Chikicha (Sikitcha) card game: rules, Kits and how it works

Chikicha or Sikitcha?

Both spellings turn up online for games in the Big Two family, and the name and the rules shift between regions and playing groups. This guide uses Sikitcha for the three-player rule set described below. Regional and house rules may vary.

If you already play Big Two or Pusoy Dos, Sikitcha will feel familiar quickly. It is a climbing game from the same family, with a handful of rule changes that alter who controls a round and how the strongest cards work. It is less common today, but it is a good example of how Big Two style games drift through regional and house rules.

How it differs from Big Two

The heart of the game is the same. You still race to get rid of your cards, still beat the last play with a stronger one, and still fight for control of the table so you can set the pace. The changes sit around that core. The game is strictly for three players, some combinations work differently, and special combinations can override even the strongest single cards. Rounds swing harder than in standard Big Two, and timing matters more.

For the other members of the family, see how the Big Two variants compare.

Players and dealing

Sikitcha is always played with three players. One card, commonly the 3♣, is taken out before the deal so the remaining 51 cards split evenly into 17 per player.

The player holding a 3 starts the game, but does not need to include it in the opening play. That is another departure from Pusoy Dos, where the opening move is usually forced.

No suit order

Unlike Big Two, suits do not rank against each other. A K♥ is worth exactly the same as a K♠, K♣ or K♦. Strength comes only from rank and combination, so suit-based habits such as saving the high suits simply don't apply.

Special combinations

Some combinations from Big Two behave differently here. A flush is not a valid play on its own. Only straight flushes are recognised.

Straight flushes and four of a kind are treated as special combinations. They can override any normal play, including a single 2. In Big Two or Pusoy Dos you usually have to answer with the same kind of combination, so a pair is only beaten by a pair. Special combinations break that rule, which changes how power works in the game.

Kits

Kits are Sikitcha's signature mechanic. A Kit is a run of pairs, or a run of three-of-a-kind sets, in consecutive ranks played together as one combination. For example, pairs of 4s, 5s and 6s make a Kit, and so do three 7s followed by three 8s.

There is no fixed limit to how long a Kit can be, as long as the sequence is continuous. That lets you unload a large part of your hand in a single play, something that rarely happens in standard Big Two.

Turns and round control

• On your turn, beat the previous play or pass.
• You may pass even when you hold a valid answer.
• Whoever makes the strongest play in a round gains control and starts the next one.

That much will feel familiar. The key difference is that a special combination can interrupt any type of play, so a round you thought you had won with a single 2 can still be taken away.

Winning the game

The first player to empty their hand wins the deal. Because Kits and special combinations exist, games can swing suddenly.

Why Sikitcha is worth learning

Sikitcha shows how far a Big Two style game can bend. Take away the suit order, let special combinations interrupt anything, and seat only three players, and the game gets faster and more aggressive.

If you play Big Two, a few rounds of Sikitcha are good practice at reading a hand and picking the moment to take control. You also see quickly how much one small rule change moves the strategy. You may never play it regularly, but it makes the rest of the Big Two family easier to understand. When you're ready, try your skills in a real game.

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