How to Play

Chinese Ten (Jiǎn Hóng Diǎn, 'picking red points') is a traditional Chinese and Taiwanese fishing game for 2-4 players. Play and flip one card per turn; number cards capture face-up table cards summing to 10, tens and face cards capture by matching rank. Score red cards, Aces (20 each), red 9/10/J/Q/K (10 each), and the Big Black Ten (30); highest total wins.

Chinese Ten (Chinese: 撿紅點, Jiǎn Hóng Diǎn, literally 'picking red points'; Cantonese Kap Tai Shap) is a classic Chinese and Taiwanese fishing card game in which players capture table cards by making a total of ten (for number cards) or by matching rank (for tens and face cards). On your turn you play one card from your hand and then flip one card from the stock; either or both can capture face-up table cards that pair up with it to reach the capture condition. You then collect all captured cards into a face-down pile in front of you. When play has run through the deck, each player counts the red (heart and diamond) cards in their pile, plus special point cards; the highest score wins. The name refers to 'picking red points' because in the standard scoring the point cards are overwhelmingly red. It is a game of simple arithmetic, sharp memory, and careful card retention; it is taught to children across Taiwan and mainland China as a first fishing game and is a staple of Lunar New Year family play.

Players

2, 3, or 4 players (most often 2 or 4). With 2 players each player receives more cards per deal; with 4 players the cards are spread thinly and the game is faster. The 4-player game is sometimes played in partnerships of two, with partners sitting opposite each other and combining their scores at the end; the 2-player game is always solo. The first dealer is chosen by any method (oldest, drawing a high card, or agreed rotation); deal rotates counter-clockwise in traditional play, though many families use clockwise.

Card Deck

A single standard 52-card deck, no jokers. All four suits are used. For counting purposes, the cards split into red cards (hearts [♥] and diamonds [♦]) and black cards (spades [♠] and clubs [♣]). For capturing, numerical value is used: Ace = 1, 2 through 9 = face value, 10 / J / Q / K have no numerical sum and capture only by matching rank. Red cards are the carriers of score; black cards are almost all worth zero. Standard scoring values (Taiwanese family rules): Aces (all four) = 20 points each (80 total); Red 9 and Red 10 = 10 each; Red J, Q, K = 10 each; Black cards = 0; 10 of Spades (the 'Big Black Ten') = 30 in many traditions as a special bonus card. Total scoring pool in the deck varies by region (most commonly 210 points with the Big Black Ten), and the winning target is to capture more than half of the total, usually 105 or more. Regional scoring varies widely; confirm your table's conventions before play.

Objective

Capture more point cards (red cards plus the Big Black Ten in most versions) than any other player (or partnership). Scoring is by total point value, not card count; red Aces, Tens, and face cards drive the tally. The player or partnership with the highest total points at the end of the deck wins.

Setup and Deal

1. Shuffle the deck thoroughly. Players cut for deal.
2. 2 players: Deal 12 cards to each player, 4 cards face-up to the table, and place the remaining 24 cards face-down as the stock.
3. 3 players: Deal 8 cards to each, 4 cards face-up on the table, stock = 24 cards.
4. 4 players: Deal 6 cards to each, 4 cards face-up on the table, stock = 24 cards.
5. If the 4 face-up table cards on the initial layout include three or four cards of the same rank, some rules require reshuffling and re-dealing (to prevent a single rank dominating the first capture).
6. The player to the dealer's right (or left, depending on rotation) takes the first turn.

Gameplay

1. On your turn, play one card from your hand face-up to the table area. Then, flip the top card of the stock face-up to the table area.
2. Capture rule for number cards (A through 9): A played or flipped card captures any face-up table card whose value, added together with the played card, equals exactly 10 (Ace counts as 1; 2 + 8 = 10, 3 + 7 = 10, 4 + 6 = 10, 5 + 5 = 10, A + 9 = 10). Only one table card may be captured this way per played card (pair matching, not multi-card summing).
3. Capture rule for 10, J, Q, K: These capture by exact rank match: a 10 captures any 10, a Jack captures any Jack, Queen captures Queen, King captures King. Suits are ignored for capture purposes.10♠J♠Q♠K♠
4. Order of capture: First resolve the capture (if any) for the card you played from your hand; then flip the top of the stock and resolve its capture (if any) separately. Both captures go into your pile.
5. Capture destination: All captured cards (the played or flipped card plus the captured table card) go face-down into your personal pile (your 'red points'). Cards you capture are kept together so they can be counted at the end.
6. Trail (no capture): If your played card cannot capture any table card, leave it face-up on the table as a new target for future captures. Same for a flipped stock card that fails to capture: it joins the face-up table pool.
7. Sweep: If your turn captures every remaining face-up table card, this is a sweep (some rules award a small bonus, typically 1 extra point or 10 points; agree before play).
8. End of deal: Play continues until both all hands and the stock are empty. If the deal completes and face-up table cards remain, they are unclaimed in standard rules (some house rules give them to the last capturing player).

