How To Play Big Two

Big Two is an exciting game for four players

which originated in China and quickly spread
around the world due to its fun and addicting
gameplay. There are also variations of Big Two for
2 or 3 players described in the variations section
below, along with a number of other changes or
versions of Big 2 that may be encountered. As this
game has spread rapidly and is played in a great
number of different locales, it is also found by a
number of different names including Big Deuces,
Da Lao Er, Top Dog, Sho Tai Ti and Choh Dai Di.

Players, Deck and the Deal

This game uses the standard deck of 52 cards
which rank in the following order, from highest to lowest; 2, Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7,
6, 5, 4, 3. In addition to this ranking by denomination, the suits are also ranked in the following
order, also from highest to lowest; Spades (♠), Hearts (♥), Clubs (♣) then Diamonds (♦). This
suit ranking usually comes into play when cards of identical rank are played. The ultimate
objective of Big Two is to be the first player to get rid of all his cards.

The dealer can be determined using any of the standard methods, with cutting for high card a
very common method. The ranking of the cards is identical to that given above for ranking of
cards in the game. If two or more players cut cards of the same numeric ranking, the suit ranking
is further used to determine the highest card. Once the dealer is determined the dealer would
shuffle the cards and offer the deck to the player to his immediate left for the cut. If this player
declines the cut, the dealer himself should perform the cut.
 After cutting, the next order of business is to
determine which player will actually receive the
first dealt card. This is done by pulling a stack of
cards from the deck and turning it over, showing
only the bottom most card of this stack. After
making note of the number shown, the removed
stack, including the displayed card is carefully
placed back onto the stack so as not to disturb the
original ordering of the deck. The number which
was displayed is then used to determine the player
who will get the first dealt card. The dealer then
begins counting, starting with himself in a
counter-clockwise direction around the table. He
would continue to count one by one around the
player until reaching the number of the revealed
card. The person who the count stops at will be
A nine pulled would end up resulting the player to receive the first card of the deal.
in the dealer himself receiving the first Jacks would be equivalent to a count of 11,
card dealt. Queens 12, Kings 13 and Aces 1. The dealer then
begins dealing the cards in a counter-clockwise
direction, starting with this player. Each player
will receive one card face down in front of him. The dealer continues dealing in this manner
around the table until each player has 13 cards on the table in front of him. The winner of each
hand becomes the dealer for the next hand, using the same procedures described to determine
who receives the first card in the next deal.

Play of the Hand

After the cards are dealt, play begins. The player who holds the Three of Diamonds must play
first and must play this card, either solo or in some legal combination (see legal plays below).
After this player plays, the turn rotates around the
table in a counter-clockwise direction from player to
player. The next player in turn attempts to play a
higher combination of cards than that previously
played to the table. If he does not have (or does not
want to play) such a combination, he passes, and the
turn moves to the next player in turn who attempts to
beat the combination. Cards are played face up to the
center of the table such that all players can clearly
see the card or card combination played. This will
create a growing pile of cards in the center of the
table as the players continue to make their plays. Play
continues around the table from player to player, In this example, player 1 plays a pair,
each attempting to play a higher combination of the Player 2 beats this pair (by suit). Player 3
same number of cards than that previously played. then beats the last pair with a higher
When attempting to beat a previous card or numbered pair. Player 4 subsequently
combination, the higher combination played must passes, not able or choosing not to beat
consist of the same number of cards as the the pair of 9's.
combination previously played. Once three
consecutive players pass (not able or not wanting to play a higher combination of the same
number of cards), the entire pile of cards in the center of the table is usually set aside. Then, the
individual who last played the highest combination starts the cycle again by playing any card or
legal card combination to the center of the table. Since he is starting a new series of plays, the
combination he plays may consist of any legal number of cards. As before the players in turn
then attempt to play a card or combination that can beat the last played. Having passed, a player
is not forced to pass on his next turn and may elect to play the next time it is his turn.

At any time during the game a participant may ask any other participant how many cards they
have left in their hand. The player asked must give an accurate answer.

Legal Combinations
The following shows the complete list of allowable combinations, grouped as to the number of
cards in the combination. A player may only play a higher combination consisting of the same
number of cards. For example, a three card combination may only be beat by a higher three card
combination.

