Bullshit (game)
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| Bullshit (card game) | |
|---|---|
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| Alternate names | I Doubt It, Bull, BS, Cheat, ... |
| Type | Shedding-type |
| Players | 3- |
| Deck | depends on number of players |
| Cards | Anglo-American |
| Play | Clockwise |
| Card rank (highest to lowest) |
K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 A |
| Related games | Valepaska, Verish' Ne Verish' (Russian Bullshit), Poker Bull |
Bullshit is the most common name for a card game often referred to by the milder names "BS", "I Doubt It", "Bull", "Peanut Butter", or "Bullcrap". It is also known by other euphemisms such as "Blagger", "Cheat", "Schmeat", "Horsecrap", "Horseshit", Bolshevism, "Boy you lie", "Oh No You Didn't!", "Throwing The Shit" or by making up another name with the BS acronym such as "Butterscotch", "Baloney Sandwich", "Bacon-Stripping", etc. A dysphemistic alternative name is "YFL": "You Fuckin’ Liar". It may be called Liar's poker, though this is another game.
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[edit] Dealing
The dealer deals each player an equal number of cards. If there are remainders or too few cards to finish a full revolution of players, those cards are placed face-down to start the discard pile. One or more Jokers can be used for added strategy or to deal all cards evenly (i.e. adding both Jokers brings the total to 54, evenly divisible among 3 players).
[edit] The Stack
The center of the table will hold a pile of face-down cards played during the game. Play starts differently according to different rules. Some people start with the player to the dealer's left, while others start with whoever has the two of clubs, or ace of clubs, or spades, and yet others start with a joker (if used) or a special maker's card on some proprietary decks.
[edit] Player turns
On each turn, the player must play the cards he has of a certain rank. There are three common variants of the game.
- In the first and most common, the rank must be one above the rank played by the previous player (aces, then twos, threes, fours). The player selects the cards to play, announces how many are being played (any number) and their rank ("two fours"), and places them facedown in the pile in the center. If the player doesn't actually have the cards needed to play at least one of the correct rank, he is still required to play, and so must bluff, or bullshit (lie about it), hence the names of the game. It is also permissible to bluff if the player does have cards of the given rank, for example, by playing and announcing "two Kings" when he has only one, or announcing "two Kings" and he can play two of any other card.
- In another variant of BS, the player can play a card 1 rank above, below, or the same rank as the previous card. This game is generally much shorter and involves less cheating.
- In a much rarer version of the game the players should only play one card and play the same suit that the previous player. The version's tactical elements are very different from the one dealt with in this article.
Optionally, jokers may be used as either a "wild card" which is the stated value when played, or as a "null" that is not any value and must always be bluffed.
The next part of the game is subject to two major variations. After each player takes his turn and before the next player has, one of two things can happen.
- In the first variant, any of the other players can yell out the name of the game (i.e. "Cheat", "Bullshit", "BS") to challenge the cards that were just played. In some games, the players agree to either wait before playing their turn so other players can think carefully about challenging, or to rapidly take their turns to put more pressure on challengers.
- In the second variant, only the player about to lay down cards can challenge the cards laid down instead.
Also, some games require a player who bluffs and gets away with it to announce the word "popcorn" or "peanut butter" after the next player's turn. When a player yells out to challenge, they turn over enough cards from the top of the pile to decide if the cards just played were legitimate (this should be the number of the cards that the player who just took his turn announced; however, it is generally acceptable to turn over more if cheating as described later is suspected). If it turns out that the player played the amount and rank of cards that he announced, the challenger takes the whole pile that had accumulated in the centre. If the player was bluffing and did not put down what he announced, he takes the whole pile.
Additionally, cards can be called to be right and, if so, the whole pile quits the game, without having been seen. So nobody knows, which cards are out of game. Having to play an ace, you can call it "beeing out", "twos beeing out" and put a three. the only player to challenge you on the cards still existing (who you called beeing out) is the next player to play. - If he has only one card left, almost all cards can be called "out".
