Presidents Drinking Game Rules: How to Play President & Asshole

Presidents, also called President & Asshole or simply Asshole, is a drinking card game where players race to get rid of all their cards by playing higher-ranked cards than the person before them. Finish first and you become the President. Finish last and you become the Asshole.

That last-place title isn’t just for decoration.

Your rank carries into the next round, giving the President better cards and more power while making life significantly worse for whoever finished last.

The game is also known as President, Asshole, Scum, or Capitalism depending on where and with whom you learned it. The exact drinking rules and special-card rules vary, but the core card game stays mostly the same.

PRESIDENTS DRINKING GAME RULES — QUICK VERSION

Deal all the cards as evenly as possible.
Cards rank from 3 lowest to 2 highest.
The first player puts down a single card, pair, triple, or four-of-a-kind.
The next player must play the same number of cards at a higher rank or pass.
When everyone passes, clear the pile and the last person who played starts again.
The first player to get rid of every card becomes the President.
The last player with cards becomes the Asshole.
Before the next round, the President and Asshole exchange their best and worst cards.
Player rankings can also determine drinking privileges and penalties.

What You Need to Play Presidents

1 standard 52-card deck
3 or more players
Drinks if you’re using the drinking rules
A table or somewhere to play cards

Presidents works with three players, but 4–6 players is the sweet spot.

With larger groups, you can add a second deck so everyone gets enough cards for the game to stay interesting.

You usually don’t need Jokers. If you include them, decide what they do before the first round because Joker rules vary heavily between groups.

If you’re looking for more games that only require a deck, check out our card drinking games.

Presidents Card Rankings

This is the first thing everyone needs to get straight:

2 is the highest card in Presidents. 3 is the lowest.

PRESIDENTS CARD RANKING — HIGHEST TO LOWEST

2 → A → K → Q → J → 10 → 9 → 8 → 7 → 6 → 5 → 4 → 3

Suits do not matter.

A 9 of Hearts and a 9 of Spades have exactly the same value.

This is not Poker. Nobody cares that your 7 is wearing a tiny diamond.

How to Set Up the Presidents Drinking Game

Shuffle the deck and deal every card as evenly as possible.

If the deck doesn’t divide perfectly between the players, some people will have one extra card. That’s fine.

For the first round, a common starting rule is that whoever holds the 3 of Clubs plays first.

Other groups use a different predetermined low card or simply let the dealer choose. It doesn’t make much difference as long as everyone knows the rule.

After the first round establishes the President-to-Asshole hierarchy, starting-player rules vary. Some groups let the President lead the next round, while others give that privilege to the Asshole.

Pick one version and stick with it.

How to Play Presidents

PLAY → BEAT THE RANK → PASS → EMPTY YOUR HAND

1. Lead With a Card or Matching Set

The first player starts by laying down either:

1 card
A pair
Three of a kind
Four of a kind

Whatever quantity is played determines what everyone else must play for that pile.

If the round starts with two 6s, everyone must play pairs until the pile clears.

2. Play the Same Number of Higher Cards

Going around the table, each player must either:

Play the same number of cards at a higher rank, or
Pass.

For example, a pair of 6s can be beaten by a pair of 8s, Queens, Aces, or any other higher pair.

You cannot beat a pair with one King.

You cannot beat it with three 7s.

Match the quantity. Beat the rank.

3. Pass If You Can't or Don't Want to Play

If you can’t beat the current cards — or you want to save your better cards — you can pass.

What happens after passing varies.

In one common version, you can play again later if the action makes it back around to you.

Other groups say passing removes you from the current pile until it clears.

Pick your passing rule before someone strategically passes and then suddenly becomes a constitutional scholar.

4. Clear the Pile When Everyone Passes

Once everyone passes back to the person who played the highest cards, clear the pile.

The last player to successfully play gets control and starts a new pile with any valid single card or matching set.

That matters because leading lets you decide whether the next battle uses singles, pairs, triples, or four-of-a-kind.

5. Get Rid of All Your Cards

The goal of Presidents is to empty your hand before everyone else.