Scoring

• After the deck is exhausted, each player spreads their captured pile and tallies point values.
• Aces: 20 points each (all four suits count; 80 total in the deck).A♠A♥A♦A♣
• Red 9 and Red 10: 10 points each (40 total if all four red 9s and 10s are captured).
• Red J, Q, K (Jacks, Queens, Kings of hearts and diamonds): 10 points each (60 total for all six).K♥
• 10 of Spades (Big Black Ten): 30 points (an exceptional black-suit scorer in many traditions).10♠
• All other black cards (2-9 black, black J/Q/K, Ace of Spades/Clubs exception: see rules variation below): 0 points.A♠
• Red 2 through 8: 0 points in the standard scoring (they serve only as capture tools, not score carriers).
• Standard total: 210 points with the Big Black Ten (80 Aces + 30 big ten + 100 from red face cards, 9s, 10s). Winning target: 105 or more.A♠10♠
• Regional variation: Some families also score red 2-8 at 1 or 2 points each; others count only Aces and royal cards. The common rule: agree on the point table before the first deal.
• Cumulative game (optional): Play multiple hands; first to 500 or 1000 wins.

Winning

The player (or partnership) with the highest point total at the end of the deck wins the deal. A single deal is the usual game unit. For a longer session, play a best-of-five or cumulative target (first to 500 or 1000 points). In the 4-handed partnership version, combine the two partners' piles and points to determine the winning side.

Common Variations

• Partnership 4-player: Two teams of two; partners sit opposite. Partner scores combine.
• Simplified red-count: Drop the point-value system; score 1 point per captured red card. Easier for young children.
• Big Black Ten = 40 points: In some Taiwanese traditions, the 10 of Spades is worth 40 points instead of 30, elevating its importance as a single bonus card.10♠
• Red number pips score face value: Red 2-8 each score 1 or 2 points, raising the total to 240 or more.
• Sweep bonus: Clearing all face-up table cards in one turn earns a 10-point bonus and the right to an extra flip.
• No stock flip: Play from hands only; the stock is not flipped after each played card. Makes the game purely strategic (used for advanced play).
• 3-card draw version: Deal 3 face-up table cards instead of 4; faster tempo with less capture material.
• Kap Tai Shap (Cantonese): Identical rules with minor scoring tweaks; the Cantonese name literally means 'picking up tens'.

Tips and Strategy

• Priority on point-card captures. A red Jack in your pile is worth 10; a red 4 is worth 0. When you have a choice, always capture the point card.
• Hold onto Aces. The Ace of any suit is worth 20 points. If you hold an Ace, do not trail it carelessly; wait for a red 9 to appear on the table and pair them for a 20-point gain plus 10 points (if the 9 is red).
• Track the stock. You cannot see what will be flipped, but you can count: 24 cards in stock at the start, decrementing by 1 each turn. Knowing roughly how many remain lets you judge how many capture opportunities are left.
• Watch the table closely. A red 10 left on the table is a huge target; holding back a plain 10 to capture it can net 10 points for the 10 plus nothing else, but that is better than leaving the red 10 unclaimed.
• Defensive trailing. When you must trail a card, prefer trailing a black low card (worthless and hard for opponents to capture profitably) over a red high card (a big target for opponents).
• Save matching ranks for key targets. If three Jacks have already been captured and the Jack of Diamonds still sits on the table, your remaining Jack is a 10-point gift. Do not play it for a weaker capture.J♦
• Partnership signalling (4-handed). In partnership play, do not capture a low-value table card if your partner could make a better capture on their next turn. Coordinate by leaving valuable targets for the partner with the right capture card.
• Count the Aces. 4 Aces worth 20 each = 80 points, almost half of the total score. Any hand without at least one Ace capture is almost certainly losing.

Glossary

• Jiǎn Hóng Diǎn (撿紅點): Mandarin name; literally 'picking red points'. Refers to collecting the red scoring cards.
• Kap Tai Shap: Cantonese name; means 'picking up tens'. Same game.
• Table cards: The face-up cards in the centre, available for capture.
• Capture: Taking a face-up table card by pairing it with a played or flipped card that sums to 10 with it, or matches rank (for 10, J, Q, K).10♠J♠Q♠K♠
• Trail: Adding a played card to the face-up table pool when no capture is possible.
• Big Black Ten (Hei Shi): The 10 of Spades; the only common black-suit card that carries points in most traditions (30 or 40).10♠
• Red points: The hearts and diamonds that carry the scoring values.
• Sweep: Capturing every face-up table card in one turn; a bonus in some variants.
• Stock: The face-down remainder of the deck used for the flip-capture mechanic.