Screw Your Neighbor (Cuckoo, Chase the Ace, Ranter-Go-Round, Pass the Ace) is a card game from England (historical card game) for 3–9 players. Learn Screw Your Neighbor rules — three lives each, swap to avoid the lowest card, last player standing takes the pot. Track it with PartyPot.
Screw Your Neighbor
Also known as: Cuckoo · Chase the Ace · Ranter-Go-Round · Pass the Ace
Players
3–9
Play Time
20–40 min
Origin
England (historical card game)
Equipment
1 deck of 52 cards + 3 chips, tokens, or coins per player
What Is Screw Your Neighbor?
Screw Your Neighbor (also called Cuckoo or Chase the Ace) is a brutally simple elimination game played for a pot. Everyone antes in and takes three "lives" — usually three chips. Each player is dealt a single card, and the goal is to not be holding the lowest card when they are revealed. Starting to the dealer's left, each player chooses to keep their card or force a swap with the neighbor on their left — unless that neighbor holds a King, which blocks the trade. The dealer, going last, may swap with the top of the deck. When all cards are shown, the lowest card (Ace is low) loses one life into the pot. Lose all three lives and you are out; the last player with a life left wins the whole pot. It is quick, mean in the most affectionate way, and a perfect filler between bigger games.
How to Play Screw Your Neighbor
Everyone antes into the pot and takes 3 lives (chips or tokens); agree the value first
The dealer gives each player one card face down — Ace is low, King is high
Starting left of the dealer, each player keeps their card or forces a swap with the neighbor to their left
A player holding a King flips it to block the swap — the would-be trader is stuck with their card
The dealer plays last and may swap their card with the top card of the draw pile
All cards are revealed; whoever holds the lowest card loses one life into the pot
On a tie for lowest, every tied player loses a life
A player who loses all 3 lives is out; the last player remaining wins the entire pot
How PartyPot Makes Screw Your Neighbor Better
Center Pot holds the antes and every lost life, so the growing pot is always accurate
Each player's remaining lives show on their phone — no arguing over who has how many chips
Audit log captures every life lost, round by round, in a fast-moving game
Set the ante and life value once and let PartyPot do the arithmetic
Smart Settlement pays out the final pot and squares the table in one step
Pro Tips
Keep antes small — this is an elimination game, so rounds are quick and frequent
House-rule whether a revealed King also protects against losing the round, or only blocks the swap
For bigger groups, deal two tables and merge survivors for a finale pot
Use PartyPot to run a best-of-several-pots night and carry balances between games
Play Screw Your Neighbor with PartyPot
Download PartyPot free — create a room, share the QR code, and start playing Screw Your Neighbor with a digital banker in under 30 seconds.
