QUÁN DUÌ

Hey there! Have you ever heard of a fun card game called Quán Duì? It’s a game for 2 to 6 players, and the objective is to collect a hand of 8 pairs before your opponents do. Sounds exciting, right?

Now, before we dive into the game, let’s talk about something important – the ante. This is a small amount of money that all players put into a pot before the game starts. The winner of the game gets to take home the entire pot. Oh, and here’s a little tip: if you win, you might be able to claim double the stakes, so keep that in mind when deciding how much to ante!

SETUP

Alright, let’s get everything set up. The first dealer is chosen randomly, and they become the winner of the previous game (if there was one). The dealer shuffles the cards, and then the player to their left cuts the deck. After that, the dealer deals themselves 6 cards. Going counterclockwise, they’ll deal 5 cards at a time to each player until everyone has a hand of 15 cards. Oh, and don’t forget that the dealer gets one extra card, so they’ll have 16.

Once the hands are dealt, the remaining cards are placed in the center to create a stockpile.

Now let me introduce you to the cards and pairings that make this game exciting. The deck is made up of 120 cards with three different suits: Ben, Sou, and Wan. Each suit contains four identical sets, and each set has nine cards. These cards represent numbers 1 through 9. In addition to the regular cards, there are three special cards called Da Hong, Xiao Hong, and Ba Shu, with only one of each in the deck.

To create pairs, the cards must fall into one of two categories: Dui and Ka. A Dui pairing consists of two cards that are identical in every way. On the other hand, a Ka pairing involves two cards with the same value but in different suits. For instance, a Ben 4 can be paired with a Wan 4.

Now here’s an interesting twist – the three special cards only count as a value of 1. And they can only be used to form Ka pairings.

GAMEPLAY

Let’s talk about how the game is played. It all starts with the dealer, who kicks things off by getting rid of one card from their hand. From there, the game moves in a counterclockwise direction, but there may be some jumping around depending on who has priority for the discarded card. Now, here’s the important part: when it’s your turn, you always have to discard a card, unless you’ve already won the game.

Once a card has been discarded, players have the chance to draw a card. The order in which this happens is based on priority. First up is the player who needs the discarded card to win the game right there and then. Next is the player who needs the card to complete a Dui pairing. And lastly, the player to the right of the previous player gets priority for the card. So, it’s all about who needs it most!

When multiple players need the same card to complete a Dui pairing, the player sitting to the right of the person who discarded the card gets to go first. If I draw the discarded card to complete my Dui pairing, I have to show it to everyone before I discard any card.

But if someone else grabs the card out of turn, they have to discard it and then the game continues in a counterclockwise direction from that player.

If the player to the right of the discarder gets the priority, they have two choices for drawing a card. They can either take the top card of the discard pile or draw the top card from the remaining stockpile. After they draw a card, if they are not ready to lay down their hand and win, they have to discard a card to continue their turn.

When a player has collected 8 pairings, they don’t have to claim an immediate win. They can choose to keep playing and try to collect a double pot.

END OF GAME

The game comes to an end when I manage to lay down 8 pairs of cards, creating a total of 16 cards in my hand. At this point, I become the winner.

If I happen to win with all 8 pairs being Dui, then I am in luck because I win the pot prize. In fact, I win double the amount! To top it off, all the other players will have to pay me an extra ante.

On the other hand, if we run out of cards in the stock, the game ends in a draw. In such cases, the dealer from the previous round will take over and deal the next game.

Now, let me tell you a bit about myself. My name is Amber, and I go by they/them pronouns. I’m not just any writer; I’m an Austin writer and a gaming enthusiast. Some might even say I’m a gaming master! When I’m not playing games, you can find me surrounded by my beloved dogs, plants, and engaging in some good old Dungeons & Dragons.

So, now that you know the ins and outs of this game, why not give it a try yourself? Who knows, you might just become the next gaming master like me!