Struggling Upstream (Zhēng Shàngyóu)
- 👤 Players:
- 3-4 (Best at 3)
- ⏱ Time to play:
- 30 minutes
- ♟ Equipment:
- 52 card deck + 2 jokers.
- 🧠 Designer(s):
- Uncredited
QR Code
Player Aid
| Combo (ASC) | Example |
|---|---|
| Single | 8 |
| Pair | 99 |
| Trip | 444 |
| Full House | 66KKK |
| Run (no 2s or JKs) | 456 |
| Stair | JJQQ |
| Plate | 777888 |
| Bomb | 3333 |
| Rocket | Both Jokers |
Player with 3♠︎ starts. Bombs/Rockets can be played at any time. Natural combos beat wild combos. Suits do not matter.
| Card Rank (ASC) |
|---|
| 3 → A (as normal) |
| 2 (wild) |
| Black Joker (wild) |
| Red Joker (wild) |
This is a variant of Zhēng Shàngyóu / 争上游 (which roughly translates to Struggling Upstream). As a folk game, there are dozens of variants and house rules that vary by geographical region. This version combines some of the best features of several climbing games while keeping the structure simple.
Setup #
- 3 players = 18 cards
- 4 players = 13 cards
Play #
The player holding the 3 of Spades leads first (but is not required to play the 3). This player may lead with any combination.
- A player must follow the lead combination, play a bomb, or pass.
- If any player passes, they may still play cards in the future if the play comes back around to them.
- When all players pass except one, then the table is cleared and the last person who did not pass leads the next hand.
Goal #
First player to shed out (get rid of all cards) wins.
Card Order #
The card rankings in ascending order:
- 3 through Ace, as normal
- 2, wild
- Black Joker, wild
- Red Joker, wild
Suits do not matter!
Combos #
A combo can only be beaten by a higher version of itself (or a bomb). Natural combos beat wild combos.
- Single: One card played by itself.
- Pair: Two cards of the same rank.
- Triple: Three cards of the same rank.
- Full House: Three card of the same rank plus two cards of the same rank. Ranked by triple.
- Run: Three or more cards of consecutive rank. No 2s or Jokers allowed.
- Stair: Two or more pairs of consecutive rank.
- Plate: Two or more triples of consecutive rank.
Bombs #
- Bomb: Four cards of the same rank.
- Rocket: Black Joker plus Red Joker.
Bombs/Rockets can be played at any time and can only be beaten by a higher bomb of the same type.
Scoring #
Score isn't always kept, but if desired:
- 1st out scores 2.
- 2nd out scores 1.
- 3rd out scores 0.
First to make 6 points wins. If there's a tie, play another hand to break the tie.
Last place shuffles for the next game.
Nathan's Notes
Great game I can play over and over. There's great satisfaction in laying down a huge combo, or even busting up someone's plans with a Bomb. It may not be intuitive on first play that the 2's are the highest card (other than Jokers). So far we've played that 2's and Jokers as wilds can also be included to make a Bomb.
Date added: | Modified: