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Are you looking for how to play Tổ Tôm? Tổ Tôm is one of the card games that is difficult and requires players to strictly follow the rules. However, it brings very joyful emotions when meeting together. This article will guide you on how to play Tổ Tôm for real action right here.
Introduction to Tổ Tôm
Although there is no record that can confirm the origin of Tổ Tôm. However, no one can deny the popularity of this game.
What is Tổ Tôm?
Tổ Tôm is a game that uses 120 cards, of which there are 30 completely different cards. The shape of each card has images of Chinese characters.
This is a folk game that has appeared in Vietnam for a long time. This game brings a very joyful and lively entertainment time.
In the feudal era, only the rich and educated Confucians could play. For that reason, Tổ Tôm is considered a game of knowledge, of the upper class.
People in the past had a folk saying like this:
“As a man, know how to play Tổ Tôm
Drink tea and enjoy the beauty of Thúy Kiều.”
Check out how to quickly arrange cards to become a Tổ Tôm master right away.
Until now, during festivals, weddings, and the Lunar New Year, this game is still extremely popular.
Origin of Tổ Tôm cards
There is no record that confirms the origin of this game. Many people believe it comes from Japan.
However, some people think it is an ancient folk game of China, like the Four Color card game. But regardless of where it originated, my Vietnamese brothers still love it. That’s what matters.
You can try downloading the offline Tổ Tôm game for your computer, the game information section also explains the origin of the game in great detail.
The Tổ Tôm cards
Each deck consists of 120 cards. But actually, there are only 30 cards with 4 identical cards.
The names of the Tổ Tôm cards are read from left to right, consisting of 2 numbers and flowers.
The number row goes from one to nine, and the flower row has Vạn, Văn, Sách.The two rows above form 27 types of cards and are divided into 3 rows:
- Văn Row: Nhất Văn, Nhị Văn, Tam Văn, Tứ Văn, Ngũ Văn, Lục Văn, Thất Văn, Bát Văn, Cửu Văn.
- Vạn Row: Nhất Vạn, Nhị Vạn, Tam Vạn, Tứ Vạn, Ngũ Vạn, Lục Vạn, Thất Vạn, Bát Vạn, Cửu Vạn.
- Sách Row: Nhất Sách, Nhị Sách, Tam Sách, Tứ Sách, Ngũ Sách, Lục Sách, Thất Sách, Bát Sách, Cửu Sách.
“`In addition, you need to remember 3 special cards called Love: Straight, Old Man, Chi Chi.
Detailed guide on how to play Tổ Tôm
Understanding how to play Tổ Tôm will help you participate according to the rules, avoiding violations that lead to losing the right to play cards. Below is the most accurate way to play Tổ Tôm:
How to arrange Tổ Tôm cards
In general, this way of arranging cards must follow the principle of horizontal or vertical. In addition, there are some exceptions, specifically:
- Every 3 cards of the same number are arranged horizontally, different sets are called phu bí. Nhị will go with Nhị, Tam will go with Tam,… up to Cửu going with Cửu of 3 sets which are Văn, Vạn, Sách.
- Three cards arranged vertically, of the same set of consecutive values are called phu dọc. For example, from Nhất sách to Cửu sách, Nhất vạn to Cửu vạn,….
You need to remember a few other important exceptions: The leftover cards are called trash, including pairs. The rest are Tam vạn, Nhị vạn, Tam sách, Nhị sách, Thất văn, Cửu vạn, Bát sách, Chi chi.
Learn how to play Tổ Tôm.How to deal cards – for the dealer
The deck is divided into equal parts depending on the number of players participating. When dealing cards, it must ensure that the cards are face down. In case any card is exposed, it must be dealt again. The dealer has the right to choose 1 part to place on the table, this part is called the nọc. There are 2 ways to choose the dealer as follows:
Method 1: Choose the dealer when starting the game
When starting to play, the group must choose a village dealer. According to ancient customs, the oldest person or the host will be invited to be the dealer. Or it can be based on the points when drawing 2 random cards. For example, drawing a nine and a two, thus the total points are 11. The group will play in a counterclockwise direction starting from the person who drew.
Method 2: Choose the dealer when no one has won
In the case of a tie, meaning the nọc only has 5 or 4 cards left but no one has won, the person who last played will hold the dealer for the next round. The person who last played is the one who played the last card. When starting the next round, the dealer draws a card from the nọc and gives it to the last player. You need to pay attention to the winning combinations to enjoy this game the most.
How to play Tổ Tôm with 4 players
The way to play Tổ Tôm with 4 players is also called bí tứ and has its own specific rules. The dealer will still use the deck divided into 5 parts. Besides the 4 parts used by the players, the remaining part is called the nọc.
Actually, these cards are quite easy to understand.The winner will be the one with 2 backs instead of having to have 3 backs as when playing with 5 people. Of course, in this case, there is no red envelope win or clear win but only double win and twelve win.
How to play Tổ Tôm with 5 players
Chow to play Tổ Tôm for 5 players also requires the dealer to divide into 6 parts, each part containing 20 pieces. 5 parts are for the players and 1 part is the draw pile. In this form of play, the dealer will go first. The dealer takes 1 card from the draw pile, and the game will gradually come to an end when there are 5 cards left in the draw pile and no one has won yet.
Tổ Tôm Game Rules
Below are some unwritten rules that you need to memorize to play. Remember, you must memorize them.
Tổ Tôm Declaration
To declare a round, you need to meet the condition of having 3 identical cards, plus 1 card drawn or played. At this point, the player will declare those 3 cards and the cards will be combined to form a set.
Learning to play Chắn online is also okayIf the player who declares wants to play a single card and has cards to replace the previously eaten card, the game continues as normal.
