Play Palace Online
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Tap or drag a card to play it. Keyboard: arrows and Enter to play, U undo, H hint, N new game, F full screen.
Palace is a fast shedding game known by many names, including Idiot. Every player has cards in hand, three face up and three face down. Play cards of equal or higher rank onto the pile, use the special cards to turn the game around, and avoid being the last player left with cards.
- Players
- You + 1 to 3 computer players
- Cards
- Standard 52 cards
- Game length
- 5–10 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
How to play Palace
- Each player gets three face-down cards, three face-up cards on top of them and three cards in hand.
- Before play starts, you may swap cards in your hand with your face-up cards.
- On your turn, play all your cards of one rank that is equal to or higher than the top card of the pile, then draw back up to three.
- A 2 can be played on anything and resets the pile. A 10, or four of a kind, burns the pile and you play again.
- If you cannot play, you pick up the whole pile.
- When your hand and the draw pile are empty, play your face-up cards, then your face-down cards blind.
How to win at Palace: strategy and tips
In Palace you play cards equal to or higher than the top of the pile, and players drop out as their cards run out. The last player still holding cards loses, so the aim is never to be left behind. The safest players save their special cards and choose their table cards well.
Pick strong face-up cards
Before the game you choose three cards to place face up on your face-down cards. You play them only at the end, when you have no other choice. So they should be cards you can always play: tens and twos first, then aces and other high cards. Keep low cards in your hand to get rid of them early.
Play low and keep your specials
Early on, play your lowest legal card. Save tens and twos. A two lets you play on anything and resets the pile; a ten burns the whole pile. Use them when you would otherwise have to pick up, not just because you can.
Burn big piles
Burning a pile of three cards changes little. Burning a pile of fifteen removes fifteen cards that someone would have had to pick up. Four cards of the same rank in a row also burn the pile, so watch for a chance to finish a set of four.
Flip a blind card after a burn
Your face-down cards are a gamble: if one cannot be played, you pick it up with the pile. After you burn with a ten, you play again on an empty pile, where any card is legal. That is the safest moment to turn over a face-down card.
Watch the next player
Count how many cards the next player holds. When they are close to their table cards, a high card on the pile can force them to pick up.
Mistakes to avoid
- Spending a two on a pile of low cards when a normal card would do.
- Putting low cards face up, where you will be stuck with them at the end.
- Playing several high cards early and running out of answers later.
Palace questions
Is Palace the same game as Idiot?
Yes. Palace, Idiot and Shithead are names for the same family of shedding games. House rules for the special cards differ from place to place.
Who wins at Palace?
Nobody really wins: the goal is not to lose. Players drop out as they get rid of their cards, and the last player holding cards loses.
