Steal or OpenWhite elephant steal rules: how many times can a gift be stolen?
Most groups let a gift be stolen three times; the third person to take it keeps it, and the gift is frozen. Groups that want a short game freeze a gift after two steals, or even one. A frozen gift can't be stolen, and nobody can steal straight back the gift just taken from them.
Who's playing?
Type each name and press Add. You can fix names at any turn.
No players yet. You need at least 3.
House rules
Turn 1 of 8
Name
Open a gift or steal one.
Tap the gift to steal.
Turn order and names
That's a wrap
Who went home with what:
The game stays on this phone. Close the page and it picks up where you left off.
How the steal limit changes the game
Each gift can be stolen at most as many times as the limit, so the limit caps the game. For 12 players:
| A gift freezes after | Most steals in the game | Longest game |
|---|---|---|
| 1 steal | 12 | About 16 minutes |
| 2 steals | 24 | About 20 minutes |
| 3 steals | 36 | About 24 minutes |
| Never | No limit | No limit |
Worked for 3 steals: 12 openings at a minute each is 12 minutes, plus 36 steals at 20 seconds each is 12 more. Times assume about a minute per opening and 20 seconds per steal, our rough guess; a chatty group is slower.
Who keeps a frozen gift?
Whoever made the steal that froze it. The host page above counts each gift's steals with dots and shows a lock once it's frozen, so nobody has to remember.
Questions people ask next
Is the limit per gift or per person?
Usually per gift: a gift freezes after so many steals. Some groups also cap how often one person can be stolen from; this page counts steals per gift.
Does the third steal count, or the fourth?
Under the three-steal rule, the third person to steal the gift keeps it. There is no fourth steal.
Can I steal a gift I already had?
Yes, on a later turn, as long as it isn't frozen and wasn't just taken from you this turn.