Tien Len (Vietnamese Thirteen)

How to play Tien Len

Tien Len, or Tiến lên miền Nam, is the most popular card game in Vietnam. Four players each get 13 cards from a normal 52-card deck. You play against three computer players, and their cards stay hidden.

Goal

Be the first player to get rid of all your cards.

Card order

The lowest card is the 3 and the highest is the 2: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A, 2. When two cards have the same rank, the suit decides: spades are lowest, then clubs, diamonds and hearts. So the 3 of spades is the lowest card and the 2 of hearts is the highest.

What you can play

• Single, pair, three of a kind or four of a kind.
• Straight: three or more cards in a row, any suits, such as 7-8-9. A 2 can never be in a straight.
• Pair sequence: three or more pairs in a row, such as 5-5-6-6-7-7.

Turn by turn

1. In the first game, the player with the 3 of spades starts and must use it. Later, the winner of the last game starts.
2. The leader plays any combination. Going round, each player must play the same kind with the same number of cards and a higher top card, or pass.
3. Once you pass, you are out until the round ends.
4. When everyone else has passed, the last player to play clears the table and leads again.

Bombs: chopping the 2s

Some plays can beat 2s. Three pairs in a row beat a single 2. Four of a kind beats a single 2, a pair of 2s or three pairs in a row. Four pairs in a row beat all of these. Chopping wins points from the player you chopped.

End of the game and scoring

The first player with no cards wins. Every other player loses one point for each card left, four more for each 2 still held and eight more for an unplayed four of a kind. A player who never played a card loses double. The winner collects all these points. A dealt hand with all four 2s, six pairs or a straight from 3 to Ace wins at once.

Playing on this site

Tap cards to select them, then press Play. Double-tap a card to pick a play with it. Hint suggests a move. On a keyboard, use the arrow keys, Space to select, Enter to play and P to pass.

Strategy tips

• Plan your hand in groups. Before you play, split your cards into straights, pairs and singles. Fewer groups means fewer turns to go out.
• Lead your weak groups first. When you win the lead, get rid of low singles and low pairs while others still have high cards to waste.
• Save your 2s and bombs. A 2 wins a round and gives you the lead. Keep it for the end, when the lead matters most.
• Don't break a good straight. Pulling one card out of a straight to beat a single often leaves you with two weak groups.
• Watch the card counts. When a player has one or two cards left, stop leading singles or pairs they can beat. Lead a straight or your highest card.
• Remember what is gone. If every higher card has been played, your Ace or King is as good as a 2.