Fight the Landlord

Combinations, bombs, and the climb

Fighting Landlord, also called Dou Dizhu, is a three-player climbing game played with a 54-card deck. One player is the Landlord and the other two are Farmers working as a team. Seventeen cards go to each player, and the Landlord receives the three remaining cards for a 20-card hand. In this version the role is assigned automatically, and the Landlord leads.

The goal is simple: be the first side to shed all its cards. The Landlord wins by emptying their own hand. Both Farmers win as soon as either Farmer empties theirs. Suits do not matter. Rank order is 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 J Q K A 2 black joker red joker.

On a turn, either play the same type and size of combination at a higher rank, play a bomb or rocket, or pass. A pass does not remove you from the round. When the other two players pass, the last person who played starts a new round with any legal combination.

| Combination | Requirement | |---|---| | Single, pair, or triple | One, two, or three cards of one rank | | Triple with single / pair | A triple plus one unrelated single or pair | | Straight | At least five consecutive singles, from 3 through A | | Pair straight | At least three consecutive pairs, from 3 through A | | Airplane | At least two consecutive triples, optionally with one single or one pair per triple | | Four with two | Four equal cards plus two singles or two separate pairs | | Bomb | All four cards of one rank | | Rocket | Black joker plus red joker |

Ordinary combinations beat only the same combination type with the same length. A six-card straight cannot answer a five-card straight, even if its top rank is higher. A bomb beats every non-bomb play; a higher bomb beats a lower bomb. The rocket beats everything.

Hand structure, roles, and control cards

Plan the whole hand before playing

Do not judge a hand only by its highest cards. Sort it into possible structures: long straights, consecutive pairs, triples and attachments, bombs, then awkward leftovers. The practical question is how many separate plays, or hand units, are needed to go out.

Suppose 3-4-5-6-7-8 can leave as one straight. Breaking its 6 into a pair response may turn one unit into several weak singles. Passing can therefore be better than winning a cheap exchange. Preserve efficient combinations unless taking control serves a concrete purpose.

Identify your likely final play early. A low pair is difficult to lead if opponents retain higher pairs, while a bomb can often regain control. Work backward: what card or combination must lead immediately before your last unit? This turns random shedding into a route to the finish.

Spend control cards deliberately

Twos, jokers, bombs, and the rocket are control resources. They can win the lead, but winning the lead matters only if the next play improves your hand. Using a red joker to beat an ace merely to lead an isolated 4 often exchanges a scarce control card for little progress.

Before overtaking, ask:

1. How many cards will I shed now and on the next lead?
2. Does this break a useful combination?
3. Who benefits if I pass?
4. Can the next player finish if I surrender control?

Early in the game, conserve high cards when the stakes are small. Near the end, card count changes everything. If an opponent has one card, even a normally wasteful high single may be compulsory.

Play the role, not just the hand

The Landlord has more cards and two opponents, so should seek tempo and reduce the Farmers’ opportunities to coordinate. Long combinations are valuable because they shed many cards in one turn. The Landlord should also watch which Farmer is closer to going out and avoid feeding that player an easy response.

Farmers need cooperation without seeing each other’s hands. The Farmer before the Landlord often pressures with plays that make the Landlord spend high cards. The Farmer after the Landlord may pass to preserve a partner’s winning lead. Do not automatically beat your partner. If your partner leads a pair and the Landlord passes, overtaking may rescue the Landlord by resetting the play type.

Card counts communicate urgency. A partner with one card probably wants a lead in singles; with two cards, a pair is possible but not guaranteed. If you gain control, choose a lead that gives the short-handed partner a realistic route out while remaining awkward for the Landlord.

Track key cards

Perfect memory is unnecessary. Start with the highest ranks: both jokers, all four 2s, and bombs revealed by play. If the red joker has appeared and you hold the black joker, you know exactly which singles can beat you. If three cards of one rank are visible, no unseen opponent can hold a bomb of that rank.

Also track the type an opponent avoids. Repeatedly passing on pairs suggests weakness in pairs, though it is not proof; they may be protecting a sequence. When you regain the lead, test a type that has already caused difficulty rather than selecting solely by rank.

Handle bombs as tactical assets

A bomb is powerful, but four cards of one rank may also serve as a pair, triple, or attachment. Preserve it when its guaranteed control is central to your exit plan. Break it when doing so reduces the hand more efficiently and no opponent is close to finishing.

Bombing is strongest when it leads to a clear continuation: bomb, lead a long sequence, then finish with a protected unit. Bombing without a follow-up may simply hand the initiative back one turn later.

Mistakes that burn control or break the team

Playing every possible combination immediately. A legal straight may consume attachments needed for an airplane or leave several low singles. Compare the number of hand units before and after the play.

Using high cards to win meaningless rounds. Control is valuable only when you can exploit the next lead. Pass low-impact contests and save premium cards for an opponent’s endgame or your own planned finish.

Forgetting equal length. A longer straight or airplane cannot beat a shorter one. Match the type and card count first, then compare the controlling rank.

Competing with your Farmer partner. Farmers share the result. Beat your partner only when you have a clearly stronger route or must stop the Landlord from taking the next turn.

Ignoring remaining card counts. Strategy changes sharply at one or two cards. Check every hand count before leading; choose a combination that the dangerous opponent is unlikely to match.

Treating a bomb as automatic. A bomb can win the current exchange and still lose the game if your leftovers are unplayable. Know what you will lead after it.

Failing to count high cards. Late guesses become much safer once jokers and 2s are accounted for. Begin with those six cards rather than trying to memorise the entire deck.

Frequently asked questions

What is the card order in Fighting Landlord?

From low to high, the ranks are 3 through 10, J, Q, K, A, 2, black joker, and red joker. Suits have no value, and the two jokers together form the highest play, the rocket.

Can a 2 or joker be used in a straight?

No. Straights, consecutive pairs, and airplane bodies may run only from 3 through A. A standard single straight contains at least five ranks.

Do the two Farmers share their cards?

No. Farmers keep separate hands and cannot privately exchange cards, but they win as a team if either Farmer empties their hand before the Landlord.

Can I pass when I lead a new trick?

No. The leader must make a play. Other players may beat it or pass; after both opponents pass, the last player to make a play leads any legal combination.