Mastering the Art of Mat Chuoc

Similar to playing chess, Horse Racing Chess, or Tien Len, Mat Chuoc can be enjoyed both online and offline. Is it easy to play Mat Chuoc? What are the rules?

I. Mat Chuoc Rules

1. Playing Mat Chuoc Cards

Mat Chuoc consists of 4 suits, with a total of 160 cards, including:

a. Music Cards

Music cards consist of 3 types:

* Book: Blue-colored cards numbered 1 to 9, with the top card symbolized by a sparrow. There are 4 sparrows for each disorderly army:

- Wan: This card is marked with the character 'Wan' in red font, and each card is inscribed with Chinese characters from 1 to 9.

- Literature: Cards represented by a small circle from 1 to 9

* Tai Phao: Also known as the wind, consists of 7 types, and each type will have 4 cards, including:

- East South West North

- Central Dispersal White

b. Framework Set

These are representative cards, and their function is to stand in for other cards. The Framework Set comprises two types of frames:

* Green Frame includes:

- Total: It functions as a substitute for any card, even a flower.
- Bin: Its purpose is to replace cards belonging to the Literature category.
- Case: Designed to replace cards in the Book category.
- Screen: Takes on the role of cards falling under the Myriad category.

* Red Frame includes:

- Blossom: Functions as a substitute for fireworks
- Jubilation: Takes the place of the four winds
- Original: Substitutes for the Middle Eruption White
- Harmony: Serves as a replacement for the defeated Varnished Literature Myriad

c. Floral Set

Comprising Plum Blossom, Orchid, Chrysanthemum, and Bamboo blossoms.

d. Season Set

Comprising 4 seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter

- Four Kings (Emperors) marked with the word 'Emperor' below, numbered from 1 to 4
- Four Queens marked with the word 'Queen', numbered 1 to 4

2. The Art of Chessboard Division

Before playing Mat Chược, the game cards are placed facing upwards and shuffled, forming two rows with 18 cards each. Use a heavy wooden block to align them closely side by side (Similar to the illustration below).

The dealer sits at the East Gate and rolls 2 - 3 dice onto the table to facilitate scoring and card distribution. The deck consists of 160 cards, evenly distributed among 4 players. Each player, upon receiving the cards, arranges them into 20 pairs, laid out in front.

3. Basic Rules of Chessboard Checkers

- The dealer's side has 14 cards, making them the first to play
- The 14 cards are divided into 4 subordinates when it's their turn. Subordinates consist of 3 cards each and are paired up.
- Two identical cards form a card pair
- Phỗng, also known as Horizontal Subordinate, implies three identical cards
- Phình, also known as Vertical Subordinate, is determined by sequence
- Tài phao designates that players with Phỗng should retain and not eat their cards
- Chiến occurs when a player has three cards ready in hand, adding a card drawn or played by others.

4. Priority Rules in Mat Chược

Understanding and knowing these rules will enhance your chances of winning in Mat Chược:

- When two or more players are waiting to claim a card, the player directly below has the priority to capture it first. For example, when the East Gate player makes a move, the South Gate player has a higher priority compared to the other two gates.
- Priority is given to players intending to use the card for Check or Horizontal Subordinate.
- Priority is given to the player sitting at the lower gate to use the card for Vertical Subordinate.

5. Penalty Rules in Mat Chược

Applying these penalty rules will help you penalize the right person more effectively:

- Mistaken Win: Penalty ranges from 32 to 64 points, shared among all players.
- Nine-card Announcement: When claiming a set of nine cards, announce it to everyone. If you discard cards from the same row, you must share them with the other two players.
- To avoid 'Running Win,' a player needs to declare a win from 1 to 3 Consecutive Declarations.
- If you discover missing or extra cards while playing, there is no penalty, but you must play the cards and cannot declare a win.

II. How to Play Mat Chược

1. Simple Mat Chược Gameplay

Mat Chược is played with 4 players, forming a group of 4 winds: East, South, West, North. Roll 3 dice to allocate seats for each player. The player seated at the East will be the dealer; if the dealer wins, they continue as the dealer; otherwise, the next player becomes the dealer.

Rub the cards face down to evenly spread them on the table. Each player arranges 40 cards into 20 pairs in front of them. You can organize them in 6 rows like 7, 7, 7, 7, 6, 6 cards, or you can arrange the cards in 8, 8, 8, 8, 4, 4 style and stack them in pairs.

