Guandan Rule #1 strongest · bomb
All four jokers
JOKER★JOKER★JOKER☆JOKER☆
All four jokers — two big, two small. Nothing beats it. The wild card cannot stand in for a joker, and with two decks there are exactly four, so it appears at most once per round.
The rule book · Part 02
Hands & Ranking
Fourteen shapes, listed strongest first. The top seven are bombs — they beat any normal combo. Below them are the everyday combos that only answer their own kind. Switch the ruleset to see where National, Huai’an and Nanjing tables bend the edges.
Bombs (the first seven) override the shape on the table. Normal combos (the last seven) must match the leader’s shape and card count.
The core hierarchy every Guandan table agrees on — fourteen shapes, strongest first, with the seven bombs overriding any normal combo. Choose a ruleset above to see where a town bends the edges.
How this ruleset bends the ranking
| Bomb order | Identical everywhere — four-of-a-kind up to the four-joker royal bomb |
|---|---|
| Straight flush | Sits above a five-card bomb, below a six-card bomb |
| Where regions differ | Only at the edges: 9–10 card bombs, the returned card, and promotion |
#2 strongest · bomb
Eight of a kind
9♠9♥9♦9♣9♠9♥9♦9♣
Eight of a kind. With wilds a bomb can reach nine or ten cards, and bigger is always stronger — but all of them still lose to the royal bomb.
#3 strongest · bomb
Seven of a kind
7♠7♥7♦7♣7♠7♥7♦
Seven of a kind. Only an eight-card bomb tops it.
#4 strongest · bomb
Six of a kind
K♠K♥K♦K♣K♠K♥
Six of a kind. From this size up, bombs outrank the straight flush.
#5 strongest · bomb
Five in a row, one suit
5♠6♠7♠8♠9♠
Five in a row in one suit. A special bomb: above a five-card bomb, below a six-card bomb. 10-J-Q-K-A high, A-2-3-4-5 low.
#6 strongest · bomb
Five of a kind
J♠J♥J♦J♣J♠
Five of a kind. Loses to a straight flush, beats a four-card bomb.
#7 strongest · bomb
Four of a kind
8♠8♥8♦8♣
Four of a kind. The smallest bomb, yet it still beats every normal combo.
#8 strongest · normal combo
Two consecutive triples
7♠7♥7♦8♠8♥8♦
Two consecutive triples (777888). Exactly six cards, never longer; compared by the lower group.
#9 strongest · normal combo
Three consecutive pairs
7♠7♥8♦8♣9♠9♥
Three consecutive pairs (778899). Exactly six cards, AAKKQQ high and AA2233 low.
#10 strongest · normal combo
Five in a row
4♠5♥6♦7♣8♠
Five in a row, suits irrelevant, never longer than five. 10-J-Q-K-A high, A-2-3-4-5 low.
#11 strongest · normal combo
Triple plus a pair
Q♠Q♥Q♦3♠3♥
Triple plus pair, five cards. Only the triple counts when comparing, so the attached pair can be anything.
#12 strongest · normal combo
Three of a kind
10♠10♥10♦
Three of a kind, matched only against other triples. Three jokers do not make one.
#13 strongest · normal combo
Two of a kind
6♠6♥
Two of a kind. Two big jokers is the strongest pair and two small jokers the next; one of each is not a pair.
#14 strongest · normal combo
One card
A♠
One card. Order runs big joker > small joker > rank card > A > K … down to 2.
Frequently asked questions
What is the strongest hand in Guandan?
The four-joker royal bomb — two big jokers and two small jokers together. Nothing beats it, and because two decks hold exactly four jokers it can appear at most once per round.
Do bombs beat every normal combo in Guandan?
Yes. All seven bomb shapes — from a four-of-a-kind up to the royal bomb — override the shape on the table and beat any normal combo. Normal combos can only be answered by the same shape with a higher value.
What beats a straight flush in Guandan?
A straight flush (five in a row in one suit) sits above a five-card bomb and below a six-card bomb. So any bomb of six cards or more beats it, as does the royal bomb.
How many cards can a bomb have in Guandan?
A bomb ranges from four cards up to ten, since the wild rank card can extend it. Bigger is always stronger. Under the National ruleset nine- and ten-card bombs are fully recognised; some Huai’an tables cap bombs at eight.
Is the Guandan hand ranking the same in every region?
The bomb order and combo hierarchy are identical in the National, Huai’an and Nanjing rulesets. They differ only at the edges — whether nine- and ten-card bombs count, the returned card, and how promotion works.
The rank card and its wild hearts are what let a four-card bomb grow to ten. See how the rank card works →