Guandan for Beginners: Wild Cards, Combinations and Bomb Ranking
Guandan (掼蛋) is played with two decks by four players in two teams: the player opposite you is your partner. It plays like a shedding game: empty your 27 cards, and the team of the first player out wins. This guide starts with the level card and the wild hearts, then covers every combination, bomb ranking and how MacePlay scores a hand, with two worked examples.
The basics
- Cards: two decks, 108 cards including four jokers; 27 cards each.
- Teams: four players in two teams; the player opposite is your partner.
- Play: the leader may play any combination. Others must beat it with the same type and number of cards, higher, or pass. Bombs beat any normal combination.
- End of a trick: when everyone else passes, the last player to play leads again.
- Taking over the lead: if that player has already gone out, their partner leads instead.
- Finishing order: the first player out is the head, then second, third and last. The head's team wins.
The level card and wild hearts
Guandan has a “level” rank that sits above the ace. In MacePlay every hand is played at level 2, so single cards rank:
- Only ranks matter, not suits (except for straight flushes).
- Wild cards: the two hearts 2 are wild and can stand for any non-joker card, to complete pairs, full houses, straights, bombs or straight flushes.
- In straights, tubes and plates the 2 sits in its natural place (A-2-3-4-5 is a straight), and the ace can be low or high.
MacePlay plays single hands at a fixed level 2: no levelling up, no passing A, and no tribute or return tribute. A random player leads each hand.
All combinations
| Combination | Cards | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Single | 1 | Any card. |
| Pair | 2 | Two of a rank; jokers pair only with the same joker. |
| Triple | 3 | Three of a rank. |
| Full house | 5 | A triple plus a pair (not a joker pair); compare the triple. |
| Straight | 5 | Exactly five consecutive ranks, no jokers. |
| Tube | 6 | Three consecutive pairs, such as 5-5-6-6-7-7. |
| Plate | 6 | Two consecutive triples, such as 8-8-8-9-9-9. |
| Bombs (beat any normal combination) | ||
| Bomb | 4–8 | Four to eight cards of one rank. |
| Straight flush | 5 | A five-card straight in one suit. |
| Joker bomb | 4 | All four jokers; the highest play. |
Bomb ranking
Bigger bombs beat smaller ones; bombs of the same size compare rank. A straight flush sits between 5- and 6-card bombs, and two straight flushes compare their top card.
Scoring
The head's team wins. The base score depends on where the head's partner finishes:
| Head's partner | Base | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Second (double finish) | 3 | The team takes the top two places. |
| Third | 2 | Head plus third. |
| Last | 1 | The head's partner finishes last. |
- Doubling: every 6-plus-card bomb, straight flush or joker bomb played in the hand (by either team) doubles the score, up to ×8. 4- and 5-card bombs do not double it.
- Settlement: each of the two losers pays “base × multiplier × room base”, and the two winners share it.
- A hand ends when both players of a team are out, or when three players are out; anyone still holding cards is ranked by how many they have left.
Worked examples
Example 1: what does the wild heart become?
You hold ♠10 ♠J ♠Q ♠K and one ♥2 (wild).
- You lead these five cards: the game picks the strongest reading, a straight flush 10-J-Q-K-A (the ♥2 standing in for ♠A). It counts as a bomb and doubles the hand.
- The previous player led 8-9-10-J-Q and you beat it with these five: the game picks the smallest reading that wins, a plain straight 9-10-J-Q-K (the ♥2 standing in for a 9). It is not a bomb and does not double anything.
In MacePlay, when you follow, the game automatically uses the smallest combination that beats the table. If you want a straight flush to count as a bomb, lead it.
Example 2: scoring a hand (room base 100)
You go out first and your partner opposite goes out right after you: a double finish. During the hand one straight flush and one 6-card bomb were played.
- Base: partner second, 3.
- Multiplier: straight flush ×2, 6-card bomb ×2, ×4 in total.
- Per player: 3 × 4 = 12 × base, which is 1,200.
Each opponent pays 1,200, 2,400 in total, shared between you and your partner. Had your partner finished last, the base would be 1 and each player's score 400.
Common questions
Can a wild heart be a joker?
No. A wild card can be any normal card, but never the small or big joker.
Can a straight be longer than five cards?
No. Guandan straights are exactly five cards; split longer runs or make tubes and plates.
My partner is out. Do I keep playing?
Yes. If the lead passes to your partner after they are out, you take it over. If you then go out before either opponent, the hand ends with a double finish for your team.
Is there a card tracker?
Yes. MacePlay shows a free tracker at the top of the table with how many cards of each rank are still unseen.
Play Guandan in MacePlay
MacePlay's Guandan table sits in a Jiangnan garden at night, with blue-and-white card backs and four chibi card players named after the plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum; bombs set off firecrackers. AI players fill empty seats (your partner is often an AI player), and you can open a private room to play with friends.
MacePlay is for adults 18+ and for entertainment only. Virtual coins have no cash value and cannot be exchanged for cash or goods.
Ready? Open a table in MacePlay
Guandan with wild hearts and a free card tracker at the top of the table.
