President guide

Goal

Shed your cards first to become President, and avoid finishing last as Scum.

Playing a round

• Cards rank from three at the bottom up to Ace, and then the two, which is the highest card in the game.
• The leader plays a set of one or more cards of equal rank, and must play rather than pass.
• Each following player must play the same number of cards at a higher rank, or pass.
• Passing takes you out until the round ends; when all but one have passed, the last player leads again.
• Playing twos clears the pile immediately, whoever is winning it.
• Going out early is what earns the high ranks.

Revolution

A host option. With it on, playing four of a kind flips the rank order for the rest of that pile, so low cards beat high. A second four of a kind flips it back, and clearing the pile ends it.

Ranks and the exchange

Finishing order sets the titles for the next hand: President, Vice President, Neutral, Vice Scum, Scum. Before the next hand the Scum hands their best cards to the President and receives the same number of unwanted ones back - the host sets whether that is one card or two, and the Vice pair always trades one fewer. It makes staying at the top easier and climbing from the bottom harder. Each round scores by finishing position, and the match goes to the highest total across every round; ties break on first-place finishes, then on the final round.

Technique

• Playing several cards at once clears your hand faster but spends your high ranks.
• Keeping a high card back to win the lead is often worth more than dumping a pair early.
• With two players the whole deck is split between you, so each hand is the complement of the other: a duel of perfect information, with the exchange between the same pair every round.