Was excited to be at the Sidewalk Bistro last night, seated around the bar, participating in a trivia contest with my daughter. The questions were tough and we underperformed, scoring only 8 points out of a possible 25, much to the delight of our other family members, who mercilessly heckled us via text. To salve the wounds we started playing a Slip, mano a mano, padre a mija.
A Fast Start
Things started out well enough for me, with wins on 5 of the first 6, building an 8 unit lead, including a quad (4x) win on hand 5. The hand was a quad to start because in hand 4 the bid had gotten up to 5 6s (2x for 6s plus 2x for a bid at the 5 level, 3 more than the number of players). And in hand 5 I fortunately held 4 8s which she challenged having none but lost anyway.
It’s a rather satisfying way to win, seeing your opponent challenge and knowing you have enough to make the count. And I followed that up with a win in hand 6 where I also had 3 0s, which combined with her 0 allowed me to make the 4 0s bid on the nose. At this point, there were a lot of complaints about the unfairness of the game, how could I get 4 of a kind then 3 of a kind in consecutive hands.
The Tide Turns
The tide began to turn however, in hand 7, where I had another very strong hand of 4 2s. I went to 5 2s and then she adroitly countered with 6 2s. With 4 in my hand I had to raise to 7 2s which she then challenged and led to me losing as there were only 6 2s (my 4 and her 2).
Even though it was only a 1 unit loss it made the next hand, hand 8, a triple (3x) to start because the bid level of 7 2s in hand 7 reached 5 more than the number of players.
The Bath
Hand 8 was another close hand (missed by one) where the bidding reached 5 6s. As a triple (3x) coming in times a 6s bid (2x) times 2x for a bid level of 5 (3 more than the number of players), a successful bid here would’ve garnered a whopping 12 units.
Alas, it was not to be and I went down 3 units (bidder loses initial stakes on unsuccessful bids). And again, this outgoing bid of 5 6s jacked the multiple to a quad (4x) for hand 9. Which my wily daughter ran up to a first bid 5 5s which I challenged with 2 in my hand (nowhere to go, thought she was lying and would go back to 6s). Instead she had 3, made the count and because it was a double (bid at #players + 3) combined with the quad (4x) coming in won 8 units! So in the space of 2 hands she came back from being 7 down to being 4 up with one hand left to play.
Salvation
The tenth and final hand of a Slip is always doubled and because hand 9 went out as a double (bid level of 5) it was worth 4 units (4x) coming in. And even here I was fortunate to escape and push the Slip. She bid 4 6s with 2 in her hand (which would’ve paid 8) and I challenged with one 6, breathing a sigh of relief when she came up short.
The progress through this Slip neatly encapsulates how quickly fortunes can change in the game, one of the key factors that make the game captivating.
History
And now for some history. There was an old timer sitting nearby, sipping on his white wine, watching us go back and forth. He shared that his crew played Liar’s Poker with physical bills way back in the 70s.
They would start play after the bar he worked in closed at 2am and usually continue until the sun came up. He’d take the cash accumulated from the evening and separate it into stacks.
First couple rounds started with one dollar bills and eventually proceeded to fives, tens and twenties. He recounted what a blast it was to see aggressive play early on when it was only for a dollar apiece contrasted with the tightness once the stakes went higher.
And yes actual bills, They’d lay them on the table at the end of a hand for the count and then grab new ones from the stack.
In their game there was no 2nd chance raise and the number ranking was different (2 thru 9 then 0 and 1s or aces as the highest) but the thrill of playing Liar’s Poker shone through nonetheless.
Tried to entice him to play our digital version of the game, but old school is old school, we’ll wait for the count on that one.
Ready to Make Your Own History?
Think you can out-bluff your friends? Don’t just read about the history—start making your own. Bring the high-stakes energy of Liar’s Poker to your next hangout by downloading the Liar’s Poker Slips app. Challenge your crew, track the count, and see who really has the best poker face.