Dmytro Polovynka

Bagchen

Bagchen is a Tibetan game, a Tien Gow relative. I advise you to learn the game Tien Gow first, because Bagchen is a more difficult version of the game.

It is played with a double set of Chinese dominoes, that is with a set of 64 tiles. Traditionally Tibetian domino is visually different from Chinese, is smaller, but thicker. Technically it’s the same though.

Each player is dealt 16 tiles. The deal is played till 16 tricks. Taking tricks mechanics is the same as in Tien Gow, but some combinations are different, and there is also a special rule about “point”. As in Tien Gow, the player does not have to take a trick and can put arbitrary tiles face down into the trick.

When dealing, two dice are thrown. The value that is thrown is a “point”. A tile corresponding to this value is also a “point”. There are special rules for point tiles.

Traditional names

The tiles have different names than in the Chinese games. Civil suits are called “sky”, and military suits are called “earth”. [6:6], [6:3] and [5:4] are the sky and earth “chiefs”. [1:1], [6:2] and [5:3] are the sky and earth “ministers”. Only chiefs and ministers can make mixed combinations.

In the sky suits: [4:4] is “lama”, [3:1] is “bird”, the rest of the doubles are “sisters”, the rest of the tiles are “people”.

In earth suits: [5:2] and [4:3] are called sevens, [4:2] is a mother, [4:1] and [3:2] are fives, or owls, [2:1] is a son. The supreme pair [4:2][2:1] is called mother-and-son here.

Tile ranking

As in Tien Gow, the tiles are divided into two suits - “sky” and “earth” tiles. In Bagchen sky tiles have a bit different ranking than in Tien Gow. Doubles [5:5], [3:3] and [2:2] are considered equal to each other, have the collective name “sisters” and cannot beat each other. Likewise with the lowest tiles in the civilian suit, which have the collective name “people”. That is, [6:5], [6:4], [6:1] and [5:1] cannot beat each other either. That is, the ranking of the sky tiles is as follows:

[6:6] > [1:1] > [4:4] > [3:1] > ([5:5] = [3:3] = [2:2]) > ([6:5] = [6:4] = [6:1] = [5:1]).

In the earth suit, ranking of the tiles is the same as in the Tien Gow:

([6:3] = [5:4]) > ([6:2] = [5:3]) > ([5:2] = [4:3]) > [4:2] > ([ 4:1] = [3:2]) > [2:1]

Combinations

You can lead to a trick with one tile, or with a combination. There are several types of combinations.

Sky combinations

Sky combination is a set of two to four identical tiles. The same number of higher identical tiles are beaten as described earlier. That is, [5:1][5:1][5:1] can beat [3:1][3:1][3:1], but not [3:1][3:1] (wrong amount) , not [6:4][6:4][6:4] (not higher) and not [3:3][3:3][2:2] (not identical).

Earth combinations

Earth combination is a set of two to even four tiles, not necessarily identical. For example, [3:2][4:1] is a valid combination and can be beaten by [6:3][6:3], or [4:2][4:2], which in this case is an earth combination, and not “mother-and-son” (see below).

Mixed combinations

In Bagchen, only the two upper ranks - chiefs and ministers (in Tien Gow that is Heaven, Earth, Nines and Eights) can form mixed combinations. The rules of formation and beating are the same as in Tien Gow. Unlike Tien Gow, combinations of the type [4:4][5:2] are not valid.

Mother and son

In Bagchen, as well as in Tien Gow, there is a special combination [4:2][2:1], which is called “mother and son” (“Supreme pair” in Tien Gow). It can’t beat anything, but nothing can beat it.

Horse combinations

Bagchen has special horse combinations that are not found in Tien Gow. These are mare [4:1][2:1] and stallion [4:3][4:2]. These combinations form the suit of their own. The stallion beats the mare, but they do not overlap with other combinations. They can’t be beaten by any other combination, but they can’t beat anything either.

There are also horse combinations on four tiles - a double mare, a double stallion and a “full horse” - that is, a mare with a stallion. Although the combination of a full horse includes “mother and son”, they are not considered a “point” (see below).

Point

The two dice rolled during the deal make a “point” for the deal.

