Looking for an easy-to-learn card game to play with your child? Beggar My Neighbour is fun, fast, and takes only a couple of minutes to pick up. Here’s how to play Beggar My Neighbour.
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We learned how to play Beggar My Neighbour and it quickly became a favourite in our house. It’s only a two-player game, so it’s not one for the whole family at once, but it’s genuinely quick to learn and kids pick it up in no time.
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How to Play Beggar My Neighbour
Number of players: 2
Cards needed: Standard 52-card deck
Goal: To win all of the cards
Shuffle the cards and deal them all out between the two players. Players keep their cards in a pile in front of them, face down. The player to the left of the dealer starts the game by turning over their top card and playing it into the middle.
If the card played has a rank of 2 to 10, play simply passes to the next player, who turns over their own top card.
When a face card or an Ace (a “court card”) is turned up, the next player has to pay a number of cards:
- Jack – the next player turns over 1 card
- Queen – the next player turns over 2 cards, one at a time
- King – the next player turns over 3 cards, one at a time
- Ace – the next player turns over 4 cards, one at a time
If all the cards being “paid” are ranked between 2 and 10, the player who played the original court card gets to keep the whole pile. However, if one of the cards being paid is itself a court card, the paying player stops immediately, and the other player now has to pay instead.
This back-and-forth continues until one player wins the pile in the middle. That player then puts their winnings at the bottom of their own pile, face down.
If you run out of cards, you’re out of the game. The first player to collect all 52 cards is the winner. A round can take a while to finish, so it’s fine to agree in advance that whoever has the most cards after a set amount of time wins.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many people can play Beggar My Neighbour?
Beggar My Neighbour is played by exactly 2 players. It’s a great pick for a quiet one-on-one moment with a child rather than a big family card night.
What cards do you need to play?
Just a standard 52-card deck — no special cards or equipment needed.
How long does a game of Beggar My Neighbour take?
It can vary a lot, since the game continues until one player has won every card. If you want a quicker session, agree beforehand that whoever holds the most cards after a set time (say, 15 minutes) is the winner.
Is Beggar My Neighbour good for young children?
Yes — the rules are simple enough for young children to follow, and it’s a good way to introduce card ranks and turn-taking in a low-pressure way.
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