Pens (game)

Pens is a card game for two or more players. The players sit around a table, and a number of pens (one less than the number of players) are laid with equal spacing in the center of the table, at an equal distance from each of the players. Cards are then removed from the pack such that only one group of four of a kind per player remains. For example, if there were four players, one possible pack would be:

Three of diamonds Three of clubs Three of spades Three of hearts	King of diamonds King of clubs King of spades King of hearts
Jack of diamonds Jack of clubs Jack of spades Jack of hearts	Eight of diamonds Eight of clubs Eight of spades Eight of hearts

The pack is shuffled, and four cards are dealt to each player. No player may look at another player's cards.

The game starts when one player says "1, 2, 3, pass." On 'pass,' each player passes any one of their cards, face down, to the player to their left. This process repeats until somebody has a hand of four cards of the same value, at which point they grab one of the pens in the middle of the table. The other players then do the same. The person left without a pen drops out, and the whole game repeats without that player. This continues until there is only one player remaining. That player wins the game.

If a player grabs a pen despite not having four of a kind, they lose the round. However, feinting is allowed, and if by motioning as if to grab a pen (without actually touching one) they cause other players to grab for the pens, the first to touch one loses the round.

Variations

*This game may also be played with spoons (see Spoons).
*The commercial card game Zuma from Parker is similar in concept.
*This game is also called Pig (card game) where instead of taking pens, the person with a four of a kind puts his finger on his nose. The last player to put his finger on his nose, gets a letter to spell out "PIG". The first with P-I-G, loses.