President is a : each play has to beat the one before it. The first player to get rid of every card becomes President, the last one left holding cards is the Scum.
Your title matters in the next hand, when the Scum has to hand over their best cards.
Also known as Scum, Arsehole, Bum or Capitalism. It probably descends from the Japanese game Daifugo.
Use a standard 52-card deck without jokers. Four to seven players can play; in this example there are four.
Suits don’t matter. The 2 is the highest card, then the ace, king and so on down to the 3, the lowest.
Deal the whole deck one card at a time, clockwise. With four players everyone gets 13 cards; with five, six or seven some players get one card more than others. That is fine.
East dealt, so you, on the dealer’s left, play first.
Some tables let the holder of the 3 of clubs start the very first hand instead.
The first player leads any single card or any set of cards of the same rank: one card, a , three or even four of a kind.
You lead two 5s: the 5 of diamonds and the 5 of spades.
Play goes clockwise. To beat a play you must put down the same number of cards, of a higher rank.
West beats your two 5s with two 9s. North passes. East plays two queens.
Two 6s can be beaten by two 7s or two kings, but not by a single king and not by three 7s.
You never have to play, even when you could. Passing now does not stop you from playing next time the turn comes round to you.
You hold two kings but keep them and pass. West passes too. North beats the queens with two aces.
Patience. The kings will have their day.
East, you and West all pass. When a play has been passed by everyone else, the cards in the middle are turned face down and put aside.
North played last, so North starts again with a fresh lead of any card or set.
North leads the 7 of spades. East plays the 10 of clubs, and you play the 2 of spades.
Nothing ranks above a 2, so nobody can beat it. Everyone passes, the pile is cleared, and you lead again.
A pair of 2s beats any pair in the same way.
Play on until everyone but one player is out of cards. The finishing order gives you a for the next hand:
| First out | President |
| Second | Vice-President |
| Middle places | Citizen |
| Second to last | Vice-Scum |
| Last | Scum |
You go out first with the ace of clubs. North finishes second, then East. West is the Scum.
If you go out on a play nobody beats, the next player still holding cards leads.
The Scum shuffles and deals the next hand. Then comes the :
West hands you the 2 of clubs and the ace of hearts. You give back the 3 of diamonds and the 4 of spades. The President then leads the first play.
Politics has never been fairer.
Most tables just play for the titles. To keep score, give points for the finishing order after each hand:
| President | 2 |
| Vice-President | 1 |
| Everyone else | 0 |
This hand: you score 2 and North 1.
President has no natural end: play hands until you want to stop, and whoever holds the top title then has won.
With scores, set a target such as 11 points. The first to reach it wins.
Point at a dot to see why it matters
The 2. After that the ace, king, queen and so on down to the 3, the lowest. Suits don’t matter.
Yes. Passing is always allowed, and passing does not stop you from playing when your turn comes round again.
After the deal the Scum gives the President their two highest cards and receives any two cards back. The Vice-Scum and Vice-President swap one card the same way.
No. You must play the same number of cards as the last play, of a higher rank. A pair can only be beaten by a higher pair.
In the first hand, the player to the dealer’s left. In every hand after that, the President leads.
The classic
The deck most people picture. Poker size, standard faces, shuffles well. If you buy one deck, make it this.
Lasts for years
Two 100% plastic decks in a hard case. Washable and hard to bend, and a double deck is what Canasta and Spider need.
Easy to read
Extra-large numbers and suits. Readable across the table, for kids learning their first game and grandparents alike.
The British classic
The pack found in British homes for generations. Paper cards with a linen finish that fan and shuffle smoothly.
The gift
A luxury deck with a navy and gold tuck box. The one to give, or to bring out when the good whisky is poured.
Match the pile, play an 8 when stuck, empty your hand first.
2 to 5 players · 15 min · 6+Play cards face down, claim what they are, and call out the liars.
3 to 8 players · 20 min · 8+No turns: play one higher or lower as fast as your hands can move.
2 players · 5 min · 6+