away less. If the 9s keep going past you, someone else wants 9s.

  8. Phase 8: 7 cards of 1 color

    Seven cards of the same color, any numbers. That is 7 of your 10 cards.

    Seven blue cards in any order. The Wild counts as blue.

    Difficulty: 7 of 10 (1 is easiest). Already in your hand after the deal: about 1 in 36.

    • Pick the color you hold most of after the deal, then stick with it.
    • Each color has 24 cards, so this phase is easier than it looks.
    • Count your colors after the deal and commit to the biggest group right away.

  9. Phase 9: 1 set of 5 + 1 set of 2

    Five matching numbers, plus a pair. That is 7 of your 10 cards.

    1 set of 5

    1 set of 2

    Five 2s (one Wild) and a pair of 11s.

    Difficulty: 6 of 10 (1 is easiest). Already in your hand after the deal: about 1 in 32.

    • Each number comes in 8 copies (two per color), so a set of 5 is possible but Wilds help a lot.
    • The pair is easy. Spend your draws on the set of 5.
    • Three of a kind plus two Wilds already makes the five.

  10. Phase 10: 1 set of 5 + 1 set of 3

    Five matching numbers, plus three matching numbers. That is 8 of your 10 cards.

    1 set of 5

    1 set of 3

    Five 8s and three 5s. Two cards can be identical: there are two blue 8s in the deck.

    Difficulty: 9 of 10 (1 is easiest). Already in your hand after the deal: about 1 in 280.

    • The first player to complete Phase 10 ends the game. If two finish in the same round, the lower score wins.
    • The last phase is as hard as Phase 7. Wilds decide most games here.
    • If someone else is also on Phase 10, every card you discard matters. Don’t feed their set.

Sets, runs and colors: the three building blocks

  • Set: cards with the same number, any colors. 7, 7, 7 is a set of 3.
  • Run: numbers in a row, any colors. 3-4-5-6 is a run of 4. Runs stop at 12: 11-12-1-2 is not a run.
  • Color: cards all of one color, any numbers (Phase 8 only).
  • Wild: stands for any number or color. Every phase still needs at least one numbered card. More in Skip and Wild cards.

For the deal, a turn, hitting and scoring, read the full Phase 10 rules. Want the list on the table? Print the one-page cheat sheet.

If you like Phase 10, try

Questions people ask

What are the 10 phases in Phase 10?

1: 2 sets of 3; 2: 1 set of 3 + 1 run of 4; 3: 1 set of 4 + 1 run of 4; 4: 1 run of 7; 5: 1 run of 8; 6: 1 run of 9; 7: 2 sets of 4; 8: 7 cards of 1 color; 9: 1 set of 5 + 1 set of 2; 10: 1 set of 5 + 1 set of 3. You play them in that order, one phase per round.

What is the hardest phase in Phase 10?

Phases 7 and 10. In 1,000,000 computer deals, a fresh 10-card hand already held Phase 7 in just 0.3% of deals and Phase 10 in 0.4%. Next hardest are Phases 6 and 8.

Can you do the phases out of order?

No. Everyone starts on Phase 1 and moves up one phase only after making the one they are on. If your hand happens to hold Phase 6 while you are on Phase 2, it doesn’t count.

Can both sets in Phase 1 be the same number?

Yes. Two sets of 3 can be six cards of the same number, such as six 10s. There are eight of each number in the deck, two in each color.

How many cards do you need for each phase?

Phase 1: 6, Phase 2: 7, Phase 3: 8, Phase 4: 7, Phase 5: 8, Phase 6: 9, Phase 7: 8, Phase 8: 7, Phase 9: 7, Phase 10: 8. You always hold 10 cards, so even the biggest phase leaves one spare card.

Can you use more than one Wild in a phase?

Yes, as many as you like, as long as the phase has at least one numbered card. A Wild can stand for any number or any color.