Pai gow poker got started in the United States. It's inspired by – but not to be confused with – pai gow, the Chinese domino game. Pai gow poker was created in the USA by Sam Torosian and Fred Wolf. Sam Torosian is the one who invented the game. But no one really knows who he is. The reason why is sort of sad. Chinese Poker uses a 13 card hand which is arranged into three smaller hands: 2 hands of five cards and 1 hand of three cards. This game spawned the more popular Open Face Chinese Poker, which is an open card poker game after the first five cards have been dealt. Prior to starting the game, players must agree on the stakes. The Online Poker Rake Comparison and Rake Calculator shows how much rake players effectively pay when playing online poker cash games and which poker sites are the least and most expensive. Play Chinese Poker online against three AI players, analyse your play and find better strategies. This Chinese Poker. Chinese poker is a 2-4 player poker game with thirteen cards. The idea is to make three poker hands with increasing rank: two with five cards and one with three cards. If one of the hands does not adhere to. The China poker games are raked at 5% of your profit on winning sessions. Losing or breakeven sessions are zero rake. The PokerMaster app itself doesn't display rake, it's only designed for play chip poker. Players' rake and real money results up or down are calculated by the clubs at the end of each day.
International game drinking etiquette (it's a serious business) and China's own drinking sports!
Best casino in vegas to win money. If you have been reading previous posts on the blog you will now be aware of baijiu, its health benefits, flavours and historical significance. But how does China's national spirit drink fit in to the complex and very important pastime of drinking games?
Well, the Chinese have a number of fun activities up their sleeves in this department – and we will look at these in more detail a little later in this piece.
If you have ever taken part in any type of drinking game, whether as a student at University, a high flying executive at work, or just with friends at your local bar – you'll know that these occasions are often messy, lawless, incredibly drunken and generally bad news if you're not very good at winning things.
But did you know there is an international drinking game code? Yes folks, that's right – no need to suffer those hangovers that seem to last for weeks, even months – just follow this set of rules, known, unofficially as ‘The International Drinking Rules'
- 1. Before the drinking game commences, all participants must choose an alternative name for one of the other players, using 'Mr' or 'Miss/Mrs' as a title. The name can be as complex or as simple as the player desires and should ideally reflect some aspect of the participant's character. Once each name has been chosen, you cannot refer to the player by their real name – or any other nickname you know them by. You can only use the name each participant has been given, otherwise this results in a forfeit (More on forfeits in a little while). Tricky, if there are a number of players.
- 2. Pointing with fingers is not allowed. Contestants may point with either the head or the left elbow. Pointing with the right elbow is also prohibited.
- 3. Swearing is prohibited, unless the player precedes his or her profanity with air quotation marks.
- 4. Drinks may only be held in the left hand.
- 5. While drinking, the pinky finger (that's the little finger) must be extended.
- 6. Before taking a drink, the drinker must acknowledge the other participants in deigning to allow them to consume alcohol with the words: 'I thank the participants.'
- 7. In order to leave the table (for whatever reason) the player must make the following request: 'If it pleases the participants, may I be excused?' The participants then decide by vote whether to accept the request.
- 8. If a contestant needs to get something from another player (dice, cards, coins, for example) the holding player must place it on the table for the other to pick up. Passing something directly between hands is forbidden. The players can choose to have the forfeit fall on either the giving or receiving player, although this rule is best used when the receiving player suffers the penalty as it can then be manipulated to greater tactical effect (It's a very complex business)
- 9. Should a player falsely accuse another of breaching the rules, they must take a penalty drink. After all, it is a serious accusation to accuse another of betrayal.
- 10. Players must not, under any circumstances, be heard belching.
Chinese Drinking Games – Top
So, there you have it readers. These are serious rules, as you can see. But that is just the beginning! Someone, somewhere, will always try and break these important rules – and this is where the world of forfeits then come into play. Below are examples of the kind of situations where breaking a rule results in a forfeit – and being a drinking game, these are, of course, are cumulative.
- 1. A participant used their finger to point at someone, or something.
- 2. A participant uses another player's real name in conversation.
- 3. Someone swore without using air quotation marks.
- 4. Someone took their drink using the wrong hand.
- 5. A participant didn't extend their pinky (little) finger while consuming a drink.
- 6. A participant failed to thank the other participants in their company, during the game.
- 7. The forfeit issued for any of the above scenarios has not been discharged as it was not performed correctly, thus meaning another forfeit is accumulated.
