Other names for it are Egyptian War or Egyptian Rat Killer and so on, but these names are more commonly used for a more elaborate version version of the game where the pile can also be won by slapping pairs of equal cards - see the Egyptian Ratscrew page for details. Divide a standard pack of 52 cards roughly in half. Egyptian Rat Screw, Slap, Snot, or War is a game of quick wits and luck. The object of the game is to take as many of the cards as possible. This is great to play if you and some friends are bored, or if you want to show off something new. Follow the steps on this article to learn how to play Egyptian Rat Screw. Item 2 NEW Egyptian Rat Screw The Slap Like An Egyptian Card Game Front Porch Classics - NEW Egyptian Rat. Other Card Games & Poker. Rat-a-Keno by Espresso Games PLAY FREE or for Real Money without download no registration for far ⭐ Play Best Games by Espresso Games on our website ⭐ Play Like a Winner NOW! Egyptian Ratscrew, also known as Slap, Egyptian Ratkiller, Egyptian War, or ERS, is a card game of the matching family of games. The game is similar to the 19th-century British card game Beggar-My-Neighbour, with the added concept of 'slapping' cards when certain combinations are played, similar to and perhaps borrowed from Slapjack.
| Type | Matching |
|---|---|
| Players | 2+ |
| Skills required | Speed, counting, pattern recognition |
| Cards | 52 |
| Deck | French |
| Play | Clockwise or Counterclockwise |
| Card rank (highest first) | J Q K A (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2) |
| Playing time | 10+ minutes |
| Random chance | Moderate |
| Related games | |
| Beggar-My-Neighbour, Slapjack |
Egyptian Ratscrew,[1] also known as Slap,[1]Egyptian Ratkiller,[2]Egyptian War,[2] or ERS,[1] is a card game of the matching family of games. The game is similar to the 19th-century British card game Beggar-My-Neighbour, with the added concept of 'slapping' cards when certain combinations are played,[2] similar to and perhaps borrowed from Slapjack.
Gameplay[edit]
The game is played with a standard 52-card deck or with multiple standard decks shuffled together for larger numbers of players. The number of players is limited only by each player's ability to reach the central pile at an arm's length. Each person is dealt an equal number of cards; extras are distributed as in a normal deal. As a variation, one or more Jokers may be added to ensure an even deal or to change gameplay.
Players cannot look at their cards at any time including placing a card onto the central pile.The player to the left of the dealer begins by placing a card face-up, always from the top of their deck, to start a central pile. When playing a card a player must reveal the card to all players at the same time, drawing to reveal the card away from themselves and then flipping face up. (This action prevents a player drawing a card towards themselves revealing the card to said player first.) Alternative to this, as hands with bad technique are more directly above the cards they place, any player can snap the hands of such players down, resulting in likely punishment for the player whose hand is on the bottom as they will likely have incorrectly snapped - see versions of this later in article.Play proceeds around the circle and each player takes turns laying down one card on the central pile at a time until a face card or Ace is played (making that player the 'challenger' for that moment in play). The next player (the 'challenged') then has a number of chances to play another face card or Ace, as follows: four chances after an Ace, three after a King, two after a Queen, and one after a Jack. The challenged player plays their cards, one at a time, until they either draw another face card onto the pile or exhausts all of their allowed chances. If the challenged player is able to play a face card or Ace, the next player after they must beat it; if the initial face card could not be beaten in its allotted number of cards, the challenger who placed it takes the pile.
Any player who takes a pile is always the one to start the next pile. When taken, piles are always added to a player's deck underneath, face-down. Cards are not shuffled.
The player who collects every card in the deck wins the game.
