Daihinmin

Daifugō/Daihinmin (大富豪/大貧民; in English, "Very Rich Man, Very Poor Man") is a Japanese card game for three or more players played with a standard 52-card pack. The objective of the game is to be the first person to get rid of all your cards by playing progressively stronger cards than the previous player. Each round, the previous round's winner will be the "daifugō" (or rich man) and will earn various advantages. The last person to get rid of all his cards is the "daihinmin" (poor man). Winners of the previous round will be at an advantage by being able to take one or more cards from losers.

The game is very similar to the Chinese climbing card games Big Two and Zheng Shangou, to the Vietname game Tien Len, and distantly related to Western card games like President, (also known as Capitalism and Asshole), and The Great Dalmuti. Like those other games, there are many variations and rules.

Basic Rules

There are many different variations of Dai Hin Min, and since card games like this are taught and evolve by word of mouth, none can be called definitive. The rules described here are based on rules made popular in the U.S. by Tokyopop, in volume 2 of the manga Fruits Basket. They are fairly basic and attempt to condense the game to its core elements. However, every group of players will have one or more optional rules that they like to use.

Objective

The object of each round is to rid yourself of all the cards in your hand and become "daifugō".

pecial Titles

There are 5 special titles for players during the game, with popular North American/European equivalents:
*daifugō (very rich man) - The winner of the previous round. (President)
*fugō (rich man) - Second place in the previous round. (Vice President)
*heimin (common man) - Average placement in the previous round. (Neutral)
*hinmin (poor man) - Second to last in the previous round. (Vice-Scum)
*daihinmin (very poor man) - Last place in the previous round. (Scum)

Some notes:
*In the first round, everyone is "heimin". Decide randomly who will be the dealer.
*Depending on the number of people, multiple players could be "heimin", or the game might not have a "heimin". In a three player game, there is no "fugō" or "hinmin".
*After every hand, players must get up and switch seats so that the "daihinmin" deals, and everyone is seated clockwise in order of their titles, with "daifugō" on the dealer's left, and "hinmin" on his right.

Dealing

The "daihinmin" shuffles and deals the cards. All the cards are dealt, until none are left, in clockwise rotation. Jokers, other wilds or extra 2s from another deck are used to ensure the cards can be dealt evenly.

After cards are dealt, the "daihinmin" must hand over his two strongest cards to the "daifugō", while the "hinmin" must hand over his/her strongest card to the "fugō". The "daifugō" and "fugō" then hand back an equal number of any "junk" cards they don't want. This process is known as "zeikin" (taxation).

Playing

Play in Dai Hin Min is organized into "tricks", much like Spades or Bridge. However, unlike those games, each trick can involve more than one card played by each player, and players do not have to play a card in a trick.

The player on the dealer's left begins by leading any number of cards of the same rank (1-4, 5 or more are possible with wilds). The player on his left may then play an equal number of matching cards with a higher face value, or may pass. (In a few variants, it is permitted to play cards with an equal value as the last cards played.) Note that the same number of cards as the lead must be played. If the leader starts with a pair, only pairs may be played on top of it. If three-of-a-kind is led, only three-of-a-kinds can be played on top of it. (There are notable exceptions among the variants; see below) The next player may do the same, and so on. This continues until all players pass, or until a 2 is played. The last person to play a card leads the next trick.

A few notes during gameplay:
*The ordering of the face values is a little different from most American card games - the deuce (2) is the highest value and is unbeatable. The ace is next highest, the King the next highest, etc. with the 3 being the lowest. A few variants allow a single deuce to be played on top of any other combination, but typically games require the same number of deuces to be played as were originally led. Another variant leaves one-eyed jacks (jacks of hearts and spades) higher than the deuce; the one-eyed jacks can be bested by the suicide king (king of hearts).
*When players pass, this does not limit them in any way from playing later, even during the same trick. In some variants, however, a player cannot play on a trick in which he or she passed previously.
*Players can pass anytime, even if the player has cards that could be played.
*The number of cards that can be led to begin any trick is only dependent on the cards in the player's hand and his/her strategy.

End of a round

When one player runs out of cards, he/she is out of play for the rest of the round, but the other players can continue to play to figure out the titles. A few versions hold that once a player goes out, players count remaining card values to establish titles, or simply count the number of cards remaining in each player's hand.

When playing by traditional rules, once titles are decided, everyone needs to get up and move. The "daihinmin" is the dealer, and the players must rearrange themselves around him so that they are seated in order of rank, clockwise. Most American variants do not rearrange the seating of the players, so everyone plays in the same order each hand (though the "daifugō" still leads the first trick).

Winning the game

The winner is usually the player who is "daifugō" at the end of the game, but a point system can also be used, where the "fugō" and "daifugō" earn 1 and 2 points, respectively, every round.

