In Duo Di Zhu, Chuo Dai Di's three-player game, 17 cards are dealt to each player, and the last card is placed face up in the centre of the table. Some say that this last card is dealt face down.

The player who holds the three of diamonds adds this extra card to their hand. If last card is the three of diamonds, then the holder of the three of clubs must take the last card.

The rest of Dou Di Zhu's game play is the same as Chuo Dai Di's.

Some play that from the second deal onwards, immediately after the deal, the loser of the previous deal must give their highest card to the winner in exchange for an unwanted card from that player. This rule applies only to the three-player game.

Some play with only 13 cards dealt to each player. In this case the holder of the lowest dealt card starts. Anyone who passes must draw a card from the undealt stock and add it to their hand. When the stock is used up, play can continue without drawing, or in some groups the played cards that have been set aside are shuffled and used as a new stock for drawing. Some play that if you pass when a combination of cards was needed, you draw not one card but the number of cards you would have had to play.

Normally the payment per card at the end from a player holding more than 13 cards is the same as from a player with 13 cards, usually 3 points per card.