page_title: Tichu
section_title: Gameplay
hierarchical_section_title: Tichu / Gameplay
caption_attribution_description: English: Tichu card game special cards (Mah Jong, Dog, Phoenix, Dragon) Deutsch: Tichu Kartenspiel Sonderkarten (MahJong, Hund, Phönix, Drache) Ελληνικά: Ειδικές κάρτες του χαρτοπαιγνίου Τίτσου (Μαγιόνγκ, Σκύλος, Φοίνικας, Δράκος)
context_page_description: Tichu is a multi-genre card game; primarily a shedding game that includes elements of Bridge, Daihinmin, and Poker played between two teams of two players each. Teams work to accumulate points; the first team to reach a predetermined score is the winner. Tichu is the trade name for what appears to be a variant of Dou di zhu, Choi Dai Di or Da Lao Er, meaning "big two", combined with Zheng Fen. It is also marketed as Tai-Pan in Dutch. It was invented by Urs Hostettler and released in 1991.
context_section_description: The following covers the basic rules of gameplay.  However, for more comprehensive rulesets, consult the links below.
  Each player sits across from their teammate so that play alternates between the two teams.  The game is traditionally run counter-clockwise, but is frequently played clockwise.
  The game is played with a deck of 56 cards, consisting of a 52-card deck of four suits (Jade, Sword, Pagoda, Star) plus four special cards (Mah Jong, Dog, Phoenix, Dragon). A standard 52-card deck with 4 jokers (marked to indicate the special cards) can also be used.
  Each player is dealt (or alternately draws, in Chinese play) eight cards, and may call "Grand Tichu," a 200-point bet that he (not his partner) will be the first to get rid of his cards.  Once players have decided whether to make this call, six more cards are dealt (the remaining cards in the deck) and players may no longer declare "Grand Tichu."  Now, and at any time prior to playing his/her first card, a player may call "Tichu," a 100-point bet that he (not his partner) will be the first to get rid of his cards. The differences between Grand Tichu and Tichu are when they may be called, the number of cards you've seen,  and the number of points involved.
  All players prepare three cards for simultaneous exchange, with each player passing one card (face down) to each of the other players—one to each opponent and one to the partner. Should a player declare "Tichu" before the simultaneous exchange, players are allowed to change their out-going exchange cards.
  After the card exchange, the player with the Mah Jong leads the first trick.  In Tichu, playable card combinations are generally based on Poker hands, with some exceptions.  A player may pass on a trick with the option to play in later (essentially checking in Poker), and a trick is completed if it is passed three times in a row.
  Playable card combinations include: a single card; any pair; two or more "stairs" (consecutive pairs; for example, 55667788. Non-consecutive pairs may not be played); three of a kind; straights of at least five cards in length, regardless of suit/color (so 56789TJQ is playable); and full houses (three of a kind & a pair).  Four of a kind or a straight flush of at least five cards is a bomb which beats any card combination with the exception of a bigger bomb. Bombs may be played at any time (even out of turn) to end a trick, with every player given a chance to play bigger bombs before the trick is taken.
  An example of "bombing": 10< K< D< 8888< AAAA< ♦9♦10♦J♦Q♦K<  ♠2♠3♠4♠5♠6♠7.
  The special cards affect gameplay accordingly:
  The Mah Jong The player with the Mah Jong leads the opening trick, but is not required to play Mah Jong in the trick. The Mah Jong may be played as a 1, either by itself or in a MJ2345+ straight. When the Mah Jong is played, you may make a Wish (request a card number 2-A). The wish remains active until it is fulfilled. Each player who can fulfill the Wished card must play it, if possible, until it is played once—if the wished card requires you playing four of them as  a Bomb (i.e. to beat the straight, above), you must.  If the Mah Jong opens a trick as a straight, the next player must play a straight containing the wished value, if possible. If a straight can only be constructed with the Phoenix (as wild card, not the wished value), you must play it. Remember: if you can, you must. The Mah Jong is sometimes also referred to as the Sparrow.
  The Dog has no numeric value, and cannot be played in a trick. The Dog must be played as the lead card, and passes the lead to your partner. If your partner is out, play passes to the active player after your partner's position. It is not possible to steal the lead in any way, as such, bombing the dog is not allowed.
  The Phoenix may be played alone as .5 higher than the previous card played (i.e. after A, Phoenix is played as A.5), or as a wild card in a combination (with a value from 2-A). The declared value of a Phoenix in a straight doesn't satisfy the Mah Jong's wish, above. The Phoenix cannot be included as a wild card in a bomb, i
caption: Mah Jong, Dog, Phoenix, Dragon
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