Egyptian Rat Screw is a fast-paced card game that can be enjoyed by two or more players.
Be the player to take all the cards to win this game!
Find the video tutorial and written explanation for how to play Egyptian rat screw below.
Egyptian Rat Screw Tutorial
Needed
Two or more players; 52 card deck
Deal
All the cards are dealt out. Some players may have one more card than others. The cards are not looked at and remain face down in front of each player.
Objective
The object of the game is to be the player to win all the cards.
Game Play
The player left of the dealer is first to play. The player flips the top card of his/her card stack into the middle. If the card is a numbered card (2-10), play continues to the next player clockwise.
If the card played into the middle is a face card or an ace, the next player has to play a face card or an ace as well. Depending on the card played, the next player gets a number of chances to play a face card or an ace.
Aces - four chances to play a face card or an ace
Kings - three chances to play a face card or an ace
Queens - two chances to play a face card or an ace
Jacks - one chance to play a face card or an ace
If a face card or ace is played, the next player has to play a face card or an ace in the allotted chances. If no face card or ace is played, the middle pile is taken by the last player to play a face card or an ace. The cards are added to the bottom of the player’s card stack.
Slaps
During game play, anytime the following card combinations are played into the middle, the pile can be slapped, and the cards in the middle go to the first player to slap them.
Doubles: Matching cards are played back to back
Sandwich: Matching cards are played with only one card in between them. For example, a 4, 8, 4 is played.
Top Bottom: If the top card of the middle pile matches the bottom card of the pile.
Sequence of 4: If a sequence of 4 is played in a row. For example, a 4, 5, 6, 7 is played, or a 9, 8, 7, 6 is played.
Marriage: If a king and queen are played back to back.
Before the game, other card combinations to be slapped can be agreed upon.
Rules
If a card is played on top of a combination that could have been slapped, the chance to slap the pile is missed, and play continues.
If a player mistakenly slaps the pile, the player must put two cards on the bottom of the middle pile as a penalty.
When a player is out of cards, he/she is not out of the game. The player is still able to slap the pile to win cards.
If a player mistakenly slaps the pile with no cards, he/she is out of the game.