The Ultimate Guide to Hanafuda Koi-Koi

Hanafuda (花札), or "flower cards," is a traditional Japanese deck consisting of 48 cards. Unlike Western decks, these are divided into 12 suits, each representing a month of the year and a specific flower. This guide walks you through the rules, winning combinations (yaku), and the famous Koi-Koi decision so you can play with confidence.

Download PDFs

Print or save these guides for quick reference at the table or offline use.

• Yaku Cheat Sheet — One-page reference of all 12 winning combinations with card images. Printer-friendly.
• Suit Reference Guide — All 12 monthly suits with every card shown. Great for beginners.
• Offline Rules — Downloadable Koi-Koi rulebook for reading or printing offline.

How to Play a Round

Each player gets 8 cards; 8 are placed face-up on the table. On your turn, play one card from your hand to match a card of the same month on the field, or add it to the field. Then draw a card and match or add it. The cards you capture form yaku (scoring combinations). Rounds continue until a player ends with a yaku or the deck is empty.

• The Deal: Each player receives 8 cards, and 8 cards are placed face-up on the table (the field).
• Matching: On your turn, match a card from your hand with a card of the same month/flower on the field.
• The Draw: Draw one card from the deck. If it matches a card on the field, you take that pair as well.
• Building Yaku: The cards you collect are used to form Yaku (scoring combinations).

Winning Combinations (Yaku)

Yaku are scoring combinations of captured cards. The main ones are:

• Goko (Five Lights): The most powerful hand. Collect all five "Bright" cards (20 points).
• Ino-shika-cho (Boar, Deer, Butterfly): Collect these three specific animal cards (5 points).
• Akatan (Red Poetry Ribbons): Collect the three red ribbons with writing on them (5 points).
• Tane (Seeds): Collect any 5 "Animal" or "Object" cards (1 point, +1 for each extra).
• Kasu (Chaff): Collect 10 "Normal" cards (1 point, +1 for each extra).

There are more yaku (Sanko, Shiko, Ame-shiko, Hanami-de-Ippaku, Tsukimi-de-Ippaku, Aotan, and others) — see the cheat sheet or full guide for the complete list.

Did you know? Ino-shika-cho (Boar, Deer, Butterfly) is completed in only about 8% of Hanafuda Legends matches. Goko (Five Lights) appears in fewer than 2% of rounds. Most wins come from combinations of Tane, Kasu, and ribbon yaku.

Monthly Suits

The Hanafuda deck has 12 suits, one per month (January through December). Each month has exactly 4 cards: typically one Bright or special card, one Animal or Ribbon, and two Chaff cards depending on the month. You match and capture cards by month (suit), not by numeric value.

The Koi-Koi Decision

When you form a yaku, you must choose: stop (Agari) to bank your points and end the round, or call "Koi-Koi" to keep playing for more points. If you call Koi-Koi and your opponent scores before you do, they win the round and you risk losing your points.

Options:

• STOP (Agari): End the round and take your points.
• KOI-KOI: Continue the round to try for more points. Warning: If your opponent forms a Yaku before you score again, they win the round and you get zero!

Special Rules & Automatic Wins

Some hands win instantly after the deal (Teyaku).

• Teshi (Hand of Four): If you are dealt 4 cards of the same suit in your starting hand, you win the round automatically (usually 6 points).
• Kuttsuki (Sticky Hand): If you are dealt 4 pairs of cards (e.g., two Jan, two Feb, two Mar, two Apr), you win the round automatically (usually 6 points).
• The Field Void Rule: If 4 cards of the same month are dealt face-up on the field at the start, the round is voided and the cards must be reshuffled.

These rules can vary by house or platform.

Pro Strategy: The Sake Cup

The Chrysanthemum with Sake Cup (September) is the most versatile card. In many rules it counts as both a Tane (animal) and a Kasu (chaff), so it helps multiple yaku. It is also the key card for Moon Viewing and Cherry Blossom Viewing combinations.

• Dual Role: In many rule variations, it can count as both a Tane (Animal/Seed) card AND a Kasu (Chaff) card simultaneously.
• Key Combo: It is the centerpiece for the Tsukimi-de-Ippaku (Moon-viewing) and Hanami-de-Ippaku (Flower-viewing) Yaku.

Key Terms

• Hanafuda (花札): Literally "flower cards" — the 48-card deck in 12 monthly suits.
• Hikari (Brights): The five highest-value cards (e.g., Crane and Sun, Full Moon, Phoenix).
• Yaku: A scoring combination of captured cards.
• Koi-Koi: The call to continue the round instead of banking points; also the name of the game.
• Agari: Ending the round to bank your points (Stop).

This article is the static version of our full How to Play guide. For the interactive guide with card images and PDFs, visit hanafudalegends.com/how-to-play.