As we’ve spread the love of the game Dutch Blitz to our family and friends, we’ve come across a few instances of people who said something like this:
“Wait! I know this game; it’s like Nerts!”
I’d never heard of Nerts before, but it helped several people realize how to play the game faster.
With this in mind, I decided to research and build this Dutch Blitz vs. Nerts comparison to settle the debate once and for all of how similar they are.
If you don’t know how to play Dutch Blitz, check out our complete guide for everything you need to know A to Z.
Table of Contents
Goal Of The Game
In Dutch Blitz and Nerts, the goal is to be the first one to reach a specific number of points.
In Dutch Blitz, the number goal given is 75.
Nerts doesn’t have a specific set goal, and it must be decided by the players ahead of time.
In general, 100 points is the typical goal.
Does this make Nerts a longer game?
Not usually.
Nerts uses more cards and has longer hands.
As a result, they gain points more quickly, hitting the 100-point mark in fewer hands, but overall the same amount of time.
Required Materials
Nerts requires a single deck of 52 cards per player or team, but each deck needs to have a different back.
This helps keep track of the cards and who they belong to.
While Dutch Blitz can be played with regular cards, it’s best if you use the premade pack.
Each pack comes with four different decks of 40 cards.
Each deck contains four colors and cards from 1-10.
The decks also have different pictures on the back for each player, similar to how Nerts needs different-backed decks.
All in all, they’re based on the same requirements but slightly different.
Card Game Setup
The card game setup for Dutch Blit and Nerts is almost identical, with minor differences and terms between the games.
This chart does a good job of showing how they’re different.
| Dutch Blitz | Nerts |
|---|---|
| Blitz Pile – 10 cards with 9 face-down and 1 face-up. | Nerts Pile (Pounce Pile) – 13 cards with 12 face-down and 1 face-down. |
| Post Piles – 3 spots with one face-up card each. | Work Pile – 4 spots with one face-up card each. |
| Dutch Piles – Area in the middle where anyone can play. | Common Area – Area in the middle where anyone can play. |
| Wood Pile – All leftover cards to be used as you turn over 3 cards at a time. | Stock – All leftover cards to be used as you turn over 3 cards at a time. |
Play
The play for the two games is exactly the same.
Your goal is to empty out the Blitz/Nerts pile first.
You do this by playing in the middle of space and staking cards of the same suit/color in ASCENDING order starting with the 1 or Ace.
Anyone may play on anyone’s pile in this middle Common Area/Dutch Pile.
Post Pile/Work Piles may be played in the middle as well.
Once a spot is opened, it’s OK to move your Blitz/Nerts card to that spot and flip over the next one.
It’s also allowed to stack on the Post/Work Piles by playing cards that are DESCENDING and alternate either Boy-Girl (Dutch Blitz) or Red-Black (Nerts).
If you can’t play, flip over three cards from the Wood/Stock. The top card may be used.
If it can’t be used, flip over another three and keep going.
Wood/Stock cards may also be played in the middle.
When someone empties out their Blitz/Nerts pile, they yell “Blitz!” or “Nerts!”
All play stops, and the points are counted for this hand.
Once the points have been tallied, we continue the game until someone reaches the goal set of points and wins.
Scoring
Scoring works the exact same for both games as well.
At the end of every round, the person who went out gets 0 points against them.
For the other players, they count the cards left in the Blitz/Nerts pile and multiply the total by -2.
Then, the cards in the Common Area/Dutch Piles in the middle are separated and counted.
Each card here is worth a +1 point.
Leftover Post/Work and Wood/Stock cards aren’t counted at this point.
Any previous total is reconciled with the negative points and positive points to get the new total.
Do You Have To Call Nerts/Blitz?
When you’re out of cards, there is a little discrepancy between the games.
In Dutch Blitz, you’re supposed to call “Blitz!” as soon as it happens.
Of course, house rules are the way to go. If you all decide to allow people to keep going, that’s fine.
In Nerts, the common rule specifically says you don’t have to call “Nerts!” when you’re out of cards in the Nerts pile.
Which Came First? Dutch Blitz Or Nerts?
The origins of Dutch Blitz are well known. The game was invented in 1937 by Werner Ernst George Muller when he came from Germany and settled in Pennsylvania.
Though it has no connection to the Netherlands (think Pennsylvania Dutch, instead), it’s a popular card game for quick, competitive games.
Nerts has a less clear history.
Fans and enthusiasts of the game trace it back to the 1930-40s, for sure, though they suspect it was played much earlier than this as a different form of Canfield and Demon Solitaire games.
It goes by names like:
- Hell
- Pounce
- Peanuts
- Racing Demon
- Squinch
Most Nerts and card-game aficionados consider Dutch Blitz a retail-variant of the game Nerts.
Its pre-packaged nature and classic design are what sets it apart from Nerts for most people.
Whatever you call it, the core gameplay remains the same between the two games, so it’s fair to say they’re basically the same.
