EQUIPMENT
For this game you need nine playing cards from a regular poker deck: the Queen, the King and the Jack of three different suits (Hearts, Spades, Diamonds).
SETUP
Shuffle the cards. Each player receives four cards and takes these into his hand. Don't show your cards to your opponent. The remaining card is put face down in the middle of the table.
GOAL
The goal of the game is to be the first player to correctly guess which card is put face down in the middle of the table. You can also win if you catch your opponent lying.
GAMEPLAY
The oldest player is the starting player for the first game. For subsequent games, the loser decides who will be the starting player for the next game. You alternately take turns. The starting player takes the first turn.
During your turn you choose a card from your hand and place it face up in front of you.
Then you ask your opponent how many cards he has in his hand that match that card's suit - or - you ask your opponent how many cards he has in his hand that match that card's picture.
Your opponent then answers the question and takes his turn.
Cards played this way stay face up on the table for the remainder of the game, which means your hand size decreases as the game proceeds.
Instead of laying a card and asking a question you may make a guess. If you do, you clearly state which card you think is face down in the middle of the table. Then reveal the card in the middle of the table.
If your guess was correct, you win the game. Otherwise, you lose the game.
Example
- Adam plays a King of Spades and asks Bill how many Kings he has in his hand. Bill answers "one."
- Bill then plays a Queen of Hearts and asks Adam how many Hearts he has in his hand. Adam answers "zero."
- Adam then makes a guess: "I think it's the Jack of Hearts." He reveals the card in the middle of the table. It's a Jack of Diamonds. Oops. Adam loses.
THE TWIST
Normally, when your opponent answers a question, he has to answer truthfully. However, it is allowed to give a false answer to a question during the game once.
When your opponent answers your question, and you suspect he lies, you may yell "Liar!" before he takes his turn. When you yell "Liar!," your opponent shows his cards so that you can verify whether he was lying or not.
If your opponent was indeed lying, you win the game. Otherwise, you lose the game.
Example
- Adam plays a Jack of Spades and asks Bill how many Jacks he has in his hand. Bill answers "two."
- Bill plays a Jack of Diamonds and asks Adam how many Diamonds he has in his hand. Adam answers "one."
- Adam plays a Queen of Spades and asks Bill how many Queens he has in his hand. Bill answers "one." "Liar!", yells Adam, but Bill reveals his cards and shows exactly one Queen. He wasn't lying after all. Adam loses again. He just isn't very good at this game.
Liar! © 2005 by René Wiersma
