Basics of Tien Len
Tien Len is a popular card game which originated in Vietnam. It is played by people of all ages in the Vietnamese community all over the world.
Object of The Game Tien Len
The object of the game is to be the first player to discard all your cards.
How to Play Tien Len
This is a fairly simple game to learn but takes time to master. You can play this game with 2 to 4 players but like most games, the more players, the more fun it is.
Each player is dealt 13 cards from a standard 52 card deck. No jokers are used. The person with the 3 of spades begins play. This person must discard the 3 of spades somehow. The 3 of spades is the smallest card in ranking for Tien Len.
The play moves clockwise.
If you're the first person to play your hand then you can choose to play a single card or play a set. If you're not the first person to play then you have to follow what the previous person played. For example, if the previous person played a set then you also have to play the same set if you have a higher set.
The sets are detailed below.
Since the object of the game is to discard all your cards then you should play as many cards as you can on your turn.
If you have the 3 of spades along with 4,5,6,7 of any suite, then you should play a set of 3,4,5,6,7 instead of laying down only the 3.
Play then moves to the person on the left. If this person does not have a 5 card straight then he has to pass his turn. If he does have a 5 card straight then he has the option to pass also. Why would he pass? He would pass if his 5 card straight is part of a 10 card straight and he wants to keep his 10 card straight together.
Play continues for this round. The person with the highest set for the round gets to begin the next round with any cards that he wants.
Now what if two players have the same set. This is where we get into the rankings of the suites. Rankings go from spade, then club, then diamond, then heart. So spade is the smallest and heart is the largest. 3 is the lowest card and A is the second highest card. The highest card in Tien len is thus the 2 of hearts.
The deuce of hearts is also called the pig or "con heo". If you are dealt 4 deuces you have the best hand and are automatically a winner without playing. That hand is just too strong.
Sets in Tien Len
Pair
3 of a kind
4 of a kind
3 card straight and higher
3 consecutive pairs or more
There are no such things as a full house or flush.
What Makes This Game That More Interesting...
What makes Tien Len so interesting is the ability to "chop" someone.
Any time someone lays down a deucse of any suite, you can beat their hand if you have either a 4 of a kind or 3 consecutive pairs or higher.
Let's say someone lays down a 2 of spade. I then lay down 33,44,55 to beat their hand and gain the ability to start the next round. However, if someone lays down a four of a kind, they can beat my 3 consecutive pairs and they start the next round instead. Four of a kind beats consecutive pairs so the ultimate hand is to have 4 Aces if you want to chop.
In live games where you play for money, if you chop someone, you get extra money above what you would get if you win the game. I won't get into that much here as you have other things to learn first.
There is one roadblock to chopping someone however that you should know. That is whenever you pass a hand either because you don't have a higher card to play or because you're holding your cards for another round, then you cannot play that hand the next time your turn comes around. You have to wait for the next round.
For example, the person to your right plays a 4. You decide to pass because there are cards in your hand which are part of a set and you don't want to take a card from your set and break the set.
The person to your left plays a 6 and the next person plays a King. The person to your right now plays a 2 of hearts which is the highest heart. You can chop this person by laying down your 88,99,10 but the rules forbid you to do this because you had passed on your turn previously. It's the same round that you passed so you have to wait until the next round.
Always reconsider if passing is the right decision when you have a chopping hand. Otherwise you'll be stuck with a chopping hand that is not playable. It's quite embarrassing if someone points that out.
Strategy For Winning at Tien Len
The better you are at noticing which cards have been played and by whom, the better you will be at Tien Len. For example, if you have a deuce of diamonds, its a very high card but there is one card that can beat that card. You can wait until someone plays the higher card than yours (the 2 of hearts) then play your card to insure that your card is the winning card for that round.
You don't want to waste your highest cards by playing them and then getting beat by higher cards or sets of cards. If you have the chance to start a round then play your lowest single cards first to get rid of them. If you have a bunch of low single cards or "trash" cards then your chances of winning are near impossible.
Tien Len like Poker is a game that depends on how good your hand is but also how you play your hand. Pick your cards to play carefully and you'll come out ahead.