Guandan · Rules

1. Players, cards and fixed partnerships

Two complete decks including jokers make 108 cards: two big and two small jokers, with 27 cards per player. There is no kitty, burial, bidding or hidden-partner call.

Seats 1 (you) and 3 are permanent partners; seats 2 and 4 form the opposing team. Secure first place and help your partner finish early. Finish places, not captured 5/10/K points, decide advancement.

2. Starting, shuffling and the first lead

A new match starts both teams at level 2. Every hand is shuffled anew and all 108 cards are dealt. In the first hand, seat 1 leads without tribute; no opening 3♦ is required, and there is no trump reveal or banker auction.

The leader may open any legal combination. Later hands complete tribute, returns or resistance before their first lead. Do not import Tractor's trump or bottom-card procedure into this game.

3. Active level and card strength

Each team retains its own level. The previous winning team's saved level becomes the active rank for the whole next hand; the first hand plays 2. Players do not each use a different wild rank.

For singles, pairs, triples and equal-size rank bombs: big joker > small joker > level rank > remaining ordinary ranks. Ordinary order is A>K>Q>J>10>…>3>2, with the active rank promoted below jokers. At level 7, a 7 beats an A. Suits never break equal-rank ties.

4. Level hearts and wild-card assignments

The two hearts of the active rank are wild. They can retain their natural rank or replace ordinary cards in pairs, triples, full houses, sequences, rank bombs and straight flushes, but never replace a joker.

At level 7, a heart 7 can join two 9s as three 9s or complete 5,6,8,9 as a 5–9 straight. For a straight flush it can also supply the needed suit. Alone it remains a level card. Select physical cards only: the engine automatically finds a legal interpretation that beats the table when possible. One physical card cannot fill two missing positions.

5. Which combinations are ordinary?

This table has seven ordinary shapes:

• Single: 1 card, such as an A.
• Pair: 2 cards of one rank, such as AA.
• Triple: 3 cards of one rank, such as AAA.
• Full house: a triple plus a pair, 5 cards, such as 999+JJ.
• Ordinary straight: 5 ranks in a row, such as mixed-suit 34567.
• Pair run: 3 consecutive pairs, 6 cards, such as 334455.
• Triple run: 2 consecutive triples, 6 cards, such as 333444.

Different ordinary shapes cannot beat each other. A straight cannot beat a single, and a triple cannot beat a pair. Even with the same card count, a full house cannot beat an ordinary straight or a triple run beat a pair run. Use a higher play of the same shape. Bombs, straight flushes and the four-joker rocket are special shapes, not part of this list.

Pairs and triples may mix suits. Wild hearts may fill an ordinary-rank pair or triple, and only rank decides between equal shapes.

Two big jokers form a pair, as do two small jokers. One of each is neither a pair nor this game's rocket. A pair cannot answer a single, nor a triple a pair: answer the same ordinary shape or use a legal bomb-class combination.

6. Full houses: the triple and the attachment

A full house is exactly five cards: three ordinary cards of one rank plus two of another, such as 999+JJ. Only the triple's rank matters, so 999+33 beats 888+AA.

Wild hearts may complete either component, but the same card cannot complete both. The current site validator does not allow a joker pair as the attachment; this is an implementation boundary. Triple-with-single, a triple with two unrelated singles, and four-with-one/two are not legal ordinary shapes here.

7. Straights: exactly five natural ranks

A straight has exactly five distinct consecutive ordinary ranks in any suits: 34567, 6789 10 or 10JQKA. Six consecutive cards are not one playable straight and must be split into legal plays.

A2345 is lowest: A counts as 1 here. Next is 23456, and 10JQKA is highest. JQKA2 cannot wrap around. When playing level 7, 5,6,7,8,9 still run together; do not skip 7.

When two players use ordinary straights, the one with higher numbers wins. For example, 6,7,8,9,10 beats 5,6,7,8,9.

If both ordinary straights have exactly the same ranks, they tie. Different suits do not make either one stronger, so neither can beat the other.

Five cards in a row that also all share one suit are a straight flush. It beats an ordinary straight and bombs of 4 or 5 cards, but loses to bombs of 6 or more cards.

