How to play Bull
Bull, also called Cheat, BS, or I Doubt It, is a bluffing card game for 3 to 10 players. Each turn you play one to four cards face down and claim they match the current rank, true or not. Anyone can call bull. The first player to get rid of every card wins.
- Players
- 3 to 10
- Deck
- One 52-card deck (Deckhand adds a second for 6 or more players)
- Goal
- Empty your hand before anyone else
- Also called
- Cheat, BS, I Doubt It
Setup
Shuffle and deal every card out around the table. Some players may end up with one more card than others. Whoever holds the ace of spades goes first, and play starts on aces.
How to play
- The current rank moves up by one each turn: aces, then 2s, 3s, and so on through kings, then back to aces.
- On your turn, put 1 to 4 cards face down on the pile in the middle and say they all match the current rank. That is your claim. You can tell the truth or lie.
- Anyone except the player who just played can call bull, up until the next play goes down.
- When someone calls bull, turn over the cards from that play. If any of them is the wrong rank, the player who played takes the whole pile into their hand. If they were all the right rank, the player who called bull takes it.
- After a pickup, the turn passes to whoever was next and the rank moves up as usual.
Winning
When someone plays their last card, it’s last call. Everyone else can call bull or pass. If the claim was a lie, that player takes the pile and the game goes on. If it was true, or if everyone passes, they win.
Variants
Each option below is one the host can pick before the game. The first choice listed is the standard game described above.
| Option | Choices | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Decks | Auto (default), 1 deck, 2 decks | How many decks are shuffled together. Auto uses one deck for up to 5 players and two decks for 6 or more. |
Playing it in Deckhand
Your hand stays on your own phone, so nobody can peek at what you really played. You pick 1 to 4 cards and play them, and a button to call bull is open to everyone else until the next play. At last call, every other player gets the choice to call bull or tap Pass. The host sets the deck count in the lobby.
Deckhand is free on the App Store and Google Play. One phone starts a table and everyone else joins with the code, so nobody needs a physical deck.
FAQ
Is Bull the same game as Cheat or BS?
Yes. Bull, Cheat, BS, and I Doubt It are names for the same bluffing game: players lay cards face down, claim a rank that climbs each turn, and anyone can challenge a claim.
How many players do you need for Bull?
Bull works with 3 to 10 players. Deckhand shuffles two decks together for 6 or more players by default.
Who goes first in Bull?
The player holding the ace of spades goes first, and the first claim is aces.
What happens if you call bull and you are wrong?
If every card in the play matched the claimed rank, the player who called bull picks up the whole pile.
Can you win by lying on your last card?
Only if nobody catches it. After your last card, everyone else can call bull or pass. If the claim was a lie and someone calls it, you take the pile and the game goes on.