A Completely Hypothetical Situation
Imagine a high-stakes card game where you’re a convicted felon with dreams of becoming president—all while scrambling to erase those pesky charges hanging over your head.
In Pardon or Prison, players are given a limited time to gather power, wealth, and influence, hoping to turn a conviction-laden reputation into a political success story.
Here’s your ultimate guide to mastering the art of, er… “reform” before you take office.
After all, what better place to live out your “reformed” life than in the White House?
1. Draw a Winning Hand to Escape Convictions
Start by collecting five cards from a standard 52-card deck + 2 jokers (because you need jokers and everyone knows real leaders play it fair… at first).
You’re on the hunt for power, wealth, and influence cards to help you climb the ladder, but keep in mind that everyone can see what’s in your hand. So, while you can’t quite cheat, you can “creatively strategize” your way to the top.
2. Money Talks, and You’ll Need Plenty
Money is represented by cards numbered 2 through 10.
These cards are your currency—use them to grease the wheels, pay off adversaries, or erase inconvenient truths.
You’ll need at least 10 money points for any transaction, but who’s counting? In this game, “buying influence” is just another word for “making friends.”
3. Power Players Only: Kings Are the Key
A King in your hand represents power.
It’s no secret that three Kings will secure your seat in the Oval Office, but if you can’t manage three, there are other ways to “acquire” power.
Just remember, a true leader knows how to balance their influence. After all, absolute power might get you the win, but so does a well-balanced blend of connections and wealth.
4. Don’t Get Aced Out (Literally)
Aces are bad news.
In Pardon or Prison, they’re your convictions (ok, not your convictions because you don’t have any, these are the ones that’ll send you to prison), and you’ll want to steer clear.
If you end up with three Aces in your hand, well, it’s game over, and you’re sentenced faster than you can say “plea deal.”
Manage your Aces carefully, discard them if you can, or—if you’re feeling crafty—find a way to pass them off to a rival who’s getting too close to the finish line.
5. The Influence of Wealth (aka Queens)
Queens are powerful allies, representing wealth and social influence. With two Queens in your hand, you’re already ⅓ to a win (2 Queens = 1 King).
Better yet, you can use a Queen’s influence to buy your way out of a tricky situation. In this game, it turns out that wealth and social leverage really do make the world glorious again.
6. Connections Are Key (Thanks, Jacks!)
Jacks represent connections. If you can’t buy or bluff your way to power, make friends with the right people.
Three Jacks can even be “cashed in” for a King, so building your network might just save your reputation (or at least your hand).
7. Jokers Can Be Anyone You Want Them to Be
Everyone needs a flexible friend. The Jokers are wild cards that can represent any power card you’re missing, except an Ace (you know, the whole “conviction” thing).
So if you’re a King short of winning, let the Joker fill in the gap, and your path to the presidency just got a little easier.
You’ve got a solid wingman to help your “reputation” soar.
8. A Pricey Getaway (Discarding Those Aces)
If you end up with an Ace, don’t panic just yet. You can discard it for a small fee of 50 money points (loose change for a presidential candidate, right?).
Alternatively, you can use a combination of cards to hit that 50-point mark: Queens and Jacks go a long way here.
Just remember, getting rid of convictions can get pricey—but who’s counting?
9. Sending Trouble to Rivals (or, How to Make Friends in High Places)
Feeling generous? Why not pass an Ace to a rival?
To do this, you’ll need one King, one Queen, one Jack, and 10 money points.
Sure, it’s an investment, but what’s a little “favor” among friends?
Especially when it lands them in the hot seat instead of you. You can always claim it was “out of courtesy.”
10. Stay Alert and Play Strategically
Keep a close eye on your rivals’ hands. If they seem dangerously close to winning, a well-timed Ace in their hand can throw them off track.
And don’t forget, you can buy a King outright with 100 money points if you’re desperate.
After all, a leader must be adaptable—and sometimes, a quick investment is all it takes to tip the scales.
Besides at the end of the day you don’t really need to win you just need to make somebody else lose, very publicly.
Winning Pardon or Prison isn’t for the faint-hearted.
You’ll need a cunning mix of power, money, influence, and strategy. In this game, the road to the presidency is paved with “flexible” ethics and plenty of creative maneuvering. After all, why serve time when you can just… serve?
Complete rules below.
“Pardon or Prison”
Game Concept
You’ve been convicted of serious white-collar felonies, and sentencing is just around the corner. But all is not lost—if you can win the presidential election, you’ll have a narrow window, as the President-elect, to make those convictions vanish before you officially take office.
To succeed, you’ll need to gather enough power, wealth, social influence, connections, and bribe money to dodge prison and ensure your path to the presidency. Use your resources wisely, but beware—your rivals may try to derail your efforts and secure their own victory.
Objective
To win you need to:
Hold any combination of cards that equals 3 Kings.
If you end up with three Aces (convictions) in your hand at any point, you’re unable to escape sentencing and lose the game.
Game Setup
- Deck: Use a standard 52-card deck with two Jokers for a total of 54 cards.
- Deal: Each player starts with 5 cards in their hand, face-up so all players can see.
- Money Pile: The remaining cards form the draw pile, where players will draw money cards to use for transactions.
- Money Cards: The 2 through 10 cards represent money points:
2 through 10 = their face value in money points.
- Special Cards:
Kings represent Power
Queens represent Wealth and Social Influence
Jacks represent Connections
Aces represent Convictions (potential prison sentences)
Jokers can be wild cards, representing any non-Ace card of the player’s choice, but they cannot be used to represent Aces.
Gameplay
Turns
Each player’s turn consists of the following steps:
- Draw a Card:
If it’s a money card (2–10), add it to your money pile for later transactions.
If it’s a special card (King, Queen, Jack, Ace, or Joker), add it to your hand.
- Play/Trade/Discard:
Your goal is to collect specific card combinations that allow you to avoid prison or win the presidency.
- Hand Limit:
Players can hold up to 6 cards in their hand (not counting money cards).
Any additional cards drawn beyond this limit must be discarded immediately or traded.
Aces drawn into your hand require special action, as explained below.
- Using Money:
Money points (from 2–10 cards) are used for bribes, buying cards from other players, or discarding unwanted Aces.
Transactions must be a minimum of 10 money points, though players can negotiate higher prices.
Money cards remain in a separate pile from your main hand and can be spent without counting against the 6-card hand limit.
Winning the Game
You can win in one of two ways:
- Achieve Three Kings in Your Hand:
Represents ultimate power and grants you the presidency.
- Achieve a Combination of One King, Two Queens, and Three Jacks:
Represents a strategic balance of power, wealth, influence, and connections, granting you the presidency.
If you manage either combination, you win immediately.
Avoiding Prison (Managing Aces)
- Drawing an Ace:
When you draw an Ace, it counts as a “conviction,” bringing you closer to prison.
If you end up with three Aces in your hand at any point, you go to prison and lose the game.
- Discarding an Ace:
To discard an Ace, you must pay 50 money points from your money pile.
Alternatively, you can discard an Ace by using any of the following combinations of cards:
One Jack = 10 money points
One Queen = 20 money points
One King = 30 money points
These cards can be used alone or in combination to reach 50 points.
- Sending an Ace to Another Player:
If you draw an Ace and want to place it in an opponent’s hand (instead of keeping it), you must play:
One King, one Queen, one Jack, and 10 money points
Discard the played cards and transfer the Ace to an opponent of your choice.
That opponent must then manage the Ace according to the standard rules (by discarding or keeping it in hand).
Additional Rules
Using Money for Card Purchases
Players can buy cards directly from each other using money points.
All purchases must be negotiated, with a minimum value of 10 money points per transaction.
Buying a King with Money
Instead of waiting to draw a King, players may spend 100 money points to buy a “virtual” King from the money pile.
This King will count toward their win conditions, just as a normal King would.
Jokers as Wild Cards
Jokers may be used as any special card (King, Queen, or Jack) except Aces.
They help fulfill winning combinations but do not count toward discarding or passing Aces.
Game Strategy Tips
Keep Your Options Open: Balance acquiring power, influence, and connections with keeping enough money to bribe your way out of trouble.
Use Influence Wisely: Use Queens to represent social influence; having two can earn you a King if you’re missing one to win.
Leverage Connections: Three Jacks equal a King, so make connections as backup.
Keep an Eye on Rivals: Observe their hands to gauge when they’re close to winning or at risk of prison.
Play Aces Tactically: Sending Aces to rivals can slow their progress, but it’s costly. Use this only when necessary.
