Pao De Kuai

Take a standard deck and remove both jokers, the 2 of hearts, the 2 of diamonds, the 2 of clubs and the ace of spades. That leaves 48 cards. The deck therefore has only one 2, the 2 of spades, and only three aces (hearts, diamonds and clubs). Every other rank has all four cards.

Ranks run, from low to high: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A, 2. Suits never matter: the nine of hearts and the nine of spades are equal. There are no jokers and no wild cards.

After shuffling, each of the three players receives 16 cards. The whole deck is dealt, so there is no kitty and no bidding. The player holding the 3 of spades leads first and may play any legal combination; the first play does not have to include the 3 of spades.

Sixteen-card Pao De Kuai uses only seven combinations:

• Single: any one card, compared by rank.
• Pair: two cards of the same rank.
• Pair run: two or more consecutive pairs, such as 3-3-4-4 or 5-5-6-6-7-7.
• Straight: five or more consecutive single cards, such as 3-4-5-6-7.
• Trio + two: three cards of the same rank plus any two cards. The two extra cards do not have to be a pair.
• Plane + wings: two or more consecutive trios, each carrying two extra cards of any rank, for example 3-3-3-4-4-4 + 7 + 9 + J + K.
• Bomb: four cards of the same rank.

Runs, straights and planes must stay between 3 and ace. The 2 can never be part of a run, so the longest straight has 12 cards, from 3 to ace. A trio + two or a plane is compared only by its trio; the extra cards never affect which play is higher.

A few more limits apply:

• A bare trio or a trio with only one extra card is not allowed, and a plane must carry its full wings. The only exception is your final play: when those cards are everything left in your hand, you may carry fewer extras or none at all. For example, if 8-8-8 + 5 is all you have, you can play it and go out. It counts as a trio + two and can still beat a trio + two from the previous player.
• Bombs cannot be split. If you hold all four cards of a rank, they can only be played together as a bomb, never as singles, pairs or extra cards.
• There is no four-with-two or four-with-three, and three aces are not a bomb.

Play passes from player to player in a fixed order. To follow, you must play the same combination with the same number of cards, and it must be higher. A bomb beats any play that is not a bomb, and bombs compare by rank.

The most important rule of Run Fast is must beat: when it is your turn to follow and you hold any play that beats the last one, including a bomb, you are not allowed to pass. You may pass only when you truly cannot beat it.

When the other two players both pass, the round ends. Whoever made the last play leads again with any combination. The player who leads a round cannot pass.

When a player is down to one card, the table shows a last card warning on that seat. The player whose turn comes right before theirs is then restricted: if they play a single, it must be the highest single in their hand. They cannot keep a big card back and let the warned player go out cheaply. Pairs, straights, bombs and other combinations are not affected.

Example: the previous player plays a 9. You hold a 10, a K and the 2 of spades, and the next player after you has one card left. You must beat, and your single must be your highest, so your only legal play is the 2 of spades. You may not play the 10 or the K, and you may not pass.

The hand ends the moment any player empties their hand, and that player wins. The base score is 1:

• Cards left: each losing player pays one point for every card still in hand. One card left still costs one point.
• Shut out: a loser who never played a single card pays double. Holding all 16 cards costs 32 points.
• Winning bomb: when a round ends on a bomb that nobody beats, or a player goes out with a bomb, that player collects 10 points from each of the other two. A bomb that is beaten by a higher bomb scores nothing.

The winner collects what both losers pay, and bomb points are settled separately. The three scores always add up to zero and there is no cap. The result panel lists each player's cards left, shut-out status, bomb income and total.

Pao De Kuai, also written Paodekuai and known in English as Run Fast, is one of the most popular three-player card games in the Chinese-speaking world. The Chinese name is 跑得快, literally "run fast", and the version played here is often called the sixteen-card game on Chinese online tables. There is no landlord and there are no partners: every player is on their own, and the only goal is to get rid of all 16 cards before the other two.

Compared with Dou Dizhu, the pace is quicker. There is only one 2 and no jokers, so the highest single card is the 2 of spades, and bombs can only be made from 3 up to K. Add the must-beat and last card rules, and every play has to account for what is left in your hand and for who is about to go out.

The game starts as soon as the page opens. There is nothing to download and no account to create, and it works in portrait or landscape on a phone as well as in a desktop browser. You sit with two computer opponents at one of three levels: Easy, Medium or Hard.

• Hint: when you are unsure, tap Hint to see one legal play. Hints follow the must-beat and last card rules too.
• Pass explains itself: under the must-beat rule the Pass button is locked and tells you that you still have a play that beats. An illegal play shows the reason, such as not beating the last play, not a valid combination, or having to play your highest single.
• Card counter: shows how many cards of each rank have not appeared yet, counted for the 48-card deck.
• Last card reminder: when an opponent is down to one card, their seat keeps showing the warning.
• Auto-save: reload the page or rotate your phone and the game continues from the same position.

There is no undo, and there are no coins or beans. Every hand is freshly dealt, and the 3 of spades always leads.

Shed the awkward cards first. Scattered low singles are the hardest cards to get rid of. When you lead, use straights, pair runs or planes to clear them in one go, and keep your high cards for winning back the lead.

Watch for the last card warning. Once the next player is down to one card, any single you play must be your highest. Before that happens, try to organise your hand into pairs and runs so you are not forced to throw away big cards. When you are down to two or three cards yourself, plan to keep one card the others cannot beat.

Must beat drains high cards. When the previous player leads a single and you hold a higher one, you have to play. Opponents can use low singles to force out your aces or the 2 of spades. When you win the lead, start with the combination you are least afraid of having beaten.

A bomb is both the lead and points. A winning bomb collects 10 from each opponent, but it scores nothing if a higher bomb beats it. The best moment is when you are fairly sure nobody holds a bigger one.

Track the 2 of spades and the aces. The deck holds only one 2 and three aces. Once the card counter shows they are gone, your K or Q may be the highest single left.