188JILI Pusoy Dos Ranking and the Top Card Explained
In Pusoy Dos the 2 is the highest rank and the 3 the lowest.
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Pusoy Dos ranking works backwards from poker: the 2 is the highest card, the 3 is the lowest, and the suit decides between cards of the same rank. If you also play the Poker row’s other titles, start from the Pinoy card games overview to see how Pusoy Dos differs from Pusoy Go and Tongits. The rules here come from Pagat’s Big Two page, which lists the Philippine game as Pusoy Dos, and from Wikipedia’s Big two article.
Pusoy Dos ranking of cards, high to low
A standard 52-card pack is used. The ranks run from high to low: 2, A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3. Four players each get 13 cards, and the aim is to be first to play every card.
| Position | Rank | Why it sits there |
|---|---|---|
| Highest | 2 | The name means “poker two”: the deuce is the big card |
| Second | A | Ace sits below the 2 for single cards, pairs and triples |
| Middle | K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 | Ordinary card order |
| Lowest | 3 | The weakest card, and the one that starts the game |
The Philippine suit order and the top card
Between two cards of the same rank, the suit decides. Pagat gives the Philippine order from high to low as diamonds, hearts, spades, clubs. That makes the 2 of diamonds the top card in the pack and the 3 of clubs the lowest.
| Suit | Position in the Philippine game |
|---|---|
| Diamonds | Highest |
| Hearts | Second |
| Spades | Third |
| Clubs | Lowest |
Wikipedia’s Big two article and Pagat’s main description give a different default, spades, hearts, clubs, diamonds, and note that groups vary. Since the lowest card opens the play, Pagat says the holder of the lowest card starts, which in the Philippine order is the 3 of clubs. Agree the suit order at the table before the first deal.
Playable combinations and what beats what
You may play a single card, a pair, a triple or a five-card group. A play can only be beaten by a better play with the same number of cards, so a triple never beats a pair. Between five-card groups, a stronger type beats any weaker type.
- Straight: five cards in sequence, mixed suits. The highest straight is A-K-Q-J-10 and the lowest is 5-4-3-2-A.
- Flush: five cards of one suit. A flush in a higher suit beats a flush in a lower suit whatever the ranks.
- Full house: three of one rank and two of another, ranked by the triple, so 9-9-9-4-4 beats 8-8-8-K-K.
- Four of a kind: four of one rank plus any fifth card, ranked by the four cards.
- Straight flush: five in sequence and one suit, the strongest five-card play.
Straights, the ace and the two
In a straight the 2 does not rank high. It sits below the 3, and an ace may sit at either end of a straight but not in the middle.
| Straight | Status in Pagat’s base rules |
|---|---|
| A-K-Q-J-10 | Valid, the highest straight |
| 7-6-5-4-3 | Valid, beats 6-5-4-3-2 |
| 6-5-4-3-2 | Valid, beats 5-4-3-2-A |
| 5-4-3-2-A | Valid, the lowest straight |
| 3-2-A-K-Q | Not valid, ace in the middle |
| 2-A-K-Q-J | Not valid, ace in the middle |
Scoring in the Philippine game
Pagat says the Philippine game is normally played with positive points. The winner, the first player to run out of cards, normally scores 1 point and the others score nothing. Deuces in the last play raise that score.
| Last play contains | Winner scores |
|---|---|
| No deuce | 1 point |
| One deuce | 2 points |
| Two deuces | 4 points |
| Three deuces | 8 points |
| All four deuces | 16 points |
Pusoy Dos is not Pusoy Go
Pagat’s Chinese poker page notes that in the Philippines Chinese poker is known as Pusoy, and says this is not to be confused with Pusoy Dos. JILI’s Pusoy Go page describes the second kind: each of four players arranges 13 cards into sets of 3, 5 and 5 cards that are compared three times. For those rules read the Chinese poker rules for 13-card arrangements, and open the title’s info screen in the lobby before you stake. Table and perya titles such as the perya-style drop ball game and the insurance blackjack bet use no suit order at all.
FAQ
What is the highest card in Pusoy Dos?
The 2 of diamonds. Twos are the highest rank, and in the Philippine suit order diamonds are the highest suit, so the 2 of diamonds beats every other card.
Which suit is highest in Pusoy Dos?
In the Philippine game the order from high to low is diamonds, hearts, spades, clubs. Pagat notes that other Big Two groups use spades, hearts, clubs, diamonds, so agree the order before the deal.
Is Pusoy Dos the same as Big Two?
Pagat's rules page treats Pusoy Dos as the name used in the Philippines for Big Two, with the suit order and scoring changed. It is a different game from Chinese poker, which the Philippines also calls Pusoy.
Which five-card play beats which?
From weakest to strongest: straight, flush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush. A stronger type beats any weaker type, whatever the ranks.
Related guides
| Guide | What it covers |
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| 188JILI Chinese Poker Rules for Front, Middle and Back | chinese poker rules |
| 188JILI Drop Ball Game and Its Six Betting Zones | drop ball game |
| 188JILI Insurance Blackjack | insurance blackjack |
| 188JILI Poker Card Ranking From Royal Flush to High Card | poker card ranking |