Characters
Characters
2024/9/23 Autor: Yuji Akagiri
(Based on Japanese Version 2023/9/2)
This game is said to have originated in the Wutongqiao area of Leshan, Sichuan in the mid-Qing dynasty. Large-scale rock salt mining was taking place there at the time. Bamboo cards were used as slips for salt carriers, and it is said that the game was first played using these bamboo cards.
The cards used in this game are called in various ways, but here I will call them Character Cards. Depending on the region and the design of the cards, they are called differently such as qiáozìpái(桥字牌), lèshānèrqīshípái(乐山贰柒拾牌), zhǐpái(纸牌), chěhúzǐ(扯胡子), pǎohézì(跑和字), èrqīshí(二七十=two-seven-ten).
Spreading from Sichuan province along the Yangtze River, it is also actively played in Hunan province.o The popularity of this game does not fade although many old Chinese card games are dying out. We can find them on gaming websites, shopping websites, and smartphone games.
The one presented here is a game played in mid-western Hunan. It is a game similar to Mahjong but with some distinctive differences. These may retain the characteristics of very old rummy games.
The main differences between Mahjong and this game are as follows.
Paohuzi can be played by three or four players. When there are four players, the player opposite the dealer does not take part in play.
The game uses Hunan character cards, also called Paohuzi (跑胡子).
There are two suits: small characters (小写) and large characters (大写). Each card represents one of the numbers from 1 to 10.
Small characters are usual Chinese numeric characters. Large characters are also Chinese numeric characters, but they are only used for important numbers such as the amount of checks or bills.
The cards representing 2, 7, and 10 have red letters, and the rest have black letters.
| Suit|Number | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
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| Small Characters |
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| (in this article) | (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (5) | (6) | (7) | (8) | (9) | (10) |
| Large Characters |
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| (in this article) | [1] | [2] | [3] | [4] | [5] | [6] | [7] | [8] | [9] | [10] |
There are four identical copies of each card. Therefore there are 80 cards in total.
At the start of the game, each player has a set number of cards, and the remaining cards become the stock.
Each player creates combinations of cards from his/her hand and other cards. All valid card combinations are referred to as “valid sets” or “sets” here.
You draw a card from the stock, combine it with the cards in your hand to make a valid set if possible, and discard one card. The drawn cards are usually shown to everyone. Instead of drawing, you can also make a set by taking the discard of the player who played immediately before you.
When another player either draws or discards, if you have two or three identical cards (i.e. the card of the same suit and the same value) in your hand, you can say “pong (碰)” and take them to make a set.
The following sets are valid.
If you have two identical cards and say Pong to get the cards drawn or discarded by other players, you have to place all three cards face up on the table. (Stack them as shown in the diagram so that all three cards are visible.)
When you have two identical cards and draw the same card, you have to place all three cards face down on the table as shown in the diagram.
If you have two identical cards and don’t call Pong when another player draws or discards an identical card (the third identical card), and then you draw an identical card (the fourth identical card), you have to make a set.
You have to place two of the three cards face down and one card face up on the table.
Three identical cards in hand from before play. These three cards are not put on the table but are treated as a set. These three identical cards must always be used as a set of three and cannot be combined with the other cards except for the fourth identical card.
You must always declare “Pao (跑)” in either of the following cases:
The four cards are then placed face up on the table.
In any of the following cases, you place the four identical cards on the table, three of which must be face down and one face up. This is also obligatory.
Three successive number cards of the same suit, or (2)-(7)-(10) or [2]-[7]-[10] combinations.
When this combination is in your hand, you can treat it as a set as it is.
If you made this set with a drawn card or the previous player’s discard, you must place all the cards face up on the table.
A set of three cards with the same numerical value but different suits. This means two small character cards and one large character card, or one small character card and two large character cards, with the same number. Example: (3)-(3)-[3], (8)-(8)-[8].
As with a Sequence Set, when this combination is in your hand, you can treat it as a set as it is. If you made this set with a drawn card or the previous player’s discard, you must place all the cards face up on the table.
Two identical cards in a hand are a valid set under the following conditions.
The first dealer(庄家/zhuāngjiā) is determined in any way. From the next time onwards, the player who goes out (win) becomes the new dealer. If no player wins, the dealer is not replaced.
But after the same player has dealt three times in a row, the player to the right of the previous dealer becomes the dealer if the previous dealer goes out or nobody goes out.
