PICK THE RULES.
END THE ARGUMENT.
Choose President house rules for passes, equal ranks, 2s, jokers, revolutions, card taxes, and the opening lead. Share or print the agreed ruleset.
President has no universal rulebook. Settle the disputed choices here, then send one link or print one sheet so every player joins the same game.
THE AGREED
RULESET.
- Players
- 4
- Decks
- 1
- Cards
- 52
- Setup
Use one 52-card deck without jokers. Deal all cards as evenly as possible: 13 each.
- Card order
Cards rank 3 low through 2 high. Equal ranks are legal when suit strength meets or beats the pile: clubs, diamonds, hearts, then spades. The rank order never reverses.
- Legal play
Lead a single, pair, triple, or four of a kind. Every reply must contain the same number of cards and meet the table’s rank rule, or the player passes.
- Passing
Passing skips one turn. A player may re-enter if the pile comes back around before it clears.
- Twos and jokers
Twos are high and stay live; another legal 2 may answer until an unbeatable 2 play or a table of passes clears the pile. Jokers are not used.
- Opening lead
The player holding 3♣ leads the first play, and that play must include 3♣.
- Finish and card tax
Players finish as their hands empty: President first, Asshole or Scum last. Last place gives two best cards to the President, who returns two; second-to-last and Vice President exchange one.
This ruleset matches the core rules enforced by a Bleach table.
Which rules should a new group choose?
Start with one deck for three to six players, two decks for seven or eight, no jokers or revolution, and a simple 3-low-to-2-high ladder. Bleach allows equal ranks when suit strength qualifies and lets players re-enter after passing; those choices keep more turns live online.
Add only one special rule at a time. A revolution, wild jokers, permanent passes, and instant 2 clears all change strategy. Combining them before new players understand the base climb usually creates more explanation than fun.
Share the rules before the deal
Every selection is stored in the page URL. Copy the share link for a group chat, copy the plain-text rules, or print the generated sheet. The output also tells you whether the chosen rules match the version Bleach can enforce online.
Need help choosing? Compare the most common President variations or see the setup for every table size.