The knife game, pinfinger, nerve, bishop, stabscotch, knife fingies,stabberscotch, five finger fillet (FFF), or 'stab between the fingers game', is a game wherein, placing the palm of one's hand down on a table with fingers apart, using a knife (such as a pocket or pen knife), or other sharp object, one attempts to stab back and forth between one's fingers, moving the object back and forth, trying to not hit one's fingers. The game is intentionally dangerous, exposing players to the risk of injury and scarring, and, before antibiotics, an incision or penetration risked sepsis and death. A foldable blade carries the additional danger that, 'as the faster you go, the more likely the blade will fold back in on itself trapping the finger of your stabbing hand.'[1] It may be played much more safely by using another object, such as the eraser side of a pencil or a marker with its cap on. In European culture it is traditionally considered a boys' game.[2][3][4] However, its focus on motor coordination and dexterity is comparable to clapping games.[2]
Knife game (representation of motion)
In Between, commonly known as Ace-Deuce, Yablon, or Post, is a relatively easy card game to learn. In Between is one of the few dealerâs choice poker games that can be played with 2 players or 8.
Among our rowdy amusements [exiled in Siberia] was a popular knife game. You place the palm of your hand flat on a table with fingers apart. Then you stab back and forth between the fingers, trying not to hit them. The faster you stab, the better, and the fastest one wins. I still have a visible scar...as a reminder of this game. I don't know why we did such a dumb thing, but it seemed like the manly thing to do at the time.
ââJohn Armonas (b. 1939), Lithuanian Soviet exile, autobiography[3]
![]()
It was a macho thing to have a jacknife when I was young [in North Dakota] and even manlier to play dangerous games with it. One of our pocketknife games was...mumbly-peg....A more dangerous game was just called the Knife Game, also sometimes known as the FFF (five-finger fillets). This game challenged your coordination as you tried to stab a knife between your outstretched fingers while holding your palm down on the ground or on a table. Whoever could do that the fastest in an allotted time was the winner. The loser was the slowestâor the one who stabbed his hand or finger. I was the big loser one time,...it left an obvious scar...displaying validation of rituals confirming manhood.
ââHerb Hicks (b. 1934), musician, autobiography[4]
Order of 'stabbing'[edit]
Simple order for playing the knife game
In Between Game Rules
More complex order for playing the knife game
More complex order for playing the knife game
The order in which the spaces between the fingers are stabbed varies. In the following examples, the space numbered 1 is to the outside of the thumb, with numbering then proceeding to the space between the thumb and index finger and so forth.
The most popular version is to simply stab all the spaces in order, starting from behind the thumb to after the little finger, and back again ('In its simplest form, one would simply move as fast as one dared backwards and forwards.'[2]):
A more complex order is also common ('Those with stronger nerves could stab according to a sequence'[2]):
or an even more complex order:
In Australia this order is used.
Popular culture[edit]Video games[edit]
In the Sierra On-Line game Manhunter: New York (1988), one sequence requires winning the knife game in a Brooklyn bar in order to continue the winning plot.[5]
In the Lucas Arts game Full Throttle (1995), the knife game is played in a bar.
It appears as one of the minigames in Work Time Fun (2005). It has no win condition, so the game only ends once the player hits a finger.
Knife.Hand.Chop.Bot (2007), by the Svoltcore group, is an 'interactive installation that plays with the recipient's concern about [his or her] own physical integrity.'[6]
2010's Red Dead Redemption, its sequel Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018) and 2011's Rage include the knife game as a playable mini-game.
In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015), a few drunken locals can be seen playing the knife game inside an inn.
In Call of Duty: WWII (2017), Robert Zussman is seen playing the knife game in an opening cinematic.
In Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony (2018) Kokichi Ouma attempts to play it in his final free-time again (but ends up cutting himself).
It appears in Necrobarista (2020) as a wager between Kishan and Maddy.
Knife game song[edit]
On August 31, 2011, a YouTube video entitled 'The Knife Game Song' created by songwriter Rusty Cage was released.[7][8] Several internet users uploaded videos of them singing a song while playing the knife game.[9] A new version of the song with additional lyrics was later released on March 29, 2013.[10]
In 2017, Rusty Cage released a video detailing his side of the story on the knife game.[11] He uploaded his final knife game song on April 29, 2017.[12] In January 2019, Rusty privated these songs from his YouTube due to fears of his channel being striked and terminated, however there are still re-uploads of the songs by other users on the site, and Rusty created a BitChute account so he could store his Knife Game videos.
Film[edit]
Roman Polanski's first feature Knife in the Water (1962) may be the first film to show the game; a young hitchhiker plays the game on the deck of a sailboat.
The movie Aliens (1986) features a scene with a member of the crew, Bishop, who plays the 'knife game' with another member of the crew.[13][1]
The game is played in the movie Ted (2012) created by Seth MacFarlane; the eponymous character, the talking teddy bear, Ted, plays the game at a party with a stranger while intoxicated and ends up accidentally stabbing the stranger's hand.
In The Hangover Part II (2011) an unsuccessful attempt at the knife game is eventually revealed to be the cause of the severed finger discovered in the motel room, which turns out to be an essential clue.
In Between Gameplay
In Drugstore Cowboy (1989) the game is briefly shown to be played by neighbors of the main characters.
Television[edit]
In episode 8 of the first season of Samurai Jack (2001), some patrons of the bar in the opening scene are shown to play a version of the game with a spork instead of a knife.
In episode 2 of The IT Crowd (2006), Moss can be seen playing the game as a fire spreads across the office.
In Season 5, Episode 14 of The Amazing World of Gumball (2017), Darwin can be seen playing the knife game using a fork.
