How to play President
President — better known at many tables as Scum or Asshole — is the classic climbing game of social rank. Four players get 13 cards each and race to shed them all. Ranks run 3, 4, 5 … 10, J, Q, K, A, 2, so the 2 is the boss card; suits never matter. The holder of the 3♣ leads the first hand and must include it in the opening play.
Just want the rules? Read the complete President rulebook.
On an empty table you may lead any single card or any set of equal cards — a pair of sixes, three jacks. Everyone after you must play the same number of cards of strictly higher rank: a pair of sixes can be beaten by a pair of kings, but never by a lone king, three sevens, or another pair of sixes. Passing is always allowed and — unlike many house rules — never locks you out: if the play comes round to you again, you may jump back in. When everyone passes back to the last (highest) play, the pile is cleared and that player leads afresh; if they have already gone out, the lead moves to the next player still holding cards.
The first player out becomes the President, then Vice-President, Vice-Scum, and the last player left holding cards is the Scum. Before the next hand the Scum must surrender their two highest cards to the President (getting any two back), and the Vice-Scum gives the Vice-President their single best card. The President then leads. The President scores 2 points per hand and the Vice-President 1 — first to 11 points with the sole top score wins the game. Click cards to raise them (a legal set plays itself), press Play when leading fewer cards than you hold of that rank, or drag cards onto the table.
Strategy tips that actually win games
- Count the 2s and aces. Only four of each exist. Once three 2s are gone, your last 2 is stone-cold unbeatable — spend it late to buy the lead exactly when you need to dump your worst cards.
- Lead your low singles early. Loose 3s, 4s and 5s only leave your hand while tricks are cheap. Every low card still there in the endgame is a trick you probably will not win.
- Keep pairs and triples intact. Breaking a pair to chase one single usually costs two turns later. Pass instead — a cheap trick is rarely worth dismantling a set you could shed in one play.
- Pass on purpose, replay on the rebound. Because passing never locks you out here, ducking the first lap and beating the raised stakes on the second is a real weapon: let opponents burn their kings against each other, then top the survivor.
- As President, return true junk — but think about counts. The Scum must give you their two best cards; hand back your lowest singles, not spare cards from pairs. Never gift back anything that helps the Scum form sets.
- Watch hand counts near the end. When an opponent is down to one card, stop leading singles — lead pairs they cannot answer. And when YOU are down to a pair plus a 2, win a trick with the 2, then lead the pair and walk out as President.
Frequently asked questions
What are the rules of the President card game?
Four players get 13 cards each. Ranks run 3 (lowest) up to king, ace, then 2 (highest); suits never matter. The holder of the 3 of clubs leads the first hand and must include it. A lead is any single card or set of equal-rank cards; each player after must play the same number of cards of strictly higher rank, or pass — passing never locks you out, you may play again next time the turn comes round. When everyone passes back to the last player, the pile clears and that player leads. First out is President, last is Scum; between hands the Scum gives the President their two best cards.
What does the Scum do in President?
The Scum is the last player left holding cards. Before the next hand starts, the Scum must hand the President their two HIGHEST cards, and the President returns any two unwanted cards. The Vice-Scum (third place) gives the Vice-President their single highest card the same way. That built-in handicap is what makes climbing out of last place so hard — and so satisfying.
Is a 2 the highest card in President?
Yes. The ranking from high to low is 2, A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, so a single 2 beats any other single card, and a pair of 2s beats any other pair. In this classic version the 2 has no extra powers — it does not clear the pile or end the trick by itself; everyone still gets the chance to pass on it.
Can you pass in President and still play later in the same trick?
Yes — in the classic multi-round rules used here, passing only skips your current turn. If the play comes around to you again before the trick is won, you may jump back in. (Some house rules lock you out until the pile clears; that is a variation, not the base game.)
How do you win a game of President?
Each hand, going out first makes you President and scores 2 points; second place is Vice-President and scores 1; everyone else scores nothing. Hands are dealt (with the card exchange in between) until someone reaches 11 or more points with the sole top score — a tie at the top means more hands are played.
Is President the same game as Scum or Asshole?
Yes — President, Scum, Asshole, Rich Man Poor Man, Capitalism, Landlord and Warlords and Scumbags are all names for the same climbing game. Only the titles for first and last place change; the shedding, passing and card-exchange rules are the same family of rules played worldwide.
More free card games
Like the climbing race? Try the Vietnamese cousin Thirteen (Tiến lên), the pile-swapping chaos of Idiot, or the trick-card mayhem of Switch.