Ranter-Go-Round

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Ranter-Go-Round is a card game, also known as Screw Your Neighbor, Spit on Your Neighbor, Poop on Your Neighbor, Chase the Ace, or Cuckoo.

1 Play
2 Variants
3 References
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Play

Any number of players, 52 cards.

The object is not to have the lowest card at the table. The ranking of cards from highest to lowest is: K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 A - Ace always being low. Suit is irrelevant.

Each player has an equal number of counters placed in front of them - usually from 2 to 4 - to mark his or her "lives". Cards are dealt, one card to each, face down. Starting to the left of the dealer - each in turn examines their card. If they are satisfied with their card they may keep it, usually simply by announcing, "I'm good." or similar. However, if they are unsatisfied they may pass it to the player on their left, receiving that player's card back in return. The player to the left is obliged to exchange for the unwanted card unless they currently hold a King at which time they can refuse the card by showing their King. That transaction completed, privilege now passes to the player to the left who may or may not have a new card to decide on. (Players who have shown a King in defense are considered to have completed their play.) Play continues to the left as such. Once we reach the dealer the dealer has the same decision as any other player except that they exchange with the top card on the remaining deck instead of another player.

All exchanges completed the players' cards are then all turned face up, and the lowest at the table loses a counter/life - which they place into the central pot. Ties lose a life each. Once a player loses all their lives they are out of the game and only remaining players are dealt in for the next hand. Each hand the dealer rotates to the next player to the left.

Play continues as such until the only player with live(s) remaining takes the entire central pot.

[edit] Variants

Players stuck with an Ace have to pay double.
On their exchange the dealer may cut the deck and then turn up the top card.
The dealer is not allowed to exchange with the deck if the top card is a King.
Players showing their King should flash it quickly simultaneously announcing, "Yoink!"
If the player who is forced to exchange gives an Ace or Deuce (2), they announce it aloud, but the player who initiated the exchange says nothing, as their card may be passed on.
Counters are not used and the player with the lowest card at the end of each round is immediately eliminated from the game.