In 101 Okey each player is dealt 21 tiles, except the dealer, who receives 22.

The game still uses the full set of 106 tiles, the same as classic Okey, including the two blank false jokers. The dealer's extra tile lets them make the opening discard, just as the starter does in straight Okey. Holding 21 tiles gives you much more material to work with than the 14 in classic Okey, which is why forming opening melds worth 101 points takes patience and planning.