Rules
Players are arranged in a circle, facing inwards. The game begins with one player calling the direction of play by saying, "I propose a game of XXXX! To my left..." or "To my right..." followed by a sequential series of numbers beginning with one. Variations exist for the proposal of the game depending on personal rules; this is due to some variants calling for any person who says the number "21" to drink. For example:
- "I propose a game of 21!"
- "I propose a game of 20...22!"
- "I propose a game of twenty plus one!"
- "I propose a game of the unspeakable number!"
The game is never under any circumstances referred to as "twenty plus".
As the game progresses, each player in turn must recite one to three numbers, counting in sequence from where the previous player left off:
- Saying one number (e.g. "one") passes the game to the next player in the circle in the initial direction.
- Saying two numbers (e.g. "one, two") passes to the next player, but reverses direction.
- Saying three numbers (e.g. "one, two, three") passes in the initial direction, but skips a player.
If a player makes a mistake, then they suffer a small to moderate drinking penalty (e.g. 2 fingers of drink) and then restart the game from 1. Mistakes include:
- Hesitating to continue the game.
- Calling the wrong number.
- Calling a number out of turn.
- Breaching any original or instated rule.
Assuming there are no mistakes, the game will continue in sequence up to 21. The player who calls 21 suffers a heavy drinking penalty (e.g. finishing their drink), creates a new rule, then restarts the game from 1.
Read more about this topic: 21 (drinking Game)
Famous quotes containing the word rules:
“Life is a game in which the rules are constantly changing; nothing spoils a game more than those who take it seriously. Adultery? Phooey! You should never subjugate yourself to another nor seek the subjugation of someone else to yourself. If you follow that Crispian principle you will be able to say “Phooey,” too, instead of reaching for your gun when you fancy yourself betrayed.”
—Quentin Crisp (b. 1908)
“Each person calls barbarism whatever is not his or her own practice.... We may call Cannibals barbarians, in respect to the rules of reason, but not in respect to ourselves, who surpass them in every kind of barbarity.”
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592)
“As no one can tell what was the Roman pronunciation, each nation makes the Latin conform, for the most part, to the rules of its own language; so that with us of the vowels only A has a peculiar sound.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)