Big Two

About this game

(While this game is sometimes called by the same name, it is not to be confused with Chinese Poker.) There is a family of card games known as climbing games. There are climbing games with many variants throughout the world and known by many names(Choh Dai Di, Chinese Poker, Kings and Asses, Scum, President, Dilbert's Corporate Shuffle, etc.). Big Two is one popular variant. Each player starts with a hand of cards and the object is to be the first to get rid of all your cards by playing combinations. The game consists of playing combinations of cards: single cards, pairs, three of a kind, and traditional poker hands (straights, flushes, etc.). When a player plays a combination, only a combination of that type can beat it - you must play a pair to beat a pair for instance. Big Two has a sizable luck element but there is room for skillful play as the players learn how to best manage the cards they are dealt. Best with four players, but still fun with two and three.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 2 to 4.
• Rules load. At 1.7/5 this is a light game — explain it in a few minutes, good for a table that has not played much.
• Age. The publisher suggests 10 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.