During the card game, what does McMurphy win from the other patients?

• A. Hundreds of cigarettes
• B. Money
• C. A watch
• D. A chair

Answer: (A)

McMurphy’s win in the card game highlights how he uses wit and social savvy to challenge the ward’s power structure. The prize—hundreds of cigarettes—acts as a tangible form of autonomy and social currency among the patients, something Nurse Ratched can’t easily regulate. On the unit, cigarettes are scarce and highly desired, so winning them gives McMurphy influence and a sense of control for a while, as well as earned camaraderie from the others. This moment also foreshadows the broader theme of rebellion against oppressive authority and how a charismatic individual can disrupt the routine on the ward. The other options don’t fit because the stakes in this scene revolve around cigarettes as the prize, not money, a watch, or a chair.