8. Pair runs: three pairs, six cards

A pair run is exactly three pairs of consecutive natural ranks, for example 334455 or 778899. AA2233 is the low-ace minimum and QQKKAA the maximum. Two or four pairs do not form this site's pair-run shape.

Every rank needs two cards; six unrelated singles do not qualify. Wild hearts can fill missing ordinary cards. Compare the natural sequence position: do not skip the level rank, and do not use suit as a tiebreak.

9. Triple runs: two triples, six cards

A triple run, also called a steel plate, contains exactly two consecutive triples: 333444 or 777888. AAA222 is the low-ace minimum; KKKAAA is highest. The active level still occupies its natural sequence position.

There are no single or pair wings, and three consecutive triples are not one legal triple run here. Wild hearts may complete ordinary ranks, but jokers cannot enter a sequence. Answer with a higher triple run or an appropriate bomb-class play.

10. Rank bombs and the four-joker rocket

Four or more ordinary cards of one rank form a bomb; wild hearts may complete that rank. No unrelated cards may be attached. Compare card count first, then rank: six 3s beat five As; among four-card bombs, four 7s beat four As when 7 is active.

Bombs beat ordinary combinations. The top rocket requires the actual two big plus two small jokers. Wild cards cannot manufacture jokers, and one big plus one small is not a rocket. Exactly equal bombs or rockets cannot overcall each other.

11. Straight flushes and the special hierarchy

A straight flush is exactly five consecutive cards of one suit, such as clubs 34567, possibly completed with wild hearts. A2345 is a legal low-ace straight flush. Compare sequence position; equal sequences in different suits tie.

Ascending order: ordinary shapes < four-card bombs < five-card bombs < straight flush < six-card bombs < bombs of seven or more cards < four-joker rocket. Larger bombs continue to compare count before rank. Five suited but nonconsecutive cards are not a legal flush play; this is not Big Two.

12. Comparing a response

First check the shape on the table. An ordinary response must have the same shape, the same card count and higher strength. A single K beats a single Q, and a pair of Ks beats a pair of Qs. But a straight cannot beat a single Q, and even a high triple cannot beat a pair.

Matching card count alone is not enough. Full houses and ordinary straights both have 5 cards but cannot beat each other. Pair runs and triple runs both have 6 cards but cannot beat each other either. Full houses compare their triples; matching sequence shapes compare which row of ranks is higher.

There is no follow-suit requirement and matching suits confer no bonus. Bombs, straight flushes and the rocket cross ordinary shapes according to their hierarchy. Equal strength never beats the table. There is no Tractor-style throw, trump ruff or special 5,10,K combination.

13. Turns, passing and re-entering

Seats act 1→2→3→4→1, skipping empty hands. A free leader chooses any legal shape and cannot pass an empty table. A follower may beat the table or pass voluntarily, even when a beating play is available.

Passing declines the current opportunity only. If someone subsequently overcalls, a previous passer with cards may respond when their turn returns. The trick ends only when all other remaining players pass; do not take the lead before they have their opportunity.

14. Winning a trick and catching the wind

The last unbeaten player leads the next trick if they still hold cards. When someone empties their hand, opponents still have a chance to beat that final play; emptying does not immediately transfer the lead to their partner.

Only if that final play remains unbeaten, and the hand has not ended, does the partner with cards catch the wind and lead freely. If seat 1 finishes unbeaten, seat 3 leads. If seat 2 beats seat 1's final play, competition continues from seat 2's play instead.

15. Finish places and when the hand ends

Empty hands determine first, second, third and last place. One player finishing usually does not end the hand: their partner's eventual place still affects advancement.

Once the first finisher's partner also finishes, or three players are out, the site can settle and fill remaining places without playing irrelevant cards. The first finisher's fixed partnership wins the hand, even when the opposing team holds second place.

16. Advancement by team finish places

Partners finishing 1–2 advance three levels; 1–3 advance two; 1–4 advance one. The losing team retains its level. Bomb count, remaining-card values and captured 5/10/K points add no advancement bonus.

