Card Games Popular in China

Photo & story by: Debbie Stock

Playing cards are believed to have originated from China, dating as far back as the 13th century.

In my travels through major cities in China I saw this scene played out numerous times in front of shops and on neighborhood sidewalks. A group of women or men sit outdoors at a card table and play card games. The women pictured may be playing DouDiZhu, a popular version of DaLaoEr, one China's most popular card games. Three players are each dealt 17 cards, with the last 3 cards placed aside. Players make combinations to win. 

In DaLaoEr 2-4 players look for Pairs, Triples, Flushes or Straights. A player wins once they clear their hand.

When things get a little slow the owner of a cafe sits down to play, keeping her apron on, in case she gets called back on the job.

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