president

president, card game of Chinese origin that suddenly appeared in the Western world during the 1980s. President is just one of many different names for the game, most of them vulgar and some scatological, and the game itself is played in many different forms with varying rules. Common to all, besides the basic object and method of play, is the distinctive feature of “social status,” whereby the players not only adopt different roles according to how well or how badly they are doing but also change their relative seating positions from deal to deal in accordance with their respective roles.

Game play

Up to seven people can play, but four is the least and best number. The following account assumes four players and describes a very basic form of the game.

Two jokers, if available, rank as the highest cards, and one outranks the other if they are distinguishable. (For example, black joker beats red joker.) Second highest are the 2s, which, like jokers, may also be used as wild cards to a limited extent. These are then followed downward by A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 in each suit. There is no trump suit, and no suit outranks any other (unless players agree otherwise).

All the cards are dealt out one at a time to each player. It does not matter if some players get one more card than others. The aim is to play out all one’s cards as soon as possible. Whoever holds the 3 of clubs starts by playing faceup to the table any single card or two, three, or four cards of the same rank (not necessarily including the 3 of clubs). Each person in rotation from the left of the leader may pass or play. Anyone who plays must put out the same number of cards as the leader, and these cards must all be of the same rank but higher in rank than the previous player’s cards. Jokers, if present, may be used as wild cards in combination with one or more natural cards, but this is beaten by the equivalent natural combination. For example, 9-9-9 beats 9-9-joker or 9-joker-joker. Any singleton, however, is beaten by a joker, and any pair by a pair of jokers.

Passing does not prevent a person from contributing to the same round of play if the turn reaches him again. Play therefore continues with all passing or playing in rotation, and the round ends only when one person plays and everyone else passes. The last person to play may not then beat his own cards but must turn all his played cards facedown and lead to the next round. If he has run out of cards, the lead passes to the next player who has any left. Play ceases when only one player has any cards left.

Gaming roles

The first player to play his last card is designated president, the second vice president, the third (or second to last if more than four play) senator, and the last one left with any card in hand is the bum.

The president scores two points and in the next round occupies the best seat (however agreed beforehand—for example, it may be the most comfortable chair). The vice president scores one point and takes the next best seat, which should be at the president’s left. The others score nothing and occupy diminishingly desirable seats in rotation, leaving the bum seated at the president’s right.

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The bum then gathers the cards, shuffles, and deals them, starting with the president. The bum, after examining his hand but before play begins, gives the highest card in his hand to the president, and any card the president does not want is given to the bum. Then the president leads to the next round. The second and subsequent rounds are played and scored as the first.

The game is played to any agreed score or for any previously agreed number of deals. There should be at least eight deals to a game, though, in order to give players an opportunity to overcome the inequity introduced by the card-trading system.

Variations

There are a vast number of variations, many of which include rules and features borrowed from related games. For example:

• Single or multiple sequences may be played. A variety called big two includes poker combinations.
• A given play may be followed by one containing more cards, provided that it is the same type of combination and higher in rank.
• The play of a given card or combination may induce a reversal in the rotation of play or in the ranking of subsequent combinations (each new one must be lower instead of higher), or both.
• Cards other than jokers may be declared wild.
• Suits may be ranked as in bridge.