Hanafuda Koi-Koi: A Classic Japanese Card Game

Hanafuda Koi-Koi is a captivating traditional Japanese card game. This guide explores the English rules of this popular two-player pastime played using Hanafuda cards.

The objective is to form advantageous card combinations, known as "yaku," faster than your opponent. The term "koi-koi," meaning "again" or "one more time" in Japanese, is called out when a player chooses to continue building their yaku for a higher score.

Players accumulate cards in a point pile by matching cards in their hand or drawn from the deck with cards already on the table. Once a yaku is achieved, a player can choose to stop and claim their points or continue playing (calling "koi-koi") to build additional yaku for a larger score. Note that while individual card point values don't directly influence the final score, they provide a helpful guide for identifying valuable yaku combinations.