Levels run 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,J,Q,K,A. Advance from the winning team's own saved level, not from the opponent's active rank. For example, a team at 4 winning two levels while the opponents were playing 8 advances to 6; the next hand plays 6.

17. Reaching A versus winning the match

Reaching or overshooting A only records level A; levels are capped there. K+2 therefore reaches A, not an immediate match victory. Do not use the five-player Tractor rule that advancement past A ends the match.

To win the match, the team must already be at A, the active hand must play A, and partners must finish 1–2 or 1–3. A 1–4 finish wins the hand but not the match: the team retains A and the next hand plays A again. The settlement explains this rule explicitly. Losing at A also retains A. Hand results show each player's current level, not meaningless zero points; the winning side shows “Match won”. This site does not reset a team to 2 after three failed A attempts.

18. Single tribute: donor, recipient and card

From hand two, finish places from the previous hand determine tribute after dealing. Unless the winners finished 1–2, only last place gives one card to first place. This still applies when last place is first place's partner; partnership does not cancel the obligation.

The site automatically gives the donor's highest card other than a heart of the current level. Big joker outranks small joker, then non-heart level cards and ordinary ranks; suit is not a tiebreak. The recipient must return a legal card and cannot send back the exact physical gift just received.

19. Double tribute and equal gifts

After a 1–2 team finish, both losing players each give their highest non-wild card. The higher gift goes to first place and the other to second. Each recipient returns to the corresponding donor, not an arbitrary player.

Equal gift ranks are not separated by suit. The donor encountered first when cycling forward from first place in seat order 1→2→3→4 gives to first place. Example: first is seat 1, second seat 3, and seats 2 and 4 both give an A: transfers are 2→1 and 4→3, with matching returns.

20. Return tribute: choices and controls

Normally return one ordinary card of 10 or below that is not the current level rank. At level 7, a 3,8 or 10 is eligible, but a 7 is not. At level 2, a 2 is excluded as a level card. Jokers are not normal low returns.

If no such card exists, return a lowest eligible card instead of any higher card. The exact received gift remains excluded. On your return turn, select one card and press Return tribute, or use Suggestion. All required returns must finish, restoring 27 cards each, before ordinary play begins.

21. Resistance: whose big jokers count

Resistance cancels the entire tribute-and-return procedure. For single tribute, the last-place donor alone must hold both big jokers. For double tribute, count both donors together: one may hold both, or each may hold one.

Big jokers held by recipients do not count. Two small jokers do not resist, and wild hearts cannot substitute for big jokers. The site detects and records resistance automatically, without a separate reveal request. The previous first finisher then leads.

22. Who opens after tribute

First hand: seat 1. Normal single tribute: the previous last finisher, who gave the gift. Double tribute: the donor whose gift went to first place, normally the higher donor; equal gifts use the seat-order allocation described above.

After resistance, the previous first finisher opens. These leads apply only after every return is complete. Being the player currently choosing a return does not itself grant the opening lead. There is no banker-leads rule as in Tractor.

23. Controls, suggestions, autoplay and saves

On your turn, click cards to select or deselect, Play to submit, Pass to decline a response, and Sort to reorder. Selected cards lift without changing their stacking order. A rejected play displays its reason beside the hand and keeps the cards available for correction.

Suggestion selects a recommended play and explains it without submitting. Auto play reveals intervals 0.3,0.5,1,2,3,4,5 seconds and can be disabled anytime. Saves stay in this browser; Continue restores the hand, levels and session record. New game resets the match. Play again after a hand retains progression until the match is won.

24. Worked hands and common confusions

Example 1: starting at 2, finish order 1,2,3,4 gives partners 1/3 two levels to 4. Next hand plays 4, so heart 4 is wild. Seat 4 gives single tribute to 1; after a legal return, 4 opens. If 4 holds both big jokers, resistance instead lets 1 open.

Example 2: seats 1/3 finish 1–2. Seat 2 gives a big joker and seat 4 an A: the joker goes to 1, the A to 3; each returns to its donor and 2 opens. Level hearts are not a trump suit: there is no following suit, kitty or hidden partner. K+2 does not win immediately. These details describe the current site, not every offline event's additional conventions.