Gameplay

President is a shedding card game with simple moves. The minimum player count is 2, but there must be at least 3 players to remove perfect information.

Players are dealt cards, starting with the President (a random player in the first round). Hands are private information to each player, but everything else is public knowledge, including what cards have been played.

In each round, card transfers occur depending on the results of the previous round, and then tricks are played until only one player remains. Players win when they have played all of their cards (have no cards remaining).

If a player leaves, his cards are discarded face up, but he gets the worst possible rank, and the turn timer is reset.

Card Transfers

On the first round, this part is skipped, and the player with the special 3 of hearts starts (but must play that card).

President: first-place last round
Vice President: second-place last round (minimum of 4 players)
High-Scum: second-lowest-place last round (minimum of 4 players)
Scum: lowest-place last round

To prevent cheating by reconnecting, new players join the new queue. Whenever a current player wins, that player enters the current queue. When a round starts, players are dequeued from the current queue and then from the new queue. The first player is the President, and the last is the Scum.

The Scum gives the President his 2 best cards. If there are at least 4 players, the High-Scum gives the Vice President his best card.

After that, the President chooses 2 cards to give to the Scum. If applicable, the Vice President chooses 1 card to give to the High-Scum.

If both the President and Vice President leave, this part is skipped. If the Scum leaves, the President directly discards the cards that would be given to the Scum; the same applies to Vice President and High-Scum.

The Scum, President, or a random player (depending on the rules) starts the first trick.

Tricks

In each trick, the first player plays a combo of N cards, and then each player plays a combo to beat or equalize the previous combo.

Each player can play on top of the current trick or pass.

Card Ranks

The cards ranks (4 each per deck) are in this order from lowest to highest:

3 < 4 < 5 < 6 < 7 < 8 < 9 < 10 < Jack < Queen < King < Ace < 2

If enabled, Jokers (2/deck) are considered to be above 2, since they are flexible wildcards that may be used as any card.

Time Control

Intermissions last up to 30 seconds, ending early if all players are ready.

Each turn lasts up to 20 seconds by default, with automatic moves (when starting a trick, all of the smallest cards; otherwise, pass). Unused turn time cannot be carried to future turns. There is only a turn timer, not a game timer.

Options

Turn Time / ms (default: 20000, min: 5000, max: 60000)

A random move will be made after the turn timer expires.

Decks (default: 1, min: 1, max: 2⁵¹)

Number of decks to use.

Jokers per deck (default: 2, min: 0, max: 2)

Jokers are used as wildcards.

Revolutions

When at least 4 cards of the same value are played at the same time, the rankings are reversed (except jokers) until the end of the round. This effect can stack to cancel out the previous revolution.

off (default)
on, strict: revolution does not occur if any of the cards is a joker
on, relaxed: revolution occurs only if at least 4 of the cards are not jokers
on, jokers: 4 cards may include jokers

Revolution ends trick (default: off)

A revolution ends the current trick and starts a new one.

One fewer 2 (default: on)

For N >= 2, N-1 cards of rank 2 (3 if revolution is active) beat N cards that are not 2. The only higher move is N cards of rank 2.

Play after pass (default: off)

Passing does not prevent the player from continuing to play in the same trick.

If off, when everyone except P (the last player to move) has passed, P starts a new trick. If P already won, the player after P starts instead.

Equalize

Playing the same combo as the previous instead of playing a higher combo is equalizing.

disallow: players cannot equalize
allow (default): players can equalize
equalize or skip: if a player equalizes, the next player must equalize or skip the current turn
equalize or pass: if a player equalizes, the next player must equalize or pass the round
force skip: if a player equalizes, the next player skips a turn

Equalize End Trick

If the trick ends, the next player starts the next trick.

off (default): equalizing does not end trick
scum: trick ends if scum equalizes
all: trick ends if any player equalizes

Equalize only by scum (default: off)

If on, only scum can equalize.

First Trick

Who starts the first trick?

Scum (default)
President
Random

When there is no president/scum (the first round), a random player is selected to start.

4-in-a-row (default: off)

If at least 4 cards of the same rank are played in a trick (possibly by equalizing), the trick ends, allowing the next player to start a new trick.

8-rule (default: off)

If an 8 is played, the trick ends, and the current player starts a new trick.

Single turn (default: off)

Players play once per trick, so they are treated as having passed after playing. The player before the player starting the current trick will start the next trick.

Penalize final 2 (default: off)

If the last card played is 2, a player is effectively demoted to scum (enters the front of the new queue, after any others who are penalized).

Penalize final joker (default: off)

Similar to the previous option, but applicable when a joker is the last card played.

Rules for President