Hanafuda: Sakura + Sutda Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Sakura
  • Game goal
  • Setting up
  • Each player looks at his cards
  • Playing the game
  • Yaku Combinations
  • Optional Rules
  • End of round
  • Endgame
• Sutda
  • Game goal
  • Setting up
  • Development
  • The « Bid Turn »
  • List of possible combinations
  • Points out combinations
  • Endgame
• Sakura Yaku Reference
• Yaku Player Aid Key
• Sutda Combination Reference
• Component Note

Sakura

Game goal

Scoring as many points by making cards winning combinations called Yaku or capturing the cards with the most points. When a Yaku is done, each player subtracts 50 points to their score.

Setting up

Shuffle the cards. Play the game by 6 or 12 rounds (usually 1 round for 1 month of the year), at players choice, playing clockwise. Players can play for themselves or in 2 or 3 players teams. The team mates are facing each to face. They have their own «hand» but their combinations and points are common.

Before starting the game, choose Oya (the Parent), the first player. To do this, a player from each team draws a card. The player who draws the closest card from January becomes Oya. In case of tie, each player redraws a card.

The number of cards dealt to each player varies according to their number:

• 2 players: 8 cards to each player, 8 cards in the Ba (River).
• 3 players: 7 cards to each player, 6 cards in Ba (River).
• 4 players: 5 cards to each player, 8 cards in the Ba (River).
• 5 players: 4 cards to each player, 8 cards in the Ba (River).
• 6 players: 3 cards to each player, 12 cards in the Ba (River).
• 7 players: 3 cards to each player, 6 cards in Ba (River).

The distribution of cards is done in 2 stages. The Oya distributes the appropriate number of cards face down to each player. Then he sets up the Ba cards, side by side, face up in the center of the table. He has successfully created the Ba (River). The card deck is made with the remaining cards (see Page 2).

Each player looks at his cards

1. If a player has four cards of the same month Teshi or 4 pairs of cards Kuttsuki (1 Pair is 2 cards of the same month), he automatically wins the round and scores 6 points, without playing it. This player becomes the Oya and deals the cards.
2. If 4 cards of the same month Teshi or 4 pairs of cards Kuttsuki are the Ba, the round is canceled. The Oya redistributes the cards.

The Oya starts the round. For the following rounds, one of the players of the winning team becomes the Oya.

Playing the game

Each player must capture the game cards with maximum points. In doing so, it must also try to achieve one or more of the 8 available Yaku. Each Yaku gives high penalties to the opponent(s) score(s) (see player aid and description page 38).

Each player takes turn, making the 2 following steps:

1. Capturing a card from the Ba: The player selects a card from his hand to pair it, with a corresponding Ba card from the same month. He seizes a card by superimposing his card on a card in the Ba (see page 31/a), then places the 2 cards face up in front of him, sorting them according to the Yaku desired combinations (see Page 31/b). If no card from the Ba corresponds to one month he has in his hand, the player chooses one of his cards and places it in the Ba, face up. In the case of a team, a player will be appointed to manage the captured cards by his team mates.

   At any time, each player must be aware about the Yaku being prepared by his opponent to adapt his game strategy.

2. Drawing a card: In any case, after realizing that first action, the player draws a card from the deck. If it matches a card present in Ba, he captures the pair of cards and puts the 2 cards face up in front of him (same as above). If it does not match any card, the player lays it in the Ba and now the following player takes his turn.

   In the 2 cases:

   • When there are 2 cards from the same month in the Ba, the player chooses the most advantageous card to capture.
   • When 3 cards from the same month are in the Ba, and a player has or draws the 4th card, he can capture 4 cards at once (Hiki rule is applied, the rule of the month). The player holding a Hiki is not forced to report it unless another player tries to capture one of theses cards with the Gaji (see use of Gaji).

Yaku Combinations

(see Pages 32 & 33)

Each card has one or more circles of different colors (with a symbol each) to help players to compose their Yaku. There are 8 possible Yaku in the game, so 8 different colored circles. Each Yaku consists of 3 cards and has a value of 50 points.

The eight Yaku are listed in the Sakura Yaku Reference section below.

Optional Rules

The Gaji card (lightning card): This card is present in the month of November.

1. If the Gaji is in the Ba: a player can capture it with a card of the same month.
2. If the Gaji is in a player's hand: the card can be used as a wildcard to capture any card of the Ba. In this case, keep the Gaji paired with the captured card because all the cards (of the same month as the captured one) remaining in the Ba at the end of the game will be awarded to the player who holds this card. The Gaji can not be used as a wildcard if a card of November has already been played by another player.

End of round

The round ends when all the cards have been played.

The players add up the victory points of the cards they have captured. Then, for each Yaku made by a player, his opponents subtract 50 VPs to their score.

Endgame

When all rounds are completed, each player (or team) adds up his victory points. The winner is the player (or team) scoring the highest number of VPs.

Sutda

Game goal

Scoring the highest number of points by making a winning combination of 2 cards.

Setting up

The cards used are the 2 « Kasu » cards from the months of January to October (excluding November and December). The « Kasu » cards are the cards with no points. The two exceptions are for the months of March and August, 1 of the 2 months' « Kasu » cards will be replaced by « The Moon » and « The Curtain ».