As players run out of cards, record the order they finish.

That finishing order determines everyone’s rank for the next round.

How Do You Win Presidents?

You win a round of Presidents by being the first player to get rid of every card in your hand.

That makes you the President for the next round.

Unlike many card games, everyone else should keep playing after the winner goes out because the complete finishing order matters.

The last player still holding cards becomes the Asshole.

THE GOAL

Get rid of your cards first → become President → avoid finishing last.

President & Asshole Player Rankings

The hierarchy is what separates Presidents from a normal shedding card game.

For a typical group, the rankings look like this:

President — first player out
Vice President — second player out
Neutral / Citizen — everyone in the middle
Vice Asshole — second-to-last
Asshole — last player with cards

With fewer players, you don’t need every title.

With more players, add as many neutral positions as necessary.

The important positions are President at the top and Asshole at the bottom.

President and Asshole Card Exchange Rules

The hierarchy becomes very real before the next round.

A common version uses this exchange:

Asshole → President: Gives the President their 2 highest cards.

President → Asshole: Gives back any 2 unwanted cards.

Vice Asshole → Vice President: Gives their highest card.

Vice President → Vice Asshole: Gives back 1 unwanted card.

This exchange is sometimes called the tax.

Yes, it gives the player who already won an even better hand.

That unfairness is very much the point.

Some groups exchange only 1 card between the President and Asshole, particularly with smaller groups. Both versions exist.

Choose the card exchange before starting and use the same rule every round.

Presidents Drinking Game Rules

Presidents is a complete card game without alcohol. The drinking version adds privileges and penalties based on the hierarchy.

There isn’t one universal drinking system, so keep it simple.

COLLEGEWARES PRESIDENTS DRINKING RULES

President

Can assign 1 drink to a lower-ranked player.
Doesn’t have to handle dealing or cleanup.

Vice President

Can assign a drink to someone ranked below them.
Cannot assign one to the President.

Neutral Players

Play normally.
Don’t receive special rank privileges.

Vice Asshole

Gets almost no special power.
May help with dealing or table duties.

Asshole

Deals the next round.
Handles the discard pile or basic table cleanup.
Doesn’t get rank-based drinking privileges.

Don't give the President unlimited authority to make people drink.

The hierarchy is supposed to make the game funnier, not turn first place into a dictatorship with bottle service.

What Does a 2 Do in Presidents?

In standard Presidents card rankings, 2 is the highest card.

A single 2 beats an Ace. A pair of 2s beats any lower pair.

A popular house rule also makes the 2 an automatic clear.

Under that rule:

Play a 2 legally.
The current pile immediately clears.
You lead the next pile.

Other groups treat the 2 as simply the highest card without any additional ability.

Both versions are common enough that you should establish the rule before playing.

What Is Revolution in Presidents?

Revolution is a popular Presidents house rule that reverses the card rankings.

It’s commonly triggered by playing four cards of the same rank.

NORMAL RANKING: 3 is lowest → 2 is highest

REVOLUTION: 2 is lowest → 3 is highest

The reversed ranking can last until another Revolution occurs or until the round ends, depending on your house rules.

This is usually excellent news for whoever has been sitting there staring at a garbage hand full of 3s and 4s.

Presidents House Rules & Variations

President & Asshole has enough regional variations that two groups can know the same game and still immediately disagree about half the deck.

Establish your special-card rules before dealing.

2 Clears the Pile

Playing a 2 immediately clears the current pile and lets the same player lead again.

This makes the highest card even stronger.

Four-of-a-Kind Clears

Instead of triggering Revolution, some groups make four cards of the same rank clear the pile.

Other versions allow four matching cards played across multiple turns to trigger the clear.

If you use this rule, establish exactly what counts.

Passing Locks You Out

For a more strategic game, make passing permanent for the current pile.

Once you pass, you cannot play again until the pile clears.

This makes passing much more important because you can’t jump back in later with the Ace you conveniently decided to save.

Equal Cards Skip

Some versions allow a player to match the previous card rank instead of requiring a strictly higher card.

