This card game is typically called Bullshit in the United States of America and Cheat in Britain. It is also called I Doubt It in other parts of the world. It seems this is one of the few popular cards games with endless names as it is Bollocks in some books as well. All these names are just synonyms of tricking someone or catch them cheating you! There is also one special card, the Queen of spades, which gives 13 penalty points. When the game starts you select 3 cards to pass to one of your opponents. Typically you want to pass your three worst cards.
This page is based on contributions from many players including Eric Kent, Paul Welty, Duine Buile, Jim Black, William Priester Jr., Monty Martin and Kent Hamilton.
- Play
Introduction
This is a simple draw and discard game, suitable for players of all ages. Players have a three card hand and the aim is to collect cards in a single suit worth 31 points or as near as possible to that total. It is played in the USA, the UK and perhaps other places. In the USA it has various names including Scat, 31, Blitz, Cabbage, Cadillac, Kitty, High Hat and Geronimo. Some of these names can cause confusion with other games:
- This Scat has no connection whatever with the German national card game Skat;
- There are at least two other games called 31:
- the German game 31, also known as Schwimmen, Schnauz or Hosen 'runter, which is like the game on this page, except that cards are swapped with a central pool of three cards, rather than using a draw and discard mechanism;
- the Greek banking game 31, which is similar to 21 except that the object is to draw cards adding as near as possible to 31 without exceeding it.
- This Blitz is not to be confused with Dutch Blitz, which is a version of Racing Demon, sometimes played with special cards.
Eric Kent learned the game in the late 70's from older siblings, who had in turn learned it from friends visiting from the UK, and they called it Ride the Bus, and used a somewhat different method of keeping score.
Players
From 2 to 9 or more people can play. Eric Kent suggests that the game is perhaps best when played with 3 players, but it should also work well with a larger group.
Cards and their value
A standard 52 card deck is used. For scoring hands, the Ace is worth 11 points, the Kings, Queens, and Jacks are worth 10, and all other cards are worth their pip value.
The value of a three card hand is calculated by adding up the value of the cards held in any one suit. So if you have three cards of the same suit, you can add up all three. If only two cards are in the same suit you can add those, or use the value of the odd card if it is higher than the sum of the other two. If you have three different suits the value of your hand is the value of the highest card in it. The maximum hand value is 31, consisting of the ace and two ten-point cards in the same suit.
Deal
Determine the first dealer in any manner you desire. The turn to deal passes on clockwise after each hand. The cards are shuffled and are dealt out one at a time, starting with the player to dealer's left and continuing clockwise until everyone has a hand of three cards.
The next card is turned face up on the table to start the discard pile, and the remaining undealt cards are placed face down next to it to form the draw pile or stock. During play, the discard pile is always kept 'squared up' so that only the top card is visible and available to be taken.
Play
The player to dealer's left begins and the turn to play passes clockwise around the table. A normal turn consists of:
- drawing the top card either from the stock pile (without showing it to the other players) or from the discard pile;
- discarding one card face up on top of the discard pile.
Note that if you choose to take the top card from the discard pile, it is illegal to discard the same card, leaving the position unchanged. You must keep the card you took and discard one of the cards that was previously in your hand. However, if you draw the top card of the stock, you are free to discard the card that you drew onto the discard pile, leaving your hand unchanged.
Knocking
If at the start of your turn, you believe that your hand is not the lowest and that at least one other player will be unable to beat your hand even if they are allowed one more turn, you can knock instead of drawing a card. Knocking ends your turn. You must keep the hand you had at the start of that turn, but each other player gets one final turn to draw and discard. After the player to the knocker's right has discarded, all players reveal their cards. Each player decides which suit is their point suit, and totals up their cards in that suit.
The player with the lowest hand value loses a life. If there is a tie involving the knocker, the other player(s) lose a life, but the knocker is safe. If the knocker's score is lower than that of every other player, the knocker loses two lives. If there is a tie for lowest between two or more players other than the knocker, then both (all) of those players lose a life.
There is just one case where it is possible to pick up your own discard. This happens when there are only two players left in the game and your opponent knocks. The card you discarded just before the knock is still on top of the pile, so it is now available for you to take back if you want it - for example if you had just broken up a suit for tactical reasons you can now restore it.
Declaring 31
If after drawing and discarding a player achieves hand value of 31, they show their cards immediately and claim victory. In this case all the other players lose a life. A player who makes 31 after another player has knocked still declares it and every other player including the the knocker loses one life.
