Screw Your Neighbor
Also known as: Chase the Ace, Ranter-Go-Round, Rancho
Overview
Screw Your Neighbor is a fast-paced card game of luck and quick decisions. Each round, players receive a single card and must decide whether to keep it or force a swap with their neighbor. The goal is simple: don't end up with the lowest card at the table.
Setup
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Players: 3-6 (4 recommended)
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Deck: Standard 52-card deck
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Lives: Each player starts with 3 lives
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Rank order: King (highest) > Queen > Jack > 10 > 9 > 8 > 7 > 6 > 5 > 4 > 3 > 2 > Ace (lowest)
How to Play
Dealer
Player 1 is the dealer for the first round. After each round, the dealer role rotates clockwise to the next player (1 → 2 → 3 → ... → back to 1).
Deal
The dealer shuffles the deck and deals one card face-down to each player. Players may look at their own card but must keep it secret.
Swap Phase
Starting with the player to the dealer's left and going clockwise:
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Stand: Keep your card if you think it's high enough to survive the round.
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Swap: Force the player to your left to trade cards with you. They cannot refuse... unless they hold a King.
The King Rule: If you try to swap with someone holding a King, they reveal it to block the swap. You must keep your original card.
Dealer's Turn
The dealer goes last. Since there's no one to their left, the dealer has a unique option:
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Stand: Keep their current card.
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Cut the Deck: Discard their card and draw the top card from the remaining deck. If the dealer draws a King from the deck, they're stuck with it (it doesn't protect them like a held King would).
Reveal
After all players have acted, everyone reveals their cards. The player(s) with the lowest-ranked card lose one life.
Round Flow
Each round follows this structure:
1.
Deal — Dealer shuffles and deals one card to each player
2.
Swap Phase — Starting with the player to the dealer's left, each player acts in clockwise order; the dealer always goes last
3.
Reveal — All cards are revealed; the player(s) with the lowest card lose a life
4.
Dealer Rotates — The dealer role passes to the next player clockwise
Elimination
When a player loses all their lives, they are eliminated from the game. The last player with lives remaining wins.
Strategy Tips
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Watch the swaps: If someone eagerly swapped with you, you probably got a low card. Swap it away if you can!
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Kings are gold: If you have a King, always stand. It's the highest card and blocks incoming swaps.
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Mid-range dilemma: Cards like 7-9 are tricky. Standing might be safe, but swapping could get you something worse.
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The traveling stinker: A low card like a 2 or Ace can travel around the table as each player swaps it to the next.