President Card Game Rules: Ranks, Card Swap and Scum

President is a game with a pecking order built in, and that's exactly why people love it. Every round reshuffles who's at the top, and the winners get real perks in the next deal. It's quick to learn, it works with a crowd, and the banter between the President and the Scum is half the fun.

President, Scum, Rich Man Poor Man: the many names

Pagat.com lists more names for this game than almost any other: Scum, Rich Man Poor Man, Bum, Landlord, Emperors and Scum, Capitalism and more. In Australia it's often called Warlords and Scumbags, and in Britain it has a ruder name I won't print here. Bicycle sells it as Presidents and admits it's often referred to by a less appropriate name. Its likely ancestor is the Japanese game Dai Hin Min.

Card ranks: why the two beats the ace

Rank order	Cards
Highest	2
Then	A, K, Q, J
Middle	10, 9, 8, 7
Lowest	6, 5, 4, 3
Suits	Don't matter

The two is top dog, which catches out everyone who's used to aces high. Deal the whole deck one card at a time; some players will have one more than others, and that's fine.

Leading, beating and passing

1. The player on the dealer's left leads any single card, or a set of equal cards, such as three fives.
2. Each player in turn either passes or plays something higher with the same number of cards.
3. A single beats a lower single. A pair only beats a lower pair: two sevens beat two sixes, but a single king doesn't.
4. Passing is always allowed, even if you could play, and you can still play next time it comes round.
5. When everyone passes on a play, the cards are turned face down and set aside.
6. Whoever made the last play leads anything they like to start again.
7. If you've run out of cards, your turn is skipped. Keep going until only one player has cards left.

You can split a set: if someone plays two sixes and you hold three sevens, you can play two of them and keep the third.

Ranks for the next round

Finishing order	Title for the next deal
First out	President
Second out	Vice President
Middle players	Citizens
Last with cards	Scum (or Beggar)

Pagat.com says players then change seats. The President picks the comfiest chair, the Vice President sits on their left, and so on round to the Scum on the President's right. The Scum shuffles, deals and tidies up. If you're keeping score, a simple system is 2 points for the President, 1 for the Vice President and none for everyone else, playing to 11.

The card swap between President and Scum

This is what keeps the President on top. After the deal, the Scum must give their highest card to the President, and the President hands back any card they don't want. The President then leads the first play.

Many groups play a bigger swap. Pagat.com describes a common version where the President gets the Scum's two highest cards and gives back any two, while the Vice President and the second to last player swap one card. It makes the gap between the top and bottom much wider, so I'd only use it once everyone knows the game.

Playing a full game over several deals

One deal of President rarely settles anything, so most groups play several. After each deal, everyone moves to their new seat, the Scum deals, the swap happens, and the President leads. If you score 2 points for President and 1 for Vice President, the first player to 11 wins the night. New players can join between deals, and pagat.com says they start in the lowest position.

The interesting part is how hard it can be to climb. The Scum has given away their best card and the President has dumped their worst one, so the same people often stay on top. That's why many groups add a rule like the revolution below, to give the bottom of the table a fighting chance.

Revolutions, skips and other table rules

• Lowest card leads: on the first deal, whoever holds a particular three starts.
• Scum leads: on later deals, the Scum leads instead of the President.
• No playing after passing: in parts of Australia, once you pass you sit out the rest of that trick.
• Equal plays: you can match the previous play's rank, and some groups skip the next player when you do.
• Revolution: playing four of a kind reverses the card ranks for the rest of the deal.
• Single round: each player gets just one chance to pass or beat the play before the highest player leads again.
• Compulsory beating: you must beat the previous play if you can. Pagat.com thinks this makes the game less interesting, and I agree.

My take on hosting a President night

President suits teenagers and adults, and it's at its best with five or six players. It's a great one for a party because people can join between rounds: new arrivals start at the bottom as Scum. Keep the swap to one card for the first few rounds, and make the Scum's duties light and silly rather than mean. The mistake to avoid is throwing your twos early. Save them to win a trick when you need the lead. If you like the shed your cards first feeling, try Crazy Eights next.

If you want the full set, start at the Free Games to Play Offline and Online: Every Guide in One Place (2026).

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest card in President?

The two is the highest card, followed by the ace, king, queen and jack. Threes are the lowest.

What is President also called?

It's also called Scum, Rich Man Poor Man, Bum and Capitalism. In Australia it's often called Warlords and Scumbags.

How does the card swap work in President?

The Scum gives their highest card to the President, who gives back any card they don't want. Some groups swap two cards and have the Vice President swap one.

How many people can play President?

It works best with about 4 to 7 players using one standard deck.

Can you pass in President if you can play?

Yes. Passing is always allowed in the basic game, and you can still play when your turn comes round again.