The goal
Get rid of all your cards before everyone else. The first out becomes President, the last is the Scum.
Setup
4 to 7 players, one 52-card deck without jokers. The 2 is highest, then A, K, Q down to 3. Suits don’t matter.
The deal
Deal the whole deck one at a time. Some players may get one card more. The player left of the dealer leads first.
A turn
- Lead any single card or any set of the same rank.
- To beat a play, use the same number of cards of a higher rank.
- You may always pass, and still play on your next turn.
- When everyone else passes, clear the pile: the last player to play leads again.
Special cards
- After a hand the Scum deals.
- Card exchange: Scum gives the President their two highest cards and gets any two back.
- Vice-Scum gives the Vice-President their highest card and gets any one back.
- The President leads the first play of each new hand.
Scoring
- Optional: President 2 points, Vice-President 1, everyone else 0.
Winning
Play as long as you like, or to a target such as 11 points.
House rules
- One-card exchange. The Scum hands over only their single highest card and the President gives back any one.
- Equal play skips. You may also play cards of the same rank as the last play. The next player is then skipped.
- Revolution. If all four cards of one rank are played, as a set of four or as four singles one after another, the direction of play and the ranking both reverse: the 3 becomes high and the 2 low.