Cards in
Description Example
Combination
A single card combination consists of just one
solo card. These use the ranking of cards as
described above when being compared. A card
1
of the same denomination but a higher ranking
suit will beat a card of the same denomination
of a lower ranking suit.
 Two card combinations always consist of a
pair of cards of the same denomination. A pair
of higher denomination cards will beat that of
2 a lower denomination. A second pair of the
same denomination can beat the previously
played pair if one of its cards is of the suit of
spades (the highest ranked suit).

This will always consist of three cards of the

same denomination. Three cards of a higher
3
denomination beat a triplet of a lower
denomination.

There are a number of legal five card

combinations which are ranked in the
following order, from lowest to highest:

 Straight:

A straight consists of five cards of

consecutive denominations (i.e. 8, 9, Straight
10, Jack, Queen). They do not have to
all be in the same suit, as if they are,
this would be considered a higher
ranking straight flush. In order to beat
another straight a straight must contain
a higher denomination card. A straight
containing all of the same ranked cards Flush
can also beat a previous straight if the
5
suit of the highest ranked card in the
suit is of a higher ranked suit. Aces can
be used as either the top card of a
straight (10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace)
or the bottom card of a straight (Ace,
2, 3, 4, 5). Notice also that twos appear
in their normal ordering before the 3 Full House
when used in a straight.

 Flush:

A flush consists of five cards all of the

same suit. The cards do not need to be
in consecutive order (otherwise it
Four of a Kind with Odd
would be a higher ranked straight
Card
flush). For comparison of two flushes,
 the flush which is in a higher ranked
suit beats any other flush, regardless of
the actual denominations of the cards
in the flush. With two flushes of the
same suit, the flush containing the
highest ranked card would be
considered the higher (with the 2's Straight Flush
being considered the highest ranked
cards in the deck).

 Full House:

A full house is five cards which

consists of three of a kind and a pair. A
full house can beat a previous full
house if the three of a kind is higher
than the three of a kind in the previous
full house.

 Four of a Kind (plus an odd card):

This five card combination consists of

four numerically identical cards and
then any fifth card. When comparing a
similar combination, the higher
denomination four of a kind is
considered higher ranking.

 Straight Flush:

A straight flush is five sequential

cards, all of the same suit (i.e. 5, 6, 7,
8, and 9, all of hearts). When
comparing two such straight flushes,
the one containing the highest card is
considered the higher ranked. If two
straight flushes contain the exact same
denomination cards, the one in a higher
ranked suit is considered the higher
straight flush.

Winning the Game

The first player to play his last card to the center of the table is immediately declared the winner
of the hand. The remaining players are assessed a penalty based on the number of cards they
have remaining in their hands as follows:
 Cards Remaining in Players Hand Points Per Card
9 or less 1
10 to 12 2
13 3
Big Two is often played until one player reaches some pre-determined score (such as 100), at
which time the player with the lowest score is declared the game winner. Alternatively, no points
are carried over from hand to hand with each individual hand considered a complete game.

Variations and Optional Rules

Since Big Two is a game played in a wide range of geographical locales, a large number of
variations or rule differences can be found. Below a number of these variations are described.
Many of the common of the variations are based on differences in allowable plays and ranking of
such plays.

Pusoy Dos: This is a variant of Big Two which is widely played in the Philippines. In Pusoy Dos
the ordering of the suits is modified. The ranking of the suits in this version is, from high to low;
Diamonds, Hearts, Spades and then Clubs. The player who holds the three of clubs is the first to
play. Additionally, in Pusoy Dos, the scoring is somewhat different. The first player to run out of
cards would score 1 point while all other players score 0. However, if the winners last
combination played includes any twos, he can score significantly more points as per the
following chart:
Number of Twos in Last Combination Played Total Score Earned for the Hand
1 2
2 4
3 8
4 16
The first player to reach some pre-designated number of points (such as 20) would be declared
the winner.
Bu Bu Gao Sheng: This variation is played
identically to the standard game of Big Two
with several exceptions:

In Bu Bu Gao Sheng, flushes are not valid

combinations and cannot be played. Full
houses are allowable plays, but are considered
lower rank than a straight, thus the ranking for
five card combinations in Bu Bu Gao Sheng is
(from low to high): Full House, Straight, Four
of a kind (with odd card), Straight Flush. In Bu Bu Gao Sheng, certain 5 card
combinations can be played out of turn.
In addition, Bu Bu Gao Sheng allows a player
to play certain five card combinations out of turn. Thus, if a player holds a valid four of a kind
five card combination or a straight flush combination that can beat the currently played five card
combination, he may immediately play it to the center, out of turn. If two players attempt to do
so at the same time, the first combination to hit the table is considered the first played. Scoring is
also somewhat different. The winner receives 1 point per card for each card left in an opponents
hand if they have 10 or less cards, and 2 points per card if the opponent has 11 or more cards
remaining in their hand.

