President or as we like to call it ‘The Jack’ (also called Asshole, Scum, Landlord, or about a dozen other names depending on where you learned it) is a shedding card game with a social hierarchy and drinking penalties, for 4-7 players using a standard 52-card deck.
The goal is to empty your hand first. The reward is power. The punishment for finishing last is servitude and a lot of drinking. Games run 15-30 minutes across multiple rounds.
This game is a climbing card game with roots in East Asia that became a Western party fixture in the 1980s. It’s one of 8 drinking card games worth playing with a standard deck.
We at ALBH like to play our own house variant we call ‘The Jack’. The rules are the same but the hierarchy is different. See the hierarchy section below.
As seen on Kickstarter, our brand new party game Gentle Jack is now available on Amazon. Check it out on Amazon →
What You Need
A standard 52-card deck (add a second deck if playing with more than 7), drinks for everyone, and 4-7 players. The game needs at least four to make the hierarchy meaningful.
Setup
Choose the first dealer at random. The dealer deals out the entire deck, one card at a time, clockwise. Some players may end up with one more card than others. That’s fine.
Card ranking (high to low): 2, A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3. Note that 2 is the highest card, not the lowest. Suits don’t matter.
How to Play
The player to the dealer’s left starts by playing any single card or any set of cards of the same rank face-up to the center. For example: a single jack, or a pair of sevens, or three fives.
The next player clockwise must either pass or play the same number of cards at a higher rank. If someone leads a pair of sixes, you need a pair of sevens or higher to beat it. You can’t play a single king to beat a pair, and you can’t play three cards to beat a pair.
Passing is always allowed, even if you have cards to play. Passing doesn’t lock you out of the round. If play comes back to you, you can still play.
The round continues until one player’s play is followed by everyone else passing. That player wins the round, all played cards are cleared face-up to the side, and the winner leads the next round with any card or set they choose.
When a player runs out of cards, they’re done for the rest of that hand but play continues until only one player is left holding cards.
How to Play President (Quick-Start)
Approximate Play Time: 30 minutes
- Deal the cards
Deal the entire deck out one at a time, clockwise. Some players may have one more card than others. That’s fine.
- Lead the first play
The player to the dealer’s left plays any single card or set of same-rank cards face-up to the center. For example, a single jack or a pair of sevens.
- Beat or pass
Going clockwise, each player must either pass or play the same number of cards at a higher rank. A pair can only be beaten by a higher pair. Passing doesn’t lock you out of the round.
- Win the round
When one player’s cards are followed by every other player passing, that player wins the round. Clear the pile and the winner leads the next round.
- Go out
When a player runs out of cards, they’re done for the hand. Play continues until only one player is left holding cards.
- Assign ranks
First player out is President. Last player left is the Asshole. Everyone in between ranks accordingly.
- Swap cards
Before the next hand, the Asshole gives their two best cards to the President. The President gives back any two cards they don’t want. The Asshole deals the next hand.
- Play again
The President leads the next hand. Repeat until the group decides to stop or someone has been Asshole long enough to demand a new game.
The Hierarchy
After each hand, players are ranked (choose between our terms for The Jack or go with the standard ones):
The Jack (President): First player out. Gets the best seat. Can make any lower-ranked player drink at any time. Receives the Asshole’s two best cards at the start of the next hand.
First Mate (Vice President): Second player out. Can make anyone below them drink.
Princess (Citizens): Everyone in the middle. No special powers. No special punishments.
Idiot (Vice Asshole): Second to last. Performs minor duties at the table.
Servant (Asshole): Last player holding cards. Deals the next hand, shuffles, clears played cards, and refills drinks on request. Gives their two best cards to the President at the start of the next hand and receives whatever two cards the President doesn’t want.
The hierarchy is the drinking game. The card swapping ensures the President starts with an advantage and the Asshole starts in a hole.
Climbing out of the Asshole seat takes good play and some luck. Staying in the President seat takes less of both.
