How to Play Idiot
Get rid of every card, even the ones you cannot see.
Also known as Palace · Shed · Karma
Learn Idiot (Palace, Shed) for 2–5 players: three rows of cards, beating the pile, the 2s and 10s that reset or burn it and the blind cards at the end. Follow a pile, then play in your browser.
A pile from an 8 to burnt
The pile shows an 8♣. You play J♦ and J♠ together, which beats it. The next player has nothing above a jack and plays the 2♥, which resets the pile; the player after that plays a 3♣, since anything follows a 2. When your turn comes round you drop the 10♠ on top: the pile burns out of the game and you play again onto an empty table.
| Situation | Result |
|---|---|
| 8♣ on top, you hold J♦ and J♠ | Play both jacks: equal or higher, same rank together |
| Jacks on top, next player holds nothing above a jack | They play the 2♥: a 2 goes on anything and resets the pile |
| 2♥ on top | Anything follows a 2: the next player plays a 3♣ |
| Your turn, 10♠ in hand | The 10 burns the pile out of the game and you play again |
| You cannot beat the top card | Pick up the whole pile; the next player starts a new one |
Aces are high and the 3 is the lowest ordinary card. Four of a kind on top of the pile burns it too. Once the stock and your hand are gone you play the face-up row, then turn your blind cards one per turn.
Practise this game in your browser🎯 Objective
Get rid of all your cards so that you are not the last player left holding them. Over several rounds the finishing places add up and the lowest total wins.
🃏 Idiot Setup & Rules
- 2 to 5 players with one standard 52-card deck, no jokers. Aces are high; the 3 is the lowest ordinary card.
- Each player gets 3 cards face down in a row, never looked at, 3 face up on top of them and 3 in hand. The rest is the stock.
- Before play starts you may swap any hand card with a face-up card, then tap Ready. The player left of the dealer starts, or the holder of the lowest card with that option on.
▶ How to Play Idiot
- On your turn, play one card, or several of the same rank, equal to or higher than the top card of the pile. While the stock lasts you draw back up to 3 hand cards at the end of your turn.
- A 2 goes on anything and resets the pile: anything may follow it. A 10 goes on anything and burns the pile out of the game, and you play again.
- Four cards of the same rank on top of the pile burn it too, whoever played them, and the player who completed them goes again.
- If you cannot play, or choose not to, pick up the whole pile into your hand. The next player starts a new pile.
- Once the stock and your hand are empty, play from your face-up row under the same rules, several of a rank allowed.
- After the face-up row, turn one blind card over per turn. If it can be played it goes on the pile; if not, you pick up the pile along with it and play your hand out again.
🎬 Watch: How to Play Idiot
Filmed under the name Palace, another name for this game. House rules vary from table to table; the rules on this page are the ones the app plays.
This video is embedded from YouTube and remains the intellectual property of its respective creator and/or rights holder. Vanikar LLC claims no ownership of, or rights in, the video content, and no affiliation with or endorsement by its creator is implied. The video is displayed via YouTube’s public embed feature in accordance with the YouTube Terms of Service and the agreements between YouTube and the content uploader.
📖 Detailed Guide
Setting up your table
- From the game menu choose Idiot, then pick 2 to 5 seats and fill the empty ones with AI players.
- Set the rounds, 1 by default and up to 10: over several rounds the finishing places add up and the lowest total wins.
- Two optional rules are off by default: 7 is low, so after a 7 the next player must play a 7 or lower, and lowest card starts, so the first to show a 3 begins instead of the dealer's left.
- Each player gets 3 blind cards in a row, 3 face-up cards on top of them and 3 in hand from one 52-card deck without jokers. Swap hand and face-up cards by tapping one of each, then tap Ready.
Playing to the pile
- Rank order from low to high is 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 J Q K A; the 2 and the 10 are special and go on anything.
- Play a card equal to or higher than the top card, or several cards of one rank at once, then draw back up to 3 while the stock lasts.
- If you cannot beat the top card, or would rather not, pick up the whole pile; the next player starts a new one.
- Play moves to the left, and the pile keeps growing until someone picks it up or burns it.
Special cards
- A 2 goes on any card and resets the pile: anything may follow it. The 2 stays on the pile, so a 10 may be played on it.
- A 10 goes on any card, burns the pile out of the game and gives you another turn.
- Four cards of the same rank on top of the pile also burn it, whoever played them, and the player who completed them goes again.
- With 7 is low on, a 7 turns the order round for one play: the next player must play a 7 or lower, or a special, and another 7 passes the constraint on.
The end game
- When your hand is empty and the stock is gone, play your face-up cards under the same rules, several of a rank allowed.
- After those, turn one blind card over per turn. If it can be played it goes on the pile; if not, you pick up the pile along with it and play your hand out again. In the blind stage you must turn a card over rather than picking up.
- A blind card that is a 10 burns the pile and lets you go again; a player whose last card burns the pile is out and does not play again.
- Players leave the game as they run out of cards; the first out wins the round, the last one left is the Idiot, and each player scores their finishing place for the match.
📊 Idiot Scoring
There are no card points. The first player out wins the round and the last player holding cards is the Idiot. Each round scores every player their finishing place, and over the rounds set at setup (1 by default, up to 10) the lowest total wins. Options: 7 is low, so after a 7 the next player must play a 7 or lower; and lowest card starts, so the holder of the lowest hand card starts instead of the dealer's left.
❓ Idiot — Frequently Asked Questions
How many players do you need for Idiot?
Idiot is played with 2–5 players. On Vanikar, empty seats can be filled with AI opponents so you can always start a game.
How many players can play Idiot in the app?
2 to 5, with a single 52-card deck and no jokers. Each player gets 9 cards: 3 blind, 3 face up and 3 in hand, and any empty seat can be filled with an app opponent.
What do the 2 and the 10 do in Idiot?
Both may be played on anything. A 2 resets the pile, so any card may follow it, and it stays on the pile, which means a 10 may be played on it. A 10 burns the pile out of the game and you play again. 4 cards of the same rank on top of the pile also burn it.
Can you pick up the pile even if you could play?
Yes, from your hand or your face-up row: picking up is always allowed, and a small pile of strong cards can be worth taking. In the blind stage you cannot pick up by choice; you must turn a card over, and it is played if it fits or picked up with the pile if not.
How is the Idiot decided and how are rounds scored?
The last player still holding cards is the Idiot and the first player out wins the round. Every player scores their finishing place, so 1 for the first out and so on. Over the rounds set at setup, 1 by default and up to 10, the lowest total wins.
