How to play Kemps

One standard deck and an even number of players—usually four, in two teams of two, partners sitting opposite each other.

Collect four cards of the same rank and get your partner to call “Kemps”—or catch an opponent with four of a kind and call “Stop Kemps” first.

1. 1Each team goes somewhere private and agrees on a secret signal: a gesture or facial movement, not a word.
2. 2The dealer deals four cards to each player, then four cards face up in a row in the middle.

1. 1There are no turns. Anyone may grab a face-up card and immediately discard a card from their hand in its place, keeping four cards in hand.
2. 2When nobody wants any of the four middle cards, the dealer sweeps them away and deals four new ones.
3. 3Meanwhile, keep sending your signal when you have four of a kind—and watch your opponents for theirs.

• “Kemps!”: call it when your partner has four of a kind. If they do, the other team gets a letter; if not, your team gets the letter.
• “Stop Kemps!”: call it when you think an opponent has four of a kind. If you are right, their team gets a letter; if wrong, your team does.
• A team that collects all five letters K-E-M-P-S loses.

• With more than eight players, use two decks.
• Some groups play a quieter version where you must tap the table instead of calling out.

• Use fake signals to throw the other team off—just never signal anything other than “four of a kind.”
• Change your signal between hands if the other team seems to have spotted it.