This is a Westernized version of a popular modern Chinese card game. In China, the game is usually played for a small wager—say, 50 cents per player—which is won by the player who earns the least amount of points.
HOW TO DEAL Start with a fifty-two-card deck, and deal thirteen cards, face down, to each player. Cards rank (high to low) 2-A-K-Q-J-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3. There is also a hierarchy of suits (high to low): of spades, of hearts, of clubs, of diamonds. Thus 3 of diamonds is the lowest card in the deck, 2 of spades the highest. And rank is always more important than suit (e.g., 10 of diamonds beats 9 of spades).
SCORING The goal is to be the first player to empty his or her hand of cards. As soon as one player is out, the game immediately stops and scores are tallied. Players holding cards are scored 1 point per card (up to 9 cards) or 2 points per card (10–12 cards). If a player has not managed to play any cards, he is scored 39 points. A game of Big Two usually lasts until one player scores 50, at which point the player with the low score wins.
HOW TO PLAY The player holding 3 of diamonds starts the game and must lead the card (face up in the center of the table), either on its own or in a valid combination. The valid plays in Big Two are:
SINGLE CARDS High card wins. Higher suit wins if cards are of equal rank.
PAIRS High pair wins. Higher suit wins if pairs are of equal rank.
TRIPLETS High triplet wins (e.g., 2-2-2 beats K-K-K).
FIVE-CARD HANDS All standard five-card poker hands may be played (see the Poker section), with subtle differences:
Despite 2s’ high rank in most hands, the highest straight in Big Two is A-K-Q-J-10, the lowest is 5-4-3-2-A.
If two players have a flush, the highest suit wins, regardless of which cards are in either flush.
Standard full house rules apply.
You must include a fifth card with any four-of-a-kind. It has no impact on the outcome, though, as the higher foursome wins.
The highest straight flush is A of spades-K of spades-Q of spades-J of spades-10 of spades. If two players have straight flushes, the hand with the highest-ranked card (e.g., a high ace) wins. If there is a tie, the high suit prevails.
If you play a single card, your opponents must follow with a single card; if you play a triplet, opponents must follow only with a triplet. Play continues until three players in a row pass, at which point the trick winner sets aside the trick, face down in a single pile, and leads the next trick.
Note that players are never required to play a card, even if they can. And passing once does not mean you’re out of the hand; players may jump back in on their next turn, if they can beat the cards on the table.
This is virtually identical to the basic game except that all players receive seventeen cards, with the final card placed face up on the table. The player holding 3 of diamonds leads and is required to take the extra card into her hand. The 3 of clubs starts the game if no player is holding 3 of diamonds.