Considered a quite complex type of card game, remembering Chắn cards has also been a challenge for beginners.
Although it is quite difficult, with the right methods, you can ensure that you will never forget how to play Chắn with phone card exchange, the structure of the cards, and other rules in Chắn.
Learn how to remember Chắn cards from understanding the structure
Chắn cards are developed from the traditional Tổ Tôm game, but unlike Tổ Tôm which uses all 120 cards, Chắn only uses 100 cards.
The cards: Nhất Văn/ Nhất Sách/ Nhất Vạn/ Lão/ Thang will be omitted, leaving only: 96 regular cards & 4 chi chi cards.
How to remember Chắn cards is the first standard for you to get acquainted with this game.
Unlike Western cards (the 52-card deck), which are easily distinguished by numbers and use modern numerals, Chắn has 2 parts: The Character part and the Number part.
Both determine the value of the card, and especially since everything is written in Chinese characters, for newcomers, learning to recognize all Chắn cards is knowledge that cannot be acquired in just one or two days.
There are a total of 96 regular cards + 4 chi chi cards, making up 100 cards in the Chắn deck. If at the playing table, you are the only one who remembers the cards and fully understands the cheating techniques in Chắn, then obviously your chances of getting rich are the highest.
Specifically, you need to know that on a Chắn card, the right side will be the number and the left side will be the character.
- The number part will range from 2 to 9 corresponding to: Nhị – Tam – Tứ – Ngũ – Lục – Thất – Bát – Cửu (8 numbers).
- The character part will be: Vạn – Văn – Sách. There will be 4 identical cards in a set.
For example: There will be 4 Nhị Văn cards, 4 Lục Vạn cards, or 4 Thất Sách cards.
How to remember Chắn cards by number
The easiest way to remember Chắn cards is to separate the character part and the number part, so that when reading the Chắn cards, you only need to combine the number + character.
The numbers in Chắn range from 2 to 9 (from Nhị to Cửu). If you do not know Chinese characters, just remember the following characteristics to easily identify:
- Two: Has 2 horizontal lines (二).
- Three: Similar to Two, with an additional line in the middle, totaling 3 horizontal lines (三).
- Four: The square shape of Four is the easiest way to visualize it, resembling the character for field (四).
- Five: Many people say Five looks like a boat with a person sitting, but the easiest visualization is similar to the letter “h” (五).
- Six: Six has 2 legs, quite similar to the character “Ren” (六).
- Seven: The symbol for seven is quite similar to the letter “t” (七)
- Eight: Symmetrical because the symbols on both sides are quite similar (八).
- Nine: Similar to the symbol for the letter “r” (九).
Note: The Hán Nôm characters are all pictograms, so to grasp them, you should remember their characteristics, which will make it easier. Since there are 8 numbers, you also need to pay more attention to them compared to the characters.
If you can’t remember, then learn the marking method for Chắn cards, however, do not apply this method frequently if there are experts at the table.
How to remember the Chắn card characters
After mastering the numbers, the next part is the characters. The characters of the Chắn cards include Vạn – Văn – Sách and are located on the left side.
Remembering is also easier with the following characteristics:
- Vạn: According to folklore, it is often said to be easy to remember as “Square Vạn” (萬) because the character Vạn has a quite square and balanced shape. Do not confuse it with the character for field in number 4 (Four – 四).
- Văn: “Crossed Văn” is an easy-to-remember metaphor for the Văn card (文). There are two lines crossing each other, quite easy to recognize.
- Sách “tangled”: This is the easiest way to visualize it because the character Sách is quite complicated, with many intricate strokes, hence it is called tangled (索).
Thus, with the method of remembering Tổ Tôm cards, for the characters, you just need to remember the catchphrase: “Square Vạn” – “Crossed Văn” – “Tangled Sách”.
#6 Fast method to remember Chắn cards
As guided above, for players to remember the Chắn cards, it is not possible to glance at them once and memorize them.
Apply some good tips below to shorten this learning and memorization process.
1. Separate the numbers and characters
Do not start by trying to remember what a Chắn card is; it is best to separate: Remember the numbers first, then the characters, or vice versa.
For the characters, remembering Tổ Tôm cards is not difficult because of the rule “Square – Cross – Tangled,” but the numbers are a whole different issue.
Separate and remember each number: 2 and 3 are quite easy to remember, but from 4 onwards, you should be careful to familiarize yourself with the characters every day. It’s best to have a set of Chắn cards or download a Chắn set and look at it every day.
Download the offline Chắn game for iOS and practicing will help you remember the cards better.
2. Let your imagination soar
The way to remember above is from one person’s perspective, but you may have a different viewpoint, a different way to visualize and imagine the cards.
That’s okay because this is symbolic writing, and I’m just providing suggestions; if you have a different interpretation or association, it’s very welcome.
As long as you understand and feel that you can remember quickly as well as understand their meanings, that is already a success.
3. You must review every day
Unlike the national language or Roman numerals that can be encountered anywhere, remembering is quite different.
With Chắn cards, they are unique and distinct, so you need to have your brain repeat the memorization every day.
If you are learning to remember Chắn cards, not only should you visualize in your head, but looking back every day will help you remember for a long time and distinguish them accurately.
4. Understand the meaning of Chắn cards
Understanding the meanings of the cards will ensure that you will never forget their roles, positions, and priorities.
This is also a way to remember that professionals cannot overlook.
In the previous article, I shared about the meanings of Chắn cards, so take some time to study it thoroughly.
5. Learn anywhere
Due to the special writing and structure, you will easily forget, so save information about the cards and review it anywhere. This will create natural reactions and help you remember longer.
I assure you that with this method, it won’t be long before you memorize the cards as well as the beautiful card formations.
6. Memorize the card formations and priorities
To remember Chắn cards quickly, nothing is simpler than memorizing the card formations and special cases.
For example, knowing when to win, when to take a pair, and cases of being penalized…
Conclusion
How to remember Chắn cards is the most basic knowledge to start with this game.
Just apply the methods above, and I guarantee you will become “PRO” in a very short time. I also suggest 4 quick ways to arrange Chắn cards that will leave your opponents in awe. The psychological pressure on your opponent from the start will help you clear the game more easily.
