Card game now an element of party’s social glue – and may be next national sport

A card game that is fast becoming an essential social skill within the Communist Party system looks set to rise to the status of a new national sport, while there are also moves to spread its appeal around the world.

The poker-style game

guandan – which translates as “throwing eggs” because of the way players slam their cards on the table – was even mentioned at last week’s “two sessions”, the annual political meetings in Beijing.

Qiu Huakang, vice-mayor of Huaian in Jiangsu province and a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the top political advisory body, proposed that guandan should be designated as the game’s official English name.

Guandan originated in Huaian in the 1960s, and giving it an English name could help it to become just as popular in other countries, according to Qiu.

In an interview with Guangdong-based media outlet Southern Metropolis, Qiu said the game could become a cherished international intellectual sport, based on how popular it was in China.

The Post spoke to eight contacts from a range of government bodies and state-owned enterprises, who all said guandan has taken public sectors across the country by storm since it was embraced by bureaucrats in Beijing.

Junior and senior party officials in the capital loved to play

guandan at after-work gatherings, and its popularity had spread to government agencies, stateowned enterprises, the military and academia, said the sources, who asked not to be named.

The game “has become an essential social skill within the Communist Party system”, partly because of its popularity among the elite.

“If high-level leaders show preference to something, those below will inevitably pursue it even more,” one contact said.

Another source said “many senior leaders know guandan and love to play it”.

Another official contact said it required teamwork to play the game well, making it a good way to forge trust.

The game was designed to enhance communication among colleagues and could serve as a prelude to talking to senior colleagues about more important work-related subjects, he said.

Contacts from state-owned enterprises said new employees were eager to learn how to play guandan to socialise with their colleagues and forge bonds with their supervisors faster.

Four players, two full decks including jokers, and a square table are the only requirements. The players form pairs that compete against each other to get all the cards out before their opponents, using some of the same hands as poker.

If … leaders show preference to something, those below will inevitably pursue it A SOURCE LINKED TO THE GOVERNMENT

Each player starts with 27 cards, with red jokers highest. Apart from straight flushes and a full houses, guandan also features “bombs” – with four jokers making the best one. Losers have to give their best card in “tribute” to the winners in the next round, who in turn select a card to “return the tribute”.

President Xi Jinping’s anticorruption drive has increased the risks for party officials of being targeted for “lifestyle” issues – such as golf and fancy meals. But

guandan is an intellectual game that is easy to learn and is not designed for gambling. It appears to be regarded as a safe and correct way for cadres to entertain and relax.

It has also earned a nod from the country’s top sports administrator, which organised the first nationwide tournament of the game last year. The final round, featuring more than 80 players from 11 cities, ended in January.