Idiot (Shithead) strategy

You can’t choose the cards you’re dealt, but you choose where they go and when to spend them. Most games are decided by the face-up choice and by when the 2s, 10s and aces come out.

Luck and choices

Idiot combines luck and strategy. You can’t control the deal, but how you play it makes the difference between going out early and being the Idiot. Three things matter most: which cards you put face up, when you spend the special cards, and how you avoid picking up big piles.

Choosing your face-up cards

The most important decision comes before the first card is played. You put three of your six cards face up on your face-down cards, and you will play them late in the game, when there is no deck left to draw from.

Face up

Kept in hand

Dealt a 3, 4, 6, 10, king and ace: the 10, ace and king go face up, and the 3, 4 and 6 stay in hand to be played first.

High cards go face up

10s and aces first. They are the strongest cards and both go on anything, so you always have a play.
2s are insurance. A 2 goes on anything, so one face up is a safe way out.
Kings and queens are high enough to beat most piles.
9s are a backup. They go on anything and pass the card to beat on to the next player.

Low cards stay in your hand

Never put 3s, 4s or 6s face up. In the endgame you would have to beat a pile with them.
Keep 7s and 8s in hand and play them early, while you are still drawing.
Don’t waste a slot. You only get three face-up cards, so each one should be a card you will be glad to have late.

The order of preference

1
10. Burns the pile and you play again.
2
Ace. Goes on anything, and only a 2, 9, 10 or another ace can follow it.
3
2. Goes on anything and resets the pile.
4
King or queen. Beats most cards.
5
9. Goes on anything, as a backup.

If you hold more than one 10, 2 or ace, put one face up as insurance and keep the others in your hand, where you can use them sooner.

On this site

Everyone chooses at the same time and the choices stay hidden until all are made. The computer players put their cards face up in this same order: 10, ace, 2, king, queen, then 9.

Using the special cards

Idiot has five special cards, plus the rule that four of a kind in a row burns the pile.

Card	Effect	How to use it
10	Goes on anything, burns the pile, and you play again.	Save it for a big pile (ten cards or more) or the endgame. Don’t spend it early to avoid picking up two or three cards.
2	Goes on anything and resets the pile.	Your escape card for emergencies.
A	Goes on anything, a 5 included. Only a 2, 9, 10 or another ace can follow it.	Nearly unbeatable. Keep count of the aces: once they are gone, kings rule.
5	Goes on a 5 up to a king, never on an ace. The next card must be 5 or lower, or a 2, 9, 10 or ace.	An attacking card against a player who is holding high cards.
9	Goes on anything and is see-through: the next card has to beat the card under it.	Leaves the card to beat unchanged. Several 9s in a row keep passing the same card along.
Four of a kind	Four cards of the same rank in a row burn the pile, and whoever played the fourth plays again.	Works like a 10. Keep matching cards together.

Remember that a burn, by a 10 or by four of a kind, gives you another turn straight away, onto an empty pile.

Card tiers

Tier	Cards	How to use them
Low	3, 4, 6	Play them early, while you are still drawing. Saved for later, they become a liability.
Middle	7, 8, J	Flexible and safe in most situations. They keep your turns going.
High	Q, K	They put pressure on others to spend special cards, and they matter most once you reach your face-up cards.

Core principles

Empty your hand efficiently

Your hand is the part of the game you control best.
Play low cards (3, 4, 6) freely while you are still drawing from the deck.
Once your hand is empty, you get to choose which face-up card to play.
Don’t be too careful with middle cards: speed matters.

Avoid picking up the pile

Every pick-up sets you back.
2s, 10s and aces are what keep you from picking up. Use them when the pile is worth avoiding.
Think about what you will be able to play on your next turn.
Keep perspective: a small pick-up of three to five good cards is no disaster.
Picking up ends your turn, and the next player starts a new pile with any card.

Play several cards at once

Play pairs and triples of the same rank together.
Four of the same rank in a row burn the pile and give you another turn.
If three of a rank are on top of the pile, the fourth burns it.
Don’t spend special cards just to collect matching cards.
Keep matching cards together as you draw.

Timing your plays

Early game: full hand: Play low and middle cards freely and keep 2s, 10s and high cards for later. Clearing your hand is the main goal, and small piles force your opponents to make decisions.
Middle game: face-up cards: Pick each face-up card with care. Watch who is struggling and who is ahead, use high cards to put on pressure, and avoid needless risks.
Late game: face-down cards: This part is luck: you can’t see what you are playing. What you can do is keep piles small before you get here, so a failed card costs less. A bad turn here can still be recovered.

Advanced tactics

Reading the table

Keep track of the cards played, so you know what is left.
Notice which cards your opponents seem to be saving.
Watch the draw pile shrink, so you know when the face-up cards are coming.
Look at your opponents’ face-up cards: they show what each player has for the endgame.

Managing the pile

Leave a high card on top when you can, so the next player struggles to follow it.
Set traps that force an opponent to pick up.
Time your 10s to remove a pile that threatens you.

With three or four players

Put pressure on the leader: make the player closest to going out pick up.
Help a player who is struggling when that slows down a bigger threat.
Play for yourself again once you are safe.

Common mistakes

Wasting special cards early: Using a 2 or a 10 to avoid picking up two or three cards early in the game. Save them.
Poor face-up choices: Putting 3s, 4s, 6s or 7s face up loses games. Choose your highest cards.
Not tracking cards: Losing count of which aces, 2s and 10s have been played leads to bad decisions.
Playing on autopilot: Every play should have a purpose. Don’t just play the first card that fits.
Hoarding forever: High cards are no use if you pick up a huge pile first.
Playing too cautiously: Idiot rewards aggressive play. Take calculated risks.
Ignoring opponents: What others play, and what they have face up, tells you a lot.

Ready to play?

Try these ideas against one to three computer players, or invite friends with a link.

Play Idiot