Cockroach Poker

When you spot one cockroach at home, it means more are on their way.

This is a variant of the original game using a 52-deck of playing card.

Setup

• 4 players (recommended): deal a hand of 13 cards each.
• 5 players: 10 cards each (discard the extra 2 cards face up).
• 3 players: 15 cards each (discard the extra 7 cards face down).

Gameplay

The starting player plays a card face down and pushes it to any other player while declaring its suit or rank. For example:

• “This card is an 8.”
• “This card is a heart.”

The receiver can choose to judge or peek.

👉 If the receiver chooses to judge, they must say whether they believe the claim or not. Then the card is revealed:

• If their judgment is incorrect, they must keep the card in front of them.
• If correct, the card is returned to the original player.

👉 If the receiver chooses to peek, they must pass the card to another player who has not yet received it this round. They must also make a claim about the card in the same category (suit or rank).

If the card reaches the final player in the round, they must make a judgment. The player who concedes to take the card becomes the new starting player.

Winning Conditions

The game ends when any player meets one of the following conditions:

• They accumulate three cards of the same rank.
• They accumulate four cards of the same suit.
• It is their turn to play, but they have no cards left in hand.

The player with the fewest cards in front of them wins: