President (card game)

President (also commonly called Asshole, Scum, Capitalism, or Daihinmin) is a shedding-type card game for three or more players in which participants race to discard all of the cards in their hands. The first player to empty their hand becomes the "President" for the following round, while the last player remaining with cards becomes the "Scum" (or "Asshole") and suffers disadvantages in subsequent rounds. It is a Westernized version of Chinese climbing card games such as Zheng Shangyou (China), Tiến Lên (Vietnam), and Daifugō (Japan).

History

The game is believed to have Chinese origins, belonging to a family of games known as "climbing games" in which each player in turn can either pass or play a card or combination that beats the previous play. Such games have been known in the West only since the 1970s. President spread throughout the Western world, especially among young people, towards the end of the 20th century. The immediate ancestor is thought to be the Japanese game Dai Hin Min (also Daifugō). Commercial versions with non-standard decks exist, including The Great Dalmuti and Presidents Card Game.

Players and Equipment

• Players: 3–8 (9+ with multiple decks)
• Deck: Standard 52-card French-suited pack; 0–2 jokers may be added
• Card ranking (high to low): Joker (if used), 2, A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3
• Suits: Generally irrelevant; only card rank and combination type matter

Objective

The aim is to be the first player to play all of one's cards. The finishing order determines social ranks for the next hand.

Deal

All cards are dealt out clockwise, one at a time. Some players may receive one more card than others if the deck cannot be divided equally. On the first hand, the dealer is chosen randomly. On subsequent hands, the Scum (or the President, depending on variant) shuffles and deals.

Gameplay

Leading and Following

The player to the dealer's left (or the President in subsequent hands) leads by playing any single card or any set of cards of equal rank (e.g., a single 7, a pair of 5s, three 10s, or four 3s). Each subsequent player in clockwise order must either:

• Play an equal number of cards of a strictly higher rank (e.g., a pair of 7s can be beaten by a pair of 8s or higher), or
• Pass (which is always allowed and does not prevent playing later in the same trick).

Tricks and Clearing

Play continues around the table as many times as necessary until one player's play is followed by all other players passing. All played cards are then set aside, and the player who made the last (highest) play leads the next trick with any new card or set.

Going Out

When a player runs out of cards, they are out of play for the remainder of the hand. The remaining players continue to determine the lower ranks. The last player left holding cards is the Scum.

Social Hierarchy and Card Exchange

After each hand, players are assigned titles based on finishing order:

Before the next hand begins, a mandatory card exchange (the "tax") occurs:

• The Scum gives their two highest-ranked cards to the President.
• The President gives back any two cards of their choice (typically their weakest).
• The Vice Scum gives their highest card to the Vice President, who returns any one card.

Players then reseat themselves in clockwise order of rank, with the President taking the best seat. The President leads the first trick of the next hand.

Scoring

Scoring is optional and varies widely. A common system awards points based on finish position (e.g., President: +2, Vice President: +1, middle players: 0, Vice Scum: −1, Scum: −2). The game often ends when a player reaches a target score (e.g., 11 or 15 points) or after an agreed number of hands.

Common Variations

• Revolution: When a player plays four of a kind (or, in some versions, a set of four or more cards), the card ranking reverses for the rest of the hand: 3 becomes the highest and 2 becomes the lowest. A subsequent four of a kind flips the ranking back.
• Jokers: One or two jokers may be added, ranking above the 2. They may also be used as wild cards.
• Equal plays (skip): A player may beat a play with an equal-ranked set, which skips the next player's turn.
• Single 2 wins (bomb): A single 2 may beat any combination, clearing the trick immediately.
• Aces high: Some regional variants (e.g., U.S. West Coast) rank Aces as the highest card and 2 as the lowest.
• Following suit: A single card can only be beaten by a higher card of the same suit.
• Double deck: For games with more than 7 players, two decks are combined.

Related Games

• Daifugō – The Japanese version, played counter-clockwise, with similar hierarchy and card exchange.
• Zheng Shangyou – A Chinese climbing game that allows sequential runs in addition to sets.
• Big Two – A Chinese climbing game using poker-style hand combinations.
• Durak – A Russian shedding game with different mechanics.
• The Great Dalmuti – A commercial variant with a medieval-themed hierarchy and special deck.