How to play Big Two.

How a round goes

Everyone is dealt thirteen cards. Be the first to play all of yours. Cards rank 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 J Q K A 2, so the twos are the biggest, and suits rank ♦ ♣ ♥ ♠, so the 2♠ beats every other card.

• Leading: play one card, a pair, three of a kind, or a five-card hand. Whoever holds the lowest card opens the first round with it.
• Following: play the same number of cards, but stronger, or pass. A pair is ranked by its higher card; three of a kind by its rank.
• Five-card hands, weakest to strongest: straight, flush, full house, four of a kind with any fifth card, straight flush. A stronger kind beats a weaker kind whatever the cards.

  10♦♦J♣Q♥K♠A♦♦

  3♦♦5♦♦8♦♦J♦K♦

  J♦J♣J♥Q♦Q♣

  K♦K♣K♥K♠Q♦

  10♦♦J♦Q♦K♦A♦♦

• Clearing: when everyone else passes, the table clears and whoever played last leads anything they like.
• The end: the first player out wins. Everyone else pays a point a card, double for ten or more, triple for all thirteen.

Tap cards to pick them up, tap again to put them back, and press Play. Hint steps through everything in your hand that would beat the table.

House rules

Off unless the host switches them on when dealing.

• A pass is final: Once you pass you are out until the table clears, instead of being free to come back in.
• Twos in straights: A-2-3-4-5 and 2-3-4-5-6 count as the two lowest straights. Without this, straights run only from 3 up to the ace.
• Guard the last card: When the player after you is down to one card and you play a single, it must be your highest.

The court

This edition

• Thirteen cards each, whatever the number of players. With two or three at the table the rest of the deck sits out, unseen.
• Whoever holds the lowest card dealt (the 3♦ at a full table) leads first and must include it. After that, the winner of a round leads the next with anything.
• Cards rank 3 low to 2 high; suits rank diamonds, clubs, hearts, spades. A play is one card, a pair, three of a kind, or a five-card hand.
• Five-card hands rank straight, flush, full house, four of a kind (with any fifth card), straight flush. A higher kind beats a lower one whatever the cards.
• Straights and straight flushes are compared by their top card, rank first and then suit. Flushes are compared card by card from the top, and by suit only if every rank is the same.
• A pass costs nothing and you may come back in later, unless the host has made passes final. When everyone else has passed, the table clears and the last player to play leads.
• The game ends the moment someone plays their last card. Everyone else pays a point for each card they still hold, double for ten or more and triple for an untouched thirteen. The winner collects it all.

Big Two is a traditional game, known as Dai Di, Cho Dai Di or Deuces. Turns last forty-five seconds, after which the table passes for you.