Pig (card game)

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For other uses, see Pig and Pig (disambiguation).
Pig
7 playing cards.jpg
Players aim to collect four cards of the same rank
OriginUS
TypeCollecting
Players3-13 (4-7 best)[1]
Skills requiredStealth, memorising
Age range7+[1]
DeckFrench
PlayClockwise
Related games
Happy Families, My Ship Sails, Vive l'Amour

Pig is a simple, collecting card game of 20th century American origin suitable for three to thirteen players that is played with a 52-card French-suited pack. It has two very similar and well known variants – Donkey and Spoons. It is often classed as a children's game. It may be descended from an old game called Vive l'Amour.[1]

History[]

Pig is first recorded in 1947 by Frey who describes it as a "modern simplification" of an old game called Vive l'Amour; a four-player game in which the aim was to be first to collect all 13 cards on one suit.[a] Although intended for children, the game was also apparently played by adults with special cards in those parts of the US where standard playing cards are taboo.[2] In 1957, a variant, Donkey, is first mentioned by Culbertson.[3] The rules are identical; the main exception being that, whereas in Pig players touch their noses when they acquire a quartet, in Donkey, a number of objects – one fewer than the number of players – is placed in the middle and the first player with a quartet calls "Donkey!" and takes one.[3] The subtle distinction between the two games is missed by some later authors. Gibson (1974) states that the games are "practically identical",[4] while Maguire describes Pig but calls it Donkey. Maguire introduces the rule that 'donkeys' receive the letters of the word D-O-N-K-E-Y and the first to spell the whole word is the overall loser. He also records the game of Spoons for the first time, describing it as a variant in which, however, the player who stays to the end without spelling S-P-O-O-N-S is the overall winner.[5] Arnold equates Pig and Donkey,[6] while Spadaccini and Bicycle Cards faithfully describe the original Pig.[7][8] Katz conflates Pig with Spoons and uses the whole pack, but adds some interesting variations.[9] A good summary of the rules and variations for Pig and Spoons is at pagat.com.[10]

Rules[]

Pig[]

The rules have changed little over time. The earliest and most basic rules are as follows:[2]

Pig is suitable for six to ten-year olds. Three to thirteen may play, but four to seven is best. The aim is to be first to collect a quartet, i.e. four cards of the same rank, known as a book. The game requires as many quartets as there are players e.g. if five play, five quartets are used from a standard 52-card pack and the rest laid aside. Each player is dealt four cards which they pick up and view.[b] Then all the players simultaneously discard one card face down to their left and, after doing so, they all pick up the card from the player to their right. As soon as a player collects a book, that player puts a finger to his nose. As soon as they spot this, the other players do likewise. The last player to put a finger to his nose is the Pig and loses the deal.[2]

According to Culbertson, the game is best for more than three players – "the more the merrier" – and is often played by adults at parties as an ice-breaker.[3]

Variations:

  • Go!: The dealer calls "Go" to initiate the passing each time. Once players have passed, picked up and if no-one has a quartet, the dealer calls "Go" again.[7]
  • Start!: The dealer calls "Start" to initiate the passing and then play continues until someone has a quartet.[11]
  • P-I-G: Players have three lives scored as P-I-G. The first to record P-I-G is the overall loser and, optionally, has to oink like a pig.[7] Alternatively, the last player who did not record P-I-G is the overall winner.
  • Pointing: Players point to their nose instead of touching it.[11]
  • Twin Pack: For more than 13 players, two packs may be used.[12]
  • Two Winners: One player drops out in each deal, and the last two left in are joint winners.[12]

Donkey[]

In 1957, Donkey appears as a variant. The rules are the same as in the earliest version of Pig above, except that "a number of chips, matches, or other tokens" are used; always one fewer than the number of active players. These objects are placed in the middle. When a player collects four of a kind, he calls "Donkey" and takes a chip, etc. The others now also pick up a chip if they can and the player left without a chip is the Donkey.[3]

Maguire (1990) adds the requirement for a scorekeeper and introduces the rule that, each time a player becomes the Donkey, he or she is assigned a letter from that word. The first player to be assigned all the letters, i.e. D-O-N-K-E-Y, is the loser.[5][c]

Variations:

  • Swap!: The dealer calls "Swap" each time to initiate the exchanging of cards.[11]
  • Prizes: For a party game, prizes are used as the objects.[11]

Spoons[]