[edit] Endgame
Depending on the version of the game, either the first player to get rid of all their cards (and not lose any challenge on their final play) is the winner, or the game may continue to determine second place, third, etc. Unless variants are used that place cards out of play, once only two players are left the game generally ends as there is little opportunity to bluff and thus a player must win purely on luck. Since Bullshit is almost never played for money or other stakes, players who don't have cards because they've already won may decide to a challenge that they intend to lose so they can get cards to continue playing.
[edit] Russian Bullshit
Some people[who?] find this variant, also known as Chinese Bullshit or (ambiguously) as Cheat, to be more interesting than the regular variant. The strategy for two-player Russian Bullshit is particularly intriguing. To Russians, the variant is also known as "ВЕРНЫЙ НЕ ВЕРНЫЙ" (true or not true).
Deal out all the cards to all players, as evenly as possible. The first player to go chooses any rank to start with, and places any number of cards of that rank face-down. For example, the player may play "three Kings" or "five fours" or "eight jacks". Bluffing is, of course, permitted.
The next player chooses from these options:
- If the player does not have the card in hand, you yell "skip" and the next player goes in that order.
- Play more cards of the same rank, not the next higher rank as in regular Bullshit. The player may add any number of cards.
- Say "I Doubt It" (i.e., "Bullshit"). Note that you may only say "I doubt it" if it is your turn. If you are right, the previous person picks up all the cards and you start a new round. If you are wrong, you pick up all the cards and the next person (in some variants, the previous person gets the right to start a new round) starts a new round with the rank of his choice (there is a variant rule where, upon a call of "Bullshit", the caller only reveals one of the cards played at random. If the card is of the declared rank, the caller picks up the cards; if it is not, the previous person picks up all the cards and you start a new round).
- Say "I Believe". If you are wrong, you pick up all the cards and the next person starts a new round with the rank of his choice. If you are right, all the cards on the table are removed from the game and you start a new round with the rank of your choice. Another variant involves forcing the last player to pick up the pile of cards if the caller was correct. This option is not used in some variants.
- Pass. This option is not used in some variants; it allows more skill in bluffing because nobody is ever forced to lie. If every player passes, the cards on the table are removed from the game, and the last player to play a card starts the next round.
Although you cannot challenge if it is not your turn, you are usually allowed to verbally advise the person whose turn it is to challenge.
The bluffing encouraged by this game becomes apparent when, for example, there are 16 supposed "queens" on the table from two decks of cards. Some rounds of play will escalate to the point that there are ludicrous numbers of cards in play, but nobody wants to challenge, because of the risk of picking up all the cards if the previous player was telling the truth.
After one player goes out, the game may continue to determine second place, third, etc.
There exist many variations of the game, including one where there are no turns and anybody may play or call another player's bluff at any time.
[edit] Hawaii version
The version of bullshit (BS) played in Hawaii is similar to Russian bullshit, where as the rest of the United States play the standard form of bullshit. Like Russian bullshit, the entire deck is evenly dealt to all players and it does not matter who plays first. However, the next player only has options 1, 2, and 4. A player can challenge/BS (i.e., option 2) another player at any time, even if it is not their turn. Similar to Russian bullshit, bluffing can escalate to the point where there are 16 supposed "queens" on the table.
[edit] Maltese Version
The Maltese version of cheat is like the regular game of bullshit, with the exception that, you can play either cards of the same, one higher or one lower rank as the previous player. It is possible that this version is also played in other places
[edit] Tequila Version
Some people play a version commonly referred to as Tequila Bullshit. The game is played as normal with the only exception being that when somebody fails a challenge (either incorrectly challenging or being caught bluffing) they take a shot.
[edit] Trivia
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Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
- Bullshit is portrayed in the 2003 motion picture How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, in which the lead actress cheats with the assistance from co-players.
- Bullshit is also a playable game on Neopets, where it's called "Cheat." The Maltese rules apply in this version, with the player starting each round able to play any rank. The next player in line must then either play the same rank, one higher, or one lower, and so on.
- Bullshit is available to play in the Nintendo DS game called Clubhouse Games/42 All-Time Classics, where it's called "I Doubt It."
[edit] References
- Albert Morehead (1996). Official Rules of Card Games. Ballantine Books.
- USPC Card Game Rule Archive (under the name "I Doubt It") accessed on 2006-05-10.
