Chinese Card Games

[jim_julian]

Does anyone know where I can find the rules, in English, for the three person Chinese card game called dizhu or alternatively dou dizhu?

 

It seems to be a major addiction in the CKG area but I haven't had luck in getting people to slow down enough to really explain the rules ... which are not apparent from just observing.

[Dan R]

Darn I've been searching but can't even find mention of the game. Perhaps there is another name for it.

[ptcrusier333rph]

Darn I've been searching but can't even find mention of the game. Perhaps there is another name for it.

133488[/snapback]

wow Dan beaten by a card game, ok this is a kodak moment

 

robert

[jim_julian]

Darn I've been searching but can't even find mention of the game. Perhaps there is another name for it.

133488[/snapback]

Yeah ... I googled it from every angle I could think of ...

 

My primary source insists the name is "dizhu" and she's quite accurate in pinyin spelling.

 

Perhaps someone has the rules in Chinese and we could run it through the Yahoo! translator, which ought to at least capture the main points.

[frank1538]

I couldn't find anything either other than another name for the game - "Overthrow the Landlord". Sounds like you may have to to do a hanzi search on the Chinese websites.

[tonado]

Yeah ... I googled it from every angle I could think of ...

 

My primary source insists the name is "dizhu" and she's quite accurate in pinyin spelling.

 

Perhaps someone has the rules in Chinese and we could run it through the Yahoo! translator, which ought to at least capture the main points.

133545[/snapback]

Have her write the card game name in Chinese. Then someone will figure out the game.

[Mengxin]

Let me see if I remeber. It's like a cross between gold fish and spades right? You deal out all the cards in the deck , then you keep taking the garbage out of your hand to make as many pairs as you can. When all the gabage is out of your hand, you can lay the pairs down and catch your opponents with as many cards as possible. I think the dude that is about to lay his cards down, needs to say it's the last round to dump your cards before you get stuck with them, or something like that.

I was showing the wife, mei mei and her bf, how to play Eucure. You only need to have 5 cards in your hand. somehow it remeinded them of this other game, where you have to pick up all the cards. I became the sacrifical "lamb" after we started that game. No pun intended...hehe right..

[markndannie]

I asked my wife if she new the card game dizhu, she said yes but it would be hard to explain how to play in english, she said you would have to play it with someone to explain it.

mark

[jim_julian]

I asked my wife if she new the card game dizhu, she said yes but it would be hard to explain how to play in english, she said you would have to play it with someone to explain it.

mark

134230[/snapback]

Heheheh ... it's also hard to understand when you are watching over the shoulder. I guess I'll just have to insist, on my next trip to China, that people slow down enough to explain it.

[Dan R]

Looks like there may be a demand for an English instruction manual. Talk to Amazon.com

[bandj]

Dizhu or dou dizhu is a great game that is played all day long in most of China. I've seen it played in Sichuan, Hubei and Guangdong. I know - I've lost quite often to my two new brothers-in-law!!! It seems everyone wants new blood to take money from - especially "the rich American" ha ha ha .

In any case it has similarities between bridge and poker with three people typically playing (though 4 can play but not as good) - once the game gets going 2 players gang up on 1. I don't know of any written instructions but if Nie dong is not too lazy she will write the instructions at some point. Obviously the longer you play then the real skill and finesse come out.

[jim_julian]

I don't know of any written instructions but if Nie dong is not too lazy she will write the instructions at some point.

135072[/snapback]

It would be great if she (or anyone!) could at least outline the basic rules. Every time I'm watching and I think I have it figured out someone makes a play that just doesn't fit my hypothesis.

[bandj]

I don't know of any written instructions but if Nie dong is not too lazy she will write the instructions at some point.

135072[/snapback]

It would be great if she (or anyone!) could at least outline the basic rules. Every time I'm watching and I think I have it figured out someone makes a play that just doesn't fit my hypothesis.

135077[/snapback]

three people play,2 bit the other

[Tina_&_Jarrod]

Let me see if I still remember...

 

The object of the game is to prevent 1 or more players from discarding as much of their cards as possible. Scoring is like playing golf...the lowest score wins. The hand ends when a player discards all his/her cards. 1 card is worth 1 point. You decide the value of a point (i.e $0.25) If a player has 10 or more cards not discarded when the hand is finished, that player incurs triple points.

 

Example of scoring:

Player 1 wins with 0 cards remaining, player 2 has 2 cards remaining, player 3 has 3 cards remaining and player 4 has 10 cards remaining.

 

Example of payout:

Player 1 receives 2 points from player 2, 3 points from player 3 and 30 points from player 4. Player 2 receives 1 point from player 3, 28 points from player 4, and GIVES 2 points to player 1, and so on.

 

4 people are dealt 13 cards

Strength of cards (lowest to highest) 3 of diamonds to 2 of spades

3 of diamonds always starts the hand

the 3 of diamonds must be used and can be used by itself or in the form of a poker hand (i.e. pair, full house)

the next player to the right will try to display a better hand (pairs must follow pairs, trips must follow trips, and any 5 card hand must follow a 5 card hand) and so on until the hand cannot be beaten

When the hand cannot be beaten, the player with the highest discarded hand starts the next session of discarding cards

 

For example:

I start with a 3,4,5,6,7 of diamonds straight flush

Player 2, to my right, cannot beat the hand and taps his knuckles on the table twice, indicating that he cannot beat the hand

Players 3 and 4 do the same, indicating that they cannot beat the hand

Since I am the last (only) player to discard cards, I start the next session of discarding cards

Now I can start with any card(s)

 

The process continues until a player discards all his/her cards

Then you count the remaining cards not discarded

 

Note:

There are times when 1 or 2 players have very low cards and the other players will prevent him/her/them from discarding cards

 

Good luck and happy "paying tuition"

Jarrod

[Dan R]

So this is one of those subtle ways the Chinese have found for "trimming the fat" from rich Laowai. Have any of you Laowai that play ever walked away from the table with more than you came with?

 

 

THE GAMBLER

 

On a warm summer’s evenin’ on a train bound for nowhere,

I met up with the gambler; we were both too tired to sleep.

So we took turns a starin’ out the window at the darkness

’til boredom overtook us, and he began to speak.

 

He said, son, I’ve made a life out of readin’ people’s faces,

And knowin’ what their cards were by the way they held their eyes.

So if you don’t mind my sayin’, I can see you’re out of aces.

For a taste of your whiskey I’ll give you some advice.

 

So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow.

Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light.

And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression.

Said, if you’re gonna play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right.

 

You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em,

Know when to walk away and know when to run.

You never count your money when you’re sittin’ at the table.

There’ll be time enough for countin’ when the dealin’s done.

 

Now ev’ry gambler knows that the secret to survivin’

Is knowin’ what to throw away and knowing what to keep.

’cause ev’ry hand’s a winner and ev’ry hand’s a loser,

And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep.

 

So when he’d finished speakin’, he turned back towards the window,

Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep.

And somewhere in the darkness the gambler, he broke even.

But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep.

 

You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em,

Know when to walk away and know when to run.

You never count your money when you’re sittin’ at the table.

There’ll be time enough for countin’ when the dealin’s done.

 

You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em,

Know when to walk away and know when to run.

You never count you r money when you’re sittin’ at the table.

There’ll be time enough for countin’ when the dealin’s done.