Irish Poker, Drinking Game Rules

Category: Card Games · Players: 2+ · You’ll need: 52-card deck; drinks

Four guesses, four cards, and drinks flying both directions. Everyone plays every round at the same time.

Setup: Deal every player 4 cards face-down in a row. Don't peek. Agree on sip amounts per round, a common scheme is 2 / 4 / 6 / 8. Aces high.

The four rounds (going around the table, each player guesses, then flips the card to check):

1. Card 1 – "Red or black?" Right = give 2 sips (split however you like). Wrong = drink 2.
2. Card 2 – "Higher or lower" than your card 1? Right = give 4. Wrong (or a tie) = drink 4.
3. Card 3 – "Inside or outside" the range of your first two cards? (A 3 and a Jack: inside means 4–10, outside means 2 or Q/K/A.) Right = give 6. Wrong (or matching an end) = drink 6.
4. Card 4 – "What suit?" Right = give 8. Wrong = drink 8.

After round 4 the hand is over, redeal to play again.

Irish Poker, Variations

• Lighter stakes: Play rounds at 2/3/4/5 sips instead of 2/4/6/8.
• Give AND take: A right answer gives the sips and a wrong answer takes them, but the player may split their “give” among multiple people only on rounds 3–4.
• Community flip: All players guess each round simultaneously on their own cards, then flip together, faster, rowdier.

← All drinking game rules · Play drinking games online →