Learn to Play: Bullshit/Bluff | 420
Bluff is a fast-paced, hilarious card-shedding game which rewards egregious lying! Madfun! Popular among friends and family, the game rewards bold risk-taking, quick thinking, and knowing when to call someone’s bullshit. It’s also called Bluff, Cheat, I Doubt It, or 420 (India). Let's learn to play Bullshit/Bluff.
❥ DIFFICULTY: Easy
❥ PLAY TIME: 15 - 20 minutes
❥ NO. OF PLAYERS: multi-player (2 - 8 players)
❥ NO. OF DECKS: 1 deck (use 2 decks for 5+ players)
❥ OBJECTIVE
Get rid of all the cards in your hand before anyone else — either by playing the right cards or bluffing your way through them.
❥ SETUP
Shuffle the deck and deal all cards evenly to players. It’s OK if some players have an extra card.
Players hold their cards in hand and keep them secret from others.
The player to the left of the dealer goes first, and the play proceeds clockwise from there.
❥ HOW TO PLAY
The first player kicks things off by placing one or more cards face-down in the center (discard pile) and calling out a rank — like “two Kings.” Are they telling the truth? Who knows! In Bullshit, bluffing is part of the fun — and the game’s all about keeping a straight face while you do it.
The next player then places one or more cards face-down in the centre based on the current required rank as played by the previous player. They may actually play two 7s but say, “two Kings.” Smooth, right?
After a player makes their move, if anyone smells something fishy, they can call out “Bullshit!” (or “Bluff!” if kids are playing). When that happens, the last set of played cards is revealed:
If the bluff is real — the player was lying — they have to scoop up the entire discard pile,
But if the call was wrong and the cards were truthful, the accuser eats their words and gets to pick up the entire discard pile.
After the challenge is resolved, the game continues with the next player in turn.
❥ WINNING THE GAME
The first player to successfully get rid of all their cards wins.
If a player plays their last card(s) and no one calls their bluff (or the call fails), they win immediately.
If someone calls their bluff and it's successful, the player picks up the pile and stays in the game.
❥ TIPS AND STRATEGIES
Bluff smart: Don’t always lie — mix up truth and lies to stay unpredictable.
Track the cards: Pay attention to what’s been played or claimed — if three 7s have already been played, someone else claiming two more might be bluffing!
Call wisely: Calling "Bullshit" is risky. If you’re wrong, you take the whole pile.
Read faces: Look for hesitation, nervousness, or overconfidence to spot liars.
Fake confidence: Say “four Queens” with swagger, even if you're dropping four 8s.
Now that you’ve got the rules down, grab a deck, round up your crew, and get ready to lie through your teeth. Let the cheating begin — and may the sneakiest bluffer win!