So, as you can imagine, these rules can make a regular drinking game complicated initially. However, after a few rounds you get the hang of things. Only when the alcohol begins to take effect do you witness truly catastrophic attempts to follow the rules. There is also, invariably, one very annoying player in every group who remembers (and thus rarely breaks) every rule whilst simultaneously watching all other players like a hawk. This player will be the one to dredge up the stupid things you did, while inebriated during the game, for years and years to come, with some regularity.
That's a brief explanation about the general etiquette involved with pursuits involving alcohol and all the fallout that can entail. So how do the people of China go about their particular drinking games? Let's examine what they get up to in Beijing and beyond.
Having discussed the ‘etiquette' involved with drinking games, evidence suggests that the Chinese actually appear to dispense with many of the above rules, making for a brilliant party, full of unadulterated fun! They concentrate on the ‘forfeit' element much more than their counterparts in the West.
Here's a guide to the type of games the Chinese partake in. Whether its beer, or of course, Baijiu, there will be something for everyone here.
Chinese Drinking Games – Top
This is widely considered to be China's favourite drinking game. The rules are pretty straight forward, however you need to be aware of the limitations with this one – the results could really hurt your head in the morning otherwise.
Each player has a cup that contains 5, six sided, dice. Everyone shakes their cup and notes what combination of matching dice are contained within, without the other players seeing. This is a giant game of bluff essentially, as each participant effectively bids on what dice they think is in each participants cup and states what is in their own.
This might not be the truthful hand that is actually within the cup, however. If you get caught out in a lie, you drink, or the player who incorrectly calls out a fellow player for lying must down some alcohol also.
For example, if you state that there are three 3's in a cup, it is up to each player in the circle to increase the combination of dice numbers itself in each subsequent guess, say two 4's or four 5's, or other combinations greater than the initial bid that was made.
Each player has a cup that contains 5, six sided, dice. Everyone shakes their cup and notes what combination of matching dice are contained within, without the other players seeing. This is a giant game of bluff essentially, as each participant effectively bids on what dice they think is in each participants cup and states what is in their own.
This might not be the truthful hand that is actually within the cup, however. If you get caught out in a lie, you drink, or the player who incorrectly calls out a fellow player for lying must down some alcohol also.
For example, if you state that there are three 3's in a cup, it is up to each player in the circle to increase the combination of dice numbers itself in each subsequent guess, say two 4's or four 5's, or other combinations greater than the initial bid that was made.
However, if someone has already said a certain number of fives are in a cup, you cannot then say another combination of fives, as they have already been spoken for. You can say two 6's after someone has said four 5's, but you cannot state 6 two's. The amount of dots on each dice, must increase in each bid.
So the idea is that you push your luck, however when you believe someone has called an impossibly unlikely figure you can shout ‘Bu Xing' , meaning ‘not possible'.
Everyone then shows their dice. Either the bluffer or incorrect challenger must drink, according to who is correct. If the bid is matched, or exceeded, the bidder wins, otherwise it is the participant who incorrectly challenges the call who has to drink.
Chinese Drinking Games – Top
This is another simple game, in theory. It is to do primarily with dares. The dealer counts from 1 to 13 as shuffled cards are placed on the table, face up, one at a time. If the number on the upturned card matches the number quoted by the dealer, every other player must slap the deck simultaneously.
The last player that slaps the deck must drink – and if everyone else chooses – must also accept a dare from the rest of the players. So it is definitely a game of reflexes and awareness.
Given that 1 to 13 are the range to count, the Jack counts as 11, the Queen as 12 and the King as 13. A fun game, but not good on the liver if you repeatedly slap the deck last!
Chinese Drinking Games – Top
This Chinese drinking game is steeped in tradition, though it is considered to be less popular than Dice, or Card Counting. The idea is that one player beats a gong repeatedly. The rest of the players pass a flower around in a circle. When the gong player stops suddenly, the person with the flower has to drink.
The modern day version of this game, might be very similar to the childhood game ‘pass the parcel' – but a lot more adult and deadly in its outcome if you are unlucky enough to be holding the flower each time the gong stops.
Chinese Drinking Games – Top
The idea behind this Chinese drinking game, is again, fairly simple. Except once you have had a few drinks! This is for two players at a time. Both players extend their fingers revealing how many fingers they have out at the same time. Just before the reveal one player shouts a number between 2 and 20. If the total number is equal to the total fingers displayed, then the player is safe. If the number is not, then the player must drink.
