Big Two Rules & Strategy

Big Two (also called Deuces or Choh Dai Di) is a card game for three or four players: take turns beating the last play, and the first to get rid of all their cards wins.

Play Big Two

Rules

Use one 52-card deck. With four players everyone gets 13 cards. With three, all cards are dealt: whoever holds the 3 of clubs gets 18 and the others get 17.
The player with the 3 of clubs starts, and the first play must include it.
You can play a single, a pair, or a five-card hand: a straight, full house, four of a kind or straight flush.
To follow, play the same number of cards and the same kind of hand, higher than the cards on the table, or pass.
When everyone else has passed, the last player to play starts fresh with any hand.
The first player to play all their cards wins.

Card order

Ranks run from 3 (lowest) up through K and A to 2 (highest).
Equal ranks are decided by suit: clubs ♣ < diamonds ♦ < hearts ♥ < spades ♠. The 2 of spades is the highest single.
Pairs compare by rank, then by the higher suit in each pair.

Five-card hands

Straight: Five ranks in a row, such as 5-6-7-8-9. The lowest is A-2-3-4-5, then 3-4-5-6-7 up to 10-J-Q-K-A, and the highest is 2-3-4-5-6. Hands that wrap past the 2, such as J-Q-K-A-2, are not straights. Equal straights compare by the suit of the top card (the 5 in A-2-3-4-5, the 6 in 2-3-4-5-6).
Full house: Three cards of one rank plus a pair, such as 8-8-8-4-4. Compare the three-card rank.
Four of a kind: Four cards of one rank plus any fifth card, such as J-J-J-J-3. Compare the four-card rank.
Straight flush: A straight in one suit, such as ♥4-5-6-7-8. Compares like a straight.

A straight only beats a straight and a full house only beats a full house; four of a kind and straight flushes are the exception (see Special rules). There are no triples, flushes or two pairs.

Special rules

Four of a kind and straight flushes are bombs: they beat any single, pair, straight or full house. Four of a kind loses to a higher four of a kind or any straight flush; a straight flush loses only to a higher straight flush.
The 2 of spades played alone cannot be beaten, not even by a bomb.
If you pass on a pair or five-card hand, you sit out until the next fresh start. Passing on a single doesn't: when play comes back to you, you can still play.
If the next player has one card left and you play a single, it must be your highest card. Pairs and five-card hands are not restricted.

Strategy

Plan your hand: group cards into straights, full houses and pairs so few loose singles are left.
When you start fresh, shed your low singles first; they are the hardest cards to get rid of.
Save 2s, aces and bombs to win the lead back instead of spending them early.
Keep track of which 2s and aces have been played, especially the 2 of spades.
Passing on a pair or five-card hand keeps you out until the next fresh start, so think before you pass.
When an opponent is down to one card, play pairs or five-card hands so they can't follow.

Play Big Two