What is the Asshole Card Game?
Asshole is one of the most popular card-based drinking games ever invented, and for good reason. It blends competitive card play with a ruthless social hierarchy that keeps every round unpredictable and entertaining.
A Brief History
The origins of Asshole trace back to a family of climbing card games that have been played across Asia and Europe for centuries. The Japanese game Daifugo (meaning “great millionaire”) is widely considered the direct ancestor, and it spread to Western countries through military bases and college campuses in the mid-20th century.
Why Asshole is a Party Favorite
What makes Asshole stand out from other drinking card games is its built-in power dynamic. Unlike games where everyone is equal, Asshole creates a pecking order that changes with every round.
What You Need
Game Name: Asshole (also called President, Scum, or Capitalism)
Players: 4 to 7 (5 or 6 is the sweet spot)
Equipment: One standard 52-card deck (no Jokers for the basic version)
Drinks: Beer, mixed drinks, or whatever your group prefers
Choosing the Right Drinks
Because Asshole involves frequent sipping throughout each round, most groups stick with beer or light cocktails. Hard liquor can escalate things quickly, especially once the President starts mandating drinks left and right.
Setting Up the Table
All you need is a flat surface big enough for everyone to sit around. A round table works best since players need to see each other and the central pile.
Card Rankings in Asshole
Understanding the card hierarchy is the foundation of the entire game. Unlike most card games where Aces are always high, Asshole has its own unique ranking system that takes a few hands to internalize.
Full Card Hierarchy (Lowest to Highest)
3 — The lowest card in the game. You want to get rid of 3s as early as possible.
4 (Social Card) — Low in value, but triggers a social: everyone at the table drinks when a 4 is played.
5 — Still a weak card.
Why the Hierarchy Matters
Because each play must equal or exceed the value of the previous play, the ranking system dictates the entire flow of every round. Low cards become liabilities if you hold onto them too long — once the pile climbs to Jacks and above, your 3s and 5s are dead weight.
How to Set Up Asshole
First Round Setup
For the very first round, the youngest player at the table (or the host, if you prefer) is the initial dealer. The dealer shuffles the deck and deals out all 52 cards as evenly as possible, going one card at a time clockwise.
Subsequent Round Setup
After the first round, the social hierarchy kicks in and setup changes. The Asshole (the player who finished last) must deal and clear all cards for the next round.
How to Play Asshole
The object of the game is to get rid of all your cards before everyone else. The player who empties their hand first claims the top rank, and the last player stuck with cards becomes the Asshole for the next round.
Playing Cards: Singles, Doubles, and Triples
The lead player can open with any card or set of matching cards from their hand. If they play a single card, everyone else must play singles.
Passing and Skipping
If you cannot or choose not to play a card on your turn, you must pass. Passing means you sit out for the rest of that particular round of play (until the pile is cleared).
Clearing the Pile
The pile gets cleared in two ways. First, if a 2 is played, the pile is immediately cleared regardless of what was on top.
Going Out and Determining Rank
Play continues around the table until all players have emptied their hands. The order in which players go out determines the social hierarchy for the next round.
Roles and Social Hierarchy
The social hierarchy is the heart of what makes Asshole more than just a card game. After the first hand, every player is assigned a rank based on the order they went out, and that rank carries real privileges and penalties in subsequent rounds.
President
The President is the top dog. This player finished first in the previous round and enjoys the most privileges.
Vice President
The Vice President finished second and serves as the President’s right hand. The VP receives one card (the best card) from the Vice Asshole and gives their worst card back.
Neutral Players (Treasurer, Senators)
Players who finish in the middle of the pack hold neutral positions, often called Treasurer, Secretary, or simply Senators. These players don’t trade cards at the start of a round and have no special privileges or penalties.
Vice Asshole
The Vice Asshole finished second to last and sits just above rock bottom. The VA must give their best card to the Vice President and receives the VP’s worst card in return.
Asshole
The Asshole is the player who finished dead last, and they pay dearly for it. The Asshole must deal all the cards, clear the pile whenever it’s swept, and perform any menial tasks the group assigns (fetching drinks, shuffling, etc.).
Drinking Rules
The drinking rules are what transform Asshole from a standard card game into a legendary party game. Every action at the table has a potential drinking consequence, keeping everyone engaged even when it’s not their turn.
