Kemps is an exciting game that is played by a group of friends. Usually, it’s played by at least a group of four people. That is two pair of playing teams, where a team consists of two persons.
The main objective of the game is for a team member to come up with four of a kind card. In addition he then uses a predetermined way to signal the other team member to say Kemps before the opponent gets a clue.
What you need to play the KEMP drinking game
You need at least four persons sited around a table with a pile of 52 cards. In addition, you also require crates of beer. But in the event that the players are more than eight, then you have to use two decks of cards to play the game.
Preparing for the Game
As said before the Kemps drinking game is played by at least two teams. So the first step is to compose the team members. That can be done by either allowing players to choose who to pair up with or using the random method to choose two team members.
If you decide to go the random method way, then each participant will draw out a card from the pack. Any two persons that pick up cards of the same color form a team.
The procedure is repeated until all the people have found their team members.
After which one person can volunteer to be the dealer. If not, all members can then be asked to pick a card each from the deck. Whoever picks out the card with the highest or the lowest value then becomes the dealer of the game.
Each team, then retreat to a safe place where they can’t be heard by their opponents. They then agree on a secretive way on how to notify one another when anyone gets a four of kind cards.
In addition, the members of the same team can also come up with multiple fake gestures of confusing the opponent into thinking that they have attained the card combination required. However, any team is not allowed to choose a verbal signal.
Common ways of signaling each other include body movement, adjusting your glasses or fanning your cards.
Then lastly the team members sit across the table but not next to each other.
Dealing the Cards
Once the team members have agreed on their preferred gesture signal and taken the appropriate sitting positions then the dealer deals out the cards to members.
The dealer then picks up the deck of cards and shuffle them multiples time. He then follows the anticlockwise pattern in distributing the cards.
Each playing member is entitled to four cards.
Once each person has been issued with four cards, the dealer then picks up the four topmost cards from the stock and places them at the center of the table, with their faces down.
Playing the Game
The dealer can then signal the participants by saying 3…2…1…Go. Immediately he says go, he flips over the cards and everyone rushes to pick the card of his interests.
Unlike other games where you take turns in picking cards, the KEMPS game allows everyone to rush for a card at the same time. Whoever touches a card first gets the chance to pick it up. Each person will pick a card to match at least any of the prior distributed cards.
As soon as a player grabs a card or two from the center, he must discard an equal number of cards from his hands. He places the discarded pile face up on the table.
However, any player isn’t allowed to hold more than four cards in his hand at any given moment. The picking and discarding of cards from the table continue until no one wishes to replace his cards.
Then the person sited to the right of the dealer becomes the new dealer. He sweeps away the remaining cards; these are called dead card pile.
He replaces them with top four fresh cards from the stock. The play then follows the previous procedure and the rush for the cards begins.
What Next?
Once a team member gets a combination of four cards of a kind, he must signal his partner using the previously agreed gesture.
If the partner notices the signal, he yells “Kemps” while pointing out his partner. He must then open his hands to reveal the identity of the cards. If he truly had four cards of a kind, then the team wins the round if not they lose.
At the same time if you notice the gesture and thinks the opponent has the winning card combination then you yell and point at him while saying “Counter Kemps.”
If you are right then the team loses because they have been Counter Kemps’d, but you win the round. The end of each round is marked by the winning team giving a shot of beer to the losing team.
Otherwise if the call for the counter Kemps was untimely, then you are wrong and must drink your own beer.
What if the fresh pile gets exhausted and no one calls Kemps or counter Kemps
If after several cycles or replacing the board cards the fresh (stock) pile gets completed without anyone yelling Kemps or Counter Kemps, then the round must end. That is called a real deal or a draw.
So what marks the end of the game?
Usually, the participating teams agree beforehand the number of rounds they wish to play. However, it is preferred to choose an odd number of rounds like 5.
So are you ready to play the Kemps drinking rule? Then gather your partners and experience the excitement!