Rules for Playing I Doubt It Family Card Game

Play the Game also Called "Bullshit" or "Cheat" for Three or More

Aug 7, 2009

The card game I Doubt It can be played with as little as three people or as many as ten or twelve if using more than one deck. It is a game of deceipt, or of truth.

This very simple game has often been used as a drinking game as well as a simple card game and is best when being played with three to six people. Add in another deck if playing with more than six players. The game is called I Doubt It in many card game books, but is called Cheat in Britain and Bullshit in the United States.

Dealing I Doubt It

The game is played with a 52 card deck with the jokers removed. The dealer is chosen at random and deals out cards one at a time to each player until all of the cards are used. The first player is chosen at random and play continues clockwise from him.

Playing I Doubt it

The play starts with the chosen leader putting out as many Aces of any suit that are in his hand, face down on the table and saying the number of cards he is putting down and the name of the card. So if he put down three Aces he would say "three Aces." If he doesn't have an Ace, he is to put down any card but still say, "Ace." The play continues to his left with the next player putting down as many 2s as he has and saying "Two." Each player follows along playing the next card in succession and calling out how many and what the card is.

I Doubt It or Bullshit

At any time during the play if another player doubts that a player put down the cards that he claims he put down he may say "I Doubt It" or "Bullshit" or "Cheat" depending on what the game is being called. At that point the one who is being accused must turn over his cards for all to see.

When the cards are overturned, if the cards are not what he said they were, he must pick up the entire discard pile. If the cards are what he said they were, the accuser must pick up the entire discard pile and put the cards in his hands. (This is also the point at which the one being penalized takes a drink if this is being played as a drinking game).

The play then starts up again with the next person putting down cards with the face value of the next successive card.

Ending the Game

The game ends when one player lays down all of his cards and passes any challenge that may be made in regards to the cards he laid down. If he is challenged and the cards he stated are not the ones he turned over, he must pick up the pile and play continues. If his cards were accurate, he is proclaimed the winner.

The copyright of the article Rules for Playing I Doubt It Family Card Game in Card Games is owned by Robin Montanye. Permission to republish Rules for Playing I Doubt It Family Card Game in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.