Run Fast (Pao De Kuai) Rules: Must-Beat, the Last-Card Rule and Scoring
Run Fast (跑得快, Pao De Kuai) is a three-player race to get rid of 16 cards: quick, tense, and a hand takes only a few minutes. It plays a lot like Big Two and Dou Di Zhu, but adds two special rules: you must beat when you can, and you must play your highest single when the next player is down to one card. This guide covers the deck, the combinations, scoring, and worked examples of when you have to play and when you may pass.
The basics
- Players and deck: three players. Remove both jokers, the 2 of clubs, 2 of diamonds, 2 of hearts and the ace of spades, leaving 48 cards: 16 each, no kitty.
- Ranks: 2 > A > K > … > 4 > 3. Suits do not matter; cards of the same rank are equal.
- Who starts: whoever holds the 3 of spades leads, and the first play must include it. This is decided fresh every hand, not by who won the last one.
- Following: the next player must play the same kind of combination, with the same number of cards, and higher. Bombs are the exception: they beat anything that is not a bomb.
- End of a trick: when both other players cannot beat it, the last player to play leads again and may play anything.
- End of a hand: as soon as someone plays their last card. That player wins.
Because only the 2 of spades is left in the deck, there is exactly one 2. There are only three aces, too, so there is no pair of 2s and no bomb of aces; the biggest bomb is four kings.
What you can play
| Play | Cards | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Single | 1 | Compare rank. |
| Pair | 2 | Two cards of one rank. |
| Pair straight | 4+ | Two or more consecutive pairs, such as 3-3-4-4; highest is up to A. |
| Straight | 5+ | Five or more consecutive ranks from 3 to A. The 2 cannot be in a straight. |
| Triple plus two | 5 | Three of a rank plus any two cards (they need not be a pair). Only the triple counts. |
| Airplane | 10+ | Two or more consecutive triples, each carrying two cards, such as 7-7-7-8-8-8 plus four. Only the triples count. |
| Bomb | 4 | Four of a rank. Beats anything that is not a bomb; a higher bomb beats a lower one. |
Pair straights, straights and airplanes must be the same length to beat each other: a five-card straight can only be beaten by a higher five-card straight, not a six-card one.
In MacePlay, a bare triple or a triple plus one is not a legal play, except as your very last play (see below). Four plus two is not a legal play either.
Two special rules and the last play
You must beat if you can
When following, if anything in your hand beats the table (bombs included), you have to play. You may only pass when you truly cannot beat it. This is the biggest difference from Big Two.
Highest single when the next player is on one card
When the player after you has just one card left, any single you play must be your highest-ranked card, so you cannot feed them a small one. Pairs, straights and other combinations are not restricted.
Your last play may be short
A triple plus two and an airplane normally need all their extra cards. But if the play empties your hand, it may carry fewer: with 7-7-7-4 left, you can play all four at once, and it counts as a triple plus two.
Scoring
When someone goes out, the other two pay the winner for the cards they still hold:
| Situation | Units paid |
|---|---|
| 1 card left | Nothing |
| 2–15 cards left | 1 unit per card |
| Never played (shut out, 16 cards) | Doubled: 32 units |
| Each bomb played (the bomber collects from both others) | 5 units each |
A unit is worth 100 coins in the Rookie room, 1,000 in Standard and 10,000 in High Roller. Bomb bonuses are added up when the hand is settled and are paid even if the bomber did not go out first.
Worked examples
Example 1: you must beat
The previous player plays a single K. You hold an A, the 2, and four 5s.
- You want to save the A and 2 for later and pass: not allowed, because you can beat it.
- You may play the A, the 2, or bomb with 5-5-5-5. All three are legal.
- Change the situation: the previous player plays 6-7-8-9-10, you have no higher five-card straight and no bomb at all. Only then may you pass.
Example 2: the next player is on one card
The player after you has one card left. You are leading with a 4, a 9, a Q and a pair of 8s.
- Lead the single 4: not allowed, a single has to be your highest card, the Q.
- Lead the single Q: allowed.
- Lead the pair of 8s: allowed, and usually the better choice, since one card cannot answer a pair.
Example 3: scoring a hand
In the Rookie room (100 coins per unit) you played one bomb and went out first. One opponent holds 7 cards; the other never played a card:
If that first opponent had only 1 card left, they would pay just the 5 bomb units and nothing for the card.
Common questions
Why can't I tap Pass?
Because you hold something that beats the table. MacePlay greys out Pass in that case; tap Hint to see your options.
Can a 2 or an A go in a straight?
An A can be the top card (10-J-Q-K-A); a 2 cannot. Straights do not wrap either, so K-A-2-3-4 is not a straight.
Does the "two" in triple plus two have to be a pair?
No. In MacePlay any two cards will do, for example 9-9-9 with a 3 and a J.
Is there a time limit?
Yes: 20 seconds to lead and 15 to follow. When time runs out, you automatically play your smallest beating combination if you have one, or pass if you don't; when leading, you play your lowest single (your highest if the next player is on one card). Two timeouts in a row switch you to auto-play, which you can cancel with the Stop auto button.
Play Run Fast in MacePlay
MacePlay's Run Fast is a three-player table with Rookie, Standard and High Roller rooms. A card tracker at the top shows how many of each rank have not appeared yet, the Hint button finds your legal plays, and you pass automatically when you cannot beat. Opponents' avatars light up when they are down to one or two cards. Tables start any time, with AI players filling empty seats, and you can open a private room for 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
Three-player Run Fast with a free card tracker and a Hint button for legal plays.
