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“Beat the Dealer” is a fun card drinking game where you need to guess the value of cards. As you can imagine, there’s a lot of luck involved in the game, but that’s what makes it so fun. So if you’re looking for a drinking game that’s easy to learn and will get you drunk quickly, then “Beat the Dealer” is the game for you!

Want more drinking games? Check out our ultimate list of drinking games: 17 insanely fun drinking games for your next party

How to play Beat the Dealer

Beat the Dealer is one of the easiest drinking games out there. Before we get into the rules, let’s go over what you’ll need to play the game.

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What do you need for Beat the Dealer?

There’s really not much you need to play Beat the Dealer. To play, you will need:

  • A standard deck of cards
  • A group of friends (the more, the merrier!)
  • Alcohol (of course!)

We highly recommend these waterproof playing cards from Hoyle, which you can get on Amazon.

Now that you know what you need let’s get into how to play the game.

Gameplay

The object of “Beat the Dealer” is to correctly guess the value of the dealer’s card. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to play the game:

  1. Agree on the card value of an Ace: In Beat the Dealer, an Ace can either be the highest card or the lowest card. So before you start playing, you need to agree on the card value of an Ace.
  2. Choose the dealer: The first step is to choose who the dealer will be. The dealer can be chosen by any means necessary (rock, paper, scissors, etc.). The dealer role passes to the next player clockwise after three turns.
  3. The dealer shuffles the cards: Once the dealer has been chosen, they will shuffle the deck of cards and then place the cards face-down in front of them.
  4. The game starts by guessing the value of the top card: The player next to the dealer has to guess the numerical value of the top card of the deck.
  5. The dealer checks the card: Without revealing the card, the dealer checks the card and tells the player whether they guessed right or wrong.
  6. If the player guesses wrong, the dealer tells the player if the card is higher or lower than their guess. The player is allowed one more guess before the card is revealed.
  7. The dealer reveals the card: After the second guess, the dealer reveals the card to everyone. Depending on whether the player guesses the value of the card correctly, different drinking rules apply.

Beat the Dealer Drinking Games Rules

The drinking rules of Beat the Dealer are pretty simple. Depending on whether the player guesses the value of the card correctly, the following things happen:

1. If the player guessed wrong twice, he must drink the difference between their second guess and the card’s value.

For example, if the card is an 8 and the player’s first guess is 10, their second guess is 5, then they would have to take 3 sips (the difference between 8 and 5).

2. If the player guessed right on their first try, the dealer must take six sips from their drink.

For example, the player guessed that the card was an 8, and it turned out to be an 8. In this case, the dealer would have to take 6 sips from their drink.

3. If the player guesses the card correctly on their second turn, the dealer has to take three sips from their drink.

For example, the player’s first guess was 10, and the second guess was 8. It turned out that the card was, in fact, an 8. In this case, the dealer would have to take 3 sips from their drink.

Tip: To make the game easier for the players, you can place half the deck face up on the table. So it will be much easier for the players to guess the right card. This will get the dealer drunk faster.

Games like “Beat the Dealer”

If you’re looking for more games like Beat the Dealer, check out these other great card drinking games:

1. Spoons Drinking Game

Spoons is a fast-paced card drinking game that’s perfect for small and large groups. All you need to play is a deck of cards and some spoons (Note: one less spoon than the number of players). And of course, you’ll need some drinks.

How to play Spoons

  1. Each round, a dealer will be chosen who will then deal the cards clockwise until each player has four cards. The dealer will then place the remaining cards in the middle of the table, face down.
  2. The object of the game is to collect a full set of four matching cards. The first player draws a card from the deck and decides if they want to keep it or not. If they want it, they have to discard another card.
  3. Then, the next player clockwise does the same thing. This continues until one player has a full set of four matching cards.
  4. When the first player gets a set of four, all players must grab a spoon from the middle of the table. The player who doesn’t grab a spoon must drink and is out of the game.
  5. The last player remaining in the game is the winner!

2. “Give and Take” Drinking Game

Give and Take is a fun variation of the popular drinking game Truth or Dare. All you need is a deck of cards, some drinks, and some friends.

How to play Give and Take

  1. Every player gets four cards. They place it face up on the table.
  2. Then make two rows of six cards, face down. The left row will be for “Truth or Take”, and the right row will be for “Give or Dare”. Each card increments the length of time that the player has to drink.
  3. Start with the “Truth or Take” row: the player flips over the first card. If a player has the card in their hand cards, they must either drink (according to the number on the card) or fulfill a dare (from the other players).
  4. The game ends when all the cards are gone.

2. King’s Cup

King’s Cup is a classic drinking game that’s perfect for large groups. All you need to play is a deck of cards and some drinks.

How to play King’s Cup

Place a big cup in the middle of the table. This will be the King’s Cup. Shuffle the deck of cards and spread them face down around the King’s Cup. With each turn, a player turns over a card. Each card has a different rule associated with it, and the player must follow the rule associated with the card.

King’s Cup Card Rules

  • Two: Choose a player to take two sips or pick two players to take one sip.
  • Three: Drink one sip.
  • Four: Choose one player to drink with you. Both of you must take two sips.
  • Five: All guys take a big sip.
  • Six: All ladies take a big sip.
  • Seven: You become the thumb master. When you put your thumb on the table, everyone else must also put their thumb on the table. The last person to do so must take a big sip.
  • Eight: Choose a player to drink with you for the rest of the game.
  • Nine: Say a word. The next player has to say a word that rhymes with your word. This continues until someone either can’t think of a word or says a word that doesn’t rhyme. That player must take a big sip.
  • Ten: Everyone has to drink.
  • Jack: Make up a rule for the game and enforce it until the next Jack is drawn.
  • Queen: You come up with a category (e.g., animals, countries, TV shows, etc.), and the player to your left has to name something from that category. The next player then calls another item from the same category. This continues until someone either can’t think of an answer or repeats an answer. That player must take a big sip.
  • King: The first three people who draw this card must pour their drink into the King’s Cup. The fourth person to draw a king has to finish the King’s Cup.
  • Ace: Waterfall! Everyone starts drinking simultaneously and can’t stop until the player to their left stops. The last person has to finish their drink.

Looking for more fun card drinking games? Check out our Top 10 card drinking games!

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