Play Continuation: In some variations of Big Two, the game does not end when the first player
runs out of cards but continues until there is just one player with cards remaining. When a player
plays his last card in a legal play, he simply waits out the remainder of the hand. This continues
until only one player has cards remaining, who has been defeated by all the other players. When
a player plays his last card, and none of the remaining players with cards are able (or want) to
beat the combination, the opportunity to start with a new card or combination goes to the next
player in turn who has cards remaining.

Simplified Dealing Procedures: In some games, the normal procedures for determining which
player receives the first card in the deal are removed. In these instances, the player to the
immediate right of the dealer would receive the first card, with the deal continuing in the normal
counter-clockwise rotation used for this game.

Big Two for Two Players: A two player version of Big Two is also often played with rules very
similar to the four person version. Different variations for two players call for each player to
receive differing numbers of cards, but one of the more common variations has both players
receiving 21 cards with the remainder of the deck set aide, unused in the rest of the hand. The
player who holds the lowest card plays first, using this card in some combination. Since it may
not be readily apparent who holds this lowest card, the players can start with one player
announcing the lowest card (i.e. three of diamonds), and a player states whether he has that card,
and if so, can then proceed to make a first play. If no player has that card, the player would then
announce the next lowest card in the deck (i.e. four of diamonds), and if either player has it they
would announce this and then make an appropriate play. This could continue until the lowest
card in the deck was discovered, with play then continuing as normal. All other rules are played
identically to the standard four player version of Big Two including the scoring. If a player holds
more than 13 cards when his opponent plays his last card that player would be assessed a 3 point
penalty.

Big Two for Three: Big Two is also widely played

with three players in a variation similar to that for two
players. When three participants are playing, each
player would receive 17 cards and the last card is
dealt face up to the center of the table. Whichever
player holds the three of diamonds would then take
this card up into their hand. If that last card happens
to be the three of diamonds, the holder of the three of
clubs would take the card. The player taking this card
would then start by making the first play (which must
include the three of diamonds). The remainder of the
rules are identical to the standard four hand game
including in the scoring. If a player has more than 13 cards remaining in his hand when the
winner of the hand plays his last card, he would be assessed a penalty of 3 points.

Alternate Flush Ranking: In some games, players will rank flushes first based on the highest
card contained in the flush (with twos considered the highest ranked card in any suit) rather than
using the suit of the flush as the primary ranking mechanism. The suit of the flush is only used if
the flushes contain all cards of the same denominations.

Twos in Straights and Straight Flushes: Another ranking change sometimes used in Big 2 is
regarding straights and straight flushes containing twos. In the standard version, a straight
containing the two (i.e. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) is ranked based on the highest card in the straight (ie. 6)
while one variation states that the 2 is considered the highest card in the flush (although it occurs
at or near the bottom of the sequence).

Additional Penalties for Twos: Another variation of Big Two that is sometimes encountered
regards additional penalties applied to a holder of unplayed twos at the end of a hand. Using this
rule, a player is penalized an additional one point for each 2 they are found to have remaining in
their hand.

Quads: In some versions of Big Two, quads are played without

the addition of the fifth odd card. Thus, a new, four card
combination is added to the game. A quad is four cards of the
same denomination. A quad of four higher ranked cards will beat
one consisting of four lower ranked cards. Usually when this
variation is played, the five card combination containing a quad
is removed.

Automatic Win: In some games, when a players hand consists of

one card of every rank (including a 2), they are automatically declared the winner. A player
holding such a combination should, before play begins, immediately play the hand to the table
and the game immediately ends. For scoring purposes, the remaining players would all be
considered to have 13 cards remaining in their hand.

Honour Hands: In some variations an Honour Hand is considered to be able to beat ANY other
combination, including combinations consisting of a lesser number of cards. There are two
honour hands in the game, any four of a kind with an odd card, and a straight flush. Thus, such
an honour hand can be played by a player, in his proper turn, to beat any combination consisting
of a lower number of cards (i.e. a triplet). As normal, these hands can also be used, with their
normal ranking value to beat other five card combinations. Once played, this hand can only be
beat by a higher such honour hand.