Given the odds are pretty short to guess this right, there is a very good chance you will be reaching for a hangover cure in the morning.
Chinese Drinking Games – Top
Shi Wu is very similar to the finger guessing game, mentioned above, but the odds are much, much, better. This again involves two players, but they only have the option of holding either zero, five, or ten fingers. This means the player guessing has the chance to guess between zero, five, ten, fifteen, or twenty at the moment the reveal is made.
Again, if the number is not correct, the person guessing must drink.
To make this game even more fun why not try and use the Chinese numbers when you guess – Ling (Zero), Wu (Five), Shi (Ten), Shi Wu (Fifteen), or Er Shi (Twenty).
Chinese Drinking Games – Top
At first glance you might be forgiven there is a high risk of you being stung in this game, or that you have to wear a bee keepers outfit to partake in it. But fear not, its nothing like that. The idea is that each player says the phrase ‘two bees fly down to a flower and fly'. Once the phrase is said, two of the players then play the classic game of Rock, Paper and Scissors.
If you win, you pretend (pretend is a very important word here) to slap the other player three times. However, if you both guess the same symbol you must both pretend (well, perhaps if you're in a relationship you might not) to kiss. If either of you gets this wrong however, you must both drink.
Chinese Drinking Games – Top
Technically Chinese Poker is not considered a drinking game, however with a few Baijiu's involved, this really spices things up.
This rules of this game are considered to be less complicated than those of the widely played Poker game, ‘Texas Hold Em' but the basic idea is the same.
So, what are the rules of Chinese Poker, you may ask?
Each player receives 13 cards. You then arrange your hand into three different hands, two five card poker hands and one three card poker hand. Straights and flushes don't count in your three card hand, only high card, pairs and trips. Your hands have to increase in strength, starting with the three card hand.
Once you've set your hands, you compare each of your three hands with your opponents corresponding hands, with the best hand earning a point, and a bonus point being awarded for sweeping all three.
There are also bonus points awarded to making certain hands, starting with straights on bottom and pairs higher than sixes on top. These bonus points can make the game incredibly swingy, especially if one player 'fouls' their hand – fails to create three hands that ascend in value from bottom to top.
In that case the player pays the sweep bonus plus any high hand bonuses. Depending on the agreed upon bonuses, hands can get up to thirty points or higher in some cases. So, you can be creative in your drinking forfeits to suit the rules of this game. If you are more familiar with poker than some of your counterparts, then you are more likely to be walking in a straight line at the end of the evening, so it's one to definitely learn before you embark fully into something you might regret in the morning.
So, as you can see, there are a number of games the Chinese culture indulges in – and some are not for the faint hearted. If you fully engulf the Baijiu drinking culture and start to play these games with friends, we wish you luck, but, of course, drink responsibly as you do so. (See: Drinking Baijiu – Chinese Customs & Traditions)
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Chinese New Year games include traditional Chinese strategy and gambling games like Majiang and Chinese Poker, which can be played in groups, as well as other year-round popular games that can be enjoyed for longer in the 7-day+ Spring Festival holiday free time.
The Chinese culture has always been fond of games and group activities, and almost no family or group gathering will be complete without a little added fun. This is especially evident during the Chinese New Year celebrations. As many family members normally stay together for a few days under one roof (or even in the same room), one of the most common ways to pass the time and feel the festivity, is to play Chinese New Year games.
1. Majiang (Mah Jong)
The most popular Chinese New Year game, without a doubt, is Majiang (Mah Jong).
The traditional Chinese game is played using tiles, and resembles the western game 'Rummy'. The game is usually played in groups of 4, and involves quite complex strategic and mathematic abilities, and is astounding to see Chinese people of all ages and generations play it quickly and effortlessly with a unique sleight of hand.
Many elderly homes are likely to have a Majiang table, or even dedicate a whole room to it, as it may be one of their most beloved leisure activities, and is not strictly a Spring Festival game, but a year-long hobby. Majiang is not an easy game to learn, and besides the quite complex strategy needed to play well, a pretty good understanding of Chinese characters will also be required as some tiles are labelled with them.
See more on (Sichuan) Majiang.
Online Chinese Poker
2. Dou Dizhu (Chinese Poker)
The second most popular game, that surely almost any Chinese can play, is known as Dou Dizhu, or 'Fight the Landlord' in English, and is a card game that in the modern day is commonly played with standard poker-card decks.
