How to Play President

What you need

• 3–7 players. Everyone for themselves. No partners required. Three is a real table.
• One standard 52-card deck. No jokers. Deal every card. Some seats have one extra — that is fine.
• Paper optional. Roles are the prize, not a score pad.

Sit, pick a dealer, agree on the house

Sit where you can see the pile. Cut for the first deal, or point at someone. After the first hand, the bottom seat deals.

Say these out loud before the first card:

1. One 52, no jokers. 2 is highest, ace under 2. Then king down to 3. Suits do not matter.
2. Same count, equal or higher. Pair on pair. Trips on trips. A single does not beat a pair. Pass if you cannot or will not.
3. Last of a rank passes the lead. If you play the last card(s) of that rank — the fourth 7, or the rest of the 7s onto 7s already there — the pile is done and you lead again. When everyone passes, the last player to play leads.
4. First out is President next hand. Last out is the bottom seat and deals. Common house: President gives two worst, gets two best from the bottom. Some tables skip the swap. Say which.

Deal the whole pack

Shuffle. Deal clockwise until the pack is gone. Everyone plays the cards they were dealt. There is no stock and no draw. At three people, one seat has 18 and the others have 17. At seven, some have 8 and some have 7. That is the deal, not a misdeal.

Left of the dealer leads the first hand — any legal combo: a single, a pair, trips, or four of a rank. After roles exist, the bottom seat deals and President leads. If your table starts on 3♣ instead, say so now.

Play equal or higher

Play goes clockwise. On your turn you either play or pass.

1. Match the count on the pile: singles on singles, pairs on pairs, trips on trips, four on four.
2. Your rank must be equal or higher. Rank, high to low: 2, ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3.
3. Pass if you cannot beat it, or if you want to save the cards. You may pass even when you could play. You can come back in on a later turn of the same pile.

When every other player has passed, the last person to play wins the pile. Clear it. That person leads any legal combo. If they just went out, the next player still in leads.

Playing the last of a rank also passes the lead. Four 9s, or the remaining 9s onto 9s already on the pile: the pile is done and that player leads again — unless those were their last cards, in which case they are out and the next person still in leads.

Going out and next-hand seats

Empty your hand and you are out. Keep playing until one person still has cards. Finish order is next hand's seating. You do not need a pad.

At three, skip the vice ranks. At five or more, Neutrals sit between VP and Vice-Scum. The last seat is the bottom — they deal the next hand.

The swap, if your table uses it

Before the next deal, some tables trade cards. Common house, four people:

• President gives two worst cards, gets the two best from the bottom seat.
• Vice President gives one worst, gets the one best from VP-bottom.
• At three: President gives one, gets one from the bottom. No vice swap.
• At five or more: President swaps two with the bottom; VP swaps one with Vice-Scum. Neutrals keep their deal.

Say this out loud. Some tables skip the swap every time. If nobody names it, skip it tonight and play the cards you were dealt.

Walk through one first-night hand

Four people. You are West. South dealt. You speak first. You lead a pair of 9s.

North plays a pair of jacks. East passes. South plays a pair of aces. You pass — you have a pair of 2s and you are saving them. North passes. East passes. South won the pile and leads a single king.

You play a single ace. North plays a 2. Nothing beats a 2 of that count. Everyone passes. North leads again, dumps four 4s, and empties their hand. North is President next deal. East, South, and you keep climbing. You go out second (Vice President). East goes out third (VP-bottom). South still holds cards: bottom seat, and deals next.

If you are swapping: North (President) gives South two junk cards and takes South's two best. You (VP) give East one junk card and take East's best. Then South deals, and North leads.

Night-one habits

• 2s are the top rank. Save a pair of 2s for a pair you cannot otherwise beat.
• Pass to keep a set together. Breaking trips into a single is how you get stuck.
• Going out first matters more than winning one pile.
• Three people is a real President table. Skip the vice ranks and deal.
• Roles are the prize. You do not need a score pad.

You know enough to deal. Keep this page beside the table. Three people is a tonight pick. There is no President trainer on CardPractice — this how-to is the product.