The dealer shuffles the cards, and the player to the left cuts them. The deck of cards is placed in the center of the table.
Starting with the dealer, each player takes 20 cards one by one from the deck counterclockwise. Only the dealer takes 21 cards. The dealer shows the last card taken to the other players , but the card is placed into the hand.
The remaining cards are placed in the middle of the table as a stock.
The bottom card of the stock is turned face up but placed back to the bottom so that it is visible. Players can draw this card as a card of the stock. (If three players are playing, the dealer turns it up. If four players are playing, the person not playing turns it face up.)
However, if the bottom card is a red card (2, 3 or 7), it is placed face down at the top of the stock, and the bottom card is turned face up again. (Repeat this until any black card is turned faced up).
If you have four identical cards in your hand, you must be put them on the table as an Unexposed 4-Card Set before you play.
If you have two sets of four identical cards in hand, you discard no card on the first play.
If you have three or more sets of four identical cards, or five or more sets of three identical cards in your hand, you go out and the play ends.
The play begins with the dealer and proceeds counterclockwise.
You play as follows.
The discard is placed diagonally between you and the player to the right, in a pile of your discarded cards so that the contents of the previously discarded cards are also visible.
When you discard a card, other players may be able to do one of the following:
When you make the second 4-card set onwards, you may not discard. Your tuen is over without discarding.
As already explained, if you have two identical cards in your hand and you draw an identical card, immediately put it on the table as an Unexposed 3-Card Set (all face down). This is mandatory.
You then discard one card to end your turn to play.
As already explained, in the following cases, you have to make an Unexposed 4-Card Set on the table (three cards face down and one card face up). This is mandatory.
You then discard one card and end your turn to play. However, if you have two or more 4-card sets, including this set, no discard is made.
You can declare Pong or Pao in either of the following cases.
You can declare Pong only when you have two cards that are idential to the card. After you declare pong, you make an Exposed 3-Card Set on the table.
You don’t have to declare Pong even if you can. But if you don’t do, you will be somewhat restricted.
You can declare Pao in one of the following cases. Whenever you can declare Pao, you must do.
If you have an Exposed 3-Card Set and another player draws or discards an identical card, you cannot declare Pao.
When a player declares Pong or Pao, the turn to play passes to the player who made Pong or Pao, who discards his cards and ends his turn. The player to his right takes the next turn.
If a player declares Pao and has two or more 4-card sets, including that set, he/she does not discard.
As already explained, you can make a Sequence Set or a Mixed Set using a card drawn by you or discarded by the player to your left. This action is called “Eating”.
If you eat a card your left player discards, his/her turn is over. And after you make a set (or sets as below) and discard a card, your turn is over.
When a player declares Pong or Pao against a discard and another player wants to eat it, Pong or Pao takes precedence over eating. Even if you want to eat a card drawn by yourself, Pong or Pao takes priority. If you can declair Pong and you can eat, you can choose either.
If you eat a card and you have an identical card, you also have to put it on the table as a set.
For example, if you eat (1) and you have a (1) in your hand, you have to expose two sets using each (1) such as (1)-(2)-(3) and (1)-[1]-[1]. Therefore, you must have a set including (1) in your hand before you eat another (1).
If you cannot put the second set on the table, you cannot eat.
This is the same when you eat a discarded card of the player to your left or you eat a card drawn by yourself.
In the following cases, the cards that are identical to the card for that subject and which are not in your hand are called Smelled Cards.
If you have Smelled Cards, you have the following restrictions:
But if you draw a Smelled Card and have two identical cards in your hand, you are obliged to make a Smelled 3-Card Set and put it on the table.
If you have a winning combination of the sets of cards, you go out and win.
A winning combination consists of the following cards:
The winning combination is either of the following:
The winning card must be either of the following cards:
If you find the Winning Card, you can declare “Hu(胡/hú)” and go out. You can also declare Hu when a player draws a Winning Card and discard it.
But you cannot declare Hu to the card discarded from a player’s hand after he/she makes a set.
Hu takes precedence over Pong, Pao or Eating. But a player can make an Unexposed 3-Card Set without showing the drawn card, even if it is the other player’s winning card.
You can make a 3-card set or a 4-card set with the Winning Card to which you can not declare Pong or Pao or which you can not eat.
