Cheat (BS) card game rules

Play cards face down and bluff. Call “Cheat!” on lies. First out of cards wins.

How a game goes

Your turn: play 1 to 4 cards face down (lying is allowed)

• The rank goes up by one each turn (after Kings comes Aces)
• If you have none of the rank, you have to lie: you cannot pass

Calling “Cheat!”: whoever is wrong takes the pile

The pile is then empty and the next player carries on with the next rank.

The game ends when one player has no cards left

The last card can be called too. The others are ranked by how many cards they have left.

Endless game? Allow 1 to 4 cards a turn and play with 4 or more

Plays in one game (all players together, median)

Our computer players played 3,000 games of each. With 3 players and 1 card a turn, 12% never ended.

• Stop when one player is out and rank the others by how many cards they have left
• Stop at a set time or number of turns
• Add jokers that count as any rank, so no play is ever a sure lie

Why it drags on: some lies are sure to be caught

A whole rank can end up in one hand. Then everyone else must lie about it and get caught.

FAQ

Is it called Cheat, BS or I Doubt It?

All the same game: usually Cheat in the UK, BS in the US, I Doubt It in books.

Is I Doubt It a different game?

Usually not. In some books everyone claims the same rank until someone calls.

How many players?

3 or more. 4 or 5 works best. Games with 3 tend to drag on.

Can you play with 2?

You can, but lies are too easy to catch: every card you don’t hold is in your opponent’s hand.

Who goes first?

For example, the player to the dealer’s left. Play then goes clockwise.

Which ranks do I claim with 4 players?

A, 5, 9, K, 4 … going up by four. Over 13 turns you get every rank once.

How many cards can I play?

1 to 4. Some groups allow just one, which makes games much longer.

Can I mix real and fake cards?

Yes. If even one card is not the rank you claimed, it is a lie.

Who can call “Cheat!”?

Anyone except the player who played, before the next player plays.

What if several players call at once?

Agree beforehand whose call counts, e.g. the first in turn order after the player who played.

What if my last card is a lie?

You take the pile and the game goes on.

Do you play on until everyone has a place?

Some groups do, but the fewer players remain, the longer it drags on.

Can you claim other ranks?

In “higher, same or lower” you claim the last rank or one either side, so you lie less often.

Can the ranks count down?

Some groups go down instead: Aces, Kings, Queens …

Can you use two decks?

Yes, with many players. Then an honest play can be up to eight cards.

Are jokers used?

Not in the classic rules. Some groups add them as wild cards that count as any rank.

What rules does this site use?

Aces to Kings in order, 1 to 4 cards a turn, no jokers. The game ends when one player is out.