From then on, each player has to provide a higher numeral or combination from the one on the table the player with the strongest cards takes them.

The Mah Jong does not necessarily have a numeric value, but the player can use it as a 1 if they wish. The game starts with the Mah Jong and whoever chances to have it starts the round. Usually, low value cards like 2 or 3 are given to the opponents, and stronger ones (special cards, high numbers) are reserved for the teammate. It is now time for the exchange: everyone has to give (and consequently, receive) 3 of their cards to each of the players. ‘Grand Tichu’ means the same thing, but the stakes are higher: 200 points. If they do, that’s +100 points for their team, failing to do so however deducts the same amount of points. Getting rid of the cards on hand is the goal for each round, and cards that have been played are up for grabs: whoever has the strongest combination wins their points for their team.Īt the beginning of the game, any player has the right to say ‘Tichu!’ which means that they think they will be the first one to get rid of their cards. These are distributed to all 4 players equally (there are two teams of two people). There are 52 cards of four suits (Sword, Jade, Pagoda & Star), and another four special cards (Dog, Phoenix, Dragon, Mah Jong). The 56-card deck resembles a classical card deck, only in its Chinese version. The goal is reaching a certain amount of points: either 1000 or 500, depending on the time available. This might be a disadvantage if there’s 3 of you and nobody else is willing to sacrifice their valuable time to be part of your team, or if there’s the disagreeable possibility of someone being left out. Its popularity even surpassed the one of the Greek version of backgammon as a necessary companion to a good cup of coffee.īut what is Tichu exactly? It’s a combination of Poker, Bridge and Daihinmin and it is played usually with 4 players – no more, no less. The game has become a favorite pastime – a Tichu card deck now decorates almost every table and is a necessary accessory in coffee houses. Tichu is a Chinese card game that’s become the newest fad in Greece: especially in universities, learning how to play is essentially unavoidable. If you ever find yourself in Greece, it is highly unlikely that you will not notice any group of students passionately engaging in a Tichu session. Discovering a surprisingly addictive #CardGame imported from China.

Tichu rules