The fast-paced game is often referred to as the 'Chinese poker', and is usually played in groups of three, and sometimes more. This game also has dozens of rule variations and playing styles depending on region. Most honest online casinos. It is often said that the game is 'easy to learn but hard to master', and this may be a huge understatement, as the game requires extraordinary strategy just to even get through a few rounds.
As the game is very fast-paced, it creates an exciting, loud, and tense atmosphere, making it an ideal Chinese New Year game!
3. Chinese 'Long Cards'
A rummy-like game played with long cards with Chinese number characters on them is frequently played in rural areas in the south of China.
4. Gambling
It is important to note that although the games mentioned above are essentially 'gambling games', similar in style to poker, gambling is prohibited in the majority of Mainland China.
Of course, if playing at home with friends or family, using cash money or giving hongbao (red envelopes with money in) electronically using smartphones will normally be involved in the game without any issues. If playing such games outside, or in public 'game-room' settings, it is advised to exercise caution and avoid playing with money.
Having said that, culturally speaking; gambling has been loved by Chinese people for centuries and is why many traditional Chinese games are designed around the practice.
For people who really love gambling, both Hong Kong and Macau, the 'gambling capital' of Asia, serve as ideal places to go and let loose, and win (or lose) some cash! It just so happens that the Chinese New Year is also the time of Hong Kong's horse-racing 'Chinese New Year Cup', the most famous and popular event of the horse-racing season in Hong Kong.
5. Chinese Chess
Chinese chess is played a lot at Chinese New Year.. as always among the usual partakers (particularly retired men).
6. Fortune-Telling (through games)
Chinese tradition has always included many activities related to fortune-telling and other superstitious practices, and this also takes form in card-reading.
Some Chinese New Year games involving cards, are meant and designed to predict the players' fortune in the coming year. Particularly during the Spring Festival, it is common for parents or grand parents to 'read' the fortunes of their children using playing cards, and there are many different ways in which cards can be arranged in order to 'predict' good or bad fortune in particular months of the new year.
In more religious families, these fortune-tellings could even play a role in deciding the best times to do certain things throughout the year, such as traveling, moving house, changing job, or buying a car.
Check how to read palm lines
Free Chinese Poker Games
7. 'Hunting' for Money
In the last decade or so, a new Spring Festival 'game' has been occupying many people, particularly children and young adults, throughout the holiday..
As customary during the Chinese New Year, people often give hongbao, or 'red packets' with money, to friends and family. In the modern age of technology, these red packets can be easily sent to one another through messaging applications on smartphones (mostly WeChat).
As these messaging apps usually would have various 'group chats' with many people inside, if someone were to send a 'red packet' (of an unknown amount prior to opening) to the group, then all members have a chance to open the packet, and be given a random share of the total sum that was sent.
As most people would probably have several different group chats on their phone (for work, family, friends, etc.), it is likely to see many red packets being sent at random throughout the week. Normally, the first few people to open these, would get a bigger amount, so being quick to open is key. Because of this, it is common to see people quickly racing to check their phones at the sound of a message-alert, to get as many Hongbao's as possible, and beat their family and friends to the biggest prize!
8. Strategy Games
For generations, various types of card and tile games have been a beloved pastime for Chinese people, and until today remain a main occupying activity for many elders. It is very common to see older people sitting in groups around city parks or squares and playing complex strategy card-games.
Younger generations also participate in the occasional 'game-night', and it is easy to find many game-rooms around cities where people of all ages spend an evening playing card games.
Chinese New Year is perhaps the one time each year when everyone puts their skills to the test, and the younger generations typically try to beat the elders who are generally very proficient at such games due to their high frequency of playing.
9. Youngsters' Games
Youngsters (mostly boys) off school play computer games (or Internet gaming) and their own versions of cards (Pokemon etc.) or stone games like 'five in a row'.. and the more athletic ones play basketball etc., but they're hardly traditional CNY games. Skipping games and cat's cradle are traditional games that are more popular among girls in China.
10. Lantern Riddles for Lantern Festival
Lantern Festival on Chineses New Year day 15 is traditionally the last day of Spring Festival, though nowadays most people return to work a week before.
A popular game during this festival when visiting a place is solving riddles affixed to brightly colored (mostly red) lanterns that are hung up everywhere in abundance.
