P & A: A Drinking Game Overlooked

Don't have the means or drive to undertake a lengthy beer-pong session? All flip-cupped out for the evening? Pre-gaming with only half an hour before your required departure? If you find yourself in these or similar quandaries with a group of friends (aged 21 or older), here's some advice: Put down the DVD and forget its corresponding shoddy drinking game you just invented, pick up a deck of cards, and pour some fresh drinks-we're going to play P&A.

Short for Presidents and something every player in the group undoubtedly possesses, the requisites for this game are only a full deck of playing cards, at least four players, some sort of playing surface in the middle of the group, an open mind, and a welcoming heart. The first round of the game begins with all players being dealt an even number of cards. Each player takes his or her turn, moving clockwise around the group Each player acts in a similar fashion as card games like Hearts or 13: The first player acting can play any card he or she desires, usually a low-ranked card, with a 3 being the lowest-valued, 4 the second-lowest, and so on, with one strange curveball: 2s are the most valuable cards in the game, with the power to "clear" the cards under it, effectively ending the cycle of that round, and starting a new one, with the player who placed down the 2 acting first. While a 2 will end the play of that particular round and reset it, other combinations of cards can have similar power, depending on what others in the game possess. For instance, if it is a player's turn to act after the previous competitor has placed down a 10, his or her options are limited to the following: Another single 10-card (which, like any "double" card placed down immediately after a card of the same rank, will skip the player who is up after he or she who played the double); a single card Jack through Ace; any pair, since it outranks any card except a 2 (which will clear the action before a subsequent player can act, anyway); any three of a kind; any four of a kind (which, like a 2, clears the action and begins a new round with he or she who played the four of a kind); or a 2, which clears. If he or she does not possess these cards or, importantly, chooses not to use her available cards at this round she must say "skip," and the following players then goes; unlike Hearts, no player is forced to unload cards that are appropriate to play at any given time-the potential for complicated strategy abounds.

There are many fun ways to assign drinks based on the action itself: Whenever a four of a kind is played, it is customary to call out "social!" and have all players take a drink. If a player is skipped, either by choice or because a double was played immediately before his or her turn, the player must drink. If he or she is seen not drinking, any other player in the game can point this out and, in return for trying to deceive the fellow competitors, three drinks are to be taken. Although ranking (which I will get to in the subsequent paragraph) unleashes the full power of players' sadistic drives to punish others, similar to electric shock treatment experiments, please feel free to come up with creative ways to give drinks determined solely by the cards.

This action continues until all players are out (that is, have played all of their cards) except for one. The first player to exit the game is rewarded for his prowess by being given the rank of President. Like the actual president, the winner of the game is given unchecked power and, fueled by his or her own psychotic drive to boss others around, can institute, beginning in the next game, any rule he or she desires-this includes assigning ANY number of drinks to any other player in the game, since the President outranks all of them. Examples of rules include: Everyone else taking a drink anytime a particular suit is played; three drinks for every three of a kind played; a person being forced to take five drinks any time an "unallowed" word is spoken (frequently stated to be a very common word, such as "if" or "and"); and, a personal favorite from my experiences, requiring every player in the game to maintain a perpetual smile, under punishment of two drinks. Other players in the game can certainly suggest rules for the President to enact, but the President possesses "veto power" and is under no obligation to use the suggested rule, although he or she may choose to for the purpose of forming an alliance in later games.

There is certainly temptation for the President to assign an enormous amount of drinks to other players in the game, taking twisted pleasure in his or her new power; but, with each new game there is potential for a new President to emerge, and, hellbent on revenge, this new President has the ability to make the previous dictator pay for any past misdeeds.

The person who does not exit the game, the last to hold cards, is called the "A." The A can be forced to drink by EVERY OTHER player in the game, not only the president, once the game starts. The A also must deal the cards to start the next game; at this time, however, the A is truly the king. The A can force any other player in the game to drink, including the president, during the dealing of the cards and before the game starts (the game cannot start until the A touches his or her cards); going overboard is not advisable since, once the game begins, all other players can take retribution. The A also does not have to follow any rules regarding dealing: As long as he or she gives each player at least one card, the cards can be dealt in any order and in any distribution the A desires.

These games can continue as long as you wish-enjoy!