Slapping[edit]
In addition to the basic progression of play, players should agree beforehand on certain card combinations that, when played, entitle the fastest player to slap the pile and subsequently claim it. The simplest and most common combination is often the Double (any two cards of equal rank). Other common slap-able combinations include Sandwiches (a double with one card of a different value between the two), Hoagies (a double with 2 cards of different value between the two) consecutive-number runs of at least three in ascending or descending order (e.g. 7, 6, 5; 10, Jack, Queen), top bottom (the first card played is played again later on), wild cards (usually Jokers, if used in play), and Marriage (King+Queen on top of each other).
Additionally, slaps can be added for other types of conditions, such as suit/colour (the same three/four times in a row, respectively), or for being the same as the initial card (e.g. a 3 at any time when if first card played was a three, (to make this less common, a suit/colour can also be specified e.g. a red three if the first three played was red). Another condition that can be added is when meeting a challenge if the number of the card played (e.g. the second card played) matches the card's value (in this case, a two), then this is slap-able. For even more confusion jokers can be differentiated e.g. the red joker is an instant snap but the black joker challenges with 13 chances.
For a legitimate slap, the person to react the fastest and slap the pile first claims the pile. If multiple players slap simultaneously with no discernible victor, then the person whose hand is under all of the others or has the most contact with the cards by comparison takes the pile.
Hands must be entirely withdrawn before the pile may be slapped. It is considered unfair to hover one's hand too close to the pile and slap frequently.
Optional rules which negate this include slapping with the hand not delivering the card to the pile, Redneck Rules (wherein players, or convicted players, must bring their hand to their foreheads before being able to slap with that hand), or sleuthing or burning cards (putting the top card of the offending player's own deck on the bottom of the pile) as punishment for illegitimate slaps.
Player elimination[edit]
Players who have no cards left to play are eliminated. If a player has fewer cards than chances left while trying to counter a face card and runs out of their deck without countering, either the next player continues attempting to counter the face card with the current chances left or that particular play ends and the pile goes to the player who laid down the face card.
Even without cards, eliminated players can 'slap in' on any appropriate card combination and re-enter the game as long as there are at least two people still containing cards. If the last remaining active person runs out of cards while trying to counter a face card and is unsuccessful, the pile goes to the player who played the face card and the player who has all the cards plays 3 more cards for one last chance for the opponent to slap back in.
Penalties[edit]
If players slap the pile when the card combination does not merit a slap, the slapper must discard one or more penalty cards and place them face-up at the bottom of the pile. Play then resumes according to the card last played. Alternatively, if players believe another has taken cards or slapped incorrectly, the play can be contested: if the player was correct, any who contested the play must give the top card of their deck to the player, while if the player was incorrect, the player must give a card from the top of their deck to each player that contested the play, and the round continues. Cards gained in this way are, as usual, placed at the bottom of the player's deck. This, as well as adding a small element of bluffing into the game, helps to keep the play fast by both discouraging people from slapping incorrectly and discouraging people from always claiming another has done so and asking to check.
Players with no cards get a strike for each illegitimate slap and after the third strike, become unable to slap in until the next game, or, in another variation, 'burn their hand,' (placing their hand on the bottom of the pile and waiting to be slapped.) In this variation, once the pile is awarded or someone slaps, the offender's hand must no longer stay under the pile, and they can resume trying to slap/snap back in.
If cards are played out of turn, these cards become dead cards. They can be either placed at the bottom of the pile or left alone wherever they land. Either way, dead cards do not make for legitimate slaps. Any slap over a dead card, even if a player intentionally places it out of turn, results in a penalty. Penalty cards may be placed at the top of the deck as dead cards to create more confusion and potential illegitimate slaps.
In some cases, this same penalty is applied to putting down a card when it is not one's turn and accidentally drawing multiple cards from one's deck and putting them on the pile.
Strategies[edit]
Memorization may help players recognize slapping possibilities before cards are set onto the pile. For example, if a game has only two players and one player legitimately slaps a double, the other player may recognize that, later on in the game, the double will arise later on as a sandwich that can then be slapped.
