What happens if you call BS and you're wrong?

You pick up the whole discard pile. If the player's cards all match the rank they called, the challenger takes every card in the middle into their hand. Then play continues with the next player to the left calling the next rank.

What order do you play cards in BS?

Start with aces and go up one rank per turn: A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K. After kings, the next player calls aces again. The order continues around the table no matter who picks up the pile.

How many cards can you play at once in BS?

Bicycle's I Doubt It rules allow one to four cards per turn. You say how many you're putting down and what rank they are. With two decks shuffled together, some groups allow more, since eight of each rank exist.

Not in the usual US version. You must put down at least one card every turn, even if you have none of the rank that's due. Wikipedia notes that some British players allow passing, so agree before you start.

Is Cheat the same as BS?

Yes. Pagat.com says the game is called Cheat in Britain, Bullshit or BS in the USA, and I Doubt It in many rulebooks. The rules are the same; only the word you shout changes. Pick whichever word suits your table.

Can you win BS on your last card if it's a lie?

Only if nobody challenges it. Your last play can be challenged like any other. If someone calls BS and you lied, you pick up the pile and the game continues, so pagat.com says the winner must survive any challenge on their final play.

How many decks do you need for BS?

One standard 52-card deck works for up to four players. Wikipedia says games with five or more generally combine two decks. More cards keep everyone's hand big enough to bluff with.

Who goes first in BS?

The player on the dealer's left usually goes first, and the first call is always aces. Pagat.com picks the first player at random instead. After that, play moves left around the table.

How to Play BS (Cheat): Card Game Rules

1Object of the game

Get rid of all your cards first. The rank you must play is set by the turn order, not by your hand, so you'll often have to lie about what you're putting down. Lie well and the pile keeps growing for someone else. Get caught and the whole pile lands in your hand. Call BS wrong and it lands in yours anyway.

2Setup

Shuffle a standard 52-card deck. With five or more players, many groups shuffle two decks together so hands stay a decent size.
Deal all the cards out, face down, starting with the player on the dealer's left. Some players may end up with one more card than others, which is fine.
Everyone picks up their hand. Sorting it by rank helps, since you'll need to find specific ranks fast.
Clear a space in the middle for the discard pile. The player on the dealer's left goes first and must play aces.

3The play

On your turn, put one to four cards face down on the pile and say what they are, using the rank that's due. The first player says something like "Two aces."
The ranks go up one step per turn: A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, then back to A. If the last player called 6s, you must call 7s.
You don't have to tell the truth. The cards are face down, so you can play a 4 and a jack and call them "two 7s." You must still announce the rank that's due.
After you play, anyone at the table may call "BS" (or "Cheat" or "I doubt it"). They have to call before the next player puts cards down.
If someone calls, turn over the cards you just played. If any of them aren't the rank you called, you pick up the entire discard pile. If they're all true, the challenger picks up the entire pile.
Whether or not there was a challenge, play passes to the left, and that player calls the next rank in order.

4End of a hand

BS is played as a single hand with no rounds. The pile grows until someone gets caught or makes a bad challenge, and then it goes into that player's hand. Play continues to the left with the next rank. The game ends when a player's last cards go down and survive any challenge.

5Scoring

BS has no points. The only thing that counts is running out of cards first. This table covers what happens after a challenge.

For	Points
You called BS and the player lied	They pick up the whole pile
You called BS and the player told the truth	You pick up the whole pile
Nobody calls BS	Cards stay in the pile
Cards per play	1 to 4
First rank called	Aces
Winner	First player with no cards who survives the challenge

One lie among the cards played is enough. If you play three cards as 9s and only two are 9s, you lied and you take the pile. There's no penalty beyond picking up the pile, but in a long game the pile can hold half the deck.

6Winning

The first player to get rid of all their cards wins. Your final play can be challenged like any other. If someone calls BS on your last cards and you lied, you pick up the pile and the game goes on. You only win when your last play is unchallenged or proven true.

