Card drinking games
Almost every drawer has a deck of cards. These drinking games need nothing more – from quick Down Under to the mental-maths classic Beer 99.
18 games
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Beer 99
Players:3–6 Rules: Tricky -
Horse Race
Players:3–12 Rules: Easy -
Kings Cup
Players:4–12 Rules: Medium -
President (Scum)
Players:4–8 Rules: Medium -
Ride the Bus
Players:3–8 Rules: Medium -
Blow the Card
Players:3–10 Rules: Easy -
Cheat (Bullshit)
Players:3–8 Rules: Medium -
Down Under
Players:3–12 Rules: Easy -
Four Aces
Players:5+ Rules: Easy -
Friend or Foe
Players:3–8 Rules: Medium -
Higher
Players:2–10 Rules: Easy -
Irish Snap
Players:3–10 Rules: Medium -
Ladder
Players:2–6 Rules: Easy -
Liar’s Card
Players:4–6 Rules: Medium -
Mafia Boss
Players:4–8 Rules: Medium -
Snap
Players:3–6 Rules: Easy -
The Bridge
Players:2–8 Rules: Medium -
Up and Down the River
Players:3–8 Rules: Medium
Card drinking games are the most flexible choice for a night in: a standard 52-card deck is enough, most games work from three players and take a minute to explain. Start easy with Down Under or Higher, bluff your way through Mafia Boss and Cheat, or let every card set a task in Kings Cup.
Why card games are the best way to start
Almost every home has a deck of cards; it fits in a pocket and works for two to twelve people. Most card drinking games take a minute to explain because the cards set the rules: draw a certain card and you drink, give out sips or invent a rule.
Which card game for which group?
Kings Cup and Ride the Bus suit big groups because everyone is involved at once. For small groups, bluffing games like Cheat or President are more exciting. Want something quick? Play Down Under or Higher as a warm-up.
Tips for the night
Use plastic cards – drinks end up on the table sooner or later. Agree how big a sip is and shuffle properly before each new game. Many games work just as well with water or soda.
The most popular card games
- Beer 99 – Play cards, keep count, never go over 99: Beer 99 is the drinking game for people who like numbers.
- Horse Race – Four aces race each other and you bet in sips: Horse Race is the card drinking game with a real finish line.
- Kings Cup – Every card has a task, the fourth King drains the King’s Cup: the complete Kings Cup rules.
- President (Scum) – Get rid of your cards first and you’re President – be left holding them and you’re Scum, and you drink.
- Ride the Bus – Four questions, a pyramid and one unlucky bus driver: the Ride the Bus rules step by step.
Which card games are the most popular?
Especially popular are Beer 99, Horse Race, Kings Cup, President (Scum). You’ll find all the rules above.
Which card games are quickest to explain?
Explained in a minute: Horse Race, Blow the Card, Down Under, Four Aces.