By BluffKing · · Updated
How to Play Dou Dizhu: Rules & Card Combinations
Learn how to play Dou Dizhu: landlord and farmer roles, bidding, card ranks, a legal combinations chart and practical farmer teamwork examples.
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Play Dou DizhuDou Dizhu (斗地主, also called Fight the Landlord) is a three-player card game: whoever wins the bid becomes the landlord and plays alone, and the other two are farmers. The first player to empty their hand wins for their team; if either farmer goes out, both farmers win, even if the partner still holds cards. This guide covers what you need for a first game under BluffKing’s classic rules without wild cards.
Dealing and bidding
A 54-card deck, including two jokers, gives each player 17 cards, with three bottom cards set aside. On your turn, pass or bid 1, 2 or 3, higher than the current bid; bidding 3 makes you the landlord at once, and if everyone passes the cards are redealt. The landlord takes the bottom cards, holds 20 and leads first. The landlord settles against both farmers, so before bidding, judge whether the whole hand can be played out, not just whether you hold a joker.
Combinations at a glance
Single cards rank from lowest to highest 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A, 2, small joker, big joker; suits have no order. The table shows ranks only, so 3 3 3 means three threes.
| Combination | Example | Key points |
|---|---|---|
| Single, pair or triple | 7; 7 7; 7 7 7 | Pairs and triples share one rank. |
| Triple with a single or pair | 3 3 3 + K; 3 3 3 + 9 9 | Only the triple’s rank counts. |
| Straight | 3 4 5 6 7 | At least five consecutive ranks, one card each. |
| Consecutive pairs | 3 3 4 4 5 5 | At least three pairs of consecutive ranks. |
| Airplane | 3 3 3 4 4 4; + 7 9; + 7 7 9 9 | At least two consecutive triples, with no extras, one extra card per triple, or one extra pair per triple. Single extras may form pairs, with at most two cards of any rank; extra pairs each have a different rank. |
| Four with two | 6 6 6 6 + 9 J; 6 6 6 6 + 9 9 J J | Two extra cards (which may be a pair) or two pairs of different ranks; not a bomb. |
| Bomb | 6 6 6 6 | Beats any ordinary combination; a higher bomb beats a lower one. |
| Rocket | Small joker + big joker | The strongest combination, including against a bomb. |
Straights, consecutive pairs and an airplane’s triples cannot contain twos or jokers: 10 J Q K A is valid, J Q K A 2 is not. An airplane’s extras cannot share a rank with its triples. Attachment rules vary between versions; this chart follows BluffKing’s rules.
Playing and responding
A response must have the same shape and card count with a higher main rank: if the lead is a pair of sevens, a pair of eights beats it, but a single ace cannot, and straights compare only at the same length. Combinations with extras compare only their main part, so 4 4 4 + 5 beats 3 3 3 + K. Bombs and the rocket are the exception and beat ordinary combinations. You may pass even when you could beat the play; after two consecutive passes, the last player to play leads any shape, and the leader cannot pass. The hand ends as soon as someone plays their last card.
Scoring
With enough chips, each farmer wins or loses base × bid × multiplier, and the landlord twice that. With base 10, bid 2 and multiplier 1, a landlord win costs each farmer 20 and pays the landlord 40; a farmer win reverses this. Bombs, the rocket and spring double the multiplier, up to 16; actual amounts are also limited by each player’s chips at the start of the hand.
How farmers work together
- Decide who should hold the lead. Before playing or passing, check who made the last play, how many cards the landlord and your partner have left, and what you could lead after taking over. You can see your partner’s card count and played cards, but not their hand.
- Don’t overtake your partner by habit. If your partner plays a pair of sevens and the landlord passes, passing too returns the lead to your partner; overtake only when you have a better plan after taking over. Still, “never beat your partner” is not a rule: if the landlord could easily take your partner’s play, beating it can help.
- Choose the shape by the landlord’s card count. If the landlord has one card left and you lead with 4 4 A, play the pair of fours first, which the landlord cannot answer with a single; after your partner passes, lead the ace to finish. Leading the ace first risks the landlord holding a higher single.