How To Play Chinese Dou Dizhu

Fight the Landlord (Dou Di Zhu) is a three-player climbing game that may also be played by four players. One player, the "landlord," plays alone in each hand, while the others form a team. The landlord's goal is to be the first to play all of his cards in valid combinations, and the team wins if any of them can do so before the landlord. The game is thought to have originated in Hubei Province, but it is now widely played throughout China, as well as on the internet.

Players, Cards And Deal

First, we'll go over the three-player game. Near the bottom of the page, the distinctions in the four-player game are detailed.

This game is played using a 54-card deck that includes two red and black jokers. From highest to lowest, the cards are: red joker, black joker, 2, A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3. Suits aren't necessary.

The cards are not dealt, as they are in other Chinese games, but rather taken from the deck by the participants.

One of the players shuffles the cards, passes them to his left to cut, and then arranges them face down in the center of the playing field. One card is flipped face up and placed towards the centre of the stack to determine who will begin the auction. The dealer then takes the top card from the deck and examines it but does not reveal it to the other players. The player to his right does the same, followed by the third player, the dealer, and so on around the table counter-clockwise until each player gets 17 cards. The final three cards are placed face down on the table until the auction is completed. Looking at your cards and sorting them as you pick them up saves time.

Auction

There is an auction to choose who will be the landlord, and then that player will play alone against the other two players. There are three possible bids: 1, 2, and 3. In the "deal," the player who drew the face-up card is the first to bid. Each participant has the option of passing or bidding higher than the previous highest bet. If no one passes, the hand is thrown in and a fresh deal is made. If a bid is placed, the auction proceeds counter-clockwise, with each player passing or bidding higher than the preceding bidder, until two consecutive players pass or someone offers 3, ending the auction because it is the highest possible bid. The landlord is the ultimate and highest bidder. This player now takes the three face-down cards from the middle, bringing the total number of cards to 20.

Play

The landlord is the first to play, and he or she may play a single card or any permitted combination of cards. In anticlockwise order, each succeeding player must either pass (play no card) or beat the preceding play by playing a higher combination of the same number of cards and type. Only two exceptions apply: a rocket can defeat any combination, and a bomb may defeat any combination except a higher bomb or rocket (see definitions below). Play proceeds around the table as many times as necessary until two players pass in a row. After that, the played cards are turned face down and set aside, and the person who played the last card(s) starts over, leading any card or legal combination.

Scoring

If the landlord runs out of cards first, he wins, and each opponent pays him the bid amount - 1, 2, or 3 units - as long as no bomb or rocket is played. If one of the other two players runs out of money before the landlord, the landlord loses and must pay each opponent the sum of the bet. Every time a player plays a bomb or a rocket, the payout for the hand is doubled. In a hand with two bombs and a rocket, a player who bid 3 will gain 24 points from each opponent if he or she goes out first, or pay 24 to each opponent if another player goes out first.

Because the landlord's opponents have an equal chance of winning or losing, they form a temporary partnership. When playing against the landlord, it's just as advantageous to assist your partner in running out of cards before you do. As a result, couples rarely beat one other's cards, and the weaker partner will often play to assist the stronger partner.

How Do You Play Dou Dizhu?

Dou dizhu is a card game played by three individuals with one deck of cards, which includes two separate jokers. The game begins with players vying for the status of "landlord" (). Those who do not bid or lose the bid are assigned to the "peasants" () team, which competes against the landlord.

How To Play Fight The Landlord

What Is Fight The Landlord Game?

Fight the Landlord (Dou Di Zhu) is a three-player climbing game that may also be played by four players. One player, the "landlord," plays alone in each hand, while the others form a team. The game is thought to have originated in Hubei Province, but it is now widely played throughout China, as well as on the internet.