Rules for President

President is a popular card game, particularly among teens and young adults. It revolves around status and hierarchy, with players competing to climb the rankings each round.

The game works for 3 to 8 players and is best with 4. A round typically takes 10 to 20 minutes. You need a standard 52-card deck, and jokers can be added if you want.

The goal is to be the first to play all your cards and earn the title of President. The last player left holding cards becomes the Boms (also called the Slave) and starts the next round at a disadvantage.

Deal the entire deck to all players, one card at a time. It's fine if some players end up with one more card than others.

Players sort their cards by value. The game continues over multiple rounds, with titles and roles carried over from the previous round.

The cards are ranked from highest to lowest as follows:

1. 2 (highest)
2. Ace
3. King
4. Queen
5. Jack
6. 10
7. 9
8. 8
9. 7
10. 6
11. 5
12. 4
13. 3 (lowest)

Suits have no effect on card values.

Special cards:

• Sixes and jokers: Can act as wild cards that substitute for other cards
• 3 of clubs: In some variants, this card starts the first round
• 3 of diamonds: In other variants, this card starts the first round

In the first round, the player holding the 3 of clubs or 3 of diamonds (depending on the variant) goes first. In later rounds, the Boms (the loser of the previous round) starts.

How a turn works:

1. The starting player lays down one or more cards of the same rank (for example, two fives)
2. The next player must lay down the same number of cards of a higher rank (for example, two sixes) or pass
3. Play continues clockwise until all players pass except one
4. The player who played the last (highest) card wins the trick and starts the next one
5. If that player has no cards left, the player to their left starts the next trick

When a player has played all their cards, the others keep going until only one player remains with cards.

• Sixes and jokers: Can substitute for any other card when played alongside it. For example, three aces and a six can be played as four aces. If played alone, a six (or joker) is worth its face value.
• Four of a kind: In some variants, four identical cards beat all combinations and clear the pile. The next player then starts a new trick.

After each round, players receive titles based on the order they finished:

• President: First to play all their cards
• Vice President: Second to finish (only with 4 or more players)
• Neutral: Middle-position players (with 5 players)
• Vice Boms: Second to last (only with 4 or more players)
• Boms/Slave: Last player holding cards

Before the next round starts, players exchange cards:

• The President receives the two best cards from the Boms and gives back two cards of their choice (usually weak ones)
• The Vice President receives the best card from the Vice Boms and gives back one card of their choice

The President may also ask for specific cards from the Boms.

After the exchange, the Boms starts the next round.

President can in theory be played indefinitely, round after round. Players often agree on a set number of rounds before starting.

A common approach is to track how many times each player becomes President. The player with the most presidential rounds at the end wins.

There are many variations of President:

• Card exchange size: Can range from 1 to 3 cards depending on house rules
• Starting player: May be the player with the 3 of clubs, 3 of diamonds, or the lowest card
• Four of a kind: In some versions, clears the board
• Bonus round: If the same person is President two rounds in a row, they receive a special bonus
• Revolution: In some variants, a player with four 2s or four jokers can declare revolution, flipping the hierarchy so the Boms becomes President and vice versa

A few things worth keeping in mind when playing President:

• Try to get rid of your single low cards early
• Save your high cards (2s and Aces) for the end or to win a trick and take control
• Pay attention to how many of each rank other players have played
• As President, give your worst cards to the Boms to protect your advantage
• If you're the Boms, focus on improving your position steadily over several rounds
• Use jokers alongside high cards to build strong combinations