Core Drinking Rules
- Can’t play a card: If you cannot play on your turn (no valid cards), you must pass and take a drink.
- Getting skipped: If the player before you matches the previous card’s value, you are skipped and must drink.
- 4 is a Social: Whenever a 4 is played, every player at the table takes a drink together.
- Rank pulls rank: Any player can make a lower-ranked player drink at any time during the game. The President can target anyone, the VP can target everyone except the President, and so on down the chain.
- Wrong play penalty: If you play out of turn or make an illegal play (wrong number of cards, lower value than required), you drink and pick your cards back up.
Card Trading Rules
- The Asshole gives their two best cards to the President. The President gives the Asshole their two worst cards.
- The Vice Asshole gives their single best card to the Vice President. The Vice President gives the Vice Asshole their worst card.
- Neutral-ranked players do not trade cards.
- All trades happen before any cards are played in the new round.
Presidential Mandates
One of the most entertaining aspects of Asshole is the President’s power to issue mandates. Beyond simply making people drink, many groups play with these additional presidential privileges:
Social Drinks
Social drinks keep the whole table involved. Beyond the 4-card social, many groups add additional triggers: finishing a round (everyone toasts), a player going out (the remaining players drink), or specific card combinations like playing four of a kind (table-wide social).
Advanced Strategy
Asshole rewards more than just lucky draws. Experienced players consistently outperform newcomers because they understand the meta-game — when to play aggressively, when to hold back, and how to read the table.
Holding Power Cards
Your 2s and Aces are the most valuable cards in your hand, and how you deploy them determines whether you climb the ranks or sink. A common beginner mistake is playing a 2 early just because the pile is getting high.
Reading Your Opponents
Pay close attention to how many cards each player has left. If someone is down to two or three cards, they’re probably holding their strongest cards and waiting for the right moment to go out.
Card Counting Basics
You don’t need a Rain Man-level memory to count cards in Asshole, but keeping a rough mental tally of key cards gives you a huge edge. Focus on tracking the 2s (there are only four in the deck), the Aces, and any pairs or triples that have already been played.
When to Pass Strategically
Passing isn’t always a sign of weakness. Sometimes the smartest play is to pass even when you could play a card.
Bluffing and Misdirection
While Asshole isn’t a bluffing game in the way Bullshit is, there’s still room for misdirection. If you react excitedly when a pile gets cleared, opponents might think you have weak cards and are relieved.
Popular Variations
One of the best things about Asshole is how customizable it is. Almost every friend group develops their own house rules over time.
Revolution
The Revolution rule is a game-changer, literally. If any player manages to play four of a kind (all four cards of the same value at once), a Revolution is triggered and the entire card hierarchy flips.
Jokers Wild
Adding the two Jokers to the deck introduces a card that outranks even the 2. Jokers can be played on anything and instantly clear the pile, plus the player who plays a Joker can force any single player at the table to finish their entire drink.
Multiple Decks
For big groups of 8 or more players, shuffle two full decks together (104 cards). This opens up the possibility of playing four, five, or even six of a kind, and it makes the game last longer with more dramatic swings.
Speed Asshole
Speed Asshole adds a timer element. Each player has five seconds to make their play or they automatically pass and drink.
Team Asshole
In the team variant, players sitting across from each other are partners. Partners share a combined rank — if one partner goes out first and the other goes out fourth, their average ranking determines their team’s position.
Related Drinking Games
If you enjoy Asshole, you’ll want to explore these other card-based drinking games that bring their own unique twists to the table:
- Bullshit — Another competitive card game where bluffing and calling out liars is the name of the game. If you like the confrontational energy of Asshole, Bullshit cranks it up even further.
- Kings Cup — The ultimate party card game with unique rules for every card drawn. Great as a warm-up before Asshole or as a standalone game for mixed groups.
- Fuck the Dealer — A wild guessing game that punishes the dealer more and more as the game goes on. Perfect for groups that love high-stakes drinking moments.
- Ride the Bus — A suspenseful card game where one unlucky player ends up “riding the bus” and drinking heavily. Great for dramatic finishes.
- Sociables — The ultimate social card drinking game where every card triggers a group action. If you love the social-drink aspect of Asshole, Sociables takes it to the next level.
- Screw Your Neighbor — A fast-paced card trading game where you try to avoid holding the lowest card. Quick rounds make it a great palate cleanser between Asshole sessions.
