Swap cards at frantic speed, collect four of a kind—and touch your nose as quietly as you can. Pig is the funniest card game you can play around a cabin table, and all it takes is one deck.
Three to thirteen players sit in a circle with a standard 52-card deck. Each player is dealt four cards; the rest becomes the draw pile next to the dealer.
The goal is to collect four cards of the same rank—four fours, for example. The first player to do so touches the tip of their nose with a finger. Everyone else must follow as soon as they notice. The player who is last to touch their nose is the pig and loses the round.
This version: four cards in hand, passing left with a draw pile at the dealer, and a nose touch as the signal. Rounds are lost, not the whole game.
| Event | Result |
|---|---|
| First with four of a kind | Touches their nose first—safe this round |
| Last to touch the nose | Loses the round and earns a letter: P |
| Holding back a card | Not allowed—everyone must keep passing |
| Three letters (P-I-G) | The player is out—or loses the game, as you agree |
| Winner | The player who avoids letters to the end |
Duplicate your least useful card. With two jacks and two loose cards, pass the loose ones—every swap should keep the most combinations alive.
Read the table, not just the cards. A glance at the dealer, a pause in the swaps, or a badly hidden smile says more than your hand.
Don't rush the nose. Signaling too obviously makes everyone follow at once. Discretion buys you a head start of precious seconds.
The video explains the rules in English. Check your table's house rules before you begin.
Popular variants are Spoons (grab spoons in the middle instead of touching your nose), Tongue (stick out your tongue), Donkey (touch the table), and the no-deck version where everyone passes simultaneously without a draw pile. Large groups sometimes use two decks, and some groups shout “Pig!” instead—agree before the first deal.
Nothing up your sleeve—just legal moves that make everyone wonder when you got so sharp.
The best Pig players watch faces more than their own cards. Something odd at the table is usually the nose tipping everyone off.
Players who suddenly change tempo give themselves away. Keep the same steady rhythm from start to finish—even close to four of a kind.
Choose a combination early—ideally a rank where you already hold two cards—and trade toward it the whole round.
Right after someone touches their nose, most players notice fast. Track small movements in your peripheral vision rather than staring at one person.
Every table has one player who is always last. Sit next to them—their reactions tell you more than the cards do.
Yes—Pig is perfect from about age seven and up. The youngest may need an extra round to learn the swap rhythm.
It usually happens when someone holds cards back. Agree on the rule: as soon as a card reaches you, one must go on to the left immediately.
Turn the discard pile over into a new stock, or start the round again. Most groups reshuffle the discards and keep going.
Rules reviewed on 24 September 2026. House rules vary; this page describes one clear standard version.
Deal four cards each, get the swap machine running, and see who touches their nose first.