📜 How to Play Dou Dizhu (斗地主规则)

  • 3 Players, 54 Cards: Full deck with Red Joker (大王) and Black Joker (小王). 17 cards dealt to each player, with 3 hole cards placed face-down.
  • Bidding Phase: Players bid to become the Landlord. The winning bidder claims the 3 hole cards (totaling 20 cards) and plays solo against the two cooperating Farmers.
  • Card Hierarchy: Red Joker > Black Joker > 2 > A > K > Q > J > 10 > 9 > 8 > 7 > 6 > 5 > 4 > 3. (2 is higher than Ace!).
  • Combinations:
    • Single & Pair: Standard single or pair.
    • Triples: Three of a kind alone, or with a kicker (Triple + 1 card, or Triple + 1 pair).
    • Straights (顺子): 5 or more consecutive cards (3 to Ace; 2s and Jokers cannot be used).
    • Consecutive Pairs (双顺 / Tractor): 3 or more consecutive pairs (e.g. 5-5-6-6-7-7).
    • Bomb (炸弹): Four of a kind! Beats all standard hands. Higher rank bomb beats lower bomb.
    • Rocket (火箭): Red Joker + Black Joker together! The ultimate unbeatable hand that trumps everything!
  • Victory: If the Landlord plays all cards first, the Landlord wins! If EITHER Farmer plays all cards first, BOTH Farmers win!

🏛️ History of Fight the Landlord

Dou Dizhu (斗地主, literally "Fight the Landlord") originated in the rural Hubei and Jiangsu provinces of central China during the 1950s agrarian land reform era. The game allegorically features two peasants uniting in cooperative solidarity to outwit the wealthy landlord.

Simple to learn yet mathematically profound, it exploded into China’s undisputed number one national card game with hundreds of millions of online matches played daily.

💡 Dou Dizhu Pro Tactics

1. Farmer Teamwork (Cooperation) As a Farmer, never attack your fellow peasant’s high cards! Let the Farmer with the shorter hand win; your goal is mutual team victory.
2. Hold Bombs for Critical Turnovers Save your 4-of-a-kind Bomb or Joker Rocket to intercept the Landlord’s final hand exit sprint.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Can a 2 be used in a Straight (顺子)?
No, in traditional Dou Dizhu, the rank 2 and Jokers are wild powers and cannot be part of standard consecutive straights.