Introduction
Chinese Ten (拣红点), also known as Jiăn Hóng Diăn, is a fun and easy card game that originated in China. It is part of the fishing family of card games where players try to “capture” cards from a central layout.
What makes it unique is that most points come from capturing red suit cards, while most black suit cards can be worthless. This quirk adds an extra layer of strategy to this otherwise straightforward game.
Goal
The goal of the game is to earn the most points by capturing red suit cards from the central layout.
Chinese Ten Rules Summary
When it comes to the rules, below you can find the key takeaways:
- The number of cards dealt depends on the player count
- Make 4 card layout with the remaining deck as stock
- Capture cards by pairing a card from hand with one from layout to a total of 10
- The game ends when all cards played
- Red cards and black Aces have point values, other black cards do not
- Highest score wins
Setup and Deal
Chinese Ten is played with 2-4 players and a standard 52-card deck. The number of cards dealt depends on the number of players:
- 2 players – 12 cards each
- 3 players – 8 cards each
- 4 players – 6 cards each
The remaining cards are placed face down in a stack in the center to form the stock. Four cards are flipped face up from the stock and arranged in a layout around the stock.
Gameplay
After the cards are dealt and the initial 4-card layout is made, gameplay proceeds with the player to the left of the dealer going first.
On a turn, a player will:
- Play one card from their hand face up to the table.
- Attempt to capture a card from the layout by pairing the card they played with one in the layout to total 10. For example, if an 8 is in the layout, they could play a 2 from their hand to capture it. Same rank cards capture each other, like two Kings.
- If a capture is made, take both cards and add them to a face-down pile in front of you. If no capture can be made, the played card remains in the layout.
- After playing a card, flip the top card of the stock pile face up.
- If the flipped stock card captures a layout card, take both cards and add them to your capture pile. Otherwise, leave it in the layout.
- End turn and play passes to the left.
The gameplay continues in this fashion, with each player playing one card from their hand, flipping a stock card, and attempting captures in between.
The layout begins with 4 cards but can contain more or fewer cards at any time as cards are captured and new ones flipped from the stock.
On each turn, a player can only capture one card from the layout, even if they play a card that could capture two. For example, if a 3 and 7 are both showing, playing a 6 from your hand can only capture one of them.
The game ends when all cards from the stock and players’ hands have been played.
Scoring Points
After all cards have been played or captured, players tally up the points from the cards they captured during the game. Only certain cards have point values:
Red Suit Cards
| Cards | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-8 | Face value |
| 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King | 10 Points each |
| Aces | 20 Points each |
Black Suit Cards
In two-player games, al black cards are worthless. However, there are some exceptions based on the number of players.
| Cards | 3-Player Game | 4-Player Game |
|---|---|---|
| Aces of Spades (A♠) | 30 Points | 30 Points |
| Aces of Clubs (A♣) | 0 Points | 40 Points |
Example Scenario
Assume you are in a game of Chinese Ten for three players:
Player 1 Captures:
- 8♥ (8 PTS)
- 4♦ (4 PTS)
- 10♥ (10 PTS)
- A♥ (20 PTS)
Player 1’s total score is 8 + 4 + 10 + 20 = 42
Player 2 Captures:
- A♠ (30 PTS)
- Q♥ (10 PTS)
- 7♦ (7 PTS)
Player 2’s total score is 30 + 10 + 7 = 47
Player 3 Captures:
- K♥ (10 PTS)
- 6♥ (6 PTS)
- A♣ (0 PTS)
Player 3’s total score is 10 + 6 + 0 = 16
The player with the highest score wins, so in this example, Player 2 would win the game with 47 points.
Strategy Tips
Try to Hold High Cards
Since face cards and 9s are worth a flat 10 points, it is better to hold onto them to capture other high-value cards later. Play your low cards first to capture low-layout cards.
Target Aces
Aces are very valuable at 20 points each, so try to save cards that can capture them like 9s. If you can’t capture an Ace, avoid adding cards to the layout that could help your opponent capture it.
Pay Attention to Card Colors
Keep track of where the red cards are in the layout. Since their values vary, you can capture low red cards early on when you have more options from your hand. Save bigger cards for high-value red targets.
(Regional) Variants
As is common with (South) East Asian card games, multiple variants of the game exist.
- Main Merah: a variation played in Indonesia. Some initial layouts are unplayable if too many table cards can’t be captured. Also has some scoring differences.
- Gob Dum Gob Dang: played in Thailand. Also has a different scoring system, where most notably, red cards are worthless.
- Taiwanese: Played with 4 players. And once again, different point values. This one is also commonly played for small stakes.