Some players may also intentionally fake a slap, since in doing so a player can possibly convince another player to slap incorrectly as well, or obtain an advantageous position in the deck that the player remembered from previous pile collections in the game.
While gaining the entire deck is the object, it is virtually always advantageous to have a deck as rich in face cards as possible with as few non-face cards as possible; the chances are then higher that the player will play a face card (whether to become the first challenger, or to counter a face card as the challenged player). Non-face cards (often referred to as 'filler') are disadvantageous as they dilute the face cards in the player's deck, possibly causing them to lose a desirable pile by not being able to counter a face card. This may lead players to refrain from slapping on card combinations if there are no face cards in the pile. They may find it more beneficial to take the slaps available, but it is player preference.
Also, when someone plays a facecard, that person may want to slap on the last card dropped thereafter, (1st for Jack, 2nd for Queen, 3rd for King and 4th for Ace), regardless of knowing what that card might be. This strategy is profitable because the reward of the pile outweighs the risk of 'burning' a card. This strategy is also known as a risk slap. The risk slap may be used by players who have a noticeable lead in cards and are comfortable with sacrificing one card on the chance they might gain the pile which they slapped. One counterstrategy is moving a card toward the pile quickly without putting it down on the last card dropped on a face card in order to provoke a risk slap. Mohegan casino scranton pa. In case the next card is a face card, the player who has 'burned' a card likely will not get it back unless they slap the pile or the challenges come back around the table to them. In some games, it may even be permissible to slap the final card, with no penalty.
Additionally, a player can intentionally slap incorrectly to 'burn' a card or two leading up to a face card remembered from earlier in the game. This is especially useful if the preceding player has played a high value face card such as a jack, where there is only one chance to play a face card.
Strategy also exists in the delivery of the slap, from the deliberately cruel wearing of sharp rings (pointing downwards being the worst, as it penalizes the person who wins the pile from under you), to sliding one's hand onto the pile straight ahead rather than slapping downwards. House rules can limit the slap methods allowed.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ abcEgyptian Ratscrew at pagat.com. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
- ^ abcCarlisle, Rodney P. (2009). Encyclopedia of Play in Today's Society, Volume 1. SAGE. p. 71. ISBN9781412966702.
Further reading[edit]
- Morehead, Albert H.; Mott-Smith, Geoffrey, eds. (2001). 'Egyptian Ratscrew'. Hoyle's rules of games. New York: Signet. pp. 202–3. ISBN978-0-451-20484-4.
External links[edit]
| The Wikibook Card Games has a page on the topic of: Egyptian Ratscrew |
This popular children's game is also sometimes known as Strip Jack Naked, Beat Your Neighbour Out Of Doors or Taxes. In Trinidad, Barbados and maybe other Caribbean islands it is known as Suck the Well, and in French it is sometimes called Bataille Corse (Corsican battle). Other names for it are Egyptian War or Egyptian Rat Killer and so on, but these names are more commonly used for a more elaborate version version of the game where the pile can also be won by slapping pairs of equal cards - see the Egyptian Ratscrew page for details.
Divide a standard pack of 52 cards roughly in half. Each of the two players holds their half face down. The players take turns to turn over their top card and play it face up in the centre of the table, thus forming a pile. There are two kinds of card - the ace, king, queen and jack are pay cards and the 2-10 are ordinary cards.
Play continues alternately until a pay card appears. The opponent of the person who played the pay card must pay for it by playing several times in succession. The payment rates are:
Borgata poker schedule. Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa has the largest poker room in Atlantic City. Find your game fast by viewing the daily poker tournament schedule.
- 4 ordinary cards for an ace
- 3 ordinary cards for a king
- 2 ordinary cards for a queen
- 1 ordinary card for a jack
When the payment is complete (e.g. A has played a queen and B has played two ordinary cards on it), the person who played the pay card (A in this case) takes the whole face up pile and puts it face down underneath their own cards, and then continues the game by playing their top card.
