***NOTE: This is the newly-published edition of Tichu which has 2 full decks of 56 cards which includes the 4 special cards in both decks. Also it is now in a hard lidded box rather than the thin-cardboard 'sleeve' the previous edition had.

Even though over 642 million Chinese play Tichu nearly every day, the game is very complicated for Europeans. One need only get rid of his cards. Tichu is primarily a partnership game for four. With just the two packs of cards, Tichu is also well suited for large groups.

Partnership climbing card game -- object is rid yourself of your hand. The deck is a standard 52-card pack with four special cards added. When it's your turn, you may either beat the current top card combination or pass. If play passes all the way back to the player who laid the top cards, he wins the trick and can lead the next one. The card led determines the only combination of cards to be played on that trick. So if a single card is led, then only single cards are played. If a straight of seven cards is led, then only straights of seven cards, etc. The last player out gives all the cards he won to the player who exited first, and the last player's unplayed cards are handed to the opposite team. Five's, Ten's and Kings are worth points, with each hand worth one hundred points (without bonuses). The first team to 1000 points wins.