Gong Zhu is a Chinese four-player trick-taking card game, and is a Chinese version of the gameHearts. It differs from the standard Hearts game by assigning special point values to cards. The objective of the game is to score positive points and avoid penalty points. Gong Zhu means: Chase the Pig, for "pig" is the name given to the Q♠. All players start with 0 points. The goal is to not be the first personto go past -1000 points and in some variations, also not more than 1000 points. The loser becomes the pig, as Gong Zhu means "chase the pig" in Chinese. All points accumulate until any player have lost, for which the game ends and all points will be reset to 0. Unlike in Western Hearts, there is no passing of cards prior to each round in Gong Zhu.
* The 10♣ counts as zero points, but doubles your points at the end of a round and adds it to your accumulated points. If at the end of a round, a player has the 10 of clubs and no other point cards, the 10 of clubs is worth +50 points.
* The Hearts are worth -200 points in total:
** Ace -50 points
** King -40 points
** Queen -30 points
** Jack -20 points
** 10 through 5 are worth -10 points
** 4 through 2 are worth no points
All other cards are worth 0 points and do not play a part in scoring.
Exposure of cards
In Gong Zhu, you may expose the cards Q♠, J, 10♣, or A before each round if you have any of them, thus showing your card to the other players. By the rules of Gong Zhu, if you expose a card, you must not play it in the first trick when the dealer plays the corresponding suit, so as to be able to give a chance for players with higher cards to get rid of them without being disadvantaged by the exposure. The exception to this is when the exposed card is the only card in that suit. Exposing a card doubles its effect. For example, if the Q♠ is doubled, it will be worth -200 instead of -100. In the case of the 10♣, since it isn't worth anything in itself, the doubling effect of the 10 of clubs is doubled, which if exposed and taken by that same player, will quadruple the value of all the other point cards collected in that round.
If the Q♠, 10♣ and A have been exposed and you have these three cards after one trick, then you will receive -1200 +)) points.
If the A has been exposed and you have all hearts but the ace, you will receive -300 points.
Playing
In each trick, similar to Hearts, the suit is determined by the dealer who produces the first card. Players take turns to play a card in an counterclockwise direction and whoever produces the card of the largest value in the same suit collects all four cards and becomes the next dealer. Unlike Hearts, apart from exposed cards, any card can be played during the first trick. At the end of a round, all players' points are totaled up and added to their accumulated points for that game. Player who have accumulated -1000 or lower points immediately lose that game. After which, a new game begins and all points are reset to 0.
Scoring
;Legend: - Point addition - Point addition - Point deduction - Point deduction - Not involved cards
Case
All Hearts
Value
Q♠
Value
J
Value
10♣
Value
Total Value
1
4,5,9,J,K
-160
+200
×2
+80
2
All
+200
+200
2
All
+400
+400
3
All
+200
×2
+400
3
All
+200
×4
+800
3
All
+400
×2
+800
3
All
+400
×4
+1600
4
All
+200
+100
+300
4
All
+200
+200
+400
4
All
+400
+100
+500
4
All
+400
+200
+600
5
All
+400
+200
+200
×4
+3200
6
5-A
-400
-200
×4
-2400
Like Hearts, points calculated are on an accumulative basis; usually, players will be given the points that are assigned to whatever point cards he collected after one round. There are multiple ways to shoot the moon. Gong Zhu differs from hearts in that you gain points by shooting the moon, instead of making other players lose points. In some cases, the J and the Q♠ switch values, giving negative points to unsuspecting players.
