To be honest, it's a lot easier to learn a game by playing, but I'll do my best.

Egyptian Rat's Crew (Egyptian Ratscrew, Egyptian Rat's Crew)

Probably my all-time favorite game. We played this game so much at camp and on trips. It's really great because, you're never really out unless the game is totally over. Even if you didn't begin the game with the rest of the people. Also, it's a near-perfect blend of luck and quick reflexes.

Need-
One 52 card deck of playing cards
2-6 People (Any more and it's too crowded)
A seating arrangement where all people have an equal ability to slap the deck

Deal-
Dealer deals counterclockwise, one card to each person till the deck runs out. Cards are kept in a stack, no one looks at them.

Objective-
You win when you're the last one left holding cards.

Play-
Person to the left of the dealer starts. They take their top card, flip it over to start the pile. Person to their left does the same, and so on. If no face cards (Jack, Queen, King, Ace) are thrown, play continues. If someone throws a face card, the person to that player's left has to try to throw another one. If the face card is a Jack, they only have one chance to do so. (With a Queen, they have two chances, with a King they have three, and with a Ace they have four.) They throw their top card(Or more, if there's a Queen, King, or Ace). If it's not a face card, the person who threw the Jack takes the pile. (Remembering that with a Queen, they have up to two chances, a King is up to three, and an Ace is up to four.) If they do throw a face card, the person to their left now has to try to throw another face card. When someone fails to get a face card, the person who threw a face card wins the pile.

Unless!

There's a slap. Typical rules say that any time two cards of the same kind (4, Jack, 10, Ace, whatever) come up, you slap. Whoever slaps first, wins the pile. One alternate version of the rules has you slapping not only on doubles, but also on sandwiches, when two of a kind are played, with only one card between them.

Poker

I'm not going to write up a page on how to play poker. You should already know. If you don't, get someone to teach you. But poker is great for a few people with anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to kill. My favorites poker game is five card draw, deuces and one-eyed Jacks wild.

Flip

(Like a lot of games, my I learned this from my cousins. But, I forgot the name of it. Someone at school suggested this one.)

Need-
One 52 card deck of playing cards
Four people (Six works also)
A seating arrangement where everyone has equal access to the area used for throwing and grabbing cards. It's helpful to sit on the floor, because cards tend to scatter.

Deal-
Dealer gives four cards to each person. Everyone is seated across from their partner. (Or partners, if playing with six.) Dealer counts four more cards, and prepares to flip them over in the center of the table. (Or wherever)

Objective-
To collect four of a kind, and have your partner know it. Or, to know that someone on the other team has four of a kind.

Play-
Before you play, the two teams split up. Each has to devise a signal. Can be a code word, a gesture, a kick under the table, whatever. The idea is to come up with a signal that's easy to give, easy to understand, but impossible for the other team to figure out. I've got some great ones, but I'm not about to tell them to you. Dealer counts out the for additional cards from the top of the deck and flips them face-up onto the center of the table. Chaos often ensues right about here. Anyone can reach out, grab a card they want, put it in their hand, and throw another card back out so that they always have four cards in their hand. This continues till no one wants to take/throw any more cards. The four cards on the table are cleared, and four more from the deck are placed there. Grabbing/throwing resumes.

Until!

You collect four of a kind. You start tapping the side of your nose, or casually slipping the word "Aardvark" into conversation. Your parner noticed the pre-arranged signal, announces that you have it(It=Four of a kind), and you win a point. Or, your partner waits till he/she has it also, and announces that you both have it, winning you two points. Or, someone on the other team decodes your signal or just guesses that you have it. They announce this, and they win a point. (Or they notice that both you, your partner, and their own partner have it, and they win three points, or they notice that you, your partner, their partner, and themselves have it, and they win a whopping four points. Any combination is possible, as long as the person calling it calls at least one other person.) Keep score till people go home, or play to 11, or whatever. One caveat, if I call say, me, my partner, and someone on the other team (trying to win three points), and I'm wrong on just one of those, my team loses three points.

Mau

If you want nothing more in the world than for all of your friends to hate you, this is the game to play.

Need-
A deck of 52 playing cards
Some number of people

Deal-
In Traditional 7-Card Mau, each person gets 7 cards...to start with.

Play-
I can't tell you that...

flipse.com
By Dylan Flipse,