Indonesian Big Two: In Indonesia, Big Two is often played with a number of modifications to
the basic rules.

In this variation, when a player passes, he is no longer permitted to play any cards to the current
combination set. He must wait until the current group of plays to the current combination is
passed by three consecutive players and a new combination is played to the table to start a new
group of plays. If all other players pass a combination made by a particular player, he is allowed
on his next turn (after all other players pass) to beat his own combination he previously played.

The game is played in a series of 10 deals or rounds. The first deal of the series is begun with the
player holding the 3 of diamonds having the first play, however for the remaining 9 deals of the
set, the player who won the last hand is provided the opportunity to start the first combination.
This player is not obligated to play the three of diamonds on his first play and his starting
combination may be any legal play.

When Big Two is played using Indonesian

rules, Straights containing a 2 rank higher
than other straights.
Also in this variation, a straight (or straight flush) containing a 2 is considered higher ranked
than any other straight which does not contain a 2. When comparing two such combinations that
both contain a 2, the straights are then ranked according to the suit, using the normal suit ranking
as for the standard game.

A player having only one or two cards remaining in his hand must announce this as soon as he
reduces his hand to such a number of cards.

Indonesian Big Two also includes a number of scoring differences from the parent game. Players
have opportunities to add and subtract points from their score during the hand and at the
conclusion of each hand: When a player manages to play the last of their cards, the remaining
players are assessed a penalty dependant on the specific ranks of the unplayed cards in their hand
as well as the number of cards still in their hand. The cards from 3 to A each add 1 point to that
players score. Every two remaining in the hand scores five points for that player. This penalty is
doubled if the retains 11 or 12 cards in their hand. It is tripled if they retain all 13 cards still in
their hand.

The last combination played by the Winner of the hand (which causes him to run out of cards)
also provides an opportunity to reduce his score. Each two used in that last combination allows
the player to subtract 10 points form his score. If his last, winning, combination contains no 2's
he still scores -5 points.

Lastly, there are special combinations that when played and not beaten, allow the player to
subtract points from his score.

 Four twos: Four twos allows the player to subtract 80 points from their current score. If
played as their last combination (which causes them to run out of cards) they score -160
instead.
 Four of a Kind (non twos): If a player plays a four of a kind (not consisting of twos) and
no other player can beat it, the player who plays the four of a kind instantly subtracts 20
points from their current score. If the player plays this as their last combination before
they run out of cards and win the hand, they instead subtract 40 points from their current
score.
 Straight Flush: If a player manages to play a Straight Flush which is not beaten by any
other player, he instantly subtracts 40 points from his current score. If the player manages
to play the combination when he runs out of cards, he subtracts 80 from his score instead.

At the conclusion of the 10 deals or rounds, the player with the lowest score is declared the
winner of the game.

Partnership Big Two: This version is designed for four players playing in two partnerships.
Thus, the players are grouped into partnerships consisting of two players each. The partners
should sit at the table in such a manner that play to the tricks alternates between members of the
partnerships. The game is played identically to standard Big Two, with a few exceptions. When a
player is the first to run out of cards during the hand, the game ends and the number of cards in
each players hand is totaled. The team with the fewest total cards in their combined hands is
declared the winner. Partners may not consult on the quality of their hands or what cards to play.
If, at the end of a game both teams are tied, an abbreviated version of the game is played through
multiple hands until the tie is broken. Thus, five card hands are distributed to the player and the
game proceeds as normal, albeit with hands consisting of fewer cards. The player having the
lowest card in their hand begins play. These abbreviated hands can continue as long as the
number of cards in each partnership remains tied at the end of a hand. Once one team has fewer
total remaining cards at the end of a hand, that team is declared the winner.
Double Deck Big Two: Big two can also be played in
larger groups of 8 players using a double deck (two
standard 52 card decks). The rules are identical to the
standard rules, save for the fact that one new type of five
card combination is possible. With more cards of each
denomination now found in this double deck, a five card
combination consisting of five identically ranked cards is
added. This combination is considered the highest five
card combination. When comparing two combinations of five identical cards, the five of a kind
in a higher denomination is considered the higher. Also, because there are two cards of each suit
in the deck used in this variation, equal combinations could be made, but, as in the standard
game, in order to beat another combination a combination must be higher in some aspect.

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