President variants and house rules

Why does every table play President differently?

President spread by word of mouth, from dorm rooms to family holidays, so every group grew its own rules and swears they’re the real ones. Le Président doesn’t take sides: the host picks the options in the lobby, and everyone sees them before the first card is dealt.

The host also picks the game mode and its length. In “Classic” mode, players take turns; in a “Rapid game”, anyone can play at any moment. A game lasts 5 rounds by default, with 3, 7 or “Unlimited” as the other choices.

What is a revolution in President?

Play four of a kind in one go and the card order flips: the 3 becomes the strongest card and the 2 the weakest. The revolution lasts until the end of the round, unless someone plays another four of a kind and flips it back. Counter-revolutions are allowed, as often as the cards let you.

Only four cards played together count: two 7s followed by the other two 7s don’t start anything. The Japanese game Daifugō has a revolution rule too, and The Great Dalmuti has one of its own that is triggered differently.

Two details trip people up. Every new round starts in normal order, and the card exchanges between rounds always use the normal order, so a 2 is still the best card you can receive. Full details are in the revolution rule.

What is the skip rule in President?

At a lot of tables, matching the rank just played skips the next player, which is why some groups call it the shut up rule: someone plays a 5, you play a 5, and the next person misses their turn. Le Président’s version, “Skip if matching cards are missing”, gives that player a chance: they keep their turn only if they can match too, and then it’s the same card or nothing.

1. Sam plays a 6 and you play another 6.
2. The next player holds a 6: they can play it or pass, nothing else.
3. No 6 in their hand: they’re skipped, and the player after them answers as usual.

A skip only costs that one turn; it isn’t a pass for the whole trick. The rule is on by default in Classic mode and switched off in rapid games, where there are no turns to skip. See the skip rule in full.

Do 2s clear the pile?

Yes, by default. With “Strongest card closes the trick”, a 2 ends the trick on the spot (the pile is cleared, in house-rule speak) and, in Classic mode, whoever played it leads the next one. During a revolution, the 3 takes over that job.

One difference from a lot of house rules: a 2 isn’t wild, and it doesn’t beat everything. You still have to match the number of cards, so a single 2 can’t go on a pair; it takes two 2s. Switch the option off and the 2 is still the top card, but another 2 can follow it. More on what beats a 2.

Does four of a kind clear the pile?

Yes, with “Four matching cards close the trick”. Four cards of the same rank in a row on top of the trick close it, even when they arrive in several plays: two 8s, then the other two 8s, and the trick is over. Played all at once, four of a kind also starts a revolution if “Revolution” is on.

What Le Président doesn’t have is the bomb that beats anything: four of a kind can’t be played on a single, a pair or three of a kind. You also can’t slap down the missing card out of turn to finish a set. In Classic mode you only play on your turn, so the player holding the fourth card has to wait for their turn to close the trick. A rapid game has no turns at all, so anyone can jump in. Details in four matching cards close the trick.

Can you go out on a 2?

Plenty of groups ban it: your last card can’t be a 2. In Le Président, “Finish with a 2” is off by default and works as a penalty rather than a ban. If a play of 2s empties your hand, you drop to the bottom of the standings: the first player to do it becomes the Asshole, the next takes second-to-last place, and so on up.

It applies to a single 2 or several, during a revolution too, and to bots as well. Going out on a 3 during a revolution is fine. The full “Finish with a 2” rule covers the edge cases. The option also changes when you should spend your 2s.

Which house rules aren’t in Le Président?