Le Barbu

A shuffled 52-card deck, jokers removed, sits face down in the middle. Taking turns, each player draws a card, flips it over and does what it says. Keep going until the deck runs out or you’ve had enough.

Le Barbu – “the bearded one” – is to France what Kings Cup is to the English-speaking world: the card drinking game that turns up at almost every student party. The cards have their own meanings, though, and there’s no cup in the middle. As with any house-rules game, details vary from group to group; this is the most common version:

• Ace – You drink: Whoever draws it takes a sip.
• 2 to 6 – You give: Hand out as many sips as the card shows, to one player or split between several.
• 7 – Pack the suitcase: Start with “In my suitcase there’s …” and an item. Going round, everyone repeats the whole list and adds something. Whoever slips up drinks.
• 8 – I have / I’ve never: Say something you have or have never done. With “never”, everyone who has done it drinks; with “have”, everyone who hasn’t drinks.
• 9 – Letters: Say a letter; going round, everyone adds one so that a real word could form. Whoever gets stuck drinks – unless they ask the previous player which word they had in mind and that player was bluffing. Then the bluffer drinks.
• 10 – Theme: Pick a theme and give the first example. Whoever can’t think of another one drinks.
• Jack – Thumb king: From now on you can quietly put your thumb on your chin at any time. The last one to copy you drinks. This lasts until the next jack is drawn.
• Queen – Cheers: Everyone takes a sip.
• King – New rule: Make up a rule, for example that nobody may say the word “drink” any more. Whoever breaks it drinks.

Variations

• Beard instead of thumb: In some groups the jack itself is called “le barbu”: instead of the thumb, you put your hand under your chin as if stroking a beard.
• One king’s rule at a time: Each new king cancels the previous rule, so nobody loses track.
• Alcohol-free: Play with water, juice or soft drinks. Anyone who would have to drink gets a tally mark, and whoever has the most at the end does the tidying up.

Tips

Read out the card list once before you start, because almost everyone knows a slightly different version. For the theme card, pick things everyone can join in on, such as pizza toppings, football clubs or TV series. Don’t mix it up: Barbu is also the name of a classic French trick-taking card game for four that has nothing to do with drinking.