How to Play President Card Game (Scum, Kings and Peasants)
Nov 7, 2026 · The Editors
How to play President, the climbing card game also called Scum: card ranks, playing singles and pairs, passing and clearing, the roles, the card exchange — and how to play with 3 players.
President — also called Scum, Kings and Peasants, or a ruder name at most universities — is a party card game about getting rid of your cards first. Win a round and you are President. Finish last and you start the next round handing over your best cards.
What you need
- 4 to 7 players is ideal; it works with 3 and with more.
- One 52-card deck. Two decks shuffled together for 8 or more.
Card ranks
From highest to lowest:
2, A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3.
Twos are the highest cards. Suits do not matter.
The deal
Deal out the whole deck. Some players will have one card more than others; that is fine.
Playing
- In the first round, the player holding the 3 of clubs leads. They may play a single card, a pair, three of a kind or four of a kind.
- Going clockwise, each player must play the same number of cards at a higher rank — a pair of 7s must be beaten by a higher pair — or pass.
- Passing does not stop you playing later in the same round, in most rules.
- When everyone passes, the last player to play clears the pile and leads anything they like.
Finishing
The first player to get rid of all their cards becomes President. Play continues until one player is left holding cards — the Scum. With bigger groups, second place is Vice President and second last is Vice Scum; everyone else is a Citizen.
The card exchange
Before each new round, after the deal:
- Scum gives the President their two best cards. The President gives back any two cards they choose.
- Vice Scum gives the Vice President their best card, and receives any one card back.
Now the round begins — and the Scum leads first. The exchange keeps the President on top, which is the whole joke. Seating often changes too: the President picks the best chair, the Scum deals.
Popular house rules
None of these are standard; agree before you play.
- 2s clear the pile straight away.
- Matching skips: playing the same rank as the previous card skips the next player.
- Four of a kind reverses the order of the cards — 3s become high — until the round ends.
- Jokers are added as the highest cards of all.
- Last card can't be a 2: finishing on a 2 drops you to Scum.
President with 3 players
With three, there is a President, a Citizen and a Scum. The Scum gives the President one best card, and gets one card back. Everything else plays the same.
Tips
- Save your 2s and Aces to win control of the lead when you need it.
- Get rid of low singles early, when the pile is clear and you are leading.
- Keep pairs together — breaking up a pair wastes it.
President is noisy and played fast, which is hard on cards. A plastic deck takes a night of slapping down without a crease.