It often happens that while paying for a card, you turn over a pay card yourself. When this happens the previous pay card is cancelled and your opponent now has to pay for your new pay card.
Example: A plays a queen; B plays a six and then a jack; A plays an ace; B plays 3,7,king; A plays 10,4,6. The king has been paid for so B takes the centre pile.
The player who first runs out of cards loses.
Egyptian Rat Poker Game
There is no skill in this game (you just turn your top card when it is your turn) and the game can go on for a long time - possibly indefinitely. Richard P Mann has published a page listing the longest known games. League of legends gambling.
Egyptian Rat Poker Games
Player elimination[edit]
Players who have no cards left to play are eliminated. If a player has fewer cards than chances left while trying to counter a face card and runs out of their deck without countering, either the next player continues attempting to counter the face card with the current chances left or that particular play ends and the pile goes to the player who laid down the face card.
Even without cards, eliminated players can 'slap in' on any appropriate card combination and re-enter the game as long as there are at least two people still containing cards. If the last remaining active person runs out of cards while trying to counter a face card and is unsuccessful, the pile goes to the player who played the face card and the player who has all the cards plays 3 more cards for one last chance for the opponent to slap back in.
Penalties[edit]
If players slap the pile when the card combination does not merit a slap, the slapper must discard one or more penalty cards and place them face-up at the bottom of the pile. Play then resumes according to the card last played. Alternatively, if players believe another has taken cards or slapped incorrectly, the play can be contested: if the player was correct, any who contested the play must give the top card of their deck to the player, while if the player was incorrect, the player must give a card from the top of their deck to each player that contested the play, and the round continues. Cards gained in this way are, as usual, placed at the bottom of the player's deck. This, as well as adding a small element of bluffing into the game, helps to keep the play fast by both discouraging people from slapping incorrectly and discouraging people from always claiming another has done so and asking to check.
Players with no cards get a strike for each illegitimate slap and after the third strike, become unable to slap in until the next game, or, in another variation, 'burn their hand,' (placing their hand on the bottom of the pile and waiting to be slapped.) In this variation, once the pile is awarded or someone slaps, the offender's hand must no longer stay under the pile, and they can resume trying to slap/snap back in.
If cards are played out of turn, these cards become dead cards. They can be either placed at the bottom of the pile or left alone wherever they land. Either way, dead cards do not make for legitimate slaps. Any slap over a dead card, even if a player intentionally places it out of turn, results in a penalty. Penalty cards may be placed at the top of the deck as dead cards to create more confusion and potential illegitimate slaps.
In some cases, this same penalty is applied to putting down a card when it is not one's turn and accidentally drawing multiple cards from one's deck and putting them on the pile.
Strategies[edit]
Memorization may help players recognize slapping possibilities before cards are set onto the pile. For example, if a game has only two players and one player legitimately slaps a double, the other player may recognize that, later on in the game, the double will arise later on as a sandwich that can then be slapped.
Some players may also intentionally fake a slap, since in doing so a player can possibly convince another player to slap incorrectly as well, or obtain an advantageous position in the deck that the player remembered from previous pile collections in the game.
While gaining the entire deck is the object, it is virtually always advantageous to have a deck as rich in face cards as possible with as few non-face cards as possible; the chances are then higher that the player will play a face card (whether to become the first challenger, or to counter a face card as the challenged player). Non-face cards (often referred to as 'filler') are disadvantageous as they dilute the face cards in the player's deck, possibly causing them to lose a desirable pile by not being able to counter a face card. This may lead players to refrain from slapping on card combinations if there are no face cards in the pile. They may find it more beneficial to take the slaps available, but it is player preference.
