"Zug-o-Pered" (Pair-or-Single) is a game
Israeli
kids usually use to pick out someone or
decide on something (similar to
rock, paper, scissors, which is less popular). It works best for 2 players.
- The players place their bets: one claims "Pair", another claims "Single".
- Both players reach out their hands with few fingers pointing out (simultaneously, in order to make it random). If the sum of their fingers is even ("Pair"), the one who bet "Pair" wins; otherwise, the one who bet "Single" wins.
- If there are more than 2 players, they often play a game called "one out of three" ("Mi Shalosh Yotze
Echad" in Hebrew). "Three" is of course replaced by the number of players, from which only one is to come out.
Reaching out fingers is done on the count of three. Traditionally, this is achieved by shouting out "en deh tru-ah!", which merely a corruption of the French "un deux trois!".