Spoons in progress

The name Spoons first appears in 1990. It is essentially Donkey using spoons as the objects to be picked up.[d] The player left without a spoon in each deal is assigned a letter from the word 'spoons'. The player who gets S-P-O-O-N-S is eliminated from the game, and the game continues. The last player staying in the game without being assigned S-P-O-O-N-S is the winner.[5]

Variations:

  • Stockpile: A whole 52-card pack and so there is a stockpile from which the dealer draws each time and a discard pile to which the player on his or her right passes a card each time.[9]
  • Five Cards: Players may be dealt five cards each, but still only need four-of-a-kind to pick up a spoon.[9]
  • Series: There is a series of games with one player being eliminated each time, and the last player standing is the overall winner.[9]
  • Extreme Spoons/Hidden Spoons: Instead of the middle of the table as usual, the spoons are placed in some inconvenient location nearby.[13][14]
  • Two Winners: Similar to Series, but the last two players left are joint winners.[15]
  • Joker Spoons: The deck includes jokers which act as wild cards.[citation needed]

Tongue[]

In the game of Tongue, players quietly stick out their tongue when they have a quartet.[15]

Tactics[]

Tactics may include:

  • Bluffing: Bluffing is allowed. Spoons may be reached at any time as long as they are not touched. This may distract the others or even cause someone to grab a spoon prematurely which may result in their elimination.[citation needed]
  • Eyes on the spoons: Players keep an eye on the number of spoons in case one has been taken without anyone noticing.[citation needed]
  • Continuing to play. After sticking out a tongue or collecting a spoon, a player may continue to pass and pick up to confuse other players, but they must keep their quartet intact. This is not possible with Pig as one hand is needed to touch the nose.[15]

See also[]

Footnotes[]

  1. ^ Although plausible, Frey does say where he gets this information and Vive l'Amour does not appear in the sources.
  2. ^ The cards must of course be shuffled although the rules are not explicit.
  3. ^ Strictly speaking, Maguire is describing the rules for Pig, because no objects are used in his description.
  4. ^ Maguire adds "or any objects that are safe and easy to grasp," which is ordinary Donkey, but he has confusingly already described Pig as Donkey.

References[]

  1. ^ a b c Arnold (2009), p. 89.
  2. ^ a b c Frey (1947), p. 470.
  3. ^ a b c d Culbertson (1957), pp. 359–360.
  4. ^ Gibson (1974), p. 102.
  5. ^ a b c Maguire (1990), pp. 51–52.
  6. ^ Arnold (2011), p. 230.
  7. ^ a b c Spadaccini (2003), p. 337.
  8. ^ Bicycle Cards (2001), p. 292.
  9. ^ a b c d Katz (2012).
  10. ^ Pig, Spoons at pagat.com. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  11. ^ a b c d _ (2014), p. 197.
  12. ^ a b Pig Card Game at classicgamesandpuzzles.com. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  13. ^ Foster Jr, Walter (2018), p. 107.
  14. ^ BRI (2012).
  15. ^ a b c How to Play Spoons at thesprucecrafts.com. Retrieved 27 December 2021.

Literature[]

  • _ (2014), The Card Games Bible, Hamlyn, London: Octopus. ISBN 978-0-600-62994-8
  • Bathroom Reader's Institute (BRI). 2012. Uncle John's Book of Fun. Portable Press.
  • Arnold, Peter (2009). Chambers card games for families. Chambers Harrap, Edinburgh. ISBN 978-0550-10470-0
  • Culbertson, Ely (1957). Culbertson’s Card Games Complete. Arco.
  • Frey, Richard L. (1947) [Also Albert Morehead and Geoffrey Mott-Smith, but they were not permitted by contract to allow their names to be used]. The New Complete Hoyle. David McKay.
  • Gibson, Walter Brown (1974). Hoyle’s Modern Encyclopedia of Card Games. Dolphin.
  • Kansil Joli Quentin (2001). Bicycle Official Rules of Card Games, 90th edn. Cincinnati: USPC.
  • Katz, Nikki (2012). The Book of Card Games. Simon & Schuster.
  • Maguire, Jack (1990). Hopscotch, Hangman , Hot Potato & Ha Ha Ha. New York, London, Toronto, Sydney: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-76332-6.
  • Parlett, David (2008). The Penguin Book of Card Games, Penguin, London. ISBN 978-0-141-03787-5
  • Spadaccini, Stephanie (2005). The Big Book of Rules. London, NY, etc: Penguin. ISBN 0452286441

External links[]

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