A standard 52-card deck with 4 jokers (marked to indicate the special cards) can also be used.Įach player is dealt eight cards and may call 'Grand Tichu,' a 200-point bet that they (not their partner) will be the first player to get rid of their cards. The game is played with a deck of 56 cards, consisting of a 52-card deck of four suits (Jade, Sword, Pagoda, Star) plus four special cards (Mah Jong, Dog, Phoenix, Dragon). Each player sits across from their teammate so that play alternates between the two teams.