To begin kemps, you need a deck of 52 standard cards (no jokers), 4 people, and a four-sided table (You can also play on the ground.). First, you decide who your partner will be. With you partner you leave the room or area and discuss a signal for the next hand. You may have any type of signal for any type of information. You could have a signal for what card you are going after, if you have four of a kind, two of a kind or three of a kind. It is up to you what your signals will be.

Once both teams return from discussing signals, the teammates sit across form each other. The dealer (you may have one dealer be dealer the entire game or have the dealership rotate) deals out four cards to each player. After each player picks up their hand, the dealer places 4 cards face up in the middle of the game area. Anyone can take the cards in the middle pile to try and create a 4 of a kind. After someone picks up (a) card(s), they must discard however many cards it takes to get them back to 4 cards in their hand. After there is no action for a while, the dealer counts down from three and if there are no objections, the cards in the middle are turned over and set in a pile called the dead pile. You may not take any cards from the dead pile. If someone objects during the countdown, the countdown is stopped until that player takes the card they want. The countdown then recommences. After the cards are placed in the dead pile, four new cards are placed out and play continues as above.

Now once you or your partner has kemps (four of a kind), you give the signal that you agreed on. If your partner thinks you have kemps, then they say "kemps", if you do have kemps then you show your hand and your team gets one point, if you say kemps and you are wrong, the other team gets one point and play continues. Now if you suspect that someone on the opposing team has kemps, you say "counter kemps on (name here).". If you are right then your team gets 1 point and play stops, if you are wrong, then the player whom you called it on shows two different cards in their hand, their team receives a point and play continues. Now if both you and your partner have kemps then you may say double kemps, and receive two points if you are right and if you are wrong the other team gets one point.. You may also call double counter kemps if you think both opposing players have two of a kind. If right you get two points, if wrong the other team gets a point. The first one to five points wins. (You can play to any total, but five is official).

If a player has five cards in their hand, which they can have for only three seconds, no kemps or counter kemps may be called on that player. If something is called on that person, nothing happens and you must wait until that player has 4 cards in their hand.