IDIOT

How To Play Idiot

OBJECTIVE OF IDIOT: To not be the last person to get all the cards out of their hand. 

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2+

MATERIALS: a deck of cards for every 2-3 players, a funny hat

TYPE OF GAME: card game

AUDIENCE: 10 years and older

OVERVIEW OF IDIOT

In the game Idiot, there is no winner only one loser. The goal of the game is to not be the last person to play out all the cards from their hand. You play cards by either matching the current number in the discard pile or playing a higher-ranking card. The last person to empty their hand is declared the loser and they have to wear the funny hat until a new loser is coined or for the rest of the night.

SETUP

To set up you will need to shuffle the decks being used altogether. Remember you will need a standard 52 card deck for every 2-3 players. The cards will then be dealt three at a time 3 times to all players.

To start the deal, deal each player three cards face-down in front of them, creating three separate piles. Then deal an additional three cards, one on each pile, face-up to each player. Finally, deal each player 3 more cards to the side face-down.

These last three cards will be picked up and will be their hand. Each player can trade cards from their hands with the faceup piles in front of them. The strategy here is to put high cards and 2s and 10s on the face-up piles, also important to know is in this game Ace is always high and suites do not matter, only numbers determine rank.

Once all players have traded the cards they would like, the remaining cards are placed in the center as a draw pile. The game may now start.

GAMEPLAY

To start the game the person to the dealer’s left may play a 3 if they have one. If they don’t have one or wish not to play it then play proceeds to the next player who may decide to play a 3 card. If it goes all the way around and a 3 has not been played then it continues to 4s, and so on and so forth until the first card is played. 

After the first card is played the player will draw back up to three cards in hand, players will always draw up to three until the draw pile is emptied then that step is skipped. 

To continue playing the next player will need to play a card of the same or higher rank as the top card of the discard pile. This is how players will play cards out of their hands. If a player is not able to play a card matching the criteria or just wishes not to, then they must pick up all the cards in the discard pile and add them to their hand. 

Must Play A Card The Same Rank Or Higher

If you have multiple cards of the same rank in your hand you may play them at the same time, also if you draw a card of the same rank as you just played you may play it as well and draw a new card.

Once the draw pile is depleted and you’ve played the last card from your hand, players will then start to use the cards piled in front of them. The face-up cards are played first, and in the same manner, as the cards in your hand were played. After these are played you will play your last three facedown cards.

The face-down cards are played blind meaning you won’t know what they are until you discard them, the same rules apply to them as the cards before. If you misplay a card you will have to pick up and play out all the discarded cards before continuing to play your facedown cards.

SPECIALTY RULES

2s: 2s are used to reset the number in the discard pile, to play them discard the 2 and the number you wish to change the new discard number to.

10s: 10s are burn cards, a player can use this card to burn the entire discard pile, meaning all cards including the 10 are taken out of the game permanently. The next player will just start the discard pile with whatever card they wish.

If the discard pile ever holds four or more of the same number on top of it, the discard pile is then moved to the burn pile and removed from the game permanently. The only exception to this rule is 6s. If there is ever three or more 6s on top of the discard pile, then burn the discard pile.

If the last card from a player’s hand matches a card in their piles, they may play the card in front of them as well. 

ENDING THE GAME

The game only ends once all but one player has emptied their hand. When only one person is left, they are crowned the loser aka the idiot. 

Nakoa Davis
Latest posts by Nakoa Davis (see all)