Play Kent

Kent is a card game you can play with any even number of players, from four up to twelve. It's a good game for kids or anyone who gets easily frustrated, because learning how to play is not only super simple, it's also a lot of fun! Follow the steps outlined here to learn how to play Kent.

Steps

  1. To win a round, one member of a team must acquire four cards of the same rank. The other member of that team then has to recognize that their partner has collected four of a kind by saying "Kent!" (or "Kemps!" or "Pickle!", depending on the version of the game).
  2. Before beginning the game, work out a signal with your partner. This could be something as simple as blinking several times in a row, or you could use something more complex, like clearing your throat and crossing your arms a certain way. Now sit across from your partner so that you can easily make eye contact with them.
  3. Deal out four starting cards to each player. Place the rest of the cards in the middle of the table so that all the players have access to them.
  4. The first person to go draws a card from the pile. If they have a matching card in their hand, they discard one of their other cards to be replaced by the new card. If they don't, they will typically set the new card back down.
  5. Play proceeds around the table until someone yells "Kent!". If that team has 4 cards of the same rank, they win the round and receive the letter K.
    • If you think that another team is about to call Kent, call out "Cut!" or "Counter-Kent!". This will result in you winning the round instead.
    • If you think you and your partner both have four cards of the same rank, you can say "Double-Kent!" and get twice as many letters, for example, a K and an E in the same round. (You should probably have a different signal for Double-Kent than for regular Kent, so make sure you and your partner are on the same page at all times.)
  6. The first group to spell out K-E-N-T is the winning team. In some variations the team has to spell out a longer word or take extra measures to win a round, but this is the simplest version of Kent, so just follow the steps here and you should be fine. Good luck!

Tips

  • If you want to make the game extra confusing for your opponents, figure out some fake signs you can use to make them think you're going to call out Kent when you're really not.
  • Keep an eye on your competitors at all time! There's no such thing as too much vigilance in Kent.
  • This is similar to a game called "Pig"--if you've ever played that then you'll have a good idea of how to start.

Things You'll Need

  • Standard 52-card deck
  • 4 to 6 players

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