Introductie

Four color cards is een traditioneel spel dat geen vaststaande regels heeft (er zijn veel populaire variaties). De version die op BGA is geïmplementeerd is één van de meest gebruikte versies op Taiwan, zoals hieronder beschreven.

De kaarten hebben 4 kleuren in rood, groen, geel en wit met 7 types ( Generaal, Adviseur, Olifant, Chariot, Ruiter, Kanon en Soldaat ). Er zijn 4 exemplaren van elk, dat is 4 × 7 × 4 = 112 kaarten.

Four color cards is een spel van 2 tot 4 spelers. The players take turns to make a meld and discard a hand card - there are other melding chances that do not follow the player order - or to draw a card from the deck until a player calls "hu" and finishes the round.

If the points of finisher's melds reaches the threshold, the player wins scores from others, else the player loses points to others. Game Rules

First, the players are dealt 20 cards, the first player has 1 more card and they must start by discarding.

Then melds can be made with the card just discarded. Here are the possible melds:

  - General, adviser, and elephant can be melded to command meld.
  - Chariot, horseman, and cannon can be melded to field meld.
  - Different color soldiers can be melded to soldier meld ( 3 or 4 colors ).
  - Cards of the same type and color can be melded into pairs, triples or quadruples except generals and soldiers;

the generals can go on their own and soldiers can not meld into pairs.

Scoring is as follows:

  - General = 1 point
  - Command = 2 points
  - Field = 1 point
  - pair = 0 points
  - triple = 1 / 3 points ( ground / hand )
  - quadruple = 6 / 8 points ( ground / hand )
  - quadruple of generals = 8 / 6 points ( ground / hand )
  - 3 color soldiers = 3 points
  - 4 color soldiers = 5 points 

Players can make a triple (pong), quadruple (gan) or a win (hu) with no regards for the player order, but melds of other types can only be picked from the player before oneself. Choices for melds are made simultaneously by players, then priorities apply (strongest combination first, equalities decided by turn order).

If a player can not or do not want to make a meld, they should draw a new card out to replace the discarded card (and start another melding phase which they have the melding chance with). If a player makes a meld, they need to discard one card from their hand. Generals can not be discarded. If the player can not discard, the round ends immediately and the points are scored.

If a player's hand cards are all able to become melds after making a meld, they can call "hu" to make the meld and finishes the round.

The combination priorities are listed below: ( equalities decided by turn order )

  - hu ( cards in hand + last discarded/drawn card are all able to become melds ) >
  - gan ( quadruple ) / pong ( triple ) >
  - chi ( pair, command/field meld, 3/4 different color soldiers, or a lonely general )

There is a extra chance to gain points by drawing a lucky card. If the player gets a card of the same type as one they already have, they get points depending on the number of cards of the same type.

If the points are less than the target threshold to reach, which is 10, the player loses 10 points plus 1 base point to other players. If the threshold is reached or surpassed, the player earns the points in excess above the threshold plus base points from every other player.

If the game ends by exhausting the deck, no one get points.

Since the game is a gambling game, players start the game with a set amount of credits/money that will increase or decrease with the score of each successive round (three rounds by default).

Dat is het verhaal van het spel four color cards. Veel plezier!