The way to play Bai Choi is quite simple that anyone can apply. This is a folk game in the Binh Dinh area and is still preserved today. You can learn about the simple rules of playing card game compiled by Trang chủ New88 in the following article.
Introduction to the basic deck of cards
The cards are made from bamboo, with one flat end for sticking card shapes and one pointed end. Each leg of the card is dyed half blue, half red, identical enough to be indistinguishable, and is called a uniform deck. Each card, with dimensions of 2 x 8.5 cm, is made from paper and is printed on only one side, representing a typical image for the card, the back is painted with a layer of dark red.
The deck includes 30 cards, divided into 3 types: Van type, Van type, and Book type, each type has 10 cards:
- The Van type includes the following leaves: Trang Hai (Nhi Banh), Ba Belly, Tu Tuong, Ngu Run (Ngu Ron), Sau Mieng (Six Ghe), Bay Lieu (Bat Cord), Tam Mieng, Nine Cu, Nine Pillows, Mr. Am.
- Types of Van include: Nhat Tro (Student), Nhi Bi, Tam Quan, Tu Moc (Tu Giong), Sleep Trot, Luc Trang, That Vung, Bat Bong, Cuu Chua, Bach Hue (Snow White).
- Types of Books include: One Noc, Two Poor, Three Chickens, Four Books, Nap Trop (Nap), Six Seeds, Seven Dears (Seven Seeds), Eight Strings, Nine Articles, Four Legs.
When playing with 9 pairs, there are 27 pairs of cards; Play with 11 pairs, there are 33 pairs. To adjust the number of card pairs, people add 3 special cards to create three love pairs: Ong Am, Cuu Dieu and Tu Cang, all painted red, different from the black color of the other cards. Some cards also have different names depending on the region.
How to play card game from the ancients
To organize a card game session, people prepare two tubes to hold cards, made from bamboo or wood, with a round shape. In each tube there are 30 identical cards. A tube is used to select the card that Mr. Hieu will use to announce the name of the card being played.
The other tube is used so that after Mr. Hieu announces, another person will pick up the corresponding card for everyone to see clearly, then hang it on a bamboo rack in the middle of the yard. It is also necessary to prepare a set of 10 cards, each with 3 cards, corresponding to the 30 cards used in the game. When players enter the hut, each person will receive a card, each representing 3 cards.
The leader of the Bai Choi game is Mr./Ms. Hieu, who will announce and sing about the cards. Mr. Hieu shook the card and chose one card, then sang the song with the name of that card, and finally announced the name of the card for everyone to know.
Each card announced or sung is an opportunity for the player. When Mr./Ms. Hieu announces the card and if the player in the hut has that card, they will knock or raise the bell to receive a small flag. The player who gets 3 cards exactly as Mr./Ms. Hieu announced will shout “come” and knock the long bell. Then the drum will be beaten in the center hut, signaling that player has won a game and the game will continue with the next game.
In some places where there is no one to sing Bai Choi, the game is organized more simply: there is no need for Hieu to sing, just an announcer. This person will shake the card and announce each card. When the player whose card is announced, they will say “taken” and receive a small flag. The first player with all 3 cards will shout “come”.
The game usually lasts from 8 to 10 rounds. A special thing is that in each game, the cards that have been announced or sung in the previous game will not be repeated. If it is a new game, even though it may be the same card, the announcement or song will be different, just keep the opening line “Hey my friend” along with the name of the card about to be announced.
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The melodies in the choi song that you need to know
The Bai Choi singing melody includes six main melodies as follows: Ancient Xuan Nu and New Xuan Nu have emotional, deep sounds, suitable for expressing emotions; The original is traditional; The old Xàs Xê and the new Xàs Xê have a sad, mournful look; Ho Quang (also known as Ho Quang) is happy and excited.
In Da Nang, Bai Choi also absorbs many other melodies such as chanting, lullabies, and lyre tunes. The combination of Quang Nam folk music and unique performance style has created unique Bai Choi melodies. Bai choi here is not only singing but also a new type of folk art in terms of timbre.
In Bai Choi, performance is very important, mainly through three forms: speaking, chanting, and singing.
- Untruth is the opening method, with rhyming words like folk poetry, freely without rhythm. The beginning can be diverse: from speaking to singing, or starting to sing immediately without speaking.
- Come down and hang out is the next part, helping to catch your breath and mentally prepare for the main singing part, as well as creating a highlight for the song.
- Sing (shout) is the main part, where Bai Choi singing becomes a form of folk performance, using traditional poetry. Singing can include short, simple sentences or long, profound sentences, on the background of traditional melodies such as Xuan Nu, Co Ban, Xang Xe, Ho Quang.
Epilogue
So you have just learned how to play card game. I hope that if you have the opportunity, you will visit Binh Dinh to play card game. This is a beautiful culture of the local people.
