Play in Asshole is organized into tricks, much like Hearts or Bridge.
The Asshole (the person to place last in the previous round, see below) shuffles and deals the cards. All the cards are dealt, until none are left, in clockwise rotation.
The
player on the dealer's left begins by leading any card, or set of matching cards, though in some house rules the
player with a certain card always leads. The
player to their left may then play an equal number of matching cards with a higher face value, or may pass. Note that you must play the same number of cards as the lead. If the leader starts with one card, only one card may be played on top of it; if they lead with a pair, only pairs may be played on top of it, and so on. The next
player may do the same, and so on. This continues until all players pass. The last person to play cards leads the next trick.
General rules:
A two (2) card is "clear", meaning all played cards are removed, and the person playing the 2 starts again4
If there are 2 or 3 of a card on the table (in a row), and a
player has the rest to "complete the set" of all four cards, that can be done, regardless of whose turn it is currently. The cards are cleared, and the
player who "completed the set" gets to go again, as if he or she laid a "clear" in the previous round.
If a
player passes, he or she must drink.
When players pass, this does not limit them in any way from playing later, even during the same trick.
When a
player matches the rank of the previously played card, the next
player's turn is skipped. A skipped
player must drink.
If a
player reaches his or her last card, he or she must immediately yell "last card". If someone points out that they didn'
t say it, or if someone else reaches their own last card, and yells it first, then, the player who forgot to yell is automatically the asshole for the next round.
