Hana-Awase

Hana-Awase

The foundational Hanafuda card-matching game from which Koi-Koi and other variants are derived. Players match cards by suit (month) and collect them; the player with the highest captured value at the end of the round wins.

Setup

2 players: deal 8 cards to each player, 8 to the field, 24 as draw pile. 3 players: deal 7 cards to each player, 6 to the field, 27 as draw pile. 4 players (partnership): deal 5 cards to each, 8 to the field, 20 as draw pile.

Turn Structure

Identical to Koi-Koi without the yaku declaration step:

1. Play a card from hand to the field. If it matches a field card by suit, capture both.
2. Flip the top draw card. If it matches a field card, capture both.
3. Unmatched cards remain in the field.

Repeat until all hands and the draw pile are exhausted.

Card Values

Sum all captured card values. Highest total wins the round.

Scoring benchmark: the full deck totals 264 points (5×20 + 9×10 + 10×5 + 24×1). In a two-player game, each player can score up to 132 points. Scores above 132 are a win; below 132 is a loss.

Attribution

Hana-Awase ・花合わせ. Traditional Japanese card game. Rules in the public domain. Source: Pagat.com (Hanafuda).