Rules for Egyptian Ratscrew

Egyptian Ratscrew is a fast-paced card game where quick reflexes and sharp observation make all the difference. The game builds on the old British children's game Beggar My Neighbour, adding the element of "slapping" the pile when certain card combinations appear. It originated in the United States and is popular with both kids and adults.

The game works with 2 or more players and typically takes 10 to 30 minutes. You need a standard 52-card deck (no jokers). The goal is to win every card in the deck.

Shuffle the deck thoroughly. Deal out all the cards one at a time, face down, so that every player has roughly the same number. It's fine if some players end up with one extra card.

Each player keeps their cards in a neat face-down pile in front of them. Nobody is allowed to look at their cards at any point during the game.

The player to the left of the dealer goes first. On your turn, take the top card from your pile and place it face up in the centre of the table. Flip the card away from yourself so that everyone sees it at the same time.

If the card is a number card (2 through 10), the next player simply places their top card on the pile. Play continues around the table like this until someone plays a face card (Jack, Queen, King) or an Ace.

When a player puts down a face card or Ace, the next player is given a set number of chances to play a face card or Ace of their own:

• Ace: Next player gets 4 chances
• King: Next player gets 3 chances
• Queen: Next player gets 2 chances
• Jack: Next player gets 1 chance

The challenged player places cards from their pile one at a time. If they manage to play a face card or Ace within their chances, the challenge passes to the next player, who now has to respond to the new face card.

If the challenged player uses up all their chances without playing a face card or Ace, the player who laid down the last face card or Ace wins the entire pile. The winner places the pile face down under their own stack and starts a new round.

What makes Egyptian Ratscrew special is the slap rule. Any player, regardless of whose turn it is, can slap the pile when certain card combinations appear. The fastest hand wins the pile.

The most common slap rules:

• Doubles: Two cards of the same rank played in a row (e.g. 7, 7)
• Sandwich: Two cards of the same rank with one card in between (e.g. 5, Queen, 5)

Agree on which slap rules you want to use before the game begins. You can add more rules for extra excitement (see Variations below).

If you slap the pile when there is no valid combination, you must place one or two cards from the top of your stack face down at the bottom of the central pile as a penalty. Decide on the number of penalty cards before you start playing.

These penalty cards are considered "dead". They don't count towards any combination, but whoever eventually wins the pile gets them too.

If you run out of cards, you are eliminated from the round. However, you can still slap back in: if a valid combination appears and you are the first to slap the pile, you rejoin the game with those cards.

Be careful, though. If you slap incorrectly while you have no cards, you are out of the game for good.

The game continues until one player holds all the cards. That player wins. There is no scoring, just the satisfaction of collecting the entire deck.

A game can last anywhere from a few minutes to quite a while, depending on luck and reflexes. If you want a shorter session, agree on a time limit and count cards at the end. The player with the most cards wins.

There are plenty of extra slap rules you can add to spice things up:

• Marriage: A Queen and King played consecutively (e.g. Queen, King)
• Tens: Two consecutive cards that add up to 10 (e.g. 3, 7). Aces count as 1
• Top and bottom: The card played matches the very first card of the pile
• Four in a row: Four cards in ascending or descending order (e.g. 4, 5, 6, 7)
• Jokers: Add jokers to the deck. Whenever a joker is played, the pile can be slapped immediately

You can also adjust penalty rules. Some groups play with two penalty cards for a false slap, others just one. Find what suits your group best.

While a lot comes down to reflexes and luck, a few tricks can help:

• Keep your hand ready, but not hovering directly over the pile. That tends to annoy the other players
• Pay attention to the cards being played. If you remember what's in the pile, you can anticipate doubles and sandwiches
• Flip your card quickly and away from you, so nobody gets an unfair advantage
• Don't slap too eagerly on false alarms. Penalty cards add up fast
• Take off rings and bracelets before you play. Things can get quite hectic