Big 2 Poker

Big 2 Poker

Big 2 Poker is a poker game originated in East Asia, and it is very popular in Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau where it is usually played as a gambling game with 2-4 players using a standard 52-card deck. Each player is dealt 13 cards; the object of Big 2 Poker is to be the first player to discard all of his/her cards. The highest suit is spades, followed by hearts, clubs and diamonds. As the name Big 2 Poker indicates, twos rank high. The ranking of the rest of the cards is the usual: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, and 3. The cards are played as singles or in groups of two, three, or five cards, in combinations resembling poker hands.

The number of cards to be played is set down by the leading card to a trick; the tricks must contain the same number of cards. The cards are dealt out singly and in a counter-clockwise manner around the table, retaining an equal number of cards for each player. Leftover cards (if there are 2 or 3 players) are given to the player holding the 3 of diamonds (the lowest possible card). If none of the players have the card, the leftover cards are given to the person holding the next lowest card.

The game begins when the player holding the lowest ranked card discards a card set that includes the lowest ranked card. He/she can play it singly or as part of a combination. Then, as usual, play proceeds counter-clockwise; each person has to play a higher card or combination set than the one before with the same number of cards, or pass, declaring that he/she does not want to play or does not hold the necessary cards to make a play possible. This continues until the rest of the players pass. After that, the remaining player starts a new round with any card set; each pass is independent and does not prevent anyone from playing subsequent hands in the same round. The game will continue until one player finishes discarding all his cards.