
- BGG rank
- BGG #29,878
- BGG rating
- 5.1
Simpsons Trading Card Game
- 2–5 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.4/5
- 2003

2006
Rules assistance for Cowpoker
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Cowpoker is a board game released in 2006 for 2–4 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by James Ernest and Mike Selinker and its main mechanics are Trick-taking.
From the designers: CowPoker is a game for 2 to 4 live players, though it always has four Ranches, the remainder of which are played by "deadwood," or automatic players. Each player (live or deadwood) controls a ranch in a humorous cow town, and only cards from your own ranch have any effect for you. The game consists of a series of card plays in which players try to accumulate the most points and form the best poker hands by playing valuable cards, making good choices, and winning tricks called "Gunfights" and "Roundups."
Cowpoker supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Cowpoker is 30 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Cowpoker for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Cowpoker has a complexity rating of 1.5 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Cowpoker belongs to these categories: Card Game, Humor, and American West. Its main mechanics are Trick-taking. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Cowpoker are: James Ernest and Mike Selinker. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Cowpoker as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.