Definition

1. Verb:
   • To be the banker (in gambling games): To hold the role of the person who manages the bank, paying out winnings and collecting losses in games like "xóc đĩa" (a Vietnamese dice game) or card games.
   • To manage a rotating savings and credit association (ROSCA / "hụi", "họ"): To act as the organizer and manager of a traditional mutual financial pool where members contribute money and take turns receiving the lump sum.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ấy giàu nên thường xuyên cầm cái trong các ván bài. (He is rich, so he often is the banker in card games.)
  • Trong trò chơi này, người cầm cái có lợi thế hơn. (In this game, the person who is the banker has an advantage.)
  • Bà tôi tin tưởng cô ấy nên để cô ấy cầm cái cái họ này. (My grandmother trusts her, so she lets her manage this ROSCA.)

Advanced Usage

• "cầm cái một canh bạc": to bank a gambling session.

  • Hắn ta đã cầm cái một canh bạc suốt đêm. (He banked a gambling session all night long.)

• "người cầm cái": the banker; the ROSCA manager.

  • Người cầm cái phải có uy tín và khả năng tài chính. (The banker/manager must have credibility and financial capability.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cầm (v): to hold, to grasp. This is the root verb.
• Cái (n): In this context, it refers to the "bank" or the fund being managed. It can also mean "the main one" or "the mother (in gambling terms)".

Synonyms

• Làm chủ ngân hàng (trong cờ bạc): to be the bank master (in gambling). (This is a descriptive synonym, not a common phrase.)
• Quản lý hụi/họ: to manage a ROSCA.

Related Phrases / Compound Terms

• Vào họ, góp họ: to join a ROSCA.
• Chốt họ: to receive the pooled fund in a ROSCA (one's turn).
• Hụi chết: a ROSCA where the order of receiving the fund is determined by bidding.
• Hụi sống: a ROSCA where the order of receiving the fund is predetermined (e.g., by lottery or agreement).

Notes on Meaning

• The term "cầm cái" is strongly associated with gambling contexts and informal community-based finance (ROSCA). It is not used in the context of formal banking institutions.
• In a ROSCA ("họ", "hụi"), the person who "cầm cái" is responsible for collecting contributions and distributing the pot. They often receive the first or last pot and may have specific responsibilities agreed upon by the members.

1. To be a banker (in card games)