The East dealer rolls the dice to decide where to pick cards. The dealer starts by giving each player 2 pairs, 2 pairs, 2 pairs, and then 1 pair, totaling 13 cards. The dealer keeps one extra card for the discard. When picking two consecutive cards instead of one, it's called 'jumping the frog.'

After each player takes their cards, the remaining stack is split into two parts. The right part remains as the usual card deck, while the left part is stacked when there's a frame or flowers. The direction of drawing or exchanging cards follows the clockwise and counterclockwise rotation during the drawing or stacking of flowers, frames, or concealed sets.

When the player to your left discards a card, you can claim a Pung if two consecutive cards of the same suit are stacked. If you have two cards matching any card played by others, you have the right to declare a Kong, forming a concealed set.

3. Common Ways to Declare Winning Hands in Mat Chược

In Mat Chược, there are various ways to declare victory, such as:

- Mosquito Win: All four players have both Pungs and Kongs. It's the smallest win with no specific requirements.

- Pung Win: All four players have Pungs, and East is not the prevailing wind.

- Double Kong Win: If all four players have Kongs, it means winning with three Pháns.

- All Pairs Win: 14 tiles form a single row.

- All Characters Win: Having 14 tiles, all of which are characters, earns 18 Pháns.

- Unclaimed Win: When a player doesn't claim any tile discarded by others, it is considered a self-draw and counts as 1 Phán.

- Across Win: Waiting for 1 tile, 1 eye, or 1 pair that a player draws by themselves adds 1 Phán.

- Quiet Win: Similar to playing Tá Lả, Phỏm, if you can't claim from others but draw 4 pairs, it forms a Pung Set.

- Thirteen Wonders Win: Having 13 tiles, including ones and nines, honor tiles (including East, South, West, North), and waiting for about 13 turns. If the ? tile is one of those 13, it completes the set.

- Grand Three Harmonies Win: Three Pungs of East, South, and West, counts as 9 Phán.

- Little Three Harmonies Win: Two Pungs with East, South, West, and the pair with the remaining one among East, South, West, counts as 6 Phán.

- Grand Four Blessings Win: Four Pungs, all Pungs are East, South, West, North, counts as 36 Phán.

- Little Four Blessings Win: Three Pungs with three of the four East, West, South, North, and the pair with the remaining one counts as 24 Phán.

III. Calculating Money in Mạt chược Game

In the game of Mạt chược, the currency is called sầu, and this plastic currency comes in various colors and values.

1. Money Calculation in Mạt chược

- The person who discards a card that allows someone else to win or declare ù has to pay the winner, while the other two players also pay a penalty.
- If a player declares ù by drawing a card, the remaining three players pay the penalty.
- If a player declares ù incorrectly or miscalculates the cards (false declaration), that player has to compensate the other three players in the round.
- If a player mistakenly draws the wrong card while picking up, they are penalized and must continue playing until the end of the round.
- The house declaring ù always counts as Thiên ù and earns one mủm. When the house declares ù by drawing a card immediately, it is called Địa ù and earns one mủn.
- With a Vạn frame, you need to wait for the entire Vạn sequence, and any Vạn card encountered will be considered ù.
- Waiting for a card in the middle of the sequence is called waiting across, waiting at both ends. For example, if there are already Tam vạn, Tứ Vạn, waiting for any Nhị Vạn or Ngũ Vạn will be considered ù.

Calculating Money in a Mạt chược Round

2. Scoring in Mạt chược

- 0 Phán: The round is just right for winning ù.
- 1 phán: 4 consecutive wins in the round, when it's the turn to draw cards and declare ù, having Flowers, the number of seats coincides, having Phỗng, or having Chiếu with the same door.
- 2 phán: When declaring ù with the following characteristics: 4 flowers of the same type, the drawn card for ù must be the last card, having Phỗng or Chiếu with the same door or wind.
- 3 phán: Ù with 3 consecutive wins, 3 consecutive winds, and ù cards of the same type in a row.
- 6 phán: Ù with 4 consecutive wins of small fours, self-declaring ù with all Phỗng and only honorary cards.
- 8 phán: Ù on the edge with 4 consecutive wins of grand fours, self-declaring ù, and having only dragon and wind cards in hand.

Most Comprehensive Guide to Playing Mạt chược

We hope that with the sharing about how to play Mạt chược, you, our readers, will learn how to play. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below this article for Mytour to respond promptly upon reading.

Read more: Mastering the Art of Playing Chinese Chess