Play credit card roulette, win a free meal

By Jeremy M. Simon

Do you know how to play credit card roulette?  Perhaps those who have played before have already enjoyed some free meals on a friend.

For those that are unfamiliar with the game, credit card roulette can be played when a group that is eating together at a restaurant gets their bill.  In many circumstances, the group would either split the bill evenly or each person would pay for what they ate and drank.  But with credit card roulette, an element of chance dictates who ends up footing the bill.

Each party that decided to participate puts their credit card or debit card into a pile.  This pile of credit cards may then be shuffled and placed into a napkin that gets folded up or into the little folder the bill came in.

The next step involves someone drawing randomly from the collection of plastic.  This could be a waiter or waitress, or even a member of the group.  To build suspense, the credit cards may be drawn one at a time and returned to the proper cardholders until just one credit card is left.

If your credit card is drawn first (or last, depending on what variation of the game is played) you are then responsible for paying the entire bill.  The rest of the group is lucky -- they end up enjoying a free meal!

Depending on the group member's risk tolerance, credit card roulette may be a safer game at certain restaurants than at other.  After all, paying for a round of steak dinners will end up being much more painful for the loser than footing the bill at a pancake breakfast.  Additionally, the larger the group, the better each person's chances of getting a free meal, since there is less chance their card will be drawn -- but the larger the bill is likely to be for the loser.

Of course, paying for everyone's meal with a rewards credit card or airline credit card means the loser will still get something back. 

Just make sure you are not close to your credit limit before playing.  Good luck!

Published: May 1, 2007

	Three most recent Credit account management stories: Credit card issuers' customer service phone numbers, websites – This is a list of customer service phone numbers and websites for many of the nation's top credit card issuers ... 5 reasons you don't really want to win all that lottery money – While it's fun to daydream about it, winning a lottery fortune comes with risks, responsibilities and a flood of moochers, fakers and false friends ... Lost your credit or debit card? Want it fast? Expect to pay – As banks look for new ways to make money, some have started charging to replace lost credit or debit cards. Want it in a hurry? It'll cost even more ...

	CreditCards.com's newsletter Did you like this story? Then sign up for CreditCards.com’s weekly e-newsletter for the latest news, advice, articles and tips. It's FREE. Once a week you will receive the top credit card industry news in your inbox. Sign up now!