Beating game · 3 players

Shithead

PalaceKarmaChina HandTen-Two Slide

Beat or equal the pile, survive your hidden cards, and do not be the last player left.

West3 cards in hand

East3 cards in hand

Discard pile

Any card may startNo cards played yet

You3 cards in hand

01 How to play

Beat the pile.
Avoid last place.

This is a three-player version in which the last player who still owns cards loses.

Three layers

Each player receives three cards in hand, three face up on the table and three hidden underneath. The remaining cards form the draw pile.

Prepare the table

Before play, you may exchange cards between your hand and your three face-up cards. Strong face-up cards are useful in the endgame.

Equal or higher

Play one or more cards of the same rank. They must equal or beat the top play. If you cannot or do not want to play, take the whole pile.

Keep three in hand

After playing, draw until you have three cards while the stock lasts. You cannot use table cards while you still have cards in hand.

Twos and tens

A 2 can be played on anything and lets the next player play any rank. A 10 can be played anytime, removes the pile and gives you another turn.

Four of a kind

When four cards of the same rank become consecutive on top of the pile, the pile is removed and the player who completed them plays again.

Visible endgame

Once the stock and your hand are empty, play your face-up cards. If one cannot beat the pile, add it and take the entire pile into your hand.

Blind finale

After the visible cards, flip hidden cards without looking. A legal card stays; an illegal card comes back to your hand with the pile.

02 History & variants

A travelling game with no single rulebook.

Passed from table to table

Shithead is an informal shedding game whose exact origin is uncertain. It became especially visible among travellers, students and hostel players in the late twentieth century, spreading through spoken explanations rather than organised competition. That history helps explain its many names and why two groups can recognise the game while disagreeing on important details.

Special cards define the table

Palace, Karma, China Hand and Ten-Two Slide are among the names attached to related versions. Twos and Tens are often special, but Sevens, Eights, Nines and four equal cards may also reverse, hide, restrict or clear the pile. Starting hand size, face-up table cards and whether a player may play equal ranks together are common house-rule choices.