In Season 1, Episode 2 of SuperMansion (2015), Black Saturn, Jewbot, Brad, American Ranger, and Cooch take turns failing at the game in the kitchen (with Cooch shoving the knife directly in to her thigh).
In season 1, episode 6 of the HBO series Boardwalk Empire (2010) features a young WWI veteran, Jimmy Darmody, playing 'Five Finger Fillet,' and requesting the young Al Capone to join in.[14]
In episode 21 of the 11th season of The Simpsons, Homer Simpson can be seen failing the knife game and stabbing all of his fingers.
In the episode 'The Bill' of Inside No. 9, the knife game (called Stabscotch) is used to decide who should pay a restaurant bill.
In The Night Of, the knife game becomes a pivotal element to the criminal trial.
In Season 3, Episode 10 of Z Nation (2016), 10K is forced to perform the knife game as a test of loyalty to Murphy.
In Season 4, Episode 14 of Revenge (TV series), Emily uses the knife game as a method of unlocking Louise's hidden memories about her father's death. Nolan claims it was a technique she learned in Japan.
In Season 8, Episode 16 of Castle (TV series), Detective Javier uses the knife game to interrogate a suspect.
See also[edit]References[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Knife_game&oldid=988813316'
A round of Acey Deucey. Dealt two cards, the player bets on whether the value of the third card will fall between the value of the first two.
Acey Deucey, also known as Yablon,[1]In-Between, Sheets, Between the Sheets or Maverick, is a simple card game that involves betting.
Rules[edit]
Before the action, each player must add their ante into the pot. Two cards are then dealt face-up to one player. That player then bets from nothing to the amount that is in the pot at the time whether or not the third card will numerically fall in between the first two. If the third card falls in between the two other cards, the bettor takes the amount he bet out of the pot; if the third card falls outside of the two other cards, the bettor must add what he bet to the pot; and if the third card matches the numerical value of one of the other two cards, the bettor must add to the pot double what they bet. If two cards of the same value come up, e.g. 2,2 the bettor picks if the next card will be higher or lower and bets. If the next card is the same as the last two, i.e. a 2, the bettor must triple their bet.
Regionally specific rules[edit]
The rules and specifics of the game often vary from region to region. For example in Liaoning province, northeast China the minimum number of players is 4 and each player is required to ante before the first card is turned. Two cards are then dealt face-up to one player. That player then bets from nothing to the amount that is in the pot at the time (during the first time around the table players are only allowed to bet up to half of the pot) whether or not the third card will numerically fall in between the first two. Other regions, such as in the United States, play the game by combining two decks of cards. This adds another dynamic to the game due to the extra number of similar type cards. Beyond that, most of the other rules followed by United States players are similar to those which are observed in the Liaoning province.
Just about all regions play if the third card falls in between the two other cards, the bettor takes the amount he bet out of the pot; if the third card falls outside of the two other cards, the bettor must add what he bet to the pot; and if the third card matches the numerical value of one of the other two cards, this is referred to as a 'Post' and the bettor must add to the pot double his initial bet. If two cards of the same value come up, e.g. 2,2 the bettor picks if the next card will be higher or lower and bets. If the next card is the same as the last two, i.e. a 2, this is considered a 'Post' and the player is required to pay triple the bet for the hand.
Aces[edit]
In addition to this, there is a special rule for Aces. If the first card turned is an Ace the player may choose its value as either the high Ace or the low one. Low Ace is always lower than any other card, including the deuce. If an Ace comes up as the second card turned it is always considered the high Ace. If a player 'Posts' on an Ace they are required to pay four times their bet for that hand. Aces also cause an automatic loss if it is the third card turned when the first two cards are a match, e.g. 6,6. The best spread in the game is considered to be a low Ace on the left and a high Ace on the right. This is also one of the worst hands to get as you run the risk of the third card being an Ace and having to pay four times your bet for the hand.
Strategy[edit]
Players attempting to middle two posts with a spread of less than 8 will show a long term loss. (Where n{displaystyle n} is the spread between the posts (i.e., the value of the higher card minus the value of the lower card), 4(nâ1)=4(11â(nâ1))+2Ã2Ã3{displaystyle 4(n-1)=4(11-(n-1))+2times 2times 3} solves to a break-even point of 8.0.)
Variations[edit]
A variation is to split the cards if two end cards are the same value. This requires the bettor to ante in for two hands and the dealer would draw one more card under each of the end cards. After this, the same rules apply.
Some new rules that increase payouts and betting:
In popular culture[edit]In Between Game Review
The game show Card Sharks is based on Acey Deucey and closely resembles the rules.[citation needed] In the show, two players answer high-low survey questions, and guess whether the next card is higher or lower (with duplicates counting as wrong).
Acey-ducey is often mentioned in the book series The Corps by W.E.B. Griffin which is set in the Pacific Theater of World War II, and follows the lives of a group of marines in special service. Griffin never explains the game in the slightest, but his characters are often playing it when they are interrupted by the war, i.e. required to stop playing to perform some duty.
In 1978 a type-in programBASICvideo game version was distributed via the book BASIC Computer Games.[2]
An unsold 1985 game show pilot hosted by Jim McKrell, entitled Split Decision, had contestants playing the game Acey Deucey while answering general knowledge questions. Each player picked a card to share and had their own base card, and tried to fit a card in or bust the other player.
The game is also frequently mentioned on Barstool Sports' Spittinâ Chiclets podcast, hosted Ryan Whitney, Rear Admiral, and Paul Bissonnette. According to Whitney and Bissonnette, both former NHL players, the game is regularly played on team flights and bus rides.
See also[edit]References[edit]
External links[edit]In Between Game Card
In Between Game Rules
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Acey_Deucey_(card_game)&oldid=963957650'
Comments are closed.
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |