Asian Card Games Collection: From Mahjong to Big Two
Asian Card Games Collection: From Mahjong to Big Two
### Dou dizhu (Fight the landlord)
Originating in Hubei province, Dou dizhu comfortably takes the leading spot as the most played card game in Asia.
You might be thinking “I’m playing a game with cards, I have no problem with my landlord, what’s with the name?” It comes from a period in China when peasants were actually encouraged to harass and disregard the human rights of landlords, due to the class struggle during the Cultural revolution.
**Dou dizhu** might appeal to a variety of people, whether they wish to play for fun or get competitive. It is relatively easy to grasp the basics of the game and jump right into it. At the same time the skill curve is quite high and to master the game would mean to make suitable decisions, apply strategy, use mathematics and plan your moves in advance.
> The game begins with players bidding for the “landlord” position. If you happen to lose the bid or simply decide to not place one, you become a “peasant” competing against the “landlord”. In order to be proclaimed as the winner, you must be the first person to have no cards left in your hand.
The most popular variation of the game consists of 3 players and 1 pack of cards, including the jokers. You can also find variations that include 4 or even 5 players, played with 2 packs of cards.
To improve your success rate, make sure you follow the following tips:
* Pay no attention to card suits, as they have no value and are ignored
* You can get rid of cards by placing them in different combinations
* To become a “landlord”, make use of a great hand by bidding high
* If you’re a “peasant”, join forces with others and fight the “landlord”
### Gong Zhu (Chase the pig)
The second name on the list might sound both funny and unfamiliar to you and I get that. In reality, **Gong Zhu** is actually the Chinese version of the game **Hearts**. It gained popularity when professional Chinese players picked it up as a way to relax between tournament games.
While the game is quite similar to Western Hearts, there are some major differences, which you have to keep in mind, when playing. As a starting point, understanding the meaning of the name game gives us the general objective.
> In Chinese, “Gong” means to force out of hiding and “Zhu” means pig. The “pig” in this case is the **Queen of Spades**, which the players must try to drive out by leading spades. When the game ends, the loser is known as the pig.
Now that you have a broad idea of what to expect while playing, let’s clear up some more details. The three major differences include:
* Before rounds, passing of cards does not happen
* Cards are assigned special points values
* The first player to go past -1000 loses the game
If the points for ending a game seem quite high to you, fear not. The point values of cards are also increased and they are as follows:
* The **J♦** (goat) is worth +100 points
* The **Q♠** (pig) is worth -100 points
* The **10♣** is worth 0 points. Once the round ends it doubles your points and adds it to your accumulated points
* In total, the **Hearts** are worth -200 points
**Ace** -50 points
**King** -40 points
**Queen** -30 points
**Jack** -20 points
**10,9, 8, 7, 6, 5** are worth \-10 points
**4, 3, 2** are worth 0 points
### Da Lao Er (Big two)
While it is last card game on the list, you would be wrong to assume that it lacks in popularity. On the contrary, ever since the origin of the game in 1980 in coastal China, it has quickly become one of the most played games in East Asia and South East Asia.
**Da Lao Er** is usually played with 2 to 4 players and the entire deck is being dealt out at the beginning of the game. The winner of the game is the first player to clear out his hand.
One of the most captivating features of Big two is its rules. There are some serious deviations from the famous Western card games, which might actually spark your interest. At the same time, Big two plays in a similar fashion to Poker.
> Cards in Da Lao Er can be played in the following four types (1) single cards, (2) pairs, (3) triples and (4) five card groups. A combination can be beaten only by a better combination that has the same number of cards.
When the game begins, the player holding the 3**♦** starts by either playing just this card or using it in a combination. From then, the game continues anti-clockwise with players either passing (not playing a card) or by matching the current combination, only with better cards. Even if you are able to beat a hand, you are not obliged to do so. Instead, you can choose to keep your high cards and use them in a round that you see more fit.
As far as scoring goes, apart from the winner, other players score penalty points for each card left in their hand at the end of the game, as follows:
* 1 point per card when you have 9 cards or fewer
* 2 points per card when you have 10,11 or 12 cards
* 3 points per card when you have all 13 cards