Basic strategy

The basic strategy of Dai Hin Min is very simple; players attempt to get rid of weaker cards first so that only stronger cards are left in the players' hands near the end of a game. If a player is stuck with a low card, it will be very hard to get to play it and empty a hand. However, as winning a trick lets the player lead any card to start the next trick, one weak card can be kept to be played last.

However, when trying to prevent a player who is low on cards from emptying their hand, the player preceding him/her can elect to try to "block" the next player by playing a high value card or combination even if a lower value combination is available, and thus hopefully prevent the next player from playing as they are unable to top it. Additional elements of strategy can be introduced with optional rules (see below) such as skips and clears, which afford the other players more options in attempting to prevent play by a person about to empty their hand.

Optional rules

One or more 'house' rules are usually observed when playing a game of Dai Hin Min. Here are a few examples:

*Deuce Means Clear - In addition to deuces (2s) being the highest value, a single 2 beats any other combination of cards. Because it can't be beat, a deuce becomes a "clear" card that allows the holder to "steal" the lead play from someone who would otherwise have played first. This can be essential when attempting to keep a person who has few cards remaining from going out; playing a 2 on a pile of pairs and starting a new pile of three-of-a-kinds means a person with only two cards left is dead in the water. This is common in Western versions of the game including Asshole.
*Jokers are Wild - Can be played almost any time but cannot beat a 2. When a joker is played by itself, it is assumed to be one higher than the card played before it. For instance, if you play a five, and the next player plays a joker, that joker effectively becomes a six. If you are playing a pair, and you play a joker and a seven, the joker is effectively a seven.
*Jokers are 2s - Jokers always count as 2s, meaning the number of Deuces in the game is increased.
*Forbidden Last Card - Could be that 2 is banned from being your last card played, or players are not allowed to go out by playing a pair, or not allowed to go out using a joker, or any number of other possibilities.
*Skips - a player who plays the same number of cards of the same rank as the previous player skips the next person who would have played. For example, playing a seven on top of another seven, or a pair of fours on another pair of fours, skips the next player. This variant is rare, though more common in American versions, and adds an extra element of strategy.
**Multi-Skips - if a player has more than one of the card played previously, he/she may play more of that card than is required in the current trick. By doing so, play skips one extra person for each extra card played. For instance, if a single 4 is played and the next player has the other three 4s in the deck, he/she may play two of them and skip the next two people, or play all three and skip the next three people. If two fours are played and the next player has a four and two wild cards, he/she may play all three cards and skip the next two people (two cards required to play and skip, plus one extra).
*Kakumei ("Revolution") - Playing four of a kind causes a "revolution". Card strengths are reversed until the end of the round, making three the highest, and two lowest. "Kakumei gaeshi" ("Counterrevolution") would restore the power. Revolution could also spark if four sequential cards of the same suit (ex. 4-5-6-7 of spade) are played, together (see "Kaidan" below), or in a row by different players. The player who plays or completes a revolution can choose not to have a revolution. Revolutions could make the very rich man become the very poor man but it is not necessary to do so.
*Kaidan ("Sequence") - Three or more cards that are in sequence with same suit (ex. 5-6-7 of spade) may be played together, instead of playing a three-of-a-kind or four-of-a-kind. The highest card must be higher than the highest card of the set just played. Alternatively, sequences of 2 might be allowed, the same-suit restriction could be lifted, or the "lowest" card might be required to be higher than the highest of the set just played. Often a five card limit is placed on these straights. Another variant allows 'double straights' where a player plays a pair of straights (ex. 5-5-6-6-7-7).
*Eight Enders - Playing an eight, set of eights, or straight ending or beginning with an eight, can end the trick immediately, though it must follow the pattern of play (ex. a pair of 8s following a pair of 5's played previously). The player who plays the eights leads the next trick.
*Deuces Wild/ Jokers High - Deuces may be any value and any suit except they are not allowed to be a joker. If the deuce is played as a deuce, then its value trumps anything 3 through K. A deuce played as a deuce may be used as the highest card in a Kaidan when following an ace (ex. Q-K-A-2). Jokers are not wild but will always trump anything including a deuce. Jokers may be played in pairs, but may not be played in a Kaidan.
*Direction of Play The daihinmin is required to shuffle and deal but, based on the direction of the deal, decides the direction of play. The daihinmin is the first to go after the shuffle and the round starts once the daihinmin places down his/her first cards. In this variation, individuals never change seats, so they are subject to who will play before and after them based on the daihinmin's strategy.
*People's Revolution In this variation, if the daihinmin is the first to shed all of their cards, he/she will take the daifugō position in the next round as normal, but in addition, the daifugō is immediatly out of the current round and will become the daihinmin in the next round.
**In some variants, a "People's Revolution" ends the game immediately with all players swapping rank. Therefore, the "fugō" and "hinmin" would also trade places, and if the Despotism variant is used, the various "heimin" would trade rankings for card-passing purposes.
*Multiple Decks In multiple deck games, when more than one deck is used, there is generally no limit to the number of cards played in a Kaidan or in a multiple card of a kind hand (ex. in a two deck game, eight 10's may be played; more if there are wild cards). A rule of thumb for determining multiple decks is 1 deck for every four players. For example, a five player game would utilize two decks.
*Despotism The number of cards traded between the upper and lower ranks strictly depends on the number of players. For example, in a nine player game, the daihinmin and daifugō will trade four cards. The next two opposing ranks will trade three cards; the next two will trade two cards, and the last two will trade one. With an odd number of players, such as nine, the person in the middle will not trade any cards.
*Three of Clubs Start The person with the three of clubs starts the first round in the game by placing down that card. It may be played in combination with other cards per legal combinations. In multi-deck games, the first person to throw down a three of clubs (or legal combination thereof) starts.
*Daifugō's Choice A subtle rule where the Daifugō, and no other rank, may choose to ask the daihinmin if the daihinmin has a card(s) of a specified value. This request can happen only after traded cards are given to the daifugō and before the round starts. The Daifugō may only ask once and must take multiple cards of the specified rank (up to the number of cards traded), if the daihinmin has multiples, and must return the same number of high cards given to the daifugō from the daihinmin.
*English Ranking System This ranking is for a nine player game. Add or subtract ranks depending on the number of players. 1. King 2. Duke 3. Upper Class 4. Upper Middle Class 5. Middle Class 6. Lower Middle Class 7. Poor 8. Very Poor 9. Destitute.
*Extended Trading After all of the cards are traded and before the round starts, the daifugō may allow for extended trading where individuals can barter their cards with other players. Trades need not be one card for one card. The daifugō may end trading at any time, but when trading is open, cannot control who trades what, and with whom; the daifugō is not allowed to do extended trading without it being open to all. Trading will also end when the first to go places their cards.

