Printable party game

Bet Your Mate

There is no right answer. They invent their own number, and you have to guess what they would say.

The guest of honour answers questions about themselves in secret. Everyone else guesses what they wrote, then backs the guess they trust most, which does not have to be their own.

Wagering
3-20 players
20-30 minutes

Build my pack All games

A printed page of Bet Your Mate question cards

A printed page of Bet Your Mate answer cards

How to play

Three things happen each round.

Step 1
The guest of honour writes a number, in secret
They read a question about themselves, decide their own answer on the spot, and keep it hidden. There is nothing to look up. Whatever they write is the truth for that round.
Step 2
Everyone else writes a guess
Everyone writes the number they think the guest chose, all at once, then the guesses go out in view from lowest to highest. The guest's number stays face down.
Ava wrote 6. Tom is closest, so everyone who backed him doubles their chips.
Step 3
Now back the guess you trust
Put chips on one guess, and it does not have to be your own. Guess terribly and you can still clean up by backing the person who actually knows them. Then the guest flips their number and the closest guess pays out.

Why the betting is the real game

There is nothing to look up

The guest invents the number live, so nobody can be technically right. You are not guessing a fact, you are guessing what this person would say about themselves.

A terrible guess can still win the round

Once the guesses are out you back whichever one you trust, including somebody else's. Knowing who knows them turns out to be worth more than knowing them yourself.

They have to defend the number

The guest flips it over and then explains it, which is where the arguing starts. Nobody has ever accepted the first number without a fight.

What makes it yours

Every question is about their life, not general knowledge

You tell us about the guest of honour, and the questions come back about their life. There is nothing stored behind them. They decide every number at the table.

Ava has moved house a lot lately

How many boxes would Ava reckon she could unpack in an hour?

Ava is always breaking phones

Out of 10, how likely is Ava to survive a year with one phone?

Ava swears the drive to her mum's is quick

Out of 10, how likely is Ava to say the drive to her mum's is quick?

Printed question cards, each one about the guest of honour — Because every question is about them, the person who has known them for twenty years and the person who met them tonight are playing two completely different games. Working out which of those you are is most of the skill.

What you print

Question cards, built around the guest of honour30
Guess cards plus the guest's answer card
Printable chips, optional
Chip tally, optional

Prints on plain A4 or Letter. Black and white is fine. Cut along the guides and you are ready.

See a real printed pack (PDF)

Before you play: a pen for every player and the guest, plus a cup or bowl to hold the bank. Any coins or counters work instead of the printed chips.

Is this one for your group?

Perfect for

✓A guest of honour happy to run it. They read every question and hold every answer.
✓Groups who like a bit of needle
✓Around a table with room for the chips to pile up
✓Anyone who has ever said I knew it and been ignored
✓A party that wants a game with actual stakes

Maybe not if

×A guest of honour who hates being the centre of it. They run this one.
×Groups who will not cut the chips out. You need them.
×A quick ten minute filler. This one wants a full sitting.

Questions

Who runs the game?

The guest of honour, and they do not play. They read each question, write their own number, hold it while the betting happens, then flip it and explain themselves. It is the one game where being the person the party is for gives you an actual job.

How do you know the number is right?

You do not, and that is the point. There is no fact being checked. The guest decides their number live, so the whole game is working out what they would claim about themselves and who at the table can read that best.

What if two guesses tie?

Both win. Anyone who backed either of them doubles their bet. Ties are good for everyone except the people who backed neither.

Can I really bet on somebody else's guess?

Yes, and you should. Every guess is face up before betting opens. If you think your number is nonsense and your mate has nailed it, back them and take the chips.

What are the chips for?

Betting. Every player gets a pile, and once all the guesses are face up you put your chips behind the one you think is closest. Back the winner and you collect. Back your own bad guess out of pride and you will not.

Where do the numbers come from?

The guest of honour decides each number live at the table. The pack gives them questions worth arguing about, and everyone else tries to predict what they will say.

How many people do we need?

Three to twenty. A smaller table makes every bet feel personal, while a bigger group gives you more guesses to back.