# How to Play President (Scum): Rules, Card Exchange and Titles Learn President, also called Scum: deal the whole deck, beat the last play with more of a higher rank, pass when you like, go out first and swap cards as President. Source: https://pips.club/president - Players: 4 to 7 - Deck: 52 cards, no jokers - Type: Shedding - Level: Easy - Game: Play as many hands as you like ## At a glance ### Beat the last play, get out first President is a climbing game: 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. ## Setup ### One deck, 2 is high 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. ## The deal ### Deal every card 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. ## A turn ### Lead one, two or three of a kind The first player leads any single card or any set of cards of the same rank: one card, a pair, three or even four of a kind. You lead two 5s: the 5 of diamonds and the 5 of spades. ### Beat it with the same number 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. ### Passing is always allowed 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. ### When everyone passes 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. ## Special cards ### The 2 is the top card 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. ### Out of cards, into office Play on until everyone but one player is out of cards. The finishing order gives you a title 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. ### Swap cards before the next hand The Scum shuffles and deals the next hand. Then comes the card exchange: The Scum gives the President their two highest cards, and the President gives back any two. The Vice-Scum gives the Vice-President their highest card and gets any one back. 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. ## Scoring ### Keeping score, if you want to 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. ## Winning ### Play on, or play to 11 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. ## Variants and 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. ## Tips - Get rid of your low singles early, while the others still play low cards too. - Keep a 2 or a high pair back so you can win a round and choose the next lead. - Break up a pair only when you have to: two cards of one rank are hard to beat together. ## Quick answers **What is the highest card in President?** The 2. After that the ace, king, queen and so on down to the 3, the lowest. Suits don’t matter. **Can you pass in President if you are able to play?** Yes. Passing is always allowed, and passing does not stop you from playing when your turn comes round again. **How does the card exchange work in President?** 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. **Can you beat a pair with a single card in President?** 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. **Who starts in President?** In the first hand, the player to the dealer’s left. In every hand after that, the President leads.