Cheat card game rules (BS, I Doubt It)
Cheat, also known as BS or I Doubt It, is a party classic: you play your cards face down, claim whatever you like… and everyone else has to guess who is bluffing. Here are the most common rules, the variants, and how to turn it into Liar's Bar with a virtual Russian roulette.
- 3–10players
- 52cards
- 0cards left to win
The goal
Be the first to get rid of all your cards. To get there, you are allowed to lie about the cards you play. But if someone calls you out, you pick up the whole pile.
What you need
- A standard 52-card deck. With 6 or 7 players or more, shuffle two decks together.
- 3 to 10 players. The game is best with 4 or more.
Setting up
Shuffle and deal out all the cards, face down. Some players get one more card than others: that is fine. Everyone looks at their hand without showing it.
How to play
In the most common version, you follow the order of the ranks: Ace, 2, 3… up to King, then back to Ace.
- The first player places 1 to 4 cards face down in the middle and announces the rank in play: “Two Aces”.
- The next player must play cards of the next rank: “Three 2s”, then the next player plays 3s, and so on.
- Don't have the right rank? Play other cards and claim they are the right ones: you cheat. You can lie about the number too.
- After any play, any player can call “Cheat!” (or “BS!” or “I doubt it!”).
“Cheat!”: who picks up the pile?
Only the cards that were just played are turned over.
| What is revealed | Who picks up the whole pile |
|---|---|
| At least one card does not match the claim | The cheater |
| All the cards match | The player who called “Cheat!” |
Play then continues with the next rank. The first player with no cards left wins, as long as their last play is not caught.
The most common variants
- Same rank for the whole round: the first player picks a rank and everyone must play it until the next challenge. This is the Liar's Bar rule.
- Free choice of rank: each player announces the same rank, the one just above or the one just below the previous claim.
- Only the next player can challenge: games are calmer and easier to follow.
- Jokers: they count as any rank. Playing a Joker is never a lie.
The game has many names: Cheat in the UK, BS or Bullshit, I Doubt It in the US, and le jeu du menteur (“the liar's game”) in French. The core rules are the same.
From Cheat to Liar's Bar
The Liar's Bar video game takes Cheat and changes two things: a random table card sets the rank everyone must play, and whoever loses a challenge does not pick up the pile, they play Russian roulette. The last player alive wins.
To play that version around a real table, you need standard playing cards and MhyTom: the app draws the table card, spins a virtual cylinder and counts everyone's shots. The full rules are in the Liar's Bar rules.
Phoenix mode is Cheat with Russian roulette.
Play Phoenix4 tips to win at Cheat
- Tell the truth when you can. The less often you lie, the better your lies work.
- Count the cards. There are only 4 cards of each rank in a deck: if someone claims “Three Kings” while you hold two, they are lying.
- Slip a bad card in with good ones. A three-card play with only one wrong card rarely gets checked.
- Challenge players who are almost out of cards. They have to take risks to finish.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards can you play in Cheat?
In the most common version, 1 to 4 cards per turn. Some tables set a maximum of 3.
Who picks up the pile in Cheat?
If the accused player lied, they pick up the whole pile. If they told the truth, the player who called “Cheat!” picks it up.
How many players can play Cheat?
From 3 to 10 players. With more than 6, shuffle two 52-card decks together.
What is the difference between Cheat and Liar's Bar?
Liar's Bar is based on Cheat, but the rank to play is drawn at random and whoever loses a challenge plays Russian roulette instead of picking up the pile.
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MhyTom is an independent project inspired by Liar's Bar. It is neither affiliated with nor endorsed by the creators of the video game.