Also, when someone plays a facecard, that person may want to slap on the last card dropped thereafter, (1st for Jack, 2nd for Queen, 3rd for King and 4th for Ace), regardless of knowing what that card might be. This strategy is profitable because the reward of the pile outweighs the risk of 'burning' a card. This strategy is also known as a risk slap. The risk slap may be used by players who have a noticeable lead in cards and are comfortable with sacrificing one card on the chance they might gain the pile which they slapped. One counterstrategy is moving a card toward the pile quickly without putting it down on the last card dropped on a face card in order to provoke a risk slap. Mohegan casino scranton pa. In case the next card is a face card, the player who has 'burned' a card likely will not get it back unless they slap the pile or the challenges come back around the table to them. In some games, it may even be permissible to slap the final card, with no penalty.
Additionally, a player can intentionally slap incorrectly to 'burn' a card or two leading up to a face card remembered from earlier in the game. This is especially useful if the preceding player has played a high value face card such as a jack, where there is only one chance to play a face card.
Strategy also exists in the delivery of the slap, from the deliberately cruel wearing of sharp rings (pointing downwards being the worst, as it penalizes the person who wins the pile from under you), to sliding one's hand onto the pile straight ahead rather than slapping downwards. House rules can limit the slap methods allowed.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ abcEgyptian Ratscrew at pagat.com. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
- ^ abcCarlisle, Rodney P. (2009). Encyclopedia of Play in Today's Society, Volume 1. SAGE. p. 71. ISBN9781412966702.
Further reading[edit]
- Morehead, Albert H.; Mott-Smith, Geoffrey, eds. (2001). 'Egyptian Ratscrew'. Hoyle's rules of games. New York: Signet. pp. 202–3. ISBN978-0-451-20484-4.
External links[edit]
| The Wikibook Card Games has a page on the topic of: Egyptian Ratscrew |
This popular children's game is also sometimes known as Strip Jack Naked, Beat Your Neighbour Out Of Doors or Taxes. In Trinidad, Barbados and maybe other Caribbean islands it is known as Suck the Well, and in French it is sometimes called Bataille Corse (Corsican battle). Other names for it are Egyptian War or Egyptian Rat Killer and so on, but these names are more commonly used for a more elaborate version version of the game where the pile can also be won by slapping pairs of equal cards - see the Egyptian Ratscrew page for details.
Divide a standard pack of 52 cards roughly in half. Each of the two players holds their half face down. The players take turns to turn over their top card and play it face up in the centre of the table, thus forming a pile. There are two kinds of card - the ace, king, queen and jack are pay cards and the 2-10 are ordinary cards.
Play continues alternately until a pay card appears. The opponent of the person who played the pay card must pay for it by playing several times in succession. The payment rates are:
Borgata poker schedule. Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa has the largest poker room in Atlantic City. Find your game fast by viewing the daily poker tournament schedule.
- 4 ordinary cards for an ace
- 3 ordinary cards for a king
- 2 ordinary cards for a queen
- 1 ordinary card for a jack
When the payment is complete (e.g. A has played a queen and B has played two ordinary cards on it), the person who played the pay card (A in this case) takes the whole face up pile and puts it face down underneath their own cards, and then continues the game by playing their top card.
It often happens that while paying for a card, you turn over a pay card yourself. When this happens the previous pay card is cancelled and your opponent now has to pay for your new pay card.
Example: A plays a queen; B plays a six and then a jack; A plays an ace; B plays 3,7,king; A plays 10,4,6. The king has been paid for so B takes the centre pile.
The player who first runs out of cards loses.
Egyptian Rat Poker Game
There is no skill in this game (you just turn your top card when it is your turn) and the game can go on for a long time - possibly indefinitely. Richard P Mann has published a page listing the longest known games. League of legends gambling.
Egyptian Rat Poker Games
It is possible for more than two people to play. The cards are dealt as equally as possible (with three players one player will have an extra card) and players take turns to play. When a pay card is played, the following player plays the required number of cards, stopping if another pay card is played, which the next person must pay for. The direction of play in the Caribbean version 'Suck the Well' is counter-clockwise, while in Britain and North America the game is played clockwise.
