Ten and a Half
十點半 — get as close to 10.5 as you dare without going over, and beat a dealer who rotates every round.
Play this now2–8 players
What you need
- 2–8 players
- One phone each
- 20 minutes
How to play
- Everyone gets one cardIncluding the dealer, whose card stays face down until the end.
- Hit or standTake another card or stop. Number cards are worth their face value; J, Q and K are worth half a point each.
- Bust and you are outOver 10.5 and your round is finished — no waiting to see the dealer's hand.
- The dealer plays lastOnce everyone has stood or busted, the dealer reveals and draws. Then every hand is compared against theirs.
- The deal rotatesA new player deals each round, for as many rounds as there are players, up to five.
Who drinks, and how much
- Bust: you drink 1.
- Lose to the dealer: you drink 1. A tie counts as a loss — the dealer wins pushes.
- Beat the dealer: the dealer drinks 1 for you.
- 天王 Tian Wang — exactly 10.5 on two cards: the dealer drinks 3.
- 五小龍 Wu Xiao Long — five cards without going over: the dealer drinks 5.
Variants and house rules
The dealer takes the whole table
Because every player settles against the dealer individually, a bad deal is punishing: eight players beating you means eight drinks. Dealing is a real risk, which is why it rotates.
Ties go to the dealer
Some house rules push on a tie. Here the dealer wins them, which is the standard casino edge and keeps rounds decisive.
Good to know
- J, Q and K being worth 0.5 is what makes 10.5 reachable at all — a ten plus any face card is the perfect hand.