How Do You Play the Card Scramble in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation?

By Anna Duncan

Are you a fan of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation? Do you want to know how to play the Card Scramble game that the Griswold family plays during the movie’s climax?

Look no further! In this article, we will walk you through the rules and gameplay of the Card Scramble.

The Setup

To play Card Scramble, you will need a deck of cards and a large table. The game works best with four or more players. Each player is dealt an equal number of cards face-down, and they cannot look at their cards until the game begins.

The Rules

Once all players have their cards, someone shouts “go!” and everyone turns over their top card.

The goal of the game is to get rid of all your cards as quickly as possible by matching them with other players’ cards. If two or more cards match (e.g., two kings or two 10s), those players must slap their hands down on top of the pile of matching cards in the middle of the table.

The first person to slap their hand down gets to add all the matching cards in that pile to their own hand. If there are any leftover unmatched cards, they are placed in another pile next to the matching pile.

Players continue flipping over their top card and trying to match it with other players’ cards until one player runs out of cards. That player is declared the winner!

Additional Rules

There are a few additional rules that can make Card Scramble even more challenging:

  • No Peeking: Players cannot look at their own cards before flipping them over.
  • No Talking: Players cannot communicate with each other during gameplay.
  • No Double Slapping: If a player slaps down on a pile that doesn’t have a match, they must give one of their cards to the player whose card was on the bottom of that pile.

Tips for Winning

Card Scramble may seem like a game of luck, but there are a few strategies you can use to increase your chances of winning:

Pay Attention:

Keep your eyes peeled for matching cards on other players’ piles. Don’t get too focused on your own cards.

Be Quick:

The faster you slap down on a pile, the more likely you are to win it.

Stay Calm:

It can be easy to get flustered during Card Scramble, but try to stay calm and focused. Don’t let the chaos distract you from finding matches.

Now that you know how to play Card Scramble, gather some friends and try it out for yourself! Who knows, maybe you’ll become a Card Scramble champion just like the Griswolds.