For example, if you have six exposed 3-card sets of [1]-[1]-[1], [2]-[2]-[2], [3]-[3]-[3], [4]-[4]-[4], [5]-[5]-[5] and [6]-[6]-[6] and have [7]-[7] in hand, the Winning Cards are [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6] and [7]. If a [1] appears, you can declare Hu and make an Exposed 4-Card Set of [1]-[1]-[1]-[1], although you cannot declare Pao.
It is also possible to hold only one card to make a two-card set and to go out when the identical card appears.
You can declare Hu to a smelled card.
However, the following rules take precedence over Hu, so you may not be able to go out even if you could make a winning combination.
For example, when you have (2)-[2]-[2], (2)-(3)-(4) and (1)-(3) in your hand and four 3-card sets on the table, you can declare Hu to a (2) which another player draws. But if you draw (2), you have to make an Unexposed 3-Card Set of (2)-(2)-(2) and you cannot go out.
You have to declare Pao when it is posible, even if you are ready to go out. For example, when you have (3)-(4) and [7]-[7]-[7] in hand and have five 3-card sets on the table, if someone draws [7], you have to declare Pao and discard (3) or (4).
Also, you will receive a point score (Hu Number) based on the types of sets in the Winning Combination as explained later. If this is less than 15 points, you cannot go out.
Play also ends when no one has gone out after drawing the last card in the stock (the face-up card). No one scores.
The final score is calculated from the following two types of points:
The following formula is then used to determine the score.
Bottom Number = (Hu Number - 12) ÷ 3 (rounded down)
Final Score = Bottom Number x Multiplication Number
If you go out with your drawn card, the Bottom Number is increased by one.
There are the following pints based on the types and the characters of the sets in the winning combination. Hu Number is the total of these points.
| Type of set | small characters | large characters |
|---|---|---|
| Exposed 3-Card Set | 1 | 3 |
| Unexposed 3-Card Set | 3 | 6 |
| Smelled 3-Card Set | 3 | 6 |
| Secret 3-Card Set | 3 | 6 |
| Exposed 4-Card Set | 6 | 9 |
| Unexposed 4-Card Set | 9 | 12 |
| Sequence Set of (1)-(2)-(3) or [1]-[2]-[3] (either in hand or on the table) | 3 | 6 |
| Sequence Set of (2)-(7)-(10) or [2]-[7]-[10] (either in hand or on the table) | 3 | 6 |
| Sequence Set or Mixed Set other than the above | 0 | 0 |
| 2-Card Set | 0 | 0 |
A Sequence Set of 1-2-3 or 2-7-10 has the same points whether it is in hand, at the table, or the last set to go out.
The Mulitiplication Number is the sum of the points of the following items.
If none of the following applies, the Mulitiplication Number is 1.
| Name | Description | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Red Point(红胡) | the number of red cards is 4, 7, 11 or 12 | 2 points |
| True Point(真点胡) | only one red card | 4 points |
| False Point(假点胡) | 10 red cards | 3 points |
| Red Crow(红乌) | 13 or more red cards | 4 points for 13 cards, 1 point added for each additional red card |
| Crow Point(乌胡) | no red cards | 5 |
| Identical Sets(对对胡) | All the sets are the sets of identical cards | 5 points |
| Large(大) | 18 or more cards of large character | 6 points for 18 cards, 1 point added for each additional card of large character |
| Small(小) | 16 or more cards of small characters | 8 points for 16 cards, 1 point added for each additional card of small character |
| Last Card(海底胡) | When you go out with the last card in the stock | 2 points |
Red cards: (2), (7), (10), [2], [7], or [10]
Tianhu is the spacial going out when one of the following conditions is met:
In the case of Tianhu, the Base Number is as follows
Base Number = (Hu Number x 2 - 12) ÷ 3
The player receives the aforementioned points from each of the other players regardless of which card made the hand go out.
There is no specific end of the game.
Hu Number and Multiplication Number seem to vary from region to region and player to player.
The following is from the Chinese Wikipedia. Only one item can be applied.
| Name | Description | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Red Point (红胡) | 10, 11 or 12 red cards | 2 |
| One Red (一点红) | One red card | 3 |
| Red Crow (红乌) | 13 or more red cards | 4 |
| Crow Point (乌胡) | No red cards | 5 |
| Identical Sets (对对胡) | All the sets are the sets of identical cards | 4 |
| Red Identical Sets (红对) | Red Point + Identical Sets | 6 |
| Crow Identical Sets (乌对) | Crow Point + Identical Sets | 10 |
| Red Crow Pair (红乌对) | Red Crow + Identical Sets | 8 |