Tam Cúc is an Asian card game of strategy and outplaying your opponents — fast, exciting and surprisingly tactical. Beat the others with a stronger card or a special combination! Play for ten minutes or all evening.
Inside the box you’ll find 2 sets of 32 cards — 64 cards in total, so up to eight players can start playing straight away.
2–4 players → one set5–8 players → both sets
7 ranks2 armies32 or 64 cardsStrongest wins ↗
01 /
Meet your army.
Seven ranks, from the mighty Emperor to the humble Soldier. Each 32-card set contains two armies of 16 cards: one with a seal and one without. The box contains two of these sets.
The seal takes priority. Cards with the green seal always beat cards without a seal. Never mix the two armies in a combination.
Strongest → weakest
02 /
What can you play?
The player leading the trick decides how many cards to play. All cards in a combination must belong to the same army.
1 card
Any single card. The seal takes priority, followed by rank.
Elephant with a seal
2 cards
Two cards of the same rank, both with a seal or both without.
Two Horses with a seal
Two Chariots without a seal
3 cards
A Golden Trio, a Silver Trio or three Soldiers. Always from the same army.
Golden: Emperor + Officer + Elephant
Silver: Chariot + Cannon + Horse
Three Soldiers with a seal
4 cards
Four Soldiers from the same army.
Four Soldiers without a seal
5 cards
Five Soldiers from the same army.
Five Soldiers with a seal
With two sets, you can also: play three or four cards of the same rank, for example three Officers without a seal or four Chariots with a seal.
A straight beats three of a kind. Chariot–Cannon–Horse without a seal beats three Chariots without a seal. But three Chariots with a seal beat that unsealed straight.
Three Officers without a seal
Four Chariots with a seal
Same army: a straight beats three of a kind.
Chariot + Cannon + Horse without a seal>
Three Chariots without a seal
The seal still takes priority.
Three Chariots with a seal>
Chariot + Cannon + Horse without a seal
03 /
First, deal the cards.
The aim is simple: beat your opponents with a stronger card or valid combination. Score points for your own winning cards.
Take one set for 2–4 players, or both sets for 5–8 players.
Agree on how many games to play and prepare a score sheet.
Each player draws a card. The highest card determines the dealer.
The dealer shuffles and lets the player on their right cut the deck. This determines who starts.
Deal an equal number of cards to everyone, according to the number of players.
How do you choose the starting player?
The player on the dealer’s right cuts a card and counts players clockwise according to its rank. Starting with themselves as EMPEROR, they continue: OFFICER, ELEPHANT, CHARIOT, CANNON, HORSE, SOLDIER. The player who lands on the drawn rank starts. Keep the drawn card at the bottom of the cut portion, place the rest of the deck on top and deal.
For example, with three players and an ELEPHANT drawn: the cutter is Emperor, the player on their left is Officer and the player on their right is Elephant. The player on their right starts.
How many players?
Choose the number of players to see how many cards to deal.
8cards each
0cards left over
1 set from the box · 32 cards
04 /
Let the game begin.
1.
Announce the number.
The starting player announces how many cards will be played, choosing a valid combination.
2.
Play. Then reveal.
Everyone plays the same number of cards face down. Reveal them together. The strongest card or combination wins.
3.
The winner leads next.
The winner keeps their own played cards face up in front of them. Losing cards are discarded. The winner announces the number of cards for the next trick.
1 card = 1 point
The game ends when everyone runs out of cards. Count each player’s winning cards and record the scores.
Keep playing.
The next player clockwise deals. They shuffle and let the player on their right cut to determine who starts. Continue until you have played the agreed number of games.
05 /
Wait, what if…
I don’t have the required combination?
Pass: put the same number of cards being played into the discard pile. Everyone must always have the same number of cards in hand.
Two players play equally strong cards?
In a tie, the player who led wins. If they are not among the tied players, the closest tied player clockwise from them wins.
A mistake makes it impossible to continue?
If the cards were dealt incorrectly, the dealer forgot to offer the cut, or someone played an invalid combination after others had already discarded, cancel the game and redeal. If everyone agrees, the player responsible may lose 2 points.
Is this the only version of the rules?
No. This guide follows the included rulebook, with rules tested over years of play. Other variations exist, and you can agree on your own adjustments.
AT THE TABLE /
Now, just play.
Cards in hand, rules close by and everyone around one table.
