Okay, I don't know much, but I do know drinking games. So, guess I might as well share that knowledge since apparently beer pong has taken over as the only drinking game you kids know how to play these days. This time around, I'm going to teach you Connections.
This is a really simple drinking game. All you need to play are a standard deck of cards and your drink of choice.
You should all be sitting at a table or in a circle to play this game. Start by dealing all the cards out to everyone, face down. You start by having the first person turn their first card face up. Then moving clock-wise, the next person turns their first card face up. If they are not connected, move on to the next players until you get a connection. If you are connected, its time to drink. You drink for a certain number of seconds. The time you drink is based on your card. On numbered cards, you drink for that many seconds. For face cards, you drink the following:
Jack: 11 seconds
Queen: 12 seconds
King: 13 seconds
Ace: 15 seconds
Connections: If someone turns up a card and either of the people sitting next to them have cards of the same suit OR the same rank of different suits, then they are connected. Connections keep going in either direction from the last person to turn up a card. You can conceivably have everyone playing be connected at the same time and drinking. Say you have five people playing, sitting in a circle, with player 1 sitting between 2 and 5:
Player 1 turns up their card and has the 5 of Diamonds
Player 2 has the 10 of Diamonds
Player 3 has the 10 of Spades
Player 4 has the King of Spades
Player 5 has the 7 of Diamonds
Everyone is drinking. Do you get how they're connected? Players 1,2 and 5 are connected by suit, because they are sitting next to Player 1. Since Player 2 is connected to Player 1, Player 3's card can be in play. Player 3 is connected to 2, by the rank of the card. Player 4 is then connected to 3 by suit. Let's look at the next action.
Player 2 turns up the Ace of Clubs
Player 3 has the 10 of Diamonds
Player 4 has the King of Spades
Player 5 has the 7 of Diamonds
Player 1 has the 5 of Diamonds
No one drinks this round, because no one is connected to Player 2. Player 1 or 3 have to be connected to Player 2 for Player 4 or 5's cards to be in play. Let's do one more round to see if you've got it.
Player 3 turns up the Ace of Spades
Player 4 has the King of Spades
Player 5 has the 7 of Diamonds
Player 1 has the 5 of Diamonds
Player 2 has the Ace of Clubs
Who do you think is drinking? If you said Players 3,4 and 2, you're right. Player 3 is connected to Player 4 by suit and Player 2 by the rank of the card. Player 5 is not connected to Player 4 and Player 1 is not connected to Player 2, so they're safe....for now.
Player 4 turns up the 7 of Spades
Player 5 has the 7 of Diamonds
Player 1 has the 5 of Diamonds
Player 2 has the Ace of Clubs
Player 3 has the Ace of Spades
Who's drinking? Everyone! Player 4 is connected to Player 5 by rank; they both have 7's. Player 5 is connected to Player 1 by suit. Now, in the other direction. Player 4 is connected to Player 3 by suit. Player 3 is connected to Player 2 by rank. Player 2 and 3 are going to have a long night.
Think you've got it? Good. Keep playing until the last card is turned up or everyone passes out. This is a great game for starting parties and getting everyone warmed up. Be careful though, those aces can really stick it to you, especially if you have to drink three or four times on that one card. Have fun and be safe. Remember to always have a designated driver.
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