Higher or Lower: the easiest card drinking game
In Higher or Lower, the dealer turns over a card and the next player guesses whether the following card will be higher or lower. A wrong guess means a drink; a right guess keeps the turn going. Three right in a row passes the deck to the next player. It needs one deck, takes ten seconds to explain and works for two players or ten.
What you need
- One deck of cards
- Two or more players
- Small drinks
How to play
- Shuffle and flip. The dealer turns the top card face-up in the middle.
- Guess. The player to the dealer’s left says “higher” or “lower”.
- Flip again. The dealer turns the next card on top.
- Wrong? Drink one sip, and the guess passes to the next player.
- Right? Guess again from the new card. Three right in a row and you pass the turn with no drink.
Aces are high, unless your group says otherwise. A card equal to the last one counts as wrong in most groups.
Four variations
The streak rule
Every right guess adds one to the pile. When someone finally guesses wrong, they drink one sip for every card in the current run (cap it at five). It turns a quiet game into a tense one fast.
Beat the Dealer
One player is the dealer. Each player in turn guesses the exact rank of the next card. Wrong? The dealer says higher or lower and they get a second guess. Wrong again, they drink the difference between their guess and the card (cap it at five). Right on the first guess, the dealer drinks. Three players in a row miss, and the dealer job passes on. It is also played under a ruder name.
Red or Black, then Higher or Lower
Alternate the questions: one turn is red or black, the next higher or lower. Good for very new players.
Team Higher or Lower
Two teams, one guess per team, discussed out loud. The team that guesses wrong drinks one sip each. Very good for 4 people and up.
When to pick it
Higher or Lower is the best card game for warming up: everyone knows how to play in ten seconds, nobody has to remember rules, and you can stop at any point. Use it as the start of a pregame, with just two of you, or as the opening of Ride the Bus if the group wants more. CardRules+, our card game rules app, has the rules for many more card games.
Keep it a game
One sip per wrong guess, capped streaks, and water on the table. Nobody needs to finish a drink to stay in. More on our responsible drinking page.
Questions people ask
What happens if the card is the same in Higher or Lower?
Agree before you start. The most common rule is that a tie counts as wrong and the guesser drinks. Some groups make a tie a free pass, or make everyone drink.
Is an Ace high or low?
Usually high. Some groups play Aces as both, so an Ace is always a win for whoever guesses the extreme.
Can you play Higher or Lower with two people?
Yes, it is one of the best card drinking games for two. Take turns guessing, and pass the deck after three right guesses in a row.
How is Higher or Lower different from Ride the Bus?
Ride the Bus uses higher or lower as one of its four guesses, then adds a pyramid and a final bus ride. Higher or Lower is just the guessing, round after round, which makes it easier to drop in and out of.
Who's gettingwrecked tonight?
Wrecked turns all of this into one game on one phone: 1,800+ cards, rules that stack, chaos every 5 cards and a personal roast for everyone at the end.
