Big 2

Revision as of 14:02, 21 February 2008

Big 2, like many card games popular among teenagers, has many, many names (About the only card game popular among teenagers that is not blessed with a plurality of nomenclature is Poker). It is a simple game, easy to play even at half past one in the morning while huddled on the lounge in a bleary eyed state. It is a game where success is made obvious, as is defeat. It is also rather fun.

Nobody ever writes the rules down, but the game is passed on by word of mouth, so some cliques have some rather interesting subsets or supersets of the rules, or changes in terminology. As far as I have been able to ascertain, drawing from the multiple times I have been introduced ("Do you know how to play Emporer Scum?" "No.. oh, wait, this is just like Big 2!") the rules are much like this:

Aim

• The aim of the game is to get rid of all your cards, while still following the rules. Feeding them to the dog doesn't count.

Starting

• The dealer deals all available cards out to whoever wants to play. If the number of players is not an integer divisor of the number of cards available, you'll probably want to take some cards (or players) out of the game.
• To start with, no cards are passed around. They will be in successive deals, though, so keep your eyes out.
• The first person to play a card is the dealer (or anyone largely respected by the group, or anyone who can successfully intimidate any or all other members).

Playing

• Whoever has the current turn plays a card, by putting it face up on the table/sofa/dog/whatever. Here's the first choice: they can put down any card, or any multiple of cards of the same value. So, a five, or a pair of threes, or three sevens, or five nines (you can play with multiple decks). Suit is immaterial, but they all need to have the same number.
• Play passes to the next person. The matter of clockwise or anticlockwise should probably be decided before you start, unless you like having moments of confusion and panic halfway into the first round when someone plays their card, then stares pointedly at the previous player for twenty seconds, waiting for them to play another card.
• The next person must play a card or cards of the same quantity, but higher in value. If the first person played a five, the next must play a six or higher. If the first person played a pair of fives, the next must play a pair of something bigger than five.
• Value is slightly unusual. The lowest-valued card is the 3, followed by the 4, 5, 6, and so on up to the Q, K, A, and the 2. Presumably, this is what led to the name "Big 2".
• If the next person has no cards they can (legally) play, they can pass. Whether or not you're allowed to pass if you do have cards you can play (i.e. the last card played is a three, and all you have is a pair of twos) is probably regionally dependant.
• If you play some cards, and everyone else passes, then the old pile of cards is moved aside and you get to play another card or bunch of cards.

Endgame

• The first person to successfully play all their cards is the winner, referred to as "Emperor" or "President" -- hence, sometimes this game is known as Emperor, or President. Play still continues, however.
• The last person to successfully play all their cards is the loser, referred to as "Scum" -- hence, sometimes this games is known as Emperor Scum or Scum. I've never heard of it being called President Scum, but who knows?
• If you have a lot of players (five or more), sometimes less extreme titles are awarded: Second Emperor, Vice President, Second Scum, whatever.
• After the next hand is dealt, the Scum must give his (or her) two highest-ranking cards to the Emporer. The Emporer give his (or her) two worst cards to the Scum.
• If you have a Second Emporer and Scum, or differently-named equivalents, they perform a similar exchange, but with only one card each way.
• Keep playing until you fall asleep, or your friend's parents storm in saying "What? Are you still up? Go to bed now!"

Strategy

• Staying awake is a good start.
• If you're playing with two decks and less then six people, playing four (or more) of anything is a good shock tactic, and is probably a good ticket to getting a free turn.
• If you're playing with one deck, playing four of anything is a *great* shock tactic, and even three is pretty good.
• You want to play your big cards at the end, when they can't be trumped. On the other hand, you want to flush out everyone else's big cards at the beginning.
• Because the number of cards per play is mostly outside your control, a big part of the game is judging the relative worth of cards in groups or singly. For example, by playing one of your three 2s, you can win this round, but you'll be stuffed when someone plays three of something else next time.