If the “point” is of sky suit, then all identical tiles are a point. If the “point” is of earch suit, then all equal tiles are a point (for example, if 6-3 is rolled, then both [6:3] and [5:4] are points). If “point” belongs to the combination “mother and son”, then both mother and son are points.

For taking a trick with a “point”, the player receives a chip from each player. If a player leads to the trick with several tiles, which are points, then he receives the corresponding number of chips from each player.

Taking a trick with the combination “mother and son” is also considered a “point”, regardless of which tile is the point according to the dice. If the “mother and son” tiles are a point even according to the dice, then for leading to the trick with the “mother and son” combination, the player receives three chips - two chips for two “points” on the dice and one chip for the mother-and-son combination by itself.

Passport

If the player took 6 tricks, then he has a “passport” and he does not pay chips to the player who leads to the trick with a “point”.

However, a player with a passport has a limit on which tiles he can use to lead to a trick. I warn you - these rules are somewhat complicated. For a start, you can play without them, or you can simplify them, since these rules differ from company to company anyway. The main idea of these restrictions is to make it harder for a player with a passport to take the last trick.

A player with a passport has the right to play the following tiles and combinations:

If there are only points in hand plus one additional tile or a single combination, he has the right to lead with it.

If the player does not have any previous combination, then he has the right to lead with any sky or horse combination. If there are none, then from any earth combination. If there are none, then he can lead with anything. Other players may ask that player to show his tiles to prove that he cannot lead in any other way.

Final calculation

As in Tien Gow, the player who took the last trick won the deal.

Normal calculation

If the last trick was taken without a “point” (that is, neither a tile-point nor a mother-and-son combination), then the calculation is similar to the game Tien Gow. All players who took less than six tricks pay the difference to the winner (for example, if a player took four tricks, he pays 2 chips). If someone took more than six tricks, then he receives the difference from the winner. No matter what, the winner will still be in surplus.

Jump

If the last trick was taken with a “point”, then the calculation is done differently. The number of “points” that were taken in a row is calculated - this is called a “jump”. For example, at the end of the game, a player played first [2:2] - which is a point, and then also [4:2][2:1], which is a “mother-and-son” combination. That’s two points together. Such final tricks are played together, since it is impossible to beat them anyway.

For these final points, the other players do not give chips as usual. But the number of these points is multiplied by two and this number is a multiplier for the usual final calculation. That is, in the mentioned case, the player will receive not one chip, but four (multiply two points by two) for every trick under six from other players.

Additional rules

Special dealing rules

If the player does not have any tiles from the two highest ranks - (chiefs or ministers), then he can request a redeal. If one of these values is a “point”, then the highest rank is shifted one tile down. For example, if [1:1] is a point, then the two highest ranks in the sky suit are [6:6] and [4:4].

If a player has all [6:6] doubles in hand and they are not a point, he should announce this and even lay it out in front of him so that the other players can adjust their play.

A mother is looking for a son

If the player has a single mother or a single son in his hands, he has the right to say “mother is looking for a son” or “son is looking for a mother” before the play, and he places the chip in front of him. The player who has a pair to this tile may put his chip in front of him. If this happens, the players roll the dice to determine who will get this combination. Now one player has 17 tiles and the other has 15. A player with 15 tiles rolls two dice to determine which tile should be given to him in return. If he gets a “point”, a mother, a son, or a tile that the other player does not have, he rolls the dice until he gets the value that the player with 17 tiles has. After the exchange has taken place, the dice are set back to the “point” value. Note that if the dice show the “earth” value, then a player can give an equal tile. That is, if dice show 6-3, then a player should give any of [6:3] and [5:4].

Looking for a son or mother is only possible if they are not a “point” by themselves.

Charity

A player without a passport has the right to place one tile face down and name or not name the suit - earth or sky (it may not coincide with the actual suit of the laid out tile). This trick can be beaten with any tile of the suit if the suit was named, or with any tile if the suit was not named.

If all the players put their tiles down, so they don’t take a trick, then the player who started the trick takes this trick.

Big slam

If the player has taken all 16 tricks, he wins the entire game and takes all the chips of the table.

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