A player who is dealt 31 in their original three cards declares it - there is no play and all the other players lose a life. If it happens that two or more players get 31 on the initial deal then all the players other than those with 31 lose.
A player who has 31 in their hand and does not declare it as soon as they make it or are dealt it cannot claim it later. An undeclared 31 in a player's hand effectively counts as 30 - if another player declares 31 the holder of the undeclared 31 will lose a life along with the other players.
Draw pile exhausted
If the stock runs out the play can continue as long as each player wishes to take the previous player's diuscard. If the player whose turn it is does not wish to draw the top discard, the play ends and all players show their cards and the hand is scored. If no one has knocked then the player who has the lowest score loses one life, or if there is a tie all the players with the lowest score lose a life.
Scoring
The normal way of scoring in Scat is that each player begins the game with three pennies. When you lose a life, you have to put one of your pennies into the kitty in the centre of the table. If you knock and lose, having the sole lowest hand, you pay two pennies (if you have that many).
If someone declares 31, all the other players have to put a penny in the kitty. If someone declares 31 after another player has knocked, the knocker just pays one penny, like everyone else.
If you have no money left, having lost all three of your pennies, you are said to be 'on the county' (meaning receiving charity from the county, etc.), or 'on poverty', 'on your face', 'on your honour', 'on welfare' or 'floating'. If you lose while on the county, you are out of the game. If you lose two lives when you only have one penny you are also out of the game. The game continues until only one player has not been eliminated, and that player is the winner.
There is a theoretical possibility of a draw if all the remaining players are on the county, the draw pile runs out before anyone knocks or makes 31, and all remaining players have equal scores. If this unlikely situation were to arise and it was necessary to determine a winner, the hand would have to be replayed.
Variations
Some play that in case of a tie for lowest score between a knocker and one or more other players, the knocker loses two lives while the other players in the tie lose one life. If a player declares 31 after a knock, the player with 31 is safe, knocker loses two lives and the other players each lose one life. In this variant it is possible for all the remaining players to lose their last life simultaneously, in which case those players play another hand (in which they will all be on their honour / on the county) to break the tie.
Some play that in a tie involving the knocker, only the knocker loses.
Some play that a knocker who has the lowest score only loses one life, not two.
Some play that 3-of-a-kind of any rank counts as 30 (or 30.5) points. When it counts 30, it ties with three ten-point cards of the same suit. If it counts 30.5, it beats all hands except a 31.
Rarely, people play that any straight-flush (three cards of the same suit in sequence) is worth 30 (except for A-K-Q, which is 31).
Some play that there is a minimum score with which you are allowed to knock - for example 17, 19 or 21. Some play that a knock is only allowed by a player who has three cards of the same suit.
Some players have recommended a variant in which instead of drawing, the very first player, to the left of the dealer, has the option to call a 'hammer'. This is also known as 'knocking under the gun'. Everyone must show their cards - no one gets to draw a card - and the hand is scored exactly like a knock. If the first player, the one who called for the cards to be exposed, has the lowest hand value, they lose two lives - otherwise the player with the lowest score loses a life. If anyone was lucky enough to be dealt 31 all the other players lose a life. Obviously, this round of the game takes very little time, thus speeding up the game. Some play a version of this known as 'throw-down' or 'shotgun' where the first player must decide before looking at their cards whether or not to call for an immediate showdown in which everyone reveals their cards and the worst hand loses as above.
Kent Hamilton describes a variant Cadillac in which each player begins with four nickels. A player losing a life pays a nickel to the pot, a player who has no nickels is on poverty and a player who loses a life when on poverty is out of the game. If the knocker ties with one or more other players for lowest hand the knocker loses two lives and the others lose nothing. A hand worth 31 is declared by calling 'Cadillac' and every other player loses a life. Three Aces make a 'Grand Cadillac' worth 33 points - this is declared in the same way as a Cadillac and each other player loses a life. Three-of-a-kind of a rank other than Aces is worth 30 points.
Angie Barry described a variant called GIN is which a knock is a promise to have the highest score. The three lives are represented by the letters of the word 'gin' and a player who has all three letters is out of the game. After a knock each of the other players takes a turn and if after this the knocker's hand is highest or equal highest, everyone except the knocker gets a letter. If another player beats the knocker, the knocker gets a letter. A player who has 31 declares it and everyone else gets a letter. In this variant a three-of-a-kind is worth 30.5 points.
