
- BGG rank
- BGG #853
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Wizard
- 3–6 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 1984

1120
Rules assistance for Tien Gow (Sky Nine)
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

For 4 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Tien Gow (Sky Nine) is a board game released in 1120 for 4 players. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Betting and Bluffing, and Trick-taking.
Tien Gow, along with Pai Gow is one of the most popular games played with Chinese Dominoes. Tien Gow is a four-player trick-taking game in which each of the dominoes has a specific value when played either as singletons or in combinations against other dominoes. The value of each set of tiles is based on the standard, idiosyncratic ranking of Chinese dominoes, an order that often does not correlate with the numerical value of the tile. Players unable to beat the high set during a trick must discard an equivalent amount of tiles face down. Points are awarded during the round, for special plays, and at the end, based on the number of tiles won by each player. Score multipliers may also apply, depending on the endgame conditions. Like Poker, it is typically played as a gambling game using chips.
Tien Gow (Sky Nine) supports 4 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
Tien Gow (Sky Nine) has a complexity rating of 1.5 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Tien Gow (Sky Nine) belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Betting and Bluffing, and Trick-taking. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The catalogue lists Tien Gow (Sky Nine) as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.