How to Play CHAMPS – The Ultimate Card Game for Team Bonding

If your team’s gearing up for a road trip, tournament weekend, or a long day of games, CHAMPS is the ultimate card game to keep the energy up and the team vibes strong. It’s fast, fun, and just the right mix of competitive and silly — perfect for hotel lobbies, airport delays, or bus rides. Plus, it gets everyone off their phones and into full-on team bonding mode.

I first learned CHAMPS from a college teammate while playing volleyball at the University of Tennessee, and it quickly became a team favorite. Trust me — once you play it, it’s hard not to get hooked.

Here’s how to play:

RULES

How to Play CHAMPS

You’ll need:

• A standard deck of cards

• At least 4 players, and an even number of total players

Set up:
Split into teams of two. Each pair of partners should sit across from each other in a circle. Before you begin, each team quietly chooses a secret signal (like scratching your head or uncrossing your legs). This is how you'll let your partner know you've got 4 of a kind.

To start:

• The dealer gives each player 4 cards.

• Then, the dealer lays 4 cards face-up in the center of the circle.

• Players grab cards they want and replace the ones they don’t — always keeping 4 cards in their hand.

• The dealer is responsible for clearing “dead” cards (ones no one is picking up) and laying out 4 new ones as needed.

Goal:
Be the first to get 4 of a kind and signal your partner without getting caught.

How to win a round:

• When a player gets 4 of a kind, they make their secret signal.

• If their partner sees the signal and calls out “CHAMPS!”, and the player does have 4 of a kind — that team wins the round and earns the letter C (then H, A, M, P, and S in future rounds).

• If another player sees the signal and thinks they’ve caught it, they can yell “Busted!”

  • If the signal was legit and “Champs” hadn’t been called yet, the Busting team wins the round.

  • BUT — if they were wrong, their team loses a letter, and the game continues.

First team to spell CHAMPS wins!

________


Extra Tips:

• Game works best with open floor space (airport gates, hotel rooms, restaurants while waiting).

• It can get competitive and chaotic — diving for cards is totally normal.

• Half the fun is watching for other team’s signals and making guesses.
  
  

Have fun and play fair!