Guide to "Thirteen Water" (Chinese Poker): Rules, Strategies, and Winning Tips

"Thirteen Water" is a strategic card game originating from southeastern China, blending hierarchical card arrangement with competitive scoring. This guide outlines its core mechanics, advanced tactics, and regional variations.  

1. Basic Rules and Setup  

Objective  

• Organize 13 cards into three hierarchical combinations (Front, Middle, Back), ensuring each subsequent hand is equal to or stronger than the prior. Misalignment triggers penalties.  

Game Setup  

• Deck: Standard 52-card deck. For 5-player games, an additional 13-card suit extends the deck to 65 cards.  

• Players: 2–5 participants. 

Hand Structure  

• Front Hand: 3 cards.  

• Middle Hand: 5 cards.  

• Back Hand: 5 cards.  

  • Hierarchy: Front ≤ Middle ≤ Back.  

2. Hand Rankings  

Standard Combinations (Weakest to Strongest)  

1. High Card: No combination.  

2. Pair: Two cards of matching rank.  

3. Two Pair: Two distinct pairs.  

4. Three of a Kind: Three matching ranks.  

5. Straight: Five consecutive ranks (e.g., 5-6-7-8-9).  

6. Flush: Five cards of the same suit.  

7. Full House: Three of a Kind + a Pair.  

8. Four of a Kind: Four matching ranks.  

9. Straight Flush: Five consecutive suited cards.  

Special Combinations (Strongest to Weakest)  

1. Supreme Dragon: A-K in a single-suited sequence (e.g., ♠A-♠2-♠3-…-♠K).  

2. Dragon: A-K in sequence (any suits).  

3. Twelve Royals: All cards are J, Q, K, or A.  

4. Triple Straight Flush: All three hands as straight flushes.  

5. Three Bombs: Three Four of a Kinds.  

6. All Big: All cards ≥ 8.  

7. All Small: All cards ≤ 8.  

3. Scoring Mechanics  

Basic Scoring  

• Per Hand Comparison: Players compete across Front, Middle, and Back hands. Each winning hand earns 1 scoring unit ("water").  

• Penalties: Misaligned hands (e.g., Front > Middle) incur a 3-water penalty per opponent.  

Bonus Multipliers  

• Special Hands:  

  • Supreme Dragon: +52 waters per opponent.  

  • Dragon: +26 waters per opponent.  

  • Triple Straight Flush: +20 waters per opponent.  

• Gunshot: Defeating all three hands of one opponent doubles the score.  

  • Grand Slam: Defeating all opponents’ hands triples the score.  

4. Key Strategies  

Card Distribution  

• Maximize Back Hand: Allocate your strongest combination (e.g., Straight Flush) to the Back Hand for scoring dominance.  

• Middle Hand Balance: Use moderate-strength hands (e.g., Full House) to avoid overcommitting high-value cards early.  

Special Combination Tactics  

• Prioritize Rare Hands: Build Twelve Royals or All Big/Small if holding J-A cards.  

• Bluffing: Pressure opponents by placing a deceptive Middle Hand (e.g., Flush) to force miscalculations.  

Risk Management  

• Avoid Overextension: Default to standard combinations if unable to form special hands.  

• Track Discards: In multi-round play, monitor discarded cards to predict opponents’ remaining strengths.  

5. Common Mistakes  

1. Hierarchy Neglect: Misaligned hands guarantee penalties.  

2. Underestimating Specials: Failing to counter opponents’ rare combinations leads to catastrophic losses.  

3. Overvaluing Singles: Isolated high cards (e.g., Ace) often lose to structured hands.  

6. Regional Variations  

• Five-Player Mode: Uses a 65-card deck with an extra suit, allowing Five-of-a-Kind with wildcards.  

• Wildcards: Some variants permit Jokers as substitutes for any card.