Up Jenkins is a team guessing game where one team secretly passes a coin under the table while the other team tries to figure out which hand is hiding it. The drinking-game version adds penalties for wrong guesses, sloppy hiding, and losing rounds.
This is not a modern “every card means a sip” party game. It is an old parlor game with bluffing, table-slapping, and suspicious eye contact. Weirdly, that makes it a pretty solid drinking game if your group likes deception more than athletic cup-flipping.
UP JENKINS RULES — QUICK VERSION
- Split players into two teams seated across a table.
- One team hides and passes a coin under the table.
- The guessing team’s captain says “Up Jenkins.”
- The hiding team raises closed fists above the table.
- The captain says “Down Jenkins.”
- The hiding team slaps hands flat on the table while hiding the coin.
- The guessing team tries to identify the hand with the coin.
- Wrong guesses drink; finding the coin ends the round.
To play Up Jenkins as a drinking game: one team hides a coin, raises their fists on “Up Jenkins,” slaps their hands down on “Down Jenkins,” and the other team guesses where the coin is. Add small drink penalties for wrong guesses, losing rounds, or revealing the coin too early.
What You Need to Play Up Jenkins
- One coin, bottle cap, or small token
- A table
- 4 or more players
- Two teams
- Drinks
Best Number of Players
Up Jenkins works best with 6 to 10 players. You can play with 4, but more hands make the guessing phase better. Too many players makes it slow unless you use a guess limit.
How to Set Up Up Jenkins
1. Split Into Two Teams
Teams sit on opposite sides of the table. One team hides first; the other guesses first.
2. Choose a Captain
The guessing team picks a captain to call commands and make the final guess. Letting everyone shout guesses at once is just a podcast nobody asked for.
3. Pick the Coin
Use a coin, bottle cap, or poker chip. It should be small enough to hide under a palm but not so tiny that it disappears into the carpet forever.
PASS COIN → “UP JENKINS” → “DOWN JENKINS” → GUESS HAND → PENALTY
How to Play Up Jenkins
1. The Hiding Team Passes the Coin
The hiding team keeps hands under the table and secretly passes the coin between players. The guessing team can watch faces and shoulders, but not under the table.
2. The Captain Calls “Up Jenkins”
Everyone on the hiding team brings both closed fists above the table, elbows down, fists raised. The coin must be hidden inside one fist.
3. The Captain Calls “Down Jenkins”
The hiding team slaps both hands flat on the table at the same time, trying to hide the sound and location of the coin.
4. The Guessing Team Picks Hands
The captain points to one hand at a time. A common rule is that guessed hands are revealed. The goal is to find the coin before too many wrong guesses pile up.
Up Jenkins Scoring and Drinking Penalties
| Event | Recommended Penalty |
|---|---|
| Wrong hand guessed | Guessing team drinks 1 sip. |
| Coin found | Hiding team drinks 2 sips. |
| Coin exposed early | Player who exposed it drinks 3 sips. |
| Guessing team fails after limit | Guessing team drinks 3 sips. |
Up Jenkins House Rules & Variations
Last Hand Standing
The guessing team eliminates empty hands until the coin is forced into the final unrevealed hand. Fewer arguments, more suspense.
Open Windows
The captain can command some players to open small gaps between fingers before “Down Jenkins.” This gives more information but also more bluffing.
Guess Limit
Give the guessing team a fixed number of guesses. If they fail, they drink and teams switch.
Our Recommended Up Jenkins Rules
COLLEGEWARES UP JENKINS RULES
- Play with two teams of 3 to 5.
- Use last-hand-standing guessing.
- Wrong guesses cost the guessing team 1 sip.
- Finding the coin costs the hiding team 2 sips.
- Switch roles after each round.
- Use a 60-second passing limit so rounds do not drag.
Is Up Jenkins a Drinking Game?
Originally, Up Jenkins is a coin-hiding parlor game, not specifically a drinking game. The drinking version works because the base game already has teams, bluffing, guessing, and round outcomes. It fits best with group drinking games, not fast Beer Olympics events.
FAQ
How do you play Up Jenkins?
One team hides a coin under the table, raises fists on “Up Jenkins,” slaps hands down on “Down Jenkins,” and the other team guesses which hand has the coin.
How many players do you need?
You need at least 4 players, but 6 to 10 is better. The game needs enough hands to make guessing interesting.
What does “Down Jenkins” mean?
“Down Jenkins” is the command for the hiding team to slap their hands flat on the table while concealing the coin.
How do you win Up Jenkins?
The guessing team wins a round by finding the coin, while the hiding team wins by avoiding discovery under your guess-limit rules.
Can you play without alcohol?
Yes. Keep score by rounds won instead of drinking penalties.
Up Jenkins in One Sentence
Up Jenkins is a coin-hiding bluffing game where the table slap is half the strategy and half the theater.
