Tichu
83 questions players ask about Tichu. Pick one for the answer. See also the full rulebook.
Updated 2026-11-06.
Playing Tricks and Combinations
- Must my play match the type and size of the combination led?
- Can a longer straight beat a shorter straight?
- Can an Ace be used low in a straight (A-2-3-4-5), or can a straight wrap around?
- How do runs of consecutive pairs work, and can 9-9-10-10 be beaten by 9-9-J-J?
- Can consecutive triples be played as a combination, like runs of pairs?
- How are two full houses compared?
- Do suits matter for straights, full houses or beating a card?
- Do I have to play when I can, or can I pass and play later in the same trick?
- Can I play on top of my own trick after everyone else passed?
- Who leads the next trick if the trick winner has gone out?
Mah Jong and the Wish
- When must a player fulfil the Mah Jong wish?
- Can I bomb out of turn to avoid a Mah Jong wish, and does a bomb fulfil it?
- Can I bomb before my turn and then fulfil the wish with a different combination?
- Can I lead a bomb to avoid an outstanding wish?
- If someone bombs during a wish, who must fulfil the wish next?
- Does the Phoenix count as the wished rank, or do I have to use it to fulfil a wish?
- How long does a Mah Jong wish last, and does it carry into the next hand?
- If I play and everyone passes, do I still have to fulfil the wish on that trick?
- Is the player who made the wish bound by it, and does their own straight fulfil it?
- How exactly must the wished card be played, and can I play it alone?
The Dog
Phoenix and Dragon
- Who gets a trick won with the Dragon?
- If my Dragon is bombed, do I give away the trick?
- Can the Dragon be played on a pair, straight or other combination, or in a straight?
- Can I bomb my own Dragon to keep its points?
- What is the Phoenix worth as a single card?
- Does the Phoenix keep its half-rank bonus inside a pair or other combination?
- Can the Phoenix complete a four-of-a-kind or be part of a bomb, and is 3-3-3-3-Phoenix a full house?
- Can the Phoenix stand in for the Mah Jong, the Dragon or the Dog?
- In a full house like 2-2-Phoenix-A-A, does the Phoenix count as a 2 or an Ace?
Bombs
- How do bombs rank against each other?
- What counts as a bomb, and can a straight flush be played as an ordinary straight?
- When exactly can I play a bomb out of turn?
- Can I bomb after the third pass, before the trick is collected?
- Can I bomb my own play to take the trick, or go out that way?
- If two players want to bomb at the same time, who goes first?
- How long must I wait before bombing, and can I bomb after someone has started to play?
- After a bomb is played, whose turn is next, and does it end the trick?
- Can I start a trick by leading a bomb, or play two bombs in a row?
- Can I bomb to take the lead from the player who just won a trick?
Calling Tichu and Grand Tichu
- Until when can I call small Tichu?
- May I call Tichu while cards are being passed?
- When must Grand Tichu be called?
- Can several players, including both teams or both partners, call Tichu in the same hand?
- Can a player who called Grand Tichu also call small Tichu?
- Can my partner and I discuss or arrange a Tichu call?
- What if my partner goes out first after I called Tichu?
Going Out and End of a Round
Scoring and End of Game
- Are trick points still counted when a Tichu call succeeds or fails?
- How is a hand scored when both partners go out first and second?
- Which cards score points, and do leftover cards in the last player's hand count?
- Who takes the Phoenix's -25 if it sits in the last player's won tricks?
- What happens if both teams reach 1000 in the same hand?
Table Talk and Public Information
Variants
Tichu: BoosterExpansion
- Is Tichu: Booster compatible with the Rio Grande Games edition of Tichu?
- How does a Flower combination work in Tichu: Booster?
- When can green Booster cards be played, and how long do they last?
- What if I play 2*Christmas and find only the Phoenix or only the Dragon?
- Can a reaction booster like Bird Thief still be played after players pass on a combination with the Phoenix?
- Who draws the next card after someone plays the Draft booster?