Winning Conditions
The winning condition is that the cards revealed in the set must form 10 pairs and have at least 6 pairs or more. Conversely, having fewer than 6 pairs will not allow for a win. All cards must be revealed under the declaration, totaling 21 cards, with at least 1 back.
Types of Wins in Tổ Tôm
Some types of wins when playing Tổ Tôm:
- Continuous win: the player wins continuously at least 2 times or more.
- Thập điềm: The winning hand consists entirely of red cards.
- Bạch định: The winning hand consists entirely of white cards.
- Kính cụ: The winning hand consists entirely of white cards and one red old man card.
- Kính tứ cố: This type of win has 4 red old man cards, and all other cards are white.
- Chi nẩy: The winning hand when the player draws 1 card from the draw pile.
Scoring Rules for Tổ Tôm
Some of the most common scoring rules for Tổ Tôm include:
- A simple win without any special conditions gets 1 point.
- Continuous win from the previous round gets 1 point.
- Having Tôm earns 1 point.
- Bạch thủ, crossing 5 houses earns 1 point.
- Having Lèo earns 2 points.
- Thập điều will be 3 points.
- Kính cụ earns 6 points.
- Bạch định will be +8 points.
- Kính tứ cố has the highest score of 10.
04 Tips for Winning at Tổ Tôm
Refer to some tricks shared by many skilled players below. These 04 tips for playing Tổ Tôm help gain an advantage while playing and have a higher winning rate.
Pressuring Opponents
The most important factor that determines winning or losing in card games is the player’s ability to pressure their opponents. The more you can pressure other players, the higher your chances of winning. In fact, the strategy for playing Tổ Tôm is not complicated; you just need to focus on observing each move.
Guessing the opponent’s cards
You need to observe and pay attention to how other players play their cards to have a basis for predicting their attack direction. Usually, opponents only need to play a few cards for you to somewhat understand their strategy.
However, the accuracy of your guesses also depends on each person’s playing experience. Practice playing to draw your own lessons.
Save the special cards for the end of the game
When you have gathered similar cards, don’t rush to play them; instead, save them for a breakthrough at the end of the game. Instead, play weaker cards and carefully calculate the right moment to play the special cards.
Pay attention to special cards
Before entering the game, players need to ensure they remember all 6 special cards. These are the key cards in the game, which can determine which player has the advantage:
- Chi chi
- Tam sách
- Tam vạn
- Thất văn
- Bát sách
- Cửu vạn
Therefore, you need to focus on observing and betting on strong cards like: Tôm leo, Bát điều,… In case of winning, these cards will help you achieve a much higher reward than the initial amount.
Some rules when playing Tổ Tôm
Besides the rules and gameplay mentioned above, this game also has some specific regulations. You should take the time to read them so you don’t get left behind. But honestly, it’s not that necessary; if it gets too complicated, you can skip it.
Dealing cards
Simply put, the player with the least points has to deal the cards. Or it could be the king – the player who won the previous round – who deals the cards. Additionally, the player who is under the dealer may also have to deal the cards. So, whether you win or lose, everyone has to do their “duty.”
Drawing a card – dealing
The drawn card is the one taken from the deck. Who will draw this card? It could be one of these cases: the player who won the previous round or the last person to draw.
Playing a card
You cannot play a card that belongs to the lower set. If you play this card, you must wait to draw a card to win. And if you win, it will still be considered a mistake.
Taking a card
When it’s your turn, if you see something you can take, just take it. If you are waiting to win, you must inform the table. If you win but skip it, you will not get any points.
Some rules to remember would be good, if not, then it’s fine. It’s not that important!What if no one wins?
If no one wins, the last person to draw a card from the deck will score.
Khàn bất thực
Khàn bất thực is only counted when there are both phu bí and phu dọc. In the case of having phu bí, it is automatically not counted, called khàn bất thực one block.
Thiên khai bất thực
Thiên khai bất thực means that in your hand you already have thiên khai but want to turn it into phu dọc. At this time, you must discard one of the two cards.
Where can you buy a Tổ Tôm deck?
Tổ Tôm can be said to be quite selective about players on online or traditional card game websites, unlike other types of cards that anyone can quickly learn the rules.
Therefore, the places to sell this deck are not widely available, you can’t buy it anywhere like a standard 54-card poker deck, and to buy it, you need to know the following points:
a) Characteristics of the Tổ Tôm deck
This deck consists of 120 cards divided into three suits: Vạn – Văn – Sách. Currently, many places on the market provide Tổ Tôm decks from affordable to high-end. The main difference comes from the materials used:
- Affordable deck: Made from regular cardboard to create 120 cards. This type usually has a short “lifespan,” low water resistance, and is easily torn or frayed after a period of use.
- Double-sided plastic-coated Tổ Tôm deck: This deck is of higher quality, with high water resistance. It minimizes issues such as: frayed edges, wrinkles, tears, or marks on the cards… and lasts longer.
- Silver or gold-plated Tổ Tôm deck: This type of deck has only recently appeared on the market. Luxurious and classy, but also more expensive.
b) Where to buy Tổ Tôm cards?
In the past, players often sought out grocery stores or places selling entertainment tools, toy stores. However, some places provide them while others do not.
Currently, the easiest way is for players to use shopping apps like: Shopee, Lazada, Tiki, Sendo… these apps offer a full range of decks at publicly competitive prices.
Another point is that delivery is quite fast and returns are accepted if not satisfied. You can visit if you want to choose a nice, standard deck to start the new year.
Conclusion
In general, to play well, Tổ Tôm is not something you can master in a day or two, but rather a process of experience. We hope that the information we share here will help you understand more about how to play Tổ Tôm. You may feel confused when first playing, but once you understand, it will be a very interesting card game.