The Drinking Layer
The base game isn’t a drinking game by default. Here’s how the drinking rules typically get added:
The President can order any player to drink at any time, for any reason. The Vice President can order anyone except the President. Citizens can order each other. The Asshole can’t order anyone.
Any time you pass your turn, drink one. Any time you’re still holding cards when the hand ends (as the Asshole), finish your drink or take a penalty agreed on before the game.
Some groups add a rule that the Asshole must drink whenever anyone asks them to and cannot refuse. This escalates fast, so gauge your group’s tolerance before committing to it.
Rules People Get Wrong
2s are high, not low. The card ranking in President is 2-A-K-Q-J-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3, with 2 at the top. A single 2 beats a single ace. A pair of 2s beats a pair of aces. This is the single most commonly confused rule in the game, since nearly every other card game has aces high and 2s low.
Passing isn’t permanent. If you pass, you can still play when your turn comes around again in the same round. Some groups play single-round (once around, done), but the standard version allows multiple passes. Clarify this before starting.
Same-size sets only. You can only beat a play with the same number of cards at a higher rank. Three fives can only be beaten by three sixes or higher. You can’t drop a single ace on a set of three just because it’s a higher card.
Card swapping is mandatory. The Asshole must give their two best cards. The President must give back two cards (any two they choose, usually their worst). This isn’t optional and it happens before play starts. Skipping it defeats the entire hierarchy mechanic.
House Variants Worth Trying
Revolution: If any player plays a four-of-a-kind (all four cards of the same rank), the hierarchy flips. 3s become the highest cards and 2s become the lowest until another four-of-a-kind is played. This single rule creates dramatic reversals and gives the Asshole a genuine comeback path.
Jokers Wild: Add the two jokers as the highest cards in the game, above 2s. A single joker beats anything. A pair of jokers is unbeatable. This concentrates power and makes the card swap between President and Asshole even more impactful.
Clear Card: 2s (or a specific designated card) immediately clear the pile when played, ending the round. The player who played the 2 then leads the next round. This speeds up gameplay and gives 2s a tactical use beyond just being the highest rank.
Frequently Asked Questions for President
2s are the highest card in President, above aces. The full ranking from high to low is 2, A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3. It’s not often you see a two being the highest card in other card games, which is why it’s the single most argued rule in President. If your group has been playing with aces high and 2s low, you’ve been playing a house variant, not the standard game.
Yes. President, Asshole, Scum, and about a dozen other names all refer to the same card game. The rules are identical. The name varies by region and by how polite the group feels like being. Other common names include Rich Man Poor Man, Landlord, Arsehole, Root Beer, Warlords, Scumbags, Capitalism, Butthead, Trou du Cul (French), Einer ist immer der Arsch (German), Hűbéres (Hungary), Bum and of course our favorite naming variant: ‘The Jack‘.
Passing doesn’t lock you out of the round. When play comes back around to you, you can still play. Some groups use a single-round variant where passing means you’re out until the next lead, but in the standard rules, passing is temporary and strategic. You might pass on a pair of sevens now because you’re holding a pair of kings for later.
The standard swap is two cards. The Asshole gives their two highest-value cards to the President. The President gives back any two cards they choose, typically their two worst. In smaller games (3-5 players), some groups reduce the swap to one card each. The swap is mandatory and happens before play begins each hand.
Technically, but it doesn’t work well. The game’s core appeal is the social hierarchy, the card swapping, and the politics of who targets who. With two players it becomes a straightforward shedding game with no meaningful hierarchy. Four to seven players is the range where President plays best.
Revolution is a popular variant where playing a four-of-a-kind (all four cards of the same rank) flips the entire card ranking. 3s become the highest cards and 2s become the lowest until another four-of-a-kind is played and the ranking flips back. This single rule creates dramatic reversals and gives the Asshole a genuine path out of last place if they’re holding the right cards.
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