BBC - h2g2 - Games

There are many sorts of games, most of which require specialist equipment and come with their own instructions, but it's nice to have some simple games that you can play with things you probably already have.

Drinking Games

You can play many games while drunk, but these actually require drinking.

A very simple gamewhich improves with drunkenness. The basic idea is that everyone counts and tries to avoid being the one to say 21.

It requires several people, and plenty of drink. Play starts in either clockwise or anticlockwise direction, the first person says 'one'. When it is your turn, you have 3 choices, 1) say the next number after the one the last person who's turn it was said, it is now the turn of the next person in the current direction of play. 2)Say the next 2 numbers, play reverses direction, and so it is the last persons turn again. 3)say the next 3 numbers, play continues in same direction, but skips the next person in current direction.

Any hesitation, mistakes or saying the number out of turn carries penalty of drinking 3 fingers of your pint. Saying 21 also means you drink 3 fingers. Once 21 has been reached play starts again.

Added fun can be had by using the Thumbmaster rule. One person is designated 'thumbmaster'. At any time during play they may put their thumb on the table, and then last person to put thumb on table after this must down their pint. This person then becomes the new Thumbmaster.
Variations on Thumbmaster include: applying to left thumb only. Any one who responds to a right thumb on table must down their pint, without becoming thumbmaster.

The Matchbox Game

Necessary Equipment: Several people, Plenty of drink, A matchbox.
Players sit in a circle round the table. Play starts in either direction. When it is your turn you throw the match box up in the air so it lands on the table. If it lands on the long thin edge two fingers are added to the 'tab' and play continues with the next player in the direction of play. If it lands on the short thin edge four fingers are added to the tab and play continues.

Should the matchbox land on its largest side, the player who threw it must drink the number of fingers accumalated on the tab from his pint. The tab is then set to zero and play begins again with next player in line

The tab begins at zero at start of game, and if number of fingers on it is larger than a pint, it is rounded down to simply downing your pint

Thumbmaster rule may also be used with this game.

Missing the table or getting the box in a drink, also means downing your pint.

Beer Roulette

Related to russian roulette rather than the one with the spinny wheel.
Necessary equipment:Several people (preferably drunk), lots of identical cans of beer (a 12 pack or two is ideal)

Players sit round a table with enough cans for one each placed in the middle of the table. One can is shaken up badly, part of the fun is coming up with interesting ways to shake the can up. The cans are then mixed all up so you don't know which one it is. Then everyone takes one and holds it to their head and opens it, the one who is soaked being the loser.

Variations: Having all the cans on the table at the same time, for a more authentic feel; Wearing amusing headgear while playing; A variety of forfiets can be used for the loser.

Card Games

21, Pontoon, Blackjack

The aim of the game is to reach 21 and no further. There are two forms, normal and casino. Normal 21 is as follows. Players sit facing each other in a circle and are each dealt 2 cards by the dealer. NOTE: In this version the dealer acts as just another player. They look at their cards and when it is their turn they say "Stick" or "Twist". If they stick, they are given no more cards and do not play any more part until everyone has stuck. If they twist they are dealt a card by the dealer and play continues to the next person. If a players cards add up to more than 21 they are bust and are out of the game. Once everyone has stuck they all turn their cards over and the closest to 21 wins.

Aces may count as 1 or eleven depending on what the player wants. Picture cards count as 10.

Similar in rules to Bus Stop Pontoon

Switch

This is an extremely long and vindictive game. All players are first dealt 7 cards. All remaining cards are placed in the centre in a pile. The dealer takes the top card and places it next to the pile. Play now begins with the person after the dealer.

When it is a players turn they must put a card from their hand which is either the same number or the same suite as the top cardnext to the pile (last card played). If the player doesn't have such a card they must pick a card up from the pile. Play then moves onto the next player.

Now for the vindictive bit. Certain cards have effects on play. A 2 forces the next player to pick up two, unless they also have a two in which case they put this down and the person after them must pick up 4 and so on. A 7 reverses the direction of play. An eight forces the next player to miss a go. A jack allows the suite to be changed to whatever the player chooses. And the ace of hearts forces the next player to pick up five.

And if someone forgets to say "last card" when they discard their second last card, everyone waits till they try to play their last card, laugh, remind them what they forgot, and force them to pick up another card, so they now have two

Other versions include BlackJack where the ace of hearts is replaced by a black jack, or the related but totally weird Surreality Rules BlackJack

Holiday 11

Hoiday 11 is a form of patience, but addictive, very addictive. Lay cards out face up in a 3 by 3 grid. If the next card when combined with one of the cards laid out adds up to 11, you must place it on top of that card, and continue on until either the pack runs out or you hit a card which does not combine with any already placed. If this happens, that's it, you've lost. If the next card does not combine with any in the grid, and you have not already combined them, put it to the side of the grid, thus enlarging the grid.

The larger the grid the easier it is to win, for experts, simply decrease the size of the starting grid to 2 by 2 then just 1 card. These make it harder, but even more addictive.

Poker

Whist

Other Card Games

B*****d
Freecell
Stream of Consciousness Sevens