Tiến Lên (Vietnamese Poker)

Objective

Be the first player to get rid of all your cards.

Number of Players

Typically 4 players, can be played with 2, 3, or more using two decks.

Materials

A standard 52-card deck without Jokers or wild cards.

Card Ranking

Cards are ranked 2, Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3. Suits ranked Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, Spades. 2 of Hearts highest, 3 of Spades lowest.

Setup

Random dealer first game, subsequent games dealer is the loser of the previous game. Each player gets 13 cards.

Gameplay

Player with the 3 of Spades starts the first game, winner of previous game starts subsequent games. Players must beat the played card or pass.

Legal Combinations

Single Card, Pair, Triple, Four of a Kind, Sequence, Double Sequence. Combinations beaten by stronger of the same type.

Special Rules

"Bombs" or "two-bombs" can beat single twos or sets of twos. Four of a kind beats single two; sequences beat pairs or triples of twos.

End of Game

The game ends when only one player has cards left. That player may owe a stake to each of the other players.

Tiến Lên is often played for money, and stakes can be high among serious players.