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The White Elephant<\/strong> game is a popular Christmas event where people vie to walk away with the best present; it is a “hidden gift exchange” game where the players will gather around a common area (like a table) with all of the wrapped gifts separated to the side in the “gift pool”. Each player will then take turns selecting a new gift from the pool or stealing an already opened gift from another player! The game itself is fairly simple, and every family has its own variation. Here’s our rule set for this year:<\/p>\n Each Player Will Bring One Wrapped Gift to the Game ($20 Minimum)<\/strong> Players to Draw Numbers to See Who Goes First (Double Random)<\/strong> You Don’t Want to Be First… Or Do You?<\/strong> How the Game Plays Out<\/strong> The first player (in order) has no choice but to select a wrapped gift from the pool, unwrap it, and place it on the table in front of them. The next player (in order) has two options:<\/p>\n If a player’s gift is stolen, they immediately become the current player. Repeat the above until there are no more unwrapped gifts in the pool and everyone each has one unwrapped gift!<\/p>\n Rule #1. One Steal Per Round Rule #2. No “Steal Backs”<\/strong><\/span> Rule #3. Three Steals and a Gift is Locked Rule #4. No Box Checking! Rule #5. No Putbacks! Rule #6. No Teaming Up! Rule #7. After-game Trades Are Fine
\nThe gift can be anything with a minimum value of $20. Spend as much as you want, make it something exciting or useful!<\/p>\n
\nEach person will draw a number first; then a random coin flip will determine if the order is standard (1, 2, 3, 4) or reversed (4, 3, 2, 1)<\/p>\n
\nThe first player will go and select any wrapped gift from the pool, unwrap it, and place it on the table in front of them This gift is theirs unless it is stolen from the next.
\nThe first player is actually at the mercy of the following players because they do not get a choice to continue unless this first gift is stolen!<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong><\/span>NOTE: Each “round” of the game starts with each new unwrapped gift.<\/p>\n\n
\n– If a gift is stolen, the player who’s gift was stolen from them becomes the next player.<\/li>\n
\nIf a new gift is unwrapped, a new round has begun, and the next player will be the next in numerical order.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
\n<\/strong><\/span>A gift can be stolen only ONCE per round (a gift cannot be stolen again until another gift has been unwrapped). If all gifts have been stolen once, the next player must select a new wrapped gift to start a new round and keep the game from dragging on too long.<\/p>\n
\nYou cannot steal a gift that was just stolen from you in the same round. You can, however, attempt to steal it again after a new gift has been unwrapped (and a new round begins).<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong><\/span>Once a gift has been stolen 3 TIMES in total, it is locked to the last person who stole it (the third steal). This gift and this player are effectively out of the game.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong><\/span>A player cannot lift or shake any wrapped gifts in the pool, nor ask who gave the gift!<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong><\/span>Once a player picks a gift up from the table, they cannot change their mind, they must open it!<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong><\/span>No teaming up\/coordinating with other players to try to get a particular gift! It’s not fair to those playing individually.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong><\/span>Once the whole White Elephant game is over and each player has their own gift, it’s yours to do what you want. Trade it with someone else, gift it to someone else, do whatever you want!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n