Ride the Bus has a different way of keeping track of wins and losses. All players start out 'seated' at the back of the bus. Players who lose a hand move toward the front in a sequence. The sequence is usually: first, you stand at the back of the bus, then you are in the middle of the bus, then at the front of the bus, then you are on the stairs, then you are off the bus. Players who are no longer 'riding the bus' are out of play. Winning a hand simply keeps your position; you do not move back a step if you win a hand.
The scoring system of Ride the Bus can be changed to suit how many hands people want to play. Because this game is very casual, this often happens in the middle of the game by mutual agreement of all players; for example, a player who is 'on the stairs' loses another hand and would normally be out of play, but since everyone is having so much fun, it is declared that the player is 'on the second step' or 'asking the driver to stop' instead of out. If extra levels are introduced, they apply to all players.
On the site Cribbage.ca is a description of a French Canadian version of 31 in which after a player has knocked and everyone else has taken a turn, the player with the highest score is awarded one point. If there is a tie the player who did not knock wins it. Presumably if there is a tie between two players neither of whom knocked they get a point each. A player who makes 31 declares it and score a point immediately. The game apparently goes on until someone reaches a score of 31 - a long game. Jeffrey Jacobs describes a version of this game in which players are not allowed to knock unless they have three cards of the same suit. If two players have equally high scores the tie is broken if possible by looking at the ranks of the cards as in poker - for example A-10-9 beats K-Q-J, K-10-9 beats Q-J-9 and K-J-7 beats K-9-8.
Scat software
You can download Ryan Skeldon's free Blitz 31 for Windows.
On the cbc.ca kids site you can play a version of this game called High Hat against computer opponents.
Here is Bob Dolan's Scat program for Windows.
Solitaire.com has published a version of Ride the Bus that can be played free online in a browser against computer opponents. In this version you can signal the bus to stop after drawing a card and before discarding, but the bus cannot be stopped in your first turn to play.
The variety of card games means that you can find one to suit most any situation — at the least, most card players are familiar with some type of Poker, though they may need to be reminded of how the hands are ranked. You can play some card games as long as all the players are happy to continue; others end at a proscribed score, and all are made more enjoyable when players adhere to card-game etiquette.
How to Choose the Best Card Games
Anyone who tells you that they know the best card games is either a fool or exceptionally arrogant. But, it is possible to offer a selection according to the needs of the players, so here goes!
Best cards games based on a specific number of players
For one player: Accordion and Poker Patience if you’re short on space; La Belle Lucie if you can spread out
For two players: Gin Rummy, Spite and Malice, and Cribbage
For three players: Pinochle and Ninety-nine
For four players: Bridge, Euchre, and Spades
For five to eight players: Hearts, Poker, and Oh, Hell!
For eight or more: Eights and President
Best cards games based on type of play
Best games for serious, competitive types: Whist and Bridge
Best games if you’re playing in a cramped space: Hearts and Eights
Best games for large groups: Poker and Blackjack
Best games that combine bidding and play: Pinochle and Spades
Best partnership games: Bridge, Whist, and Euchre
Best cards games based on experience
For beginners: Oh Hell! and Ninety-Nine
For children: Go Fish, Concentration, and Cheat
For groups with mixed experience levels: Knock-Out Whist, Fan Tan, and Rummy
For experienced card-players who want new thrills: Pinochle and Cribbage
How Card Games End
Beginning a card game is generally pretty straightforward — you deal the proscribed number of cards to the players. However, ending a card game can be a little different. Some games continue until a player reaches a certain score, others require a specific number of deals. The following list of popular card games tells you that you keep playing until . . .
Blackjack: The players run out of money (don’t worry about the casino) or decide they’ve had enough.
Bridge: One side wins a rubber of two games, then the side with the higher score wins. If playing Chicago Bridge, you change partners after four deals. If playing Duplicate Bridge, you play a session of between 20 and 26 deals — whatever the Tournament Director decrees.
Canasta: A player or team scores 1,500 points.
Cribbage: A player scores 121 points.
Eights: A player scores 250 points (or whatever number is agreed on by the players).
Euchre: One side scores 10 points.
Fan Tan: One player cleans out all the rest, or when everybody has had enough.
Gin Rummy: A player scores 250 points in one game or a series of games.
Hand and Foot: You finish four deals. Whoever has the most points wins.
Hearts: A player amasses 100 penalty points, at which point the player with the fewest penalty points wins.
Oh Hell!: You complete cycle of hands (starting with 7 cards to each player, and then reducing to 1, and going up again to 7 cards). The player with the highest score wins.
Pinochle: A player or partnership scores 1,000 points.
