Egyptian Rat Screw: Gameplay, Rules, Slaps & More

Egyptian Rat Screw – Egyptian Rat Screw is a card game that can be played with 3 or more players. It involves titular slapping action after a condition has been fulfilled, which displays its influence from other games like Slapjack. 

How to play Egyptian Rat Screw?

Egyptian Rat Screw is a matching card game for 3 or more players, where 3 is the most well-placed player count and the most common. If you want to play Egyptian Rat Screw, you only need the 52-card deck. 

Dealing 

The dealer is intended either randomly or by deck splitting. He then distributes equal cards to every player, one card at a time. The players do not look at the cards before playing.

Playing Cards

Player sitting to the left side of the dealer plays first. The top card in the hand of the player will be played and placed in such a way that it is revealed to all the players simultaneously. 

This game is played clockwise. 

Gameplay 

Until an Ace or a face card like Jacks, Queens and Kings is played, the play continues. The player playing that card temporarily becomes a “challenger”, whereas the next player becomes “challenged” temporarily. This player has only some chances to play a face card or an Ace in order to win the challenge. 

• Jack – 1 chance 
• Queen – 2 chances
• King – 3 chances 
• Aces – 4 chances

If the player fails to play a face card or an ace in all his turns, the pile will be taken by the challenger. 

If the challenged plays a face card or an ace, then the player will become the new “challenger”, and the player (in the next turn) will become the new “challenged”, and so on. 

Slaps 

Some card combinations are appointed to promote slapping action. It allows all the players to divert cards out of their order. Some examples of combinations are as follows:-

• Doubles – Back-to-back, matching cards are played.
• Sandwich – Two cards of the same rank and, between them – one different card. For example – a 4, 4, 8.
• Bottom Top – When the top card is the same as the bottom card.
• 4’s Sequence – If, in a row, a sequence of 4 is played. Example – 9, 8, 7, 6
• Marriage – If back to back, Queen & King are played.

Apart from these, other card combinations can also be included. 

To initiate the slapping action, the player has to slap downwards, i.e., above the centre pile. 

Rules 

• The player has to place two cards on the base of the middle pile in the form of a penalty if the player mistakenly slaps the pile.
• The player will be out of this game if the pile having no cards is mistakenly slapped by him.
• The player will not be out of this game, even when left with no cards. The player can still slap the pile in order to win cards.
• The chance to slap is missed if a player plays a card on top of that combination, which could have been slapped, and the game will continue.

Summary Of Rules

• Each player is provided with an equal number of cards. 
• To the centre pile, each player will have to play their top card.
• If an ace or a face card is played, it will mark the beginning of the challenging process. 
• All cards claimed by the player will be the winner. 
• If any card combination is played, the first player who slaps the pile can claim the pile. 

Points & Scoring

Its scoring will be estimated according to the winner of the maximum rounds. It means that this game has multiple rounds. The player will get 1 point after he wins a round. 

Tips & Strategy

• Egyptian Rat Screw tips and strategy are about getting alert. 
• After getting challenged, the game turns into a game of chance. 
• Remember, all the card combinations permit slapping. 
• Don’t slap unless you are sure that the combination is valid. 

FAQs

What is the Egyptian Rat Screw?

Egyptian Rat Screw is a card game that can be played with 3 or more players. It involves titular slapping action after a condition has been fulfilled, which displays its influence from other games like Slapjack. 

How many players can play this game?

Egyptian Rat Screw can be played by 3 or more players, where 3 is the most well-placed player count and the most common. 

What are the other names of the Egyptian Rat Screw?

Egyptian Rat Screw is commonly known as ERS and also called Egyptian Rhapsody, Slap, Egyptian Rattrap, Bloody Stump, Egyptian War, Egyptian Rat Race and Nuclear Holocaust.

What are the rules for the Egyptian Rat Screw?

• Each player is provided with an equal number of cards. 
• To the centre pile, each player will have to play their top card.
• If an ace or a face card is played, it will mark the beginning of the challenging process. 
• All cards claimed by the player will be the winner. 
• If any card combination is played, the first player who slaps the pile can claim the pile.