Catte Rules - Complete Guide 🎴
Overview
Catte (also known as Cắt Tê or Sắc Tê) is a tactical trick-taking game for 2-6 players. Unlike other card games where you try to shed all cards, Catte is played in 6 distinct rounds. The goal is to win the final round or be the last player standing.
Quick Facts
- Players: 2-6 (optimal: 4-5)
- Deck: Standard 52-card deck
- Duration: 10-15 minutes
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Objective: Win the 6th round or eliminate all opponents before then.
Card Rankings
Individual Card Order
Cards are ranked strictly by value, then suit:
2 < 3 < 4 < 5 < 6 < 7 < 8 < 9 < 10 < J < Q < K < A
- A (Ace) is the highest card.
- 2 is the lowest card.
Suit Rankings
When values are equal, suits determine the winner:
♠ Spades < ♣ Clubs < ♦ Diamonds < ♥ Hearts
However, in Catte, you can only cut (beat) a card if you have a higher card of the same suit.
Gameplay Flow
Each game consists of 6 rounds. Players receive 6 cards each.
Rounds 1-4: The Elimination Phase
- Lead: The first player (dealer or previous winner) plays a card face up.
- Follow/Cut: The next player (counter-clockwise) must do one of two things:
- Cut (Thiệp): Play a higher card of the same suit to win the trick.
- Fold (Úp): If you cannot or do not want to cut, you must play a card face down (this is called "hiding" or "folding").
- End of Round: The turn passes until everyone has played one card. The player who played the highest face-up card wins the round and leads the next one.
Critical Rule: If you fold (úp) all 4 first rounds (have no face-up cards), you are eliminated (chết tùng) and cannot play in rounds 5 and 6.
Round 5: The "Chưng" Phase (The Setup)
Only players who won at least one round in Rounds 1-4 (called having a "tùng") survive to Round 5.
- Lead: The winner of Round 4 plays a card face down (called "Chưng") and announces its suit (e.g., "I chưng a Heart"). Or they play it face up depending on house rules, but typically it's a strategic move.
- Challenge: Other remaining players have a chance to snatch the lead if they can beat the hidden card (rare variant) or prepare for the final showdown.
(Standard simplified rule: The winner of Round 4 plays a card. Others must follow/cut as usual. The winner of this round leads the final card).
Round 6: The Showdown
- The winner of Round 5 plays their last remaining card.
- All other remaining players reveal their last card.
- The player with the highest card of the same suit as the lead card wins the entire game.
- If no one can follow suit or beat it, the leader wins.
Special Wins (Tới Trắng)
You win immediately after dealing if you have:
- Quadruples (Tứ Quý): Four cards of same rank.
- 6 cards of same suit: All 6 cards share one suit.
- All cards < 6: (Variant) All cards are small.
Terminology
- Thiệp: Following suit with a higher card.
- Úp: Folding/playing a card face down.
- Tùng: A winning card/round. You need at least one "tùng" to survive.
- Chết Tùng: Losing because you didn't win any of the first 4 rounds.
- Chưng: The strategic play in Round 5.
- Thối: Penalties for holding high cards (like Aces) but not playing them before getting eliminated.
Strategy Tips
- Save Aces: Aces are powerful. Try to win a "tùng" early with a King or Queen, saving the Ace for Round 6.
- Baiting: Lead a medium card to force opponents to waste high cards or fold.
- Counting: Remember which suits have been played. If Hearts are gone, your small Heart might be useless in Round 6.