The classic bluffing game, known in Russia as «Верю — не верю». Put cards face down on the pile and name their rank: you may tell the truth or lie. The next player decides whether to believe you or call “I don't believe you!”, and whoever is wrong picks up the whole pile. The first player out of cards wins.
Goal: Be the first to get rid of all your cards — bluffing when you have to and catching everyone else's lies.
3–6 players use a standard 52-card deck (suits never matter, only ranks). All the cards are dealt one at a time, clockwise; if they do not divide evenly, the first players get one extra card.
Your hand stays secret for the whole game. The cards are played face down onto a pile in the middle, so everyone sees how many cards were played but never which ones. The first player opens.
To open a round, put 1 to 4 cards face down on the pile and announce their rank, for example “two Queens”. You may tell the truth (they really are Queens) or lie (a single different card is enough). The others only see how many cards you played.
Then the next player clockwise takes a turn. You can never pass: on your turn you must either play cards or call “I don't believe you!”.
Whoever opens a round on an empty pile announces the rank allowed by the chosen variant (see “The announced rank”).
Only the player right after you can react to your play: if they play cards of their own they “believe” you, and your play can no longer be challenged. Or they can call “I don't believe you!”.
After a challenge the cards just played — only those, not the whole pile — are turned face up. If they are all of the announced rank, the challenger was wrong and picks up the whole pile; if even one is different, the liar is caught and picks up the whole pile.
Whoever wins the showdown (the truth-teller or the one who caught the bluff) opens the next round: the pile is empty and play starts afresh.
Russian variant (default): everyone must announce the same rank chosen by the player who opened the round, until somebody is challenged. The opener chooses the rank freely, even one they do not hold (that is a bluff). If the rank is “sevens”, every following player must say “sevens”, even without any.
Classic variant (Cheat): the rank goes up with every play, in order: Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, then Ace again… The game starts with Aces, and the sequence goes on even after a challenge.
Playing your last cards does not win yet: the next player cannot play and must choose between “I don't believe you!” and “I believe you”.
If they believe you, or challenge wrongly, you win (the one who was wrong still picks up the pile). If they challenge and you were bluffing, you pick up the whole pile and the game goes on.
The first player left with no cards who has passed that check wins. The others are ranked by the cards still in their hands: fewer cards, better place; ties share the same place.
To prevent endless games, after 300 plays the game ends and whoever holds the fewest cards wins (equal counts are a draw).
Count the cards: there are only four of each rank. If you hold two Queens and someone announces three, they are certainly lying!
Play true cards whenever you can — it is safe. When you must bluff, prefer a single card and a small pile: a bluff on a big pile costs dearly.
Watch the players who are down to a few cards: if they get out unchallenged, they win. Do not believe them!