Poker: The players lose their money or lose interest.
President: Everybody gets bored of humiliating one another.
Rummy: A player scores 100 points – or whatever total is agreed by the contestants.
Setback: A player scores 11 (or 21) points.
Spades: One side scores 500 points.
Whist: One side wins a rubber of two games by getting to 7 points first on two occasions. At a Whist drive, a session typically ends after 24 deals.
How to Rank Poker Hands
Poker may be the best-known card game, and if you’re going to play, you need to know how the hands rank. The following details the various Poker hands from the highest-ranking to lowest, along with the odds of catching such a hand:
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Royal straight flush: The top five cards (A-K-Q-J-10) in one of the four suits. Odds: 650,000 to 1.
Straight flush: Any sequence of five cards from the same suit (such as the 2-3-4-5-6 of clubs). If two players have straight flushes on the same hand, the higher sequence outranks the lower one. Odds: 75,000 to 1.
Four of a kind: Four of any one card; the fifth card in the hand can be anything. If two players have four of a kind at the same time, the rank of the four cards determines the better hand. If two players have equal ranked quads, the rank of the fifth card determines who wins. Odds: 4,150 to 1.
Full house: Three of a kind matched with a pair — for example, three 10s and two 9s. If two players both have a full house, the higher three of a kind determines the better hand. Odds: 700 to 1.
Flush: Five cards of the same suit, no sequence required. When two players have flushes, the highest card in each flush determines the better hand; if the top cards are the same, you look at the second card, and so on. Odds: 500 to 1.
Straight: Five cards of consecutive rank (in numerical sequence) in any suit. If two players have straights, the top card of the straight determines the winner. Odds: 250 to 1.
Three of a kind: Also knows as triplets, trips, or a set, this hand consists of three cards of the same numeric value, together with two unmatched cards. The higher-ranking three of a kind wins. Odds: 47 to 1.
Two pair: Four cards in two pairs with an unmatched fifth card. Ties are broken by the value of the top pair, followed by the value of the second pair, and finally by the spare card. Odds: 20 to 1.
One pair: One pair with three unmatched cards is the second-lowest hand. The rank of the pair, followed by the unmatched cards, splits the tie. Odds: 2 to 5.
High card: The weakest hand, high card means you have five unmatched cards. The top card in the hand determines the better collection. If two hands tie, such as two hands with ace-high, you move to the second card, and so on. Odds: 1 to 1.
Card Game Do’s and Don’ts
Card games are meant to be fun and entertaining and paying attention to the do’s and don’ts of card-playing can help you keep your enjoyment factor high and your frustration level low.
Card-playing do’s include:
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Determine the rules of the game before play begins. Most games have several variations, and you need to iron out the rules before you start.
Shuffle the cards before each hand. Cut the cards, or arrange for someone else to do so, before dealing them.
Make sure that no one can see your cards, both during the deal and during play.
Avoid conversation that gives away information, or if the sole purpose of your remarks is to upset, irritate, or mislead your partner or opponents. (At Poker, though, you can get away with almost anything!)
Try to remember all the cards that you held at the start of play and recall the salient details of the cards played by the other players.
Listen to your partner’s bids and watch his plays. He wants to help you, so don’t ignore him.
Play each card in the same tempo. The speed of your play can emphasize how you feel about your cards.
Study your opponents’ actions at the table. If the game involves bluffing, try to read body language during bluffs. If you can, try to watch a group of players before joining them; you can read their behavior better when you’re not tied to one position at the table and you don’t have to worry about a hand.
Only try to bluff only one or two players at a time. If you’re bluffing against three or more players, the odds are that one of them can beat whatever bluff you’re pretending to hold.
Card-playing don’ts include:
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Make any undue efforts to look at anyone else’s hand, both during the deal and during play.
Pick up your cards until the deal is finished.
Indicate whether you’re pleased or unhappy about the cards you’re dealt. In an individual game, you give your opponents unnecessary information about your hand. In a partnership game, you give your partner illegal information about your holdings.
Accidentally expose any cards while dealing, either by turning a card over or by distributing them in such a way that players can see them.
Accidentally drop a card on the table (as opposed to playing it). If you do so in an individual game, your opponent benefits from the sight of part of your hand, which is punishment enough for the error. In a partnership game, exposing a card gives your partner unauthorized information, which may lead to penalties.
Play or lead out of turn. Pay attention to the game so you don’t get caught in this embarrassing position.
Criticize your partner. It never accomplishes anything positive. Don’t dwell on what has passed; the cards have no memory.