What Is Cheat?
Cheat — also called I Doubt It, Bluff, or BS — is the card game where lying is not just allowed, it is the entire point. Players take turns placing cards face-down and announcing what they are. You can tell the truth or lie completely — no one can see your cards. But any player can challenge you at any time. Get caught lying and you take the whole pile. Catch a liar and they take it instead. First player to empty their hand wins.
What You Need
- One standard deck of 52 playing cards
- Three to eight players
Setting Up the Game
- Shuffle all 52 cards.
- Deal all cards out as evenly as possible — some players may have one extra card.
- Players pick up their cards and look at them without showing anyone.
How to Play — Step by Step
The player to the left of the dealer goes first. Play moves clockwise.
- On your turn, place one to four cards face-DOWN in the center of the table. As you place them, announce what they are. The first player must announce Aces. The second player must announce 2s. The third player must announce 3s. And so on — cycling through Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, then back to Ace. Whatever the current rank is, that is what you must claim to be playing.
- You can actually play any cards you want — even if you have no Aces on the first turn, you can place other cards and claim they are Aces. This is completely legal in Cheat.
- After you place your cards and make your announcement, any other player may immediately call out ‘Cheat!’ (or ‘I Doubt It!’ or ‘BS!’ — whatever your group prefers).
- If no one challenges, the cards stay in the center pile and play moves to the next player.
When Someone Is Challenged
Flip over the cards that were just played. Everyone sees what they actually are:
- If the player was LYING — the cards are not what they claimed: the player who played them must take the ENTIRE center pile into their hand.
- If the player was TELLING THE TRUTH — the cards are exactly what they claimed: the player who made the challenge must take the ENTIRE center pile into their hand.
After the pile is taken, the player who just took the pile plays next, starting whatever rank comes after the one just played.
What Counts as Lying?
You are lying if any of the cards you placed are not the rank you announced. If you said ‘2 Kings’ and placed one King and one 7, that is a lie. If you said ‘3 Queens’ and placed three Queens, that is the truth even if it seems suspicious.
Winning
The first player to play their last card wins — but only if no one successfully challenges them on that final play. If they are caught lying on their last play, they must take the pile and continue.
Tips for New Players
- Do not always lie — mix in truthful plays so opponents cannot predict you. A player who lies constantly becomes easy to catch.
- Challenge players who place large numbers of cards — it is rare to have four of any rank, so claiming four Kings is suspicious.
- The best time to bluff is when the current rank is one you have none of. You have no choice but to lie, so commit confidently.