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There are many variations and local rules for ERS. Here are some of the other rules I've heard of over the years. If you know of a variation that's not included here, I'd love to hear about it.
- Sandwiches tend to be controversial; some people love them and other people hate them.
- Jokers are usually not included.
- Years ago it seemed more common for people not to finish out the pile when only one player was left; whoever was last able to put down a card was the winner. That seems to have changed in recent years.
- If all cards have been laid down and for some reason the pile is still not finished, the last person to lay down a card is often considered the winner.
- Sometimes the game is not considered over; the deck is instead shuffled and re-dealt.
- Slapping in is usually prohibited if the player who slaps was not originally part of the current game. Sometimes slapping in is disallowed entirely.
- Jokers are wild cards, or can be slapped. My high school seems to have been unique in using Jokers strictly as their own face cards.
- Tens stop a face card, and play continues as if no face card was laid down. I've also heard of people using fours and eights for this.
- One card instantly stops the pile. I've heard of the two of clubs, the queen of hearts, or the queen of spades for this. The player who laid down the previous card wins the pile.
- Sometimes slaps are allowed to override this.
- Twos can be slapped. I've also heard of people using threes, eights and nines.
- Cards that sum to ten can be slapped.
- Four (sometimes only three) consecutive cards of the same suit can be slapped.
- A consecutive king and queen (either order) of the same suit can be slapped. This is called "lovers", "couples" or "marriages".
- I've also seen this extended to any two consecutive hearts ("sweethearts").
- Sometimes a king/queen combination can be slapped if another card is between them. This is called a "divorce".
- A straight of four (sometimes only three) cards can be slapped. They do not have to be the same suit.
- Sometimes only certain straights can be slapped. I've heard of one group only allowing seven-eight-nine straights to be slapped.
- Sometimes only ascending straights are allowed, sometimes both directions.
- Sometimes wrapping around (three two ace king) is allowed.
- Two cards of the same value with two other cards between them (six queen five six) can be slapped. This is often called a "manwich". Manwiches seem to be very unpopular, even among circles that allow them.
- Instead of burning cards, the penalty for a misslap is that the offending player cannot win any slaps for the next five or ten cards.
- Instead of putting burned cards in the pile, burned cards are given directly to the last person that got a pile, or one card is given to each of the other players. Recipients may or may not be allowed to look at the cards before putting them in their hands.
- In a two-player game, a misslap causes the opponent to win the pile.
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[Last updated: 2022-04-19]