How to Play

Finland's beloved Shithead variant. Empty your hand, then your face-up row, then your blind face-down cards. The last player holding cards is the dreaded Paskahousu.

Paskahousu is the Finnish member of the Shithead/Palace card-game family, a shedding game in which players race to empty their hand, then their face-up table cards, then their blind face-down cards before everyone else. The last player still holding cards is the Paskahousu, and in Finnish the word is a comic insult. Specific Finnish rules give the 2 a unique reset role, tens clear the pile, and aces can only be played on face cards or other aces, which creates a distinctive rhythm compared to the international Shithead.

Players

Paskahousu plays best with 3 to 5 players, but 2 to 6 all work. With 6 or more players, add a second shuffled 52-card deck so the stock is not exhausted too quickly.

Card Deck

Use one standard 52-card deck for 2-5 players. Jokers are not used in the core rules but may be added as wildcards (see Common Variations). Rank order for Paskahousu is special: 3 is the lowest card, then 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, J, Q, K, A; the 2 and the 10 are special cards with their own rules, and sit outside the rank order.

Objective

Avoid being the last player with any cards remaining. You shed cards through three stages: from your hand, then from your three face-up table cards, then from your three face-down blind cards. The first players to empty all three stages are safe; the final player left is the Paskahousu and loses the round.

Setup and Deal

1. Choose a dealer by cutting the deck. Deal clockwise to all players.
2. Deal 3 cards face down to each player in a row in front of them. Do not look at them.
3. Deal 3 cards face up on top of the face-down row, also in front of each player. Leave these visible.
4. Deal 5 cards face down into each player's hand. Players pick up and view only their hand cards.
5. Place the remainder of the deck face down in the centre as the draw stock. Turn no card face-up; the first player may start the discard pile with any card.
6. Optional pre-play swap: Before anyone plays, each player may swap any number of cards between their hand and their face-up table cards. This is where strategic card placement happens.

Gameplay

1. The player to the dealer's left plays first. Play proceeds clockwise.
2. On your turn: Play one or more cards of the same rank from your hand to the top of the central discard pile. Your play must be equal to or higher than the rank of the current top card, with the special-card exceptions below.
3. 2 (reset): Playable on anything except an Ace or a 10. After a 2 is played, the next player may play any card on top of it.
4. 10 (clear): Only a 10 may be played on top of another 10. Whenever a 10 is played, the entire discard pile is cleared and set aside; the player who played the 10 immediately plays again.
5. Aces: May only be played on Jacks, Queens, Kings, or other Aces. An Ace cannot be played on a low card; use a 2 first to reset.A♠A♥A♦A♣
6. Jacks, Queens, Kings: Court cards may only be played when the top card is 7 or higher (or after a 2 reset or on an empty pile). This restriction prevents stockpiling court cards over low pips.
7. Four of a kind: If four cards of the same rank appear consecutively on top of the discard pile (from one or multiple players in succession), the pile is cleared just as a 10 would. The player who completed the fourth card plays again.
8. Drawing: After your play, draw from the stock until you have 5 cards in hand. You must always refill up to 5 while stock remains.
9. Cannot play: If you cannot play a legal card, pick up the entire discard pile into your hand. You do not play that turn; play passes.
10. Endgame stages: When your hand is empty and the stock is gone, play from your face-up table cards on your turn. When the face-up cards are also gone, play your face-down blind cards one at a time; flip one at random and play it if legal; if it is illegal, pick up the pile with the blind card.

Scoring

• There is no point scoring. Ranking is by finish order.
• The first player to empty all three stages is the winner of the round. The order in which the others finish is tracked so that the last player remaining is clearly the Paskahousu.
• In league or long-session play, the Paskahousu of each round deals the next round and takes a penalty chip or letter. An agreed number of losses eliminates a player from the overall match.

Winning

You win if you successfully play your last face-down card and so empty all your cards before anyone else. The last player left holding any cards at all is the Paskahousu and loses that round. In multi-round play the winner of the match is whichever player has been Paskahousu the fewest times across an agreed number of deals.

Common Variations

• Joker wildcards: Add two Jokers as super-wild cards that may be played on anything and clear the discard pile like a 10.
• Valepaska (liar's Paskahousu): Players play cards face-down and announce their rank. Any other player may challenge; a false claim or an unfounded challenge picks up the pile.
• 3s as invisible cards: A 3 is treated as a copy of the card beneath it. The top-of-pile rank reverts to the last non-3 card for future plays.
• 7-stops rule: Some households require the next player to play a card of 7 or lower after a 7 is played, creating a mid-game choke point.
• 5 face-up cards: With experienced groups, deal 5 face-up table cards instead of 3 for a longer, more tactical endgame.

Tips and Strategy

• Use the pre-play swap to push 2s, 10s, and Aces into your face-up row. They are your endgame escape hatches when you flip blind cards.
• Hold at least one 2 or 10 for the moment you are about to pick up a heavy pile; playing a 2 lets anyone continue low, and a 10 clears the whole pile in one swing.
• Watch the court-card threshold: if the pile tops out at a 6 or lower, you cannot play face cards until someone plays a 7, 8, or 9. Time your pips so you are not stranded with only Kings.
• Track played 10s and 2s. Once all four 10s are gone, the pile can only be cleared by four-of-a-kind, which is much harder.
• When the stock is empty and opponents' hands shrink, dump high cards quickly. Face-up and face-down stages are riskier than hand play.
• Against aggressive players, save an Ace of Spades for the moment someone is about to go out; playing it on top of a King can trap them into picking up the pile if they have no court card or higher.A♠

Glossary

• Paskahousu: Finnish for the last player holding cards; the loser of the round.
• Discard pile: The central stack of played cards. You must play equal to or higher than the top card.
• Stock: The face-down draw pile. Players refill their hand to 5 from it after each play.
• Face-up row: The three (or five) cards visible in front of you; played after your hand is empty.
• Face-down row: The blind cards under the face-up row, played last and revealed one at a time.
• Reset card (2): Playable on most cards and resets the pile so any card may follow.
• Clear (10 or four of a kind): Removes the entire discard pile from play; the player who triggered the clear plays again.
• Pick up: Taking the whole discard pile into your hand when you cannot play.