A common variation makes matching the rank skip the next player.

This is optional and changes the basic climbing rules considerably.

Jokers

If Jokers are included, they can be treated as higher than 2s, wild cards, or automatic clears.

There is no standard Joker rule.

Presidents already has enough ways for four people to remember four completely different rulesets. We usually leave them out.

Our Recommended Presidents Rules

If everyone at the table learned President & Asshole from a different person, use one ruleset before things get ugly.

COLLEGEWARES PRESIDENTS RULES

3 is lowest. 2 is highest.
No Jokers.
Singles beat singles, pairs beat pairs, triples beat triples.
You must play a strictly higher rank.
Passing does not lock you out of the pile.
Everyone passes = pile clears.
2 immediately clears the pile.
Four-of-a-kind triggers Revolution.
First out = President.
Second out = Vice President.
Second-to-last = Vice Asshole.
Last = Asshole.
Asshole gives President their 2 highest cards.
President returns 2 unwanted cards.
Vice Asshole and Vice President exchange 1 card.

Enough strategy to keep the card game interesting.

Enough bullshit hierarchy to make finishing last genuinely annoying.

How Many People Can Play Presidents?

You need at least 3 players for Presidents, but 4–6 players is usually ideal.

With three players, simplify the rankings to:

President — first out
Neutral — second out
Asshole — last

Skip the Vice President and Vice Asshole positions.

If you have a much larger group, you can add another deck, although duplicate cards will make matching sets more common.

For other small-group options, check out our drinking games for 3. For bigger groups, see our group drinking games and party drinking games.

Presidents Drinking Game FAQ

How do you play the Presidents drinking game?

Deal out a deck of cards and take turns playing higher-ranked cards or matching sets than the previous player. Players can pass if they can’t or don’t want to play. The first person to empty their hand becomes President, while the last person with cards becomes the Asshole.

Is Presidents the same as President & Asshole?

Usually, yes.

Presidents, President, President & Asshole, Asshole, Scum, and Capitalism are names used for closely related versions of the same climbing card game.

Individual rules vary by group, particularly special cards, passing, drinking penalties, and the card exchange between rounds.

What are the card rankings in Presidents?

From lowest to highest, the standard Presidents card ranking is:

3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A, 2.

Suits do not matter.

Is 2 the highest card in Presidents?

Yes. Under the standard ranking, 2 is higher than Ace and every other card.

Some house rules also make a 2 automatically clear the pile.

Can you play pairs in Presidents?

Yes.

If someone leads with a pair, the next player must respond with a higher pair. The same principle applies to triples and four-of-a-kind.

What happens when everyone passes in Presidents?

When everyone passes back to the last player who successfully played cards, the pile clears.

That player starts a new pile with any valid single card or matching set.

What does the President do in Presidents?

The President is the player who finished first in the previous round.

They usually receive the Asshole’s highest cards before the next round and return unwanted cards. Drinking versions may also give the President limited privileges over lower-ranked players.

What does the Asshole do in Presidents?

The Asshole is the player who finished last.

They usually give their highest cards to the President before the next round and may also be responsible for dealing or handling the discard pile.

How many cards does the Asshole give the President?

A common President & Asshole rule has the Asshole give the President their 2 highest cards, while the President returns any 2 unwanted cards.

Some groups exchange only one card.

What is Revolution in Presidents?

Revolution is a popular house rule where four-of-a-kind reverses the card rankings.

Instead of 2 being highest and 3 lowest, 3 becomes highest and 2 becomes lowest.

Can you pass in Presidents?

Yes.

Some versions let you play again if the action comes back around. Others say that once you pass, you’re out until the pile clears.

Agree on the passing rule before the game.

How many people do you need for Presidents?

You need at least 3 players, although 4–6 players usually gives you the best mix of strategy, hierarchy, and quick turns.

Can you play Presidents without alcohol?

Yes.

President & Asshole is a complete card game without drinking. Remove the drinking privileges and penalties and all of the actual card gameplay stays the same.