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From the chat window:
Type /join and press Enter to join the game;
Type
/start and press Enter to begin the game (4 players).
Or if you prefer, you can use the game administration tools.
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| Tichu is a card game for 4
people (there are versions for different numbers of players, but we
only play it with four), divided into two teams. The basic aim is to
get rid of your cards faster than your opponents.
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There are 56 cards: 13
each in four colours, ranging from 2 to ace, plus four special cards
(see below). Each player gets 14 cards. He then chooses 3 of them to
give to the other players, one each (Drag and drop the cards onto
the exchange window; then click "Kartentausch" to actually exchange
them), and receives 3 cards in return.
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The player with the 1
(Mahjongg, see below) has the first lead. The lead player decides
which type of card combination to play. He does so by clicking all
appropriate cards up (aim your mouse cursor at the left half of the
card) and then clicking "Karten spielen". Now all players take their
turns in succession (The current player's name is enclosed in ** ).
Each player must either pass or top the last played combination.
Topping means playing a higher valued combination of exactly the
same type. Here's a list of all possible
types: | |
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| Singlet |
A
single card |
1 <
2 < ... < A < Dragon |
| Pair |
Two of
a kind |
2,2
< ... < A,A |
| Triplet |
Three
of a kind |
2,2,2
< ... < A,A,A |
| Full
House |
A
triplet and a pair |
Order
of the triplet |
| Straights (multiple types) |
5 or
more successive cards of mixed colours
(e.g. 5,6,7,8,9,10) |
Order
of the highest card |
| Stairs
(multiple types) |
2 or
more successive pairs (e.g. 4,4,5,5,6,6) |
Order
of the highest pair |
| Bombs |
Four of
a kind; and one-coloured straights |
Size of
the bomb; order of the highest card in case of a
tie | | |
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| Note that Straights (and
Stairs) of different length are not considered to be of the same
type and thus cannot top one another. Bombs are an exception, bombs
top everything. They can even be played if it is not your turn:
Clicking on "Bomben" at any time will make you current player and
allow you to play bombs out of sequence. Bombs can be topped by
higher bombs. When a combination is not topped (i.e. the other three
players pass), the one who played that last combination wins the
complete trick and leads the next one.
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The Dog:
You can only
play the Dog if you have the lead. Playing the Dog gives the lead to
your partner. If the lead player has already finished, the lead goes
to the next player still in the game, which may - or may not - be
yourself. The Dog is no card combination and thus cannot be bombed.
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The Dragon:
The Dragon
is the highest single card (ace+1) and can only be played as such.
If you win a trick by means of the Dragon, you have to give away
that trick to one of your opponents. You may choose which one.
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The Phoenix:
The
Phoenix is a wildcard. It can replace any ordinary card in any
combination, but it cannot be used to form bombs. Played as a single
card, the phoenix has the value of the card it tops, plus 1/2.
Played first, the Phoenix has a value of 1.5. The Phoenix does not
top the Dragon though. | |
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The Mahjongg:
The
Mahjongg (or simply: 1) is the lowest card. It can be used in
Straights. The player with the Mahjongg gets the first lead.
The
instant that you play the Mahjongg, you can wish for an ordinary
card. The wish will be fulfilled as soon as someone plays any
combination containing that card. Players who cannot fulfill it may
simply ignore it, but the first player (including you and your
partner!) who can legally play such a combination must do so. If the
only legal combination is a bomb, then it must be played. It is
allowed to play a bomb not containing the wished card even if you
could fulfill it; but the wish stays in effect then.
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The game ends as soon as
three players have managed to empty their hands. 100 points are
distributed, depending on the cards in the tricks they have won. The
player who failed to finish loses his tricks to the player who
finished first, his remaining hand counts for the opposing team. The
card values are:
| 5s |
5
points |
| 10s |
10
points |
| Kings |
10
points |
| Dragon |
25
points |
| Phoenix |
-25
points |
| everything
else |
0
points |
If the players of one team
manage to finish first and second, the game stops prematurely, card
values are ignored and the winning team scores a flat 200 points.
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In addition to these
points, a player can call "Tichu!" anytime before playing his first
card. This is a bet that he will personally finish first. If he
succeeds, his team gains an extra 100 points; if not, they lose the
same amount.
Daring players may choose to switch the Grand Tichu
button on ("Grosses Tichu ein"). The game will then take a break
from dealing cards as soon as you have 8 cards - and ask you whether
you want to call a Grand Tichu - before going on and dealing the
remaining 6 cards to you. A Grand Tichu is worth 200 points;
otherwise it is like an ordinary Tichu call.
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| A Tichu match consists of
several games; it ends as soon as one team reaches 1000 points.
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| We wish to thank
tobelli for the superb translation.
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