How to Play

Shithead (also Palace, Shed, Karma) is the world's most widely played shedding card game. Shed your hand, then your three face-up cards, then your three face-down cards; the last player still holding cards is the Shithead.

Shithead is a globally popular shedding card game, also widely known as Palace, Shed, Karma, Pig, or Crap. Each player holds three face-down cards, three face-up cards placed on top of the face-downs, and three cards in hand; the twist is the layered endgame where your hand, your visible face-ups, and your invisible face-downs must be shed in that order. On each turn you play one or more cards that equal or exceed the rank of the pile's top card, then refill your hand to three from the stock. If you cannot play, you pick up the entire pile. Special cards (2, 10, and often 7 and 8) reset, burn, or reverse the discard pile, giving the game dramatic swings. The loser, left holding the last card when everyone else has shed, is the 'Shithead' and traditionally deals the next round, a dubious honour that keeps the game cycling at hostels, kitchens, and campgrounds worldwide.

Players

2 to 5 players using one 52-card deck; for 6 or more, add a second deck. The game is best with 3 or 4 players, where hand turnover is fast but the pickup penalty still stings. Play proceeds clockwise, with the player holding the lowest rank (excluding special cards) leading the first trick; the first dealer is chosen by cutting for high card, and the loser of the previous round deals the next.

Card Deck

One standard 52-card French deck, no Jokers (add a second deck for 6+ players). Card ranking, low to high for purposes of 'equal or higher' play: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, J, Q, K, A. The 2 and 10 are removed from this ordering because they have special powers (see below). Suits do not matter for play, only rank.

Objective

Avoid being the last player holding cards. You must shed your hand cards first, then your three face-up table cards, then your three face-down table cards (played blind). The last player still holding any card is the Shithead.

Setup and Deal

1. Shuffle the deck thoroughly. The player on the dealer's right may cut.
2. Deal three cards face-down to each player; these are the face-downs. Do not look at them.
3. Deal three cards face-up to each player, placed directly on top of their face-downs; these are the face-ups.
4. Deal three cards face-up into each player's hand; these are the hand cards, hidden from others.
5. Place the remaining cards face-down in the middle as the stock.
6. Swap phase: Before play begins, each player may freely exchange any hand cards with any of their own face-up cards. The goal is to promote strong cards (special powers, Aces, Kings) to the face-up layer.
7. The player holding the lowest 3 leads the first trick by playing it face-up in the centre as the start of the discard pile; if no 3 is dealt, the lowest 4 leads, and so on.

Gameplay

1. On your turn, play one or more cards of the same rank on top of the discard pile, provided they are equal or higher in rank than the current top card.
2. You may play multiple copies of the same rank at once (for example two 7s on a 6); playing four of a kind triggers the burn rule below.
3. After playing, draw from the stock back to three cards in hand while the stock lasts; once the stock is empty, you play purely from what remains.
4. Cannot play? You must pick up the entire discard pile into your hand; your turn ends without a play.
5. Face-up phase: When your hand and the stock are both empty, you play directly from your three visible face-up cards, picking any of them on your turn as if it were a hand card.
6. Face-down phase: Once your face-ups are also gone, each turn you flip one face-down card blind: if it beats the pile you play it and move on; if it cannot be played, you pick up both the card and the entire discard pile into your hand, and on your next turn you must play those hand cards before any more face-downs.
7. The game ends when only one player has cards remaining; that player is the Shithead.

Special Cards

• 2 (reset): Can be played on any card, and any card may be played after it. Treat the pile as rank 2 going forward.
• 10 (burn): Can be played on any card; when played, discard the whole pile out of the game. The player of the 10 plays again immediately.
• Four of a kind (burn): Whenever four cards of the same rank sit on top of the pile (either played at once or stacked there in sequence), the pile is burned out of the game and the player who completed the four plays again.
• 8 (transparent, common rule): Can be played on any card; the next player must beat the card beneath the 8, not the 8 itself. Stacked 8s remain transparent.
• 7 (play lower, common rule): The card following a 7 must be equal to or lower than 7, inverting the usual rule for one turn. Standard in many house rulesets but not universal; agree before play.
• Jack reverse (optional): Some groups use the Jack to reverse the direction of play. Not universal; declare it at the swap phase.

Winning and Losing

There is no positive winner; everyone who sheds their last card exits the game safely in finishing order, and the final player still holding cards is the Shithead. The Shithead deals the next round and, traditionally, fetches the next round of drinks. For tournament play some groups score places (1st, 2nd, ...) across multiple hands and declare a session winner.

Common Variations

• 3 (transparent): Replaces the 8 as the transparent card in many regions; the next player beats the card beneath the 3.
• 5 (under-5): The 5 acts like a 7, forcing the next play to be equal or lower for one turn.
• Kings burn: Some groups treat the King instead of (or in addition to) the 10 as a pile-burner.
• Four face-downs: Deal four of each layer instead of three for a longer, more punishing game.
• Runs allowed: Permit runs of consecutive ranks (for example 7-8-9 of any suits) as a single play, rather than only equal-rank groups.
• Strict pickup: If you pick up while the stock still has cards, you skip your next draw until your hand returns to three.
• Blind swap: Before the swap phase, players may exchange one face-up card with another player's face-up card as a one-time 'sabotage' rule; purely social.

Tips and Strategy

• Use the swap phase aggressively. Move 2s, 10s, and Aces (or 8s in transparent-8 rules) from your hand up to the face-ups; those three visible cards will be your lifeline after the stock runs out.
• Save burns for high piles. A 10 or four-of-a-kind is wasted on a low pile; hold it until the pile is topped by a King or Ace you cannot beat.
• Pick up early when the pile is small. Counter-intuitively, a small pickup with the stock still running is often better than burning a precious 2 or 10 you will need later.
• Count specials. Keep a mental tally of how many 2s, 10s, 7s, and 8s have appeared. If all four 2s are gone, the pile can no longer be reset by your opponents.
• Time your face-ups. Don't rush your face-up cards out the moment your hand empties; if you still have hand cards, play hand cards first so your face-up safety net is intact when the stock dries up.
• Face-down bluffing. When flipping face-downs, lead with your most likely winners first to avoid picking up huge piles near the end.

Glossary

• Face-downs: The three initial face-down cards each player places on the table; played blind at the very end.
• Face-ups: The three cards laid face-up on top of the face-downs; played after the hand empties.
• Hand cards: The three cards held privately; always the first layer to play from.
• Discard pile: The central stack of played cards; may be 'burned' out of the game by a 10 or a four of a kind.
• Burn: To remove the discard pile from play entirely; the player who burns plays again.
• Transparent card: A card (typically the 8 or 3) that does not update the effective rank of the pile for the following player.
• Shithead: The last player still holding cards at the end of the round.