Tichu

A dynamic card-shedding game that blends classic elements of Bridge, Daihinmin, and Poker.

Tichu is a partner-based card game where teams of two sit opposite each other. Throughout each hand, partners collaborate to score points and secure the lead. Play continues over multiple hands until one team reaches a predetermined target score.

The Tichu deck contains 56 cards across four suits: Jade, Swords, Pagodas, and Stars. Each suit features 13 cards ranked from 2 up to Ace (2-10, J, Q, K, A). Additionally, there are four special cards: the Dragon, the Phoenix, the Hound, and the Mah Jong.

Each player is initially dealt eight cards and may declare a "Grand Tichu"—a 200-point wager that they will be the first to play all their cards. After players decide on this call, six more cards are dealt, after which "Grand Tichu" can no longer be declared. At any time before playing their first card, a player may instead call "Tichu," a 100-point bet that they (alone, not their partner) will go out first. The key differences between Grand Tichu and Tichu lie in their timing, how many cards you've seen when declaring, and the point values.

After all 56 cards are dealt (14 per player), the exchange phase begins. Every player must pass one card face down to each of the other three players. This means each player gives away three cards in total (one to each opponent and one to their partner) and receives three cards in return.

Following the exchange, the player holding the Mah Jong special card leads the first trick. They can play any valid combination, and subsequent players must either pass or play a higher combination of the same type (the exception is "Bombs," covered later). For example, a single card is beaten only by a higher single card; a sequence of two pairs is beaten only by a higher two-pair sequence; a seven-card sequence is beaten only by a higher seven-card sequence; a full house is beaten only by a higher full house (where the trio's rank decides the value). When all other players pass, the winner of the trick collects it and leads the next combination. If that player has no cards left, they have "gone out," and the lead passes to the player on their right (continuing clockwise if necessary). A round ends when both players on a team have no cards left, meaning at least two, and sometimes three, players must go out. If only one player remains with cards, they incur a penalty: their hand is added to the opponents' trick pile, and their own won tricks go to the player who went out first.

The game concludes when a team meets or surpasses the pre-set total point goal established at the start.

More support in English: https://support.lazyland.com/196428-Tichu