Dou Dizhu – Rules

1. Overview

Name	Dou Dizhu (斗地主, “Fight the Landlord”)
Type	Climbing and shedding game, one against two
Players	3 (variant for 4)
Recommended age	10 and up
Playing time	one round 3–6 minutes
Material	54 cards (52 + 2 jokers), pen and paper
Goal	Be first to get rid of all your cards – alone as landlord or together as peasants.
Difficulty	medium

What is it about? Dou Dizhu is China's most played card game, especially online. The highest bidder becomes the “landlord”, gets three extra cards and plays alone against the two “peasants”. Players lay down combinations, each of which must beat the previous one. Bombs and the rocket beat everything.

2. Cards and material

Pack: 52 French cards plus 2 jokers (small and big).
Ranking (low → high): 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A, 2, small joker, big joker.
Suits: don't matter.
Face up and face down: Hands concealed, the three landlord cards are shown after bidding, played combinations face up.

3. Preparation and start

Shuffle.
Deal: Everyone gets 17 cards; 3 cards stay face down.
Bidding: In turn, each player bids 1, 2 or 3 or passes. Each bid must be higher; a bid of 3 makes you landlord at once.
Landlord: The highest bidder takes the 3 cards face up (now 20 cards).
All pass: Redeal.
Start: The landlord plays the first combination.

Start example: You hold both jokers and two twos. You bid 3 and become landlord. You pick up the three cards – among them an ace.

4. Goal and winning

Landlord wins: if they are first to get rid of all cards.
Peasants win: if either of them is first to get rid of all cards – then both win.
Game: After an agreed number of rounds the highest score wins.

5. Play in detail

Combinations.

Combination	Example
Single	7
Pair	9-9
Triple	5-5-5
Triple + 1	5-5-5 + 8
Triple + pair	5-5-5 + 8-8
Straight (5+, no 2s or jokers)	6-7-8-9-10
Pair sequence (3+ pairs)	4-4-5-5-6-6
Airplane (consecutive triples, optionally with wings)	7-7-7-8-8-8 (+ 2 cards or 2 pairs)
Four + 2	9-9-9-9 + 3 + K
Bomb (four of a kind)	J-J-J-J
Rocket (both jokers)	small + big joker

A round of play.

The starter plays any combination.
In turn, each must play a higher combination of the same type and length – or pass.
Bombs beat everything except higher bombs and the rocket; the rocket beats everything.
When both others pass, the round is over. Whoever played last starts anew with any combination.
A player who passed may play again in the next turn of the same round.

Example with Players 1 to 3. Player 1 is the landlord.

Player 1 plays a straight 5-6-7-8-9.
Player 2 plays 7-8-9-10-J (higher, same length). Player 3 passes.
Player 1 has no higher five-card straight and passes. As both others have passed, Player 2 starts a new round.
Player 2 plays a pair of fours. Player 3 plays a pair of queens. Player 1 plays a pair of twos.
Players 2 and 3 pass. Player 1 starts anew.

6. Scoring

Base value: the bid (1, 2 or 3).
Doubling: Each bomb played and the rocket double the value.
Spring: If the landlord wins before the peasants have played a single card (or the peasants win after the landlord played only once), the value doubles.
Settlement: If the landlord wins, each peasant pays them the value. If they lose, they pay each peasant the value.

Result	Landlord	each peasant
Landlord wins	+ 2 × value	− value
Peasants win	− 2 × value	+ value

7. Special rules and situations

Straights: At least 5 cards, at most up to the ace; 2s and jokers never belong in a straight.
Same length: A five-card straight may only be followed by a higher five-card straight.
Peasants cooperate: A peasant may pass to leave the round to their partner.
No communication: The peasants may not discuss their cards.
Common mistakes: using bombs too early; overplaying your partner; playing combinations of the wrong length.

8. Variants

Standard in this description: three players, bids 1–3, bombs and the rocket double.

Variant	What changes	Suits
Rob the landlord	Instead of fixed bids, players “rob” the landlord role, doubling each time.	online games
Four players	Two packs, eight landlord cards.	four players
No airplanes	Simpler combinations.	beginners
More rounds	12 instead of 6 rounds.	long evenings

When playing against the computer on cardgames.zone you play three-handed with bids from 1 to 3, over 3, 6 or 12 rounds.

9. Tips for beginners

Bid with bombs: Jokers, twos and bombs are good reasons to become landlord.
Plan your hand: Sort your cards into as few combinations as possible beforehand.
Long combinations first: Straights and airplanes are hard to beat.
Save bombs: Use them to win a round back.
Cooperate as peasants: Don't overplay your partner when they're close to going out.
Count cards: Remember whether the jokers and twos have gone.
Shed singles: Low singles are hard to get rid of at the end.

10. Summary in 10 steps

54 cards, three players, 17 cards each.
3 cards stay for the landlord.
Bid: 1, 2 or 3.
The highest bidder becomes landlord and takes the 3 cards.
Ranking: 3 low … A, 2, jokers high.
Play a combination; the next must beat it in kind or pass.
Two passes: new round.
Bombs and the rocket beat everything.
First without cards wins (peasants together).
Bid × doublings; each peasant pays or receives.

11. Frequently asked questions

What is the highest card?

The big joker, then the small joker, then the two.

What beats a bomb?

Only a higher bomb or the rocket.

May a straight contain a 2?

No. Straights end at the ace at the latest.

Do the peasants have to cooperate?

Yes, they win and lose together – but without talking it over.

What is a spring?

A win in which the other side could (almost) not play a card. It doubles the value.

How long does a round take?

Three to six minutes.

Origin & history

Probably developed in the 1980s/90s in central China (often named: the Huangshan region); the name borrows the rhetoric of the land reforms. Through online platforms (Tencent QQ, from the 2000s) it became China's most played card game.