Shuffle the cards. Play the game in as many rounds you like, at the choice of the players, playing clockwise. From a practical point of view, we usually play until exhaustion of « The Bank ». Before starting the game, choose the Oya (the Parent), the first dealer of the game. To do this, each player draws a card at random. The player with the closest card from January became the Oya. In case of a tie, the players draw another card.

Development

1. Distribution: The Oya distributes two cards face down to each player (the remaining cards are set aside and will not be used for this round).
2. Starting bid: Each player put a starting bid that has been defined before the start of the game.
3. First card: Each player secretly looks of one of his two cards. The second card stays face down in front of him.
4. First auction: Depending on their card and potential combinations, each player makes a bid according to the procedure described in the « Bid Turn » below.
5. Second card: Each player places his first card in front of him, face up, visible for all the others players. Then each player looks secretly his second (and last) card. Everyone is free to estimate his chance and the remaining potential combinations (based on the revealed cards during the previous phase).
6. Second auction: Based on the known cards and resulting combinations, each player makes a second auction, starting with the Oya and according to the procedure described in the « Bid Turn » below.
7. Revelation: Each player still in the game reveals his second card by posing it in front of him (near his first card). The most powerful combination prevails and its player is the « Winner » of this round and takes the bids of « Defeated » players. If the winning pair leads to a multiple bonus, « Defeated » players must complete their bets accordingly. If a player cannot pay his debt, he is excluded from the game.

The « Bid Turn »

The Oya opens the bid with an amount of his choice and each player chooses, taking turn, one of the 3 following actions:

• He chooses « To give up »: The player leaves the game, he does not participate to the rest of this round. His initial bet is lost.
• He chooses « To follow »: The player chooses to stay in the game and put the same bid than the previous player.
• He chooses « To outbid »: The player chooses to stay in the game and put a larger bid than the previous player.

The turn continues until the bids and outbidsbidding stabilize. Each (still) competing player must make the same bid as the others. The one whose action has determined the final bid becomes the Oya. If a player does not have the resources to follow, his bid is limited to the maximum of his capacities.

For example: The Oya bids 2 coins, then player B 2 coins, player C 3 coins, and the last player, the player D, 3 coins. The Oya and Player B must bid again 1 coin each to stay in the game. Player C has determined the highest bid, he becomes the Oya.

List of possible combinations

(see pages 34 & 35)

The « Pairs » are classified by « seniority » of the month in the year: the months closer to the end of the year are stronger than those at the beginning of the year. Thus, in August is more powerful than June but less than October.

Here is the list of « Pairs » from the most powerful to the weakest, and we specified the « Multiplying Bonus » (loosing players, in front of a pair, will have to apply to pay to the « Winner »):

• The Curtain + The Moon (x10) · 2 May cards (x3) · January + April (x1)
• 2 October cards (x5) · 2 April cards (x3) · October + April (x1)
• 2 September cards (x3) · 2 March cards (x3) · October + January (x1)
• 2 August cards (x3) · 2 February cards (x3) · January + August (x1) (with the exception of « Moon »)
• 2 July cards (x3) · 2 January cards (x3)
• 2 June cards (x3) · January + February (x1) · June + April (x1)

(The list is printed in three columns; the order above follows the printed rows from left to right.)

Points out combinations

If players have 2 cards with none of the above combinations, they will add the values of their 2 cards. But only the result of the addition of the units will be taken into account.

Example: A card in May (5) and a card in June (6) give 11 (5 + 6), the result of the units is 1, which gives 1 point. A card of July (7) and a card of October (10) give 17 (7 + 10), the result of the units is 7, which gives 7 points).

Endgame

When all rounds are complete, each player gains are recorded. The winner is the one with the biggest jackpot.

Sakura Yaku Reference

(see Pages 32 & 33. These pages are pictorial tables: each Yaku is marked by a Japanese kana label and shown with the cards that make it up. The card names below are as printed beside the pictures.)

• い: Le Rideau + La Lune + La Coupe De Saké
• ろ: La Grue + Le Rossignol + Le Rideau
• は: Les 3 Poèmes
• に: Les 3 Rubans Bleus (Violets)
• と: Le Coucou + Le Ponton + L'Ours (Le Sanglier)
• ち: Le Cerf + Les Oies + L'Ours (Le Sanglier)
• ほ: Les Papillons + Le Cerf + La Coupe De Saké
• へ: Les 3 Rubans Simples

Each Yaku consists of 3 cards and has a value of 50 points.

Yaku Player Aid Key

(see Page 38)

The player aid carries this key for reading the Yaku symbols and the scoring panel:

• Symbol of Yaku.
• Cards that make up the Yaku.
• Earned points.

Sutda Combination Reference

(see Pages 34 & 35)

Pages 34 and 35 show the same pairs as the list in the Sutda section, each as a picture of the two cards (page 34: The Curtain + The Moon and the 2-card pairs; page 35: the x1 pairs, pictured as):

• 1 January card + 1 February card
• 1 January card + 1 April card
• 1 October card + 1 April card
• 1 October card + 1 January card
• 1 January card + 1 August card
• 1 June card + 1 April card

Component Note

(translated into English from the French component note on page 39)

If you lose or damage 1 or 2 cards, this game contains 2 Jokers to replace them. The Jokers are not used in the Sakura or Sutda rules.