The rules on this site are the rules as they are played in Japan, as gathered from the book 花札を初めてやる人の本, hanafuda software I have played, the Nintendo rules for the games, and other pages and posts I have found on-line. General The Cards The suits and values for the cards General Rules Rules that apply to multiple games and should be read first Capture Games This group of games have the players capture cards in an attempt to form set combinations of cards and/or collect high-scoring cards. They are for either 2 or 3 players. The 3 most popular hanafuda games, Hachi-Hachi, Koi-Koi, and Hana-awase, fall into this category. Koi-Koi 2 Fast game with many basic hands and easy scoring. Mushi 2 Game popular in Kansai. Closer to Hachi-Hachi than Koi-Koi. Hachi-Hachi 3 Easy game emphasizing luck. It has many dealt hands. Perhaps the most popular game. Hana-awase 3 Hiyoko variant with more complex scoring and wild cards Sudaoshi 3 Hachi-Hachi variant with alternate scoring and hands Tensho 2 Unique game with complex scoring and many hands Hachi 2 Game with unique hands and scoring Poka Games Poka games are a group of fast-paced 2 player hanafuda games in which players attempt to empty their hands by discarding cards in a set order. They are probably descended from the 15th-Century game Poch. Poka The basic Poka game Hiyoko Poka variant with alternate ordering and wild cards Isuri Hiyoko variant with more complex scoring and wild cards Korean Games Korean games played using Hanafuda. Korean decks are slightly different from Japanese decks, but same games can still be played. The cheapest decks available in Japan are typically made by Korean companies so include extra cards. See Tom Sloper's page here for a description of a Korean deck. Godori 2/3 The most popular Korean game. Very gambling oriented. Minhwatu 2 'Flower War'. A simple 2 player game Sutda 4-5 A game more similar to Western card games. Hawaiian Games Hanafuda cards were presumably brought by Japanese immigrants and laborers. I don't know whether these games are native to Hawaii or if they originally played in Japan. Sakura 2-7 This game is also known as Higo-Bana. Kabu games are games in which players draw kabufuda cards in an attempt to get as close to 9 (kabu) as possible. If you don't have kabufuda cards, hanafuda cards can be substituted by discarding the November and December cards and using the number of the months. Oicho-kabu Japanese Baccarat Kyo-kabu Oicho-kabu variant Hiki-kabu Japanese Blackjack Kingo Not actually a kabu game, but similar in gameplay