Ring of Fire waterproof party deck packshot — President Asshole card game deck CTA

How to Play President (Asshole) Card Game — Rules & Titles

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How to play President (aka Asshole) card game (2026) — the classic shedding / social-rank house game. Climb from Asshole to President by emptying your hand first; losers deal and trade cards next round. No flaky single Bicycle ASIN required — use a tough party deck from the module below.

Related: Liar / Cheat rules · King’s Cup Extreme · best drinking card games.

Deck CTAs for President night

Hard module — waterproof / party decks that survive spills better than a thin drugstore pack. Rules are the house classic; these boxes are the buyable upgrade.

What kind of game is President?

President (also called Asshole, Capitalism, Scum, and a dozen dorm nicknames) is a shedding game: play cards in rising rank, try to empty your hand, and earn a social title for the next deal. Alcohol is optional — titles and card trading are the engine.

  • Players: best with 4–7 (works with 3–8)
  • Deck: standard 52-card deck (jokers optional as wilds — house rule)
  • Time: 5–10 minutes per round; nights run many rounds
  • Goal: go out first → become President next round; last out → Asshole

Titles after each round

  1. President — first player to empty their hand
  2. Vice President — second out
  3. Neutral / Citizen — middle finishers (optional title spam for big tables)
  4. Vice Asshole — second-to-last (optional)
  5. Asshole — last player still holding cards

Next round, seats often rotate so President sits wherever your table likes, Asshole deals, and card taxes happen before play.

Setup & the card tax

  1. Deal the deck as evenly as possible. Leftover cards can go to the Asshole or sit out — pick one house rule and stick to it.
  2. Card tax (common): Asshole gives their highest card(s) to the President; President returns any junk card(s) of equal count. Vice versions trade one card. Agree on 1-card vs 2-card tax before round one.
  3. Asshole deals and often leads… or President leads — pick one and don’t relitigate mid-hand.
  4. Rank order (high → low) commonly: 2s high (or Ace high — say it out loud), then A, K, Q, J, 10…3. Many US dorms treat 2 as highest single.

How a trick / play works

  1. Leader plays 1, 2, 3, or 4 cards of the same rank (singles, pairs, trips, quads).
  2. Clockwise, each player must play a higher set of the same count or pass. Example: pair of 9s beats pair of 7s; you cannot beat a pair with a single.
  3. When everyone else passes, the player who laid the last cards leads the next set (any legal count).
  4. Going out: empty your hand and claim your title. Others keep playing to fill remaining ranks.
  5. Optional bombs: some houses let quads or a pair of 2s reset / skip — only if the table agrees before dealing.

Strategy that actually matters

  • Save high singles to steal the lead late — don’t burn a 2 on turn one unless you’re clearing a mess.
  • Count seats — know who is close to going out.
  • Break up awkward piles early if your hand is all medium trash.
  • President tax greed: taking the Asshole’s Ace is classic; returning a 3 is chef’s kiss.
  • Pass with purpose — sometimes letting a rival take the lead dumps bad cards on someone else.

Popular house rules (pick before dealing)

  • 2s high vs Aces high — the forever debate; write it on a napkin
  • Jokers wild — fun, swingy
  • Clear the pile on quads — speeds big tables
  • Revolution / coup variants — advanced; skip until the group is fluent
  • Sip when you become Asshole — optional; mocktails count; pass forever on drinking

Mistakes & table fights

  • Changing tax rules after seeing your hand
  • Playing a different count than the lead (illegal)
  • Forgetting who led after a pile of passes
  • Bullying the Asshole beyond the joke — keep it playful

FAQ

Is President the same as Presidents and Assholes?

Same family. Names and tax details vary by region; agree on ranks and tax before round one.

Do I need a special deck?

Any 52-card deck works. For sticky tables, a waterproof party deck like Ring of Fire or King’s Cup Extreme lasts longer than a bent drugstore pack.

Can two people play?

Not really — the title ladder needs a group. Grab Exploding Kittens or a couples deck instead for 2p.

Deal the first hand → grab a waterproof deck on Amazon and crown a President.

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