Chase the Ace
This is a pretty simple game that allows a lot of people to play including little kids who can't yet play other games with adults. You are basically trading cards with the person to the left of you.
The goal of the game is to be the last person with chips (money) in order to win the whole pot.
The goal of each round is to NOT have the lowest card showing.
Aces are low in this game. Hence the name.
Kings are the highest card and are special. They are safe so the players don't have to trade cards. It acts as a stopper for people to the right of them.
At the beginning of each game each person puts three coins in front of them. These are used for when they lose a round.
Deal one card to each player. Face down.
If anyone has a King flip it over.
The first player to the left of the dealer decides whether or not to keep their card. If they want to keep it just say "stay". Or they can trade it with the person to their left who must trade (Except for Kings in that case they are stuck with the card; see above).
Play goes around with each player deciding to stay or trade with the person on their left. You'll notice that ace's tends to pick up spead as they go around.
Once the turn gets up to the dealer there's no more trading. Instead of trading with the person to the left of them the dealer either keeps the card they have or cuts the deck for a new one. If they are cutting they say so. It now becomes their card even it is worse and/or they lose.
Now everyone flips over their card. The player, or players, with the lowest card pays up with one coin into the pot.
Note that it is possible multiple people can have the lowest card since there are four cards of each number in the deck. Also note that the Ace may not be the lowest card showing.
Only the players with lowest card lose. So if the lowest card is an Ace then only players who have an Ace lose and pay up. If the lowest card is a three then only those with three's lose and pay up.
Once a person has paid in all of their coins they are on charity. If they lose again they are out of the game.
Keep going around until only one person has coins. They win!!!
NOTES
If a person has a six or less they usually should trade. Though as the number of players drop off this number seems to go up.
Since the lowest card loses you only need to make sure you don't have it. So if someone trades an ace and gets a two then the person with the two should stop. They have someone beat. Just say "stay".
It's possible to be on charity a long time and even win the game.
Players are not required to trade with the person on their left. Only with players on their right if that person wants to and a King is not involved.
A tie can end the game. For example the last two players have the same cards so will both have to pay up. If one of them is on charity and the other has a coin the player on charity will be out of the game. The player with a coin left can pay up so is still in and wins the game.
Players must have their coins in front of them so everyone can see how many they have left.
Assuming a players coins are in front of them they do not have to say how many they have left. If they do they may jinx themselves and end up losing (Just seems to be the case).