How to Play Pusoy Dos

What is Pusoy Dos?

Pusoy Dos is the Filipino version of Big 2 (大老二), the shedding card game played across Hong Kong, China and Southeast Asia. "Dos" means two, the highest card in the game. Four players are dealt 13 cards each, and the first to get rid of all their cards wins.

The flow of play is the same as Big 2: beat the last play with a stronger one of the same size, or pass. The main differences are the suit order and a few house rules, which vary from family to family. This guide covers the most common way Pusoy Dos is played in the Philippines.

Pusoy Dos is not the same game as Pusoy, the Filipino name for Chinese Poker, where nobody sheds cards: everyone sets 13 cards into three poker hands (back, middle and front) and each row is compared with every other player's. Play Pusoy here.

The same game as Big 2 and Capsa Banting; not Pusoy, where you set 13 cards into three poker hands: Big 2 · Capsa Banting · Pusoy (a different game)

Pusoy Dos rules at a glance

Players

4 (2 or 3 also works; see below).

Deck

Standard 52 cards, 13 per player.

Card ranking

3 (lowest), 4, 5 … K, A, 2 (highest).

Suit ranking

Usually ♣ Clubs < ♠ Spades < ♥ Hearts < ♦ Diamonds (highest).

Who starts

The player with the 3 of Clubs, who must include it in the first play.

Plays

Singles, pairs, three of a kind, and 5-card combinations.

Beating a play

Same number of cards, higher value. Or pass.

Winning

First player to empty their hand. Others often pay per card left.

How to play Pusoy Dos, step by step

1. 1

   Deal

   Shuffle and deal all 52 cards so each of the four players has 13.

2. 2

   Open with the 3 of Clubs

   Whoever holds the 3♣ starts. Their first play must include it: as a single, a pair of 3s, or inside a 5-card combination.

3. 3

   Beat or pass

   Going around the table, each player plays the same number of cards with a higher value, or passes. A pair can only be beaten by a higher pair; a 5-card hand only by a stronger 5-card hand.

4. 4

   Take control

   When everyone else passes, the last player to play clears the table and leads anything they like.

5. 5

   Win

   The first player to play their last card wins the round. In many games, everyone else scores a penalty for each card still in hand.

Pusoy Dos card and combination ranking

Cards are compared by rank first (3 lowest, 2 highest), then by suit when the ranks are equal. So the 2♦ is the single strongest card in Pusoy Dos.

Five-card combinations follow poker, from weakest to strongest:

Straight

Five cards in sequence, e.g. 5-6-7-8-9. Compared by the highest card.

Flush

Five cards of the same suit. Compared by suit, then highest card.

Full house

Three of a kind plus a pair. Compared by the three of a kind.

Four of a kind

Four cards of one rank plus any fifth card. Compared by the four.

Straight flush

A straight in one suit. The strongest hand in the game.

Pusoy Dos vs Big 2: what's different?

Pusoy Dos with 2 or 3 players

Pusoy Dos strategy

• •Build your 5-card hands first. Before your first play, sort your cards into the combinations you'll need. Five-card hands shed cards fastest.
• •Lead low when you have control. Get rid of weak singles and pairs while nobody can stop you.
• •Save the 2♦. It's the one card nobody can beat as a single. Keep it to win control at the right moment.
• •Watch who's close to finishing. When a player is down to one or two cards, play your highest singles to stop them going out.

Frequently asked questions