Animal Poker is played in several rounds so that the players can decide how long a game should last. First, the players sit down at the table according to their roles. The intern deals out the cards, and the "bigwigs" at Animal Inc. swap their bad cards for the good cards of their subordinates. The boss is the starting player and can play one or more cards of the same number. The following players must decide whether they want to play the same number of cards, cards with the same number or cards with a higher number. Players may also pass at any time during their turn. The trainee's job is to clear up all the cards at the end of the round. The player with the highest position in the last round wins.