7A worked hand

Four players: Ana, Ben, Cara and you, with 13 cards each. Ana is left of the dealer, so she starts. She puts down the A♣ and says "One ace." Nobody calls. Ben needs 2s. He lays down two cards and says "Two 2s." You hold the 2♥, 2♠ and 2♣, so only one other 2 exists. You call BS. Ben flips his cards: the 2♦ and the 9♠. The 9 is a lie, so Ben picks up the whole pile: the A♣, 2♦ and 9♠. He now has 14 cards, and the pile is empty. Play moves on to Cara, who needs 3s. She plays three cards and says "Three 3s." Nobody challenges. Now it's your turn and you need 4s, which you don't have. You slip your 2♥ onto the pile and say "One 4." Ben hesitates, then lets it go, and you're down to 12 cards.

8House rules

The rules above are the version most US players use. These are the variations you are most likely to run into; settle them before the first deal.

Two decks for big groups: Wikipedia notes that games with five or more players generally shuffle two decks together. With two decks, a player can truthfully claim more than four of a rank.
Passing allowed: Wikipedia describes a British version where you may pass instead of playing. In the US family version you must play at least one card every turn.
Descending order: Pagat.com lists a variant where ranks go down instead of up: A, K, Q, J, 10 and so on. It changes which cards you save for later.
Up, down or same: Another pagat.com variant lets you call the same rank as the last player, one rank higher, or one rank lower. Bluffing gets easier, and so does challenging.
Random first player: Pagat.com picks the first player at random rather than using the player on the dealer's left. Either way, the first call is aces.

9Mistakes people make

You must call the next rank in order, even if you don't hold it. You can lie about the cards, but not about the rank that's due.
The loser of a challenge takes the entire discard pile, not just the cards from the last play.
A challenge must come before the next player puts down cards. Once they play, the chance to call BS on the earlier play is gone.
Playing your last cards doesn't win until the play survives any challenge. If you're caught lying, you pick up the pile and keep playing.

10Playing better

Look ahead in the rank order. If you know you'll need 8s in four turns and you have none, save a card to bluff with instead of wasting good cards now.
Tell the truth when you can. Honest plays are safe, and they make your later lies more believable.
Use your own hand as evidence. If you hold three queens and someone claims three queens, you know they're lying.
Challenge big plays late in the game. A player claiming four cards when they only have five left is often stretching.
Don't challenge when the pile is small unless you're sure. A wrong call costs little then, but a right call also gains little.
Watch who picks up the pile. Those cards are known to the table, and they tell you what that player can play honestly.

BS (Cheat): questions people ask

What happens if you call BS and you're wrong?: You pick up the whole discard pile. If the player's cards all match the rank they called, the challenger takes every card in the middle into their hand. Then play continues with the next player to the left calling the next rank.
What order do you play cards in BS?: Start with aces and go up one rank per turn: A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K. After kings, the next player calls aces again. The order continues around the table no matter who picks up the pile.
How many cards can you play at once in BS?: Bicycle's I Doubt It rules allow one to four cards per turn. You say how many you're putting down and what rank they are. With two decks shuffled together, some groups allow more, since eight of each rank exist.
Can you pass in BS?: Not in the usual US version. You must put down at least one card every turn, even if you have none of the rank that's due. Wikipedia notes that some British players allow passing, so agree before you start.
Is Cheat the same as BS?: Yes. Pagat.com says the game is called Cheat in Britain, Bullshit or BS in the USA, and I Doubt It in many rulebooks. The rules are the same; only the word you shout changes. Pick whichever word suits your table.
Can you win BS on your last card if it's a lie?: Only if nobody challenges it. Your last play can be challenged like any other. If someone calls BS and you lied, you pick up the pile and the game continues, so pagat.com says the winner must survive any challenge on their final play.
How many decks do you need for BS?: One standard 52-card deck works for up to four players. Wikipedia says games with five or more generally combine two decks. More cards keep everyone's hand big enough to bluff with.
Who goes first in BS?: The player on the dealer's left usually goes first, and the first call is always aces. Pagat.com picks the first player at random instead. After that, play moves left around the table.

Sources

Checked by Morgan Hale against the sources below. Last reviewed September 28, 2026.

I Doubt It, Bicycle Cards. Read September 29, 2026.
Cheat / I Doubt It, pagat.com. Read September 29, 2026.
Cheat (game), Wikipedia. Read September 29, 2026.

Also on the table: Spoons, Old Maid, Crazy Eights, Go Fish.