Cao Rua Rules - Scratch Turtle 🐢
Overview
Cao Rua (often called Bài Cào or Cào Rùa) is a simple, fast-paced Vietnamese card game based purely on luck. It's similar to Baccarat but simplified: each player gets 3 cards, sums the points, and the one with the highest score takes the entire pot. "Rùa" means Turtle, implying a "winner takes all" slow-but-steady accumulation (or perhaps just a fun nickname!).
Quick Facts
- Players: 2-10+ (Unlimited, as long as cards last)
- Deck: Standard 52-card deck (remove Jokers)
- Duration: 1-2 minutes per round
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Objective: Highest score wins the pot
- Type: Betting / Luck
Card Values
- A: 1 point
- 2-9: Face value
- 10, J, Q, K: 0 points (or 10, effectively 0 in modulo 10)
Scoring
- Sum the values of your 3 cards.
- Take the last digit of the sum. This is your score (0-9).
- Example: 4 + 5 + 8 = 17 => Score: 7 (Nút)
- Example: J + Q + K = 0 + 0 + 0 = 0 => Score: 0 (Bù / Rớt)
- Example: A + 2 + 3 = 1 + 2 + 3 = 6 => Score: 6
Special Hand: Three Westerners (Ba Tây / Ba Cào)
- If you have 3 face cards (J, Q, K in any combination), this beats any point score (even 9).
- Example: J-Q-K > J-J-Q > 9 points.
Gameplay
- Ante: Everyone puts an equal amount of money into the pot.
- Deal: Each player gets 3 cards.
- Show: Everyone reveals their cards simultaneously.
- Winner:
- Highest points (or Ba Tây) wins the whole pot.
- Tie: If multiple players have the highest score, they split the pot OR play a tie-breaker round (only them).
Strategy?
None! It's pure luck. Just enjoy the thrill.
Next Steps
✅ Ready for a quick game?
- 📊 Betting Strategy - How to manage your bankroll
- ❓ FAQ - Tie-breaker rules