Mah Jong: rank=1. Can be used to form a row e.g. 1,2,3,4,5. Player may call for a specific card that next player must play if he has it (in a Bomb if necessary). Continues from player to player until card is played.
Dog: can only be led. Gives right to lead to the partner, or if out, to player to his left.
Phoenix: scoring value=-25 at end. Wild in any combination (but it cannot be used to create a Bomb). May not stand in for other special cards. Played alone it is worth the value of the previously-played card plus ½. Does not beat the Dragon.
Dragon: scoring value=+25 at end. Most powerful single card. Can only be played alone. Only beaten by a Bomb. If it takes the trick, player chooses an opponent to receive the trick, but retains the lead.
Example combinations: 4; 44; 3344...; 444; 33399; 34567...
Bombs: Either (1) a row of at least 5 cards in sequence, and all of the same suit (also known as a "straight flush"), OR 4 cards of the same rank. A higher Bomb beats a lower one so four 8's beats four 7's. A "row" Bomb beats a "4 of a kind" Bomb and is in turn beaten by a higher or longer row Bomb.
Scoring: Kings, 10's are worth 10 points each. The 5's are worth 5 points each. Aces are always high.
Tichu Card Passing To Opponents Convention
Choose the cards to pass based on what will help your hand the most, but when you actually choose who to give what, apply the following rules:
  1. When passing an even and an odd card to the opponents, always pass the even card to the player on the right (treat Jacks and Kings as Odd and Aces and Queens as even for this purpose):
    3-5-7-9-J-K-A-Q-10-8-6-4-2
  2. When passing two non matching even cards, pass the lower one to the player on the right. When passing two non matching odd cards, pass the higher one to the player on the right.
  3. When splitting a pair, pass the higher alphabetically named suit card to the right (thus Red, Green, Blue, Black).
  4. When passing only one card of a pair, take suit into account (based on your other cards in your hand, try to make it less likely you are filling straight-flushes when passing to the opponents and more likely when passing to your partner).
Assuming standard Western clockwise order of play.
Tichu Card Passing To Opponents Convention
Choose the cards to pass based on what will help your hand the most, but when you actually choose who to give what, apply the following rules:
  1. When passing an even and an odd card to the opponents, always pass the even card to the player on the right (treat Jacks and Kings as Odd and Aces and Queens as even for this purpose):
    3-5-7-9-J-K-A-Q-10-8-6-4-2
  2. When passing two non matching even cards, pass the lower one to the player on the right. When passing two non matching odd cards, pass the higher one to the player on the right.
  3. When splitting a pair, pass the higher alphabetically named suit card to the right (thus Red, Green, Blue, Black).
  4. When passing only one card of a pair, take suit into account (based on your other cards in your hand, try to make it less likely you are filling straight-flushes when passing to the opponents and more likely when passing to your partner).
Assuming standard Western clockwise order of play. 		Mah Jong: rank=1. Can be used to form a row e.g. 1,2,3,4,5. Player may call for a specific card that next player must play if he has it (in a Bomb if necessary). Continues from player to player until card is played.
Dog: can only be led. Gives right to lead to the partner, or if out, to player to his left.
Phoenix: scoring value=-25 at end. Wild in any combination (but it cannot be used to create a Bomb). May not stand in for other special cards. Played alone it is worth the value of the previously-played card plus ½. Does not beat the Dragon.
Dragon: scoring value=+25 at end. Most powerful single card. Can only be played alone. Only beaten by a Bomb. If it takes the trick, player chooses an opponent to receive the trick, but retains the lead.
Example combinations: 4; 44; 3344...; 444; 33399; 34567...
Bombs: Either (1) a row of at least 5 cards in sequence, and all of the same suit (also known as a "straight flush"), OR 4 cards of the same rank. A higher Bomb beats a lower one so four 8's beats four 7's. A "row" Bomb beats a "4 of a kind" Bomb and is in turn beaten by a higher or longer row Bomb.
Scoring: Kings, 10's are worth 10 points each. The 5's are worth 5 points each. Aces are always high.

Tichu
Rules Summary and Convention Cards

The information on these cards is owed to the work of Chris Mellor/Aaron Fuegi (Aaron's Site).
See here for Tichu analysis.

Tue Jun 3 12:33:42 PDT 2003
spotlightongames.com