Xi Dach Rules: How to Play Vietnamese Blackjack (Xì Dách)

Xi Dach (Xì Dách, also called xì lác) is Vietnam’s favourite 21-point card game. It uses a standard 52-card deck, every player gets two cards, and the aim is to get as close to 21 as possible without going over.

Xi Dach is often called “Vietnamese blackjack”, but the two games are not the same. Xi Dach has rules that casino blackjack mostly does not use: ngũ linh (five cards under 21), xì bàn (two aces) and a minimum score you must reach before you may stand. Those are the parts people mix up most, and this guide explains each of them.

Deck, players and the deal

Xi Dach uses a standard 52-card deck (some tables use two). In each round one player is the dealer (nhà cái) and everyone else plays against the dealer. Each player starts with two face-down cards, then decides whether to draw more or stop, and finally compares hands with the dealer. The dealer settles with each player separately, so in the same round you can beat one player and lose to another.

How a round of Xi Dach plays out

1. Deal: the dealer gives each player two face-down cards, one at a time around the table (usually right to left), and takes their own cards last.
2. Reveal xì bàn and xì dách: anyone holding two aces (xì bàn) or an ace plus a 10-point card (xì dách) shows it at once. If the dealer holds either hand, the dealer wins against the whole table and the round ends.
3. Players draw: each player in turn draws more cards, up to five in total, until they have at least 16 and want to stop. Five cards without going over 21 is ngũ linh.
4. Dealer draws: the dealer draws last. At most tables the dealer needs at least 15 to stop and settle; some tables use 16.
5. Settle: the dealer turns over each player’s hand. A player who stopped below 16 loses, and a bust (over 21) is usually treated as even worse. The remaining hands compare points, and the closer to 21 wins.

At many tables the dealer may settle with some players first and then keep drawing to play the rest. That is a real advantage for the dealer, so agree the settling rules before you start.

Card values

• 2 to 10: face value.
• J, Q, K: 10 points each.
• Ace: its value depends on how many cards you hold (see below).

Suits (spades, clubs, diamonds, hearts) make no difference to the score.

What is an ace worth with 3, 4 or 5 cards?

Xi Dach rules are passed on by word of mouth, and the ace is where tables differ most. The most common convention is:

• 2 cards: the ace counts 10 or 11, which is why ace plus a 10-point card is xì dách.
• 3 cards: the ace counts 1 or 10; some tables also allow 11.
• 4 or 5 cards: the ace counts only 1.

Example: ace, 6 and 5 is 12 if the ace counts 1, or 21 if it counts 10. Some tables keep it simple and let the ace count 1 or 11 as in blackjack, so settle this before the deal.

Đủ tuổi, non tuổi and quắc: the minimum score

This is the rule that defines Xi Dach and the biggest difference from blackjack.

• Đủ tuổi (“old enough”): a hand of 16 or more. Only then may you stand and compare.
• Non tuổi (“too young”): a hand below 16. If you stop below 16 and the dealer checks you, you lose the round, even if the dealer’s total is lower.
• Quắc (bust): more than 21. A bust loses at once.

In practice this means you cannot stand on 12–15 the way you can in blackjack. You must keep drawing until you reach 16, and that is exactly what makes busting much more likely. The most common threshold is 16; some regions play 14, so agree it before you sit down.

What is ngũ linh?

Ngũ linh is a hand of five cards that still totals 21 or less. It is a very strong hand and one of Xi Dach’s signature rules. When two players both hold ngũ linh, the lower total wins, because keeping five cards that low is harder.

Ngũ linh has almost no equivalent in online blackjack. The casino version is called the Five-Card Charlie, and it is not a standard rule: only some tables or game versions use it, and they treat it differently. If you move from Xi Dach to online blackjack, do not assume it applies; open the table’s rules first.

Xì dách and xì bàn

• Xì dách: the first two cards are an ace and a 10-point card (10, J, Q or K).
• Xì bàn: the first two cards are two aces.

Both are decided the moment the cards are dealt and end the round immediately. If the dealer has either, the dealer beats every player.

How often do they come up? From a single 52-card deck there are 1,326 possible two-card starting hands. Xì bàn is 6 of them (0.45%, about 1 in 221) and xì dách is 4 aces × 16 ten-point cards = 64 of them (4.83%, about 1 in 21). Together that is roughly one starting hand in nineteen.

Hand ranking

The most widely used order, weakest to strongest:

1. Quắc (over 21): loses at once.
2. Đủ tuổi (16–21): compare points normally; the higher total wins.
3. Ngũ linh (five cards, 21 or less).
4. Xì dách (ace + 10-point card).
5. Xì bàn (two aces).

So does ngũ linh beat xì dách? By this order, no, and that is how most tables in Vietnam play it. Sources do not all say the same thing, though: some describe ngũ linh as an “absolute” winning hand. The way to reconcile the two is timing: xì dách and xì bàn are checked on the deal and end the round before anyone can draw a fifth card, while ngũ linh only appears later and beats every hand still in play. Because tables differ, agree on it before the deal rather than arguing mid-round.

Xi Dach vs online blackjack

For the casino version, read our blackjack guide and live blackjack. For other Vietnamese card games, see Tien Len rules, Mau Binh rules and the overview of Vietnamese card games.

Where to play blackjack online

Xi Dach and blackjack share a root but not the rules, so if you want the casino game, learn the blackjack rules first. The live casino at 22bet runs more than 100 blackjack tables from Pragmatic Play, Evolution (including Free Bet Blackjack), Winfinity and Vivo Gaming.

Play responsibly

Xi Dach is often played for money, and like any form of gambling it carries a real risk of loss. The minimum-score rule forces players to draw on hands that bust easily, so players lose more often than newcomers expect. Only play with money you can afford to lose, set a limit before you sit down, and never chase losses. This page is for information only and for adults 18+. Read about gambling in Vietnam before playing for money.