# Guide to Playing Chắn - A Traditional Vietnamese Card Game at N88

## Introduction to Chắn
Chắn is a traditional Vietnamese card game that uses a deck of 100 cards featuring Chinese characters and illustrations. The game combines strategy and luck, providing engaging and exciting entertainment.

## Overview of Chắn
Chắn at [N88](https://n88.diy/) is a classic card game with a long history, popular in Northern Vietnam. Played with the traditional Tổ Tôm deck consisting of 25 types of cards, each with 4 identical cards, totaling 100 cards. Typically, 2 to 4 players participate in each game, requiring skill and strategy to win.

## Basic Rules of Chắn

### Game Rules:
- Each player is dealt 19 cards, with the remaining cards placed in the center as the "nọc" (deck).
- Players take turns to play, draw, eat cards, chi (claim), trả cửa (return), and ù (win) to score points.
- Various winning combinations (ù) exist based on the combination of "chắn" (pair), "cạ" (triplet), "ba đầu" (three-head), "què" (extra), and special cards.

### Dealing Cards:
- The dealer splits the cards into 5 parts, each with 20 cards. The dealer picks a part as the nọc, then randomly selects and reveals a card from the nọc as the "bài cái" (main card).
- The first player to play is determined after this process.

### Playing Cards:
- The first player starts by playing any card. The next player must play a card of the same suit or any card if they don’t have a matching suit.

### Eating Cards and Scoring:
- A player eats a card by having the highest matching card of the same suit or a special card (elder, straight, chi).
- The player who eats the card takes both the main card and the following card, then draws from the nọc and continues playing.

### Terminology and Scoring:
- Chắn: Two matching cards, e.g., nhất vạn - nhị vạn.
- Cạ: Two cards of the same family, e.g., nhất văn - nhất vạn.
- Ba Đầu: Three cards from one to three, e.g., nhất văn - nhị vạn - tam sách.
- Què: One card matching the number of the main card, e.g., if the main card is bát văn, then bát vạn, bát sách are què.
- Ù Bài: When a player has a set of cards that meets the winning conditions, such as three pairs, one triplet, one què. Each winning combination has a specific point value.

## Risks and Notes When Playing Chắn
Playing Chắn can be fun but also carries risks such as losing money, addiction, and legal issues. To play safely, remember to:
- Play for entertainment, not to make money or pay off debts.
- Only play with money you can afford to lose, and avoid borrowing to play.
- Play on reputable platforms and comply with legal regulations.

## Conclusion
Chắn is not only an entertaining game but also a part of Vietnamese folk culture. This guide has introduced basic gameplay, terminology, and risks involved in playing Chắn. Enjoy relaxing moments and bonding with friends and family through this game at N88.