Pig is a simple, collecting card game of early 20th century American origin suitable for three to thirteen players that is played with a 52-card French-suited pack. It has two very similar and well known variants – Donkey and Spoons. It is often classed as a children's game. It may be descended from an old game called Vive l'Amour.
History
According to Richard L. Frey, the ancestor of Pig was an old, four-player game called Vive l'Amour in which the aim was to be first to collect all 13 cards of one suit. The rules of Vive l'Amour first appear in 1821 and it continued to feature until the early 20th century. Despite the name it only ever appears in German literature. Later sources say that, on going out, the winner shouts "vive l'amour!" which explains the story that when the Patriarch of Venice, Jacques Monico was playing cards, he called "Vive Marie!" whenever the rules required him to shout "Vive l'Amour!"<ref>The North British Review (1854), p. 40.</ref>
Frey thus sees Pig as a "modern simplification" of Vive l'Amour, its name being simply a "bowdlerism" of the earlier game. Pig is first recorded in 1911 where it is called "a rather noisy game" in which the first player to collect a quartet (four of a kind) laid their cards down "either quietly or violently, as he may choose" and the last one to put cards down became "Pig". The number of rounds was agreed in advance and the player who came last the fewest number of times was the winner or "Big Pig."
Although intended for children, the game was also apparently played by adults with special cards in those parts of the US where standard playing cards were taboo.
In 1957, a variant, Donkey, is mentioned by Culbertson. The rules are identical; the main exception being that, whereas in Pig players touch their noses when they acquire a quartet, in Donkey, a number of objects – one fewer than the number of players – is placed in the middle and the first player with a quartet calls "Donkey!" and takes one. The subtle distinction between the two games is missed by some later authors. Gibson (1974) states that the games are "practically identical", while Maguire describes Pig but calls it Donkey. Maguire introduces the rule that 'donkeys' receive the letters of the word and the first to spell the whole word is the overall loser. He also records the game of Spoons for the first time, describing it as a variant in which, however, the player who stays to the end without spelling is the overall winner. Arnold equates Pig and Donkey, while Spadaccini and Bicycle Cards faithfully describe the original Pig.Bicycle Cards (2001), p. 292. Katz conflates Pig with Spoons and uses the whole pack instead of the selecting and shuffling 4 quartets per player, but adds some interesting variations. A good summary of the rules and variations for Pig and Spoons is at pagat.com.
Rules
Vive l'Amour
Vive l'Amour is the earliest known game of this type. Despite the name, it only appears in German sources. The following is a summary of its earliest rules (1821), which were reprinted until at least 1889.
The game is for four players and uses a full pack of 52 French-suited cards. After being well shuffled the cards are dealt around so that each player receives 13 cards. Forehand begins by exchanging a card, face down, with the player to his or her right. That player does the same and this continues around the circle. As soon as a player has 13 cards in the same suit, they show their hand and win the stake for that hand.
In the late 19th century, however, a modified version appeared in which cards were exchanged "to the left and right" and the winner shouted "vive l'amour!" on going out. Ulmann adds that each player anted an agreed stake to a pot beforehand and that the dealer dealt the cards one by one.Ulmann (1890), p. 261.
Pig
The rules of Pig have changed little over time. Frey's are as follows:
Pig is suitable for six to ten-year olds. Three to thirteen may play, but four to seven is best. The aim is to be first to collect a quartet, i.e. four cards of the same rank, known as a book. The game requires as many quartets as there are players e.g. if five play, five quartets are used from a 52-card pack and the rest laid aside. Players are dealt four cards each which they pick up and view. Then all the players simultaneously discard one card face down to their left and, after doing so, they all pick up the card from the player to their right. A player who collects a book immediately touches the nose with a finger. As soon as they spot this, the other players do likewise. The last player to touch the nose is the Pig and loses the deal.