ocial aspects

Often the titles used in the game can be extended to social interactions. For instance, the "daihinmin" may be required to get up and fetch everyone's snacks and drinks (often this task is given to the "hinmin" so the "daihinmin" can shuffle and deal). Also the "daifugō" may be able to give an order after each round that must be followed, like "all "heimin" must bark like dogs", or "the "hinmin" must give me a backrub".

The "daifugō" can also add rules related to the game itself, such as the rules in the list above, or any rule that suits him. It is often a good idea to impose limitations on such rule-making before the game starts, such as a maximum number of additional rules (requiring rules to be repealed when new ones are added), and allowing other players to override a new rule by unanimous vote (or a sufficiently large percentage).

Popular culture

* In Fruits Basket, a popular manga and anime series, the characters in the story often play the card game with each other, emphasizing the fun social aspects of the game. Score Entertainment recently released a Fruits Basket card game that contains a set of rules to Dai Hin Min (in addition to an original game developed by Score).
* In volume 6 of Ouran High School Host Club, Haruhi Fujioka and Tamaki Suou (very poor man and poor man, respectively) were made to obey Kyoya Ootori (rich man) after a game of Dai Hin Min.
*There is also a card game called The Great Dalmuti, which is similar in concept and play.
*There is also a card game called "Asshole" in America which is a very similar game, except the titles are President, Vice President, Common guy, Poor guy (or Vice-Ass or Beer Wench), Asshole. This game is often played as a drinking game, with additional rules governing drinking (Common ones include the players being able to force anyone of a lower title to drink, or that the asshole buys the next round)
*In Germany, there is a similar game by the name of "Arschloch" (Asshole in German). However, this game is played with only sevens and up. The person with the seven of diamonds always leads.
*In Sweden, a common name for this game is "neger och president" which means Negro and President. This title reflects the injustice and hierarchy of slave-age USA. New, less controversial titles have since been devised in the name of political correctness.
*Similar to the Swedish and German versions, there is also a Greek variant of Dai Hin Min called "Νίγκα" (Greek imitation of US-pronounced "nigga"). The original gameplay features 5 ranks (Masta, Half-Masta, Swiss, Half-Nigga, Nigga). Each player gets 6 cards and cards utilized are only sevens and up, with aces being the most powerful (No deuces are used). The remaining 2 cards (4*8 equals 32 whereas 5*6 equals 30) are called "the Swiss cards", because it's at the Swiss' discretion to swap at the start of each round 2 cards of his for these 2 "Swiss cards" as an one-time option. Also, the Kakumei-Revolution rule is standard. Other differences from the original Dai Hin Min: There is no seat rearrangement at each round and no wild cards are being used.

External links

* [http://www.diversions-online.com/?q=node/28 Fruits Basket game by Score Ent. contains Dai Hin Min rules]
* [http://www.scoreent.com/ Score Entertainment]
* [http://www.gameland.com/ Rich Man Poor Man online card game.] (Requires login)
* [http://drudgery.s148.xrea.com/mil.htm Another Rich Man Poor Man online card game.] (Browser based, against computer opponents)