Some Party Game Suggestions
Created | Updated Sep 4, 2002
Up and Down the River
Requires: Standard 52-card deck of playing cards
This is a simple game to play and understand. All players receive 4 cards from the deck at random, all of which remain face-up, and are not moved during the game. One player is assigned to be the dealer, who is also the caller.
Once these cards are passed out, the dealer lays face-up the first card from the remaining deck and calls, 'Take one'. All players who have a card of matching value must then take one drink. Any player who has multiply-occuring card values in their set of 4 will be required to take the corresponding multiple amount of drinks. The next card is then laid down, for which the dealer will say, 'Take two'. Corresponding drinks are then imbibed as in the previous step. This continues through two more cards, up to the 'Take four' step. This 4-step process is known as going 'up the river'.
The 5th card to be laid down will have the dealer calling out, 'Give four'. Now the game shows its conniving side that most drinking games tend to have to keep things lively and fun. Anyone having a card of matching value must assign 4 drinks among the other players, one apiece, all 4 to one player, etc. Players may not assign drinks to themselves (this rule can be suspended depending on local house rules and number of players). The 6th card has the dealer calling, 'Give three'; the 7th, 'Give two'; the 8th, 'Give one'. This 4-step process is known as going 'down the river'.
The dealer now returns to the 'Take one' step, and continues though the deck repeatedly, until enough folks lose interest and move on to something else.
Variation 1:
This variation consists of using a Pinochle deck of cards instead of the standard 52-card deck. This can result in fantastic consumptions of alcohol that can close down a party early if played for too long However, this variant is almost never played due to the lack of available Pinochle decks.
Variation 2:
In this additional variation, the players, instead of using a Pinochle deck, go up and down the river by twos ("Take two/four/six/eight", "Give eight/six/four/two"). Also, it is usually never played since it is usually suggested either too early or too late in the evening for most peoples' tastes.
Biz-Bang
Requires: A little mathematical skill
The rules themselves are clear enough, proficiency does not come easy. Indeed it could be known as another one of those games that takes 'a minute to learn, a lifetime to master' - although mastery of any drinking game certainly defeats the true purpose.
All game participants (of which there should be several, at least 4) gather in a ring, and one person is assigned to begin counting off at 1, with the counting-off continuing around the ring in increments of one.
When a number comes to a player to count off, and that number is either a multiple of 3 (3, 6, 9, 12, ...) OR has a 3 in it (31, 32, 33, 34, ...), that player will instead say "Biz". Do not say "Biz" twice if both conditions are met, one "Biz" will do.
When a number comes to a player to count off, and that number is either a multiple of 5 (5, 10, 15, ...), OR has a 5 in it (51, 52, 53, 54, ...), that player will instead say "Bang". Again, only one "Bang" will suffice even if both conditions are met.
Finally, when a number comes to a player to count off, and that number is either a multiple of 3 or has a 3 in it, AND it is also either a multple of 5 or has a 5 in it, that player will instead say "Biz-Bang". The first few Biz-Bang numbers are: 15, 30, 35, 45, 51, 53, 54, 57, 60, ...
Penalties are doled out when a player says the wrong thing during the count-off. Penalties may be one drink, or several depending upon the mood of the party and the contestants. Counting always starts over at 1 again with the player who committed the error.
Requires: Standard 52-card deck of playing cards
This is a simple game to play and understand. All players receive 4 cards from the deck at random, all of which remain face-up, and are not moved during the game. One player is assigned to be the dealer, who is also the caller.
Once these cards are passed out, the dealer lays face-up the first card from the remaining deck and calls, 'Take one'. All players who have a card of matching value must then take one drink. Any player who has multiply-occuring card values in their set of 4 will be required to take the corresponding multiple amount of drinks. The next card is then laid down, for which the dealer will say, 'Take two'. Corresponding drinks are then imbibed as in the previous step. This continues through two more cards, up to the 'Take four' step. This 4-step process is known as going 'up the river'.
The 5th card to be laid down will have the dealer calling out, 'Give four'. Now the game shows its conniving side that most drinking games tend to have to keep things lively and fun. Anyone having a card of matching value must assign 4 drinks among the other players, one apiece, all 4 to one player, etc. Players may not assign drinks to themselves (this rule can be suspended depending on local house rules and number of players). The 6th card has the dealer calling, 'Give three'; the 7th, 'Give two'; the 8th, 'Give one'. This 4-step process is known as going 'down the river'.
The dealer now returns to the 'Take one' step, and continues though the deck repeatedly, until enough folks lose interest and move on to something else.
Variation 1:
This variation consists of using a Pinochle deck of cards instead of the standard 52-card deck. This can result in fantastic consumptions of alcohol that can close down a party early if played for too long However, this variant is almost never played due to the lack of available Pinochle decks.
Variation 2:
In this additional variation, the players, instead of using a Pinochle deck, go up and down the river by twos ("Take two/four/six/eight", "Give eight/six/four/two"). Also, it is usually never played since it is usually suggested either too early or too late in the evening for most peoples' tastes.
Biz-Bang
Requires: A little mathematical skill
The rules themselves are clear enough, proficiency does not come easy. Indeed it could be known as another one of those games that takes 'a minute to learn, a lifetime to master' - although mastery of any drinking game certainly defeats the true purpose.
All game participants (of which there should be several, at least 4) gather in a ring, and one person is assigned to begin counting off at 1, with the counting-off continuing around the ring in increments of one.
When a number comes to a player to count off, and that number is either a multiple of 3 (3, 6, 9, 12, ...) OR has a 3 in it (31, 32, 33, 34, ...), that player will instead say "Biz". Do not say "Biz" twice if both conditions are met, one "Biz" will do.
When a number comes to a player to count off, and that number is either a multiple of 5 (5, 10, 15, ...), OR has a 5 in it (51, 52, 53, 54, ...), that player will instead say "Bang". Again, only one "Bang" will suffice even if both conditions are met.
Finally, when a number comes to a player to count off, and that number is either a multiple of 3 or has a 3 in it, AND it is also either a multple of 5 or has a 5 in it, that player will instead say "Biz-Bang". The first few Biz-Bang numbers are: 15, 30, 35, 45, 51, 53, 54, 57, 60, ...
Penalties are doled out when a player says the wrong thing during the count-off. Penalties may be one drink, or several depending upon the mood of the party and the contestants. Counting always starts over at 1 again with the player who committed the error.
