31 is one of the oldest known card games. It's a simple card game where players try to get the closest to a score of 31 with three cards of the same suit.
Each player begins by having three lives. These can be signified with chips, dollars, coins, or just written down. This can also be played as a game in poker, where each player puts in a decided amount of chips before each round.
Begin by shuffling the cards and dealing three cards face-down to each player. Then place the deck in the middle and flip one card up to create a discard pile. Players then go in clockwise order, picking up cards either from the discard pile or the deck. Everyone must only have three cards at a time, so as they pick up one, they discard one.
When a player feels they have a high enough score they can "knock" and give every other player one final round before revealing their scores. Once it becomes the knockers turn again, players turn over their cards and the person with the lowest score loses a life.
When there is only one player with lives remaining, they are the winner! They receive all the fallen players' lives.
This is basically an extra life that keeps you in the game. You continue playing for another life until you lose one more time. You do not have to pay for this life.
In this version you play with the jokers, allowing them to be any card of any suit when played.
This is a rule that if players collect three cards of the same value (of different suits), the hand is worth 30.5 points.