Best Vietnamese Gambling Games and How to Play Them

4. Tam Cúc

Another popular Vietnamese casino game is Tam Cúc. This game is especially popular in Northern Vietnam and is played as part of ceremonies, festivals, and New Year celebrations.

Unlike other Vietnamese card games on this list, Tam Cúc does not use a traditional 52-card deck. Instead, it is played with a Chinese deck with 27 to 32 cards. Red cards are ranked higher than black ones, and the cards, from highest to lowest, include:

• • General
  • Major
  • Elephant
  • Cart
  • Cannon
  • Horse
  • Soldier

Combinations in Tam Cúc include pairs, three-card combos, four sons, and five sons. Three-card combos must consist of either a General, Major, and Elephant or a Cart, Cannon, and Horse of the same color. For Four or Five Sons, you need four or five soldier cards of the same color.

Each round, players lay down up to three cards face down. The first player, or house, decides how many cads to put down that round. The cards are then revealed, with the highest hand winning the pot and the cards of the losing hands.