Title: Presidents and Assholes

 

Interview link: IMG_1296

General Information about Item:

• Type of Lore: Drinking Game
• Language: English
• Country of Origin: America
• Informant: Dylan Ross
• Date Collected: May 9, 2019

Informant Data:

Dylan Ross grew up in Eau Claire, Wi but is originally from Atlanta, Georgia. Dylan moved to Eau Claire when he was in middle school and has lived there until he graduated high school. After highschool Dylan moved to Minneapolis Minnesota, to attend the University of Minnesota, where he currently a junior.

Contextual Data:

This drinking game was observed between 2014 and 2016 during the informants high school years. This game was observed at a cabin in northern Wisconsin.

Item:

Where did you learn this game?

The informant learned this game during his junior year of high school from a family friend.

TERMINOLOGIES ACCORDING TO RANK:

• President – Player who won the previous round (regardless of the number of players). If scoring, this position can take whatever two cards they want from the asshole. The president can also make on drinking rule for that round of the game. If his reign continues the rules will compile.
• Vice-president (“VP”) – Player who came in second place in the previous round (regardless of the number of players). This position can ask the vice asshole for one card of any kind and in exchange will discard one of their worst card.
• Upper neutral – Player who came in third place, only used in games with 6+ players. Zero points.
• Neutral – Also the player who came in third place, however, this applies only when there are 5 players. If the game has 7 players, this title is used between upper and lower neutral. No advantage
• Lower neutral – Player who came in fourth place, this title is only used with 6+ players. No advantage.
• Vice-Asshole (or other names) – Player who came in next-to-last place. (For example, in a six-person game, vice asshole is whoever came in fifth.) This position must give up one card to the Vice President and must take whatever card he discards.
• Asshole – Player who came in last place in the previous round. This is only used in games with 6 or fewer people. This position must give up two cards to the president and must take whatever two cards that the president discards.

 

How to Play

• Player that is dealt the three of clubs starts by laying that card in the middle. Once that player lays their card down its the person to the left turn.  Other players may pass or play by beating the previous hand before them. 2s are trump cards and clears the hand. Thus , three are considered the lowest card and aces being the highest. You can beat a single card with another single card of higher rank. Cards don’t have to be laid down in sequential order they just must be higher than the previous card that was laid down. Sets of cards can only be beaten by equal number sets of higher rank. You may pass at any time, you do not have to beat a hand just because you can. This is where the game becomes quiet strategic: a player can save a high card so they can win hands later in the game. Passing does not inhibit you from playing on your next turn or round. The game continues until a play has been made where everyone subsequently passes on a hand. Whomever laid the last card down wins that hand and gets to start the next hand.

 

END OF GAME

• Play continues until one player has played all their cards. Whoever run out of cards first is the winner and becomes President in the next round. However, the game does not end once there is a new (or first) President; the game continues until there is a single player left with cards in their hand. This player becomes the “asshole”  in the next round. On the next hand players may move around, President at the head and VP to the left (and so on in order) or simply play in the order of rank from original seats. The Asshole and Vice Asshole gives their highest card to the President and the Vice President gives them any card in return which they do not want. Higher status players generally are entitled to abuse lower status players.

*Rules taken from gamerules.com*

 

Informant’s Comments: The informant likes to play this game wasfun and to get drunk. The informant said he enjoys the game because of the rules that the president can make up. He also said he likes playing this game because it involves an incredible amount of stategitity and can get quite competitive. This game is best player with five to six people that you are close with and comfortable getting drunk around.

 

Collector’s Comments: I found this game to be very fun and engaging. The rules for the game are difficult to learn at first but once you do the game can get very intense. The game is best played when all of the players are familiar with the rules.  This game fits in the category of competitive drinking game. This game is popular in Wisconsin. 

Collector’s Name: Henry Eilen

Tags/Keywords:

• Competitive Drinking Game
• Card Game