Drinking game classic
Fuck the Dealer: Rules and How to Play
Fuck the Dealer is a fast guessing game with cards. One dealer holds the deck, and the group tries to guess which card comes next.
- Players
- 3 to 8
- Duration
- 15 to 30 minutes
- What you need
- Deck of cards, drinks
- Vibe
- Fast, gleeful, simple
Rules
Fuck the Dealer in 4 steps
Prefer zero prep? Open Luminary in the App StoreIf the group is wrong, the group drinks. If they're right, the dealer drinks. That exact tension is where the game gets its name.
The dealer shuffles the deck
One player becomes the dealer and holds the shuffled deck face down in their hand.
First guess
The player on the left guesses which card is on top. The dealer says whether the real card is higher or lower.
Second guess
With that hint the player guesses again. If they get it, the dealer has to take sips (typically based on how far off it was).
Guessed wrong
If the player still doesn't get the card on the second try, they drink themselves. Then it's the next player's turn.
Variations
- Dealer change: if someone guesses the card on the very first try, the deck moves on and that person becomes the new dealer. In other variations the dealer changes after a set number of wrong guesses.
- Some count the sips by how far the guess was from the real card. That way a near miss is punished more gently.
- Without alcohol, hand out points. Whoever has the fewest points at the end wins.
Tips for your round
- As the dealer it pays to keep a poker face, or your reactions give too much away.
- Agree in advance how the dealer change works, that's the most common source of arguments.
FAQ
Fuck the Dealer FAQ
More games
A Luminary mode for your phone plus more classics for your game night.
In Luminary
Bring the party game that runs the whole night
Choose decks, add your group, and start with 11,000+ questions and challenges across five formats. Free for iPhone, with no ads and offline play.
