BS Rules

Objective

Your goal is to clear your hand by playing cards in the correct sequence, but the twist is that you can lie about what you put down. You’ll try to spot when others bluff while staying convincing yourself, which creates a fun mix of risk and mischief.

Material

Standard 52-card deck (2 decks for 6+ players):

A♠ 2♠ 3♠ 4♠ 5♠ 6♠ 7♠ 8♠ 9♠ 10♠ J♠ Q♠ K♠

Setup

Players: 3-10 players (best with 4-6)

Deal: Distribute all cards evenly. Some players may have one extra.

Starting rank: Game begins with Aces.

How to Play

The Sequence

Play moves in a steady rhythm through the ranks: A → 2 → 3 → 4 → 5 → 6 → 7 → 8 → 9 → 10 → J → Q → K → A → 2...

Once you reach Kings, you loop back to Aces and continue.

Playing Cards

On your turn:

1. Play 1 to 4 cards face-down
2. Announce: "One Ace" or "Three Fives" etc.
3. You are allowed to bluff, so you can play any cards and simply claim they match the required rank.

Example: Required rank is 7. You announce "Two sevens" but actually put down 3♠ and K♥.

Calling BS

Any player can shout "BS!", "Bluff!", or "Cheat!" right after someone plays.

Reveal the cards:

If the player lied:

• They collect the entire discard pile
• That player keeps the turn (or it passes, depending on your table rules)

If the player was honest:

• The caller takes the entire discard pile
• The original player continues as if nothing happened

Multiple Callers

If several people call BS at the same time:

• The caller closest clockwise gets priority
• Or, if your group prefers chaos, every wrong caller shares the pile

Strategy

When to Bluff

Safe bluffs:

• Early in the game when the pile is tiny
• When your cards look similar once flipped
• When the required rank appears often in the deck

Risky bluffs:

• Late game when the pile is huge
• When you’ve been caught recently
• When the next player likes calling bluffs aggressively

When to Call BS

Good calls:

• Someone claims multiple cards of a rare rank
• You personally hold many of that rank
• The player hesitates or seems unsure
• Late game when forcing a pickup matters

Bad calls:

• Early on when the pile is small
• When the claim is totally believable
• When you’re guessing without a clue

Card Management

Dump strategy:

• Bluff to get rid of awkward or isolated cards
• Keep flexible mid-ranks for natural plays

Honesty strategy:

• Stay truthful early to gain trust
• Save your big bluff for the right late-game moment

Winning

The first player to empty their hand wins. If you want, you can continue to rank players for second and third place.

Variants

Cheat

British version of the same game.

I Doubt It

A gentler American name where you simply say “I doubt it”.

Reverse BS

A wild twist where you call "BS!" when you think the player is actually telling the truth.

Last Card Rule

You must say “Last card!” before playing your final card, or draw 2 new ones.

Multiple Rank BS

You can challenge any announced rank, not just the next in sequence, which turns the game into pure chaos.

Examples

Example Round

Pile is empty, starting with Aces:

• Player 1: "One Ace" (plays 1 card) — Truth!
• Player 2: "Two twos" (plays 2 cards) — Bluff! Actually 7♠ 9♥
• Player 3: Calls "BS!"
• Reveal: 7♠ 9♥ (bluff!)
• Player 2 picks up all 3 cards

Now it’s Player 3’s turn, rank is threes.

Example Catch

Current rank: Jacks, pile has 8 cards:

• Player: "Three Jacks"
• Opponent: "BS!"
• Reveal: J♠ J♥ J♦ (all real!)
• Opponent picks up all 11 cards (8 + 3)

The bluff caller gets punished, and the player walks away clean.