What is Shithead Card Game?
Shithead is a simple card game played with a standard deck of cards, where the objective is to be the first player to get rid of all their cards. Despite the name, people of all ages can play this easy-to-learn card game.
Shithead card game is great for family gatherings, camping trips, or game night with friends.
Setting up Shithead card game
To start, you’ll need a standard deck of 52 cards. Begin by shuffling the deck thoroughly and dealing three cards face down to each player. Then deal 3 face up cards on top of the face down cards.
Finally, each player is dealt a hand of 3 cards.
The remaining cards are placed in the draw pile.
How to play Shithead card game
Before play begins, players can exchange any of the cards in their hand with any of their face-up cards. Players can’t look at their face down cards until they’re played. If you have magic cards (see below), you’ll usually want these face up on top of the face down cards.
The player who was dealt the first face-up 3 starts the game. If no face-up 3’s were dealt, than the first player to the left of the dealer to have a 3 in their hand goes first. If no player has a 3 than you repeat with 4 and so on until someone is able to start the game.
The first player begins the dicard pile by playing a card (or cards) in their hand. Players can lay multiple cards of the same rank at the same time. After laying the cards, the player must replenish their 3-card hand by picking up cards from the draw pile.
Play continues with the person to the left. They must lay a card from their hand of the same rank or higher rank than the card in the discard pile.
Play continues around the table until someone is unable to play a card that is the same or higher rank than the card on top of the discard pile. If you’re unable to play a card, you must pick up the entire discard pile and add it to your hand.
Players must have at least 3 cards in their hand at all time until the draw pile runs out of cards.
Once a player has played all cards from their hand (and the draw pile is empty), they may begin to use the face up cards in front of them.
Face up cards
If your hand is empty at the beginning of your turn, you can play any of your face-up cards. If you’re unable to play a face-up card you must pick up the discard pile. The next player starts a new discard pile. You must empty your hand again before being able to play from the face-up cards.
Face down cards
Once yourhand is empty, and you’ve played all of your face-up cards, then you can play your face down cards. Face down cards are played blind. If you flip your face-down card and it is equal or higher rank then the card on top of the discard pile, play will continue with the person to your left. If the card flipped isn’t playable, then you must pick up the discard pile in your hand. You must play the cards in your hand before continuing with the face down cards.
Magic Cards & Clearing the Pile in Shithead
2’s and 10’s are cards with special rules.
A two can be played on top of any card.
A ten can be thrown at any time and clears the pile. The discard pile is removed from play, and the player who threw the 10 gets to throw again, starting a new discard pile.
If a player completes a set of four in a row (the top card is a Jack and they lay 3 Jacks) then the discard pile is removed, and the player can throw another card of higher rank.
How to win in Shithead
The first player to get rid of all their cards is the winner. The last player to get rid of all their cards is the Shithead.
Recap
Shithead is a great card game to play with friends and family. Just like Spit card game, the easy-to-learn rules make it a great game for any party.
Check out our other card games to keep you entertained!
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