Go-Stop

Go-Stop is the best known Korean card game played with Korean flower cards, called hwa-tu in the Korean language. In Korea this game is practically national pastime. The game can either be played socially, for points, or as a gambling game, for money.

Hwa-tu cards are much smaller than conventional playing cards and it may take time to get used to handling them. The reason for their smaller size is most likely because of the fact that many cards must be laid out all over the table during the game. At the end of a round all 48 cards are laid out in groups, so large cards would be impractical as they would clutter the entire table.

• Objective of the Game

To collect points. Players capture cards from a central layout by playing a card of the same month (flower). The aim is to collect the highest scoring combinations among the captured cards. The player to first reach a sufficient number of points can either decide to "stop" (i.e. to stop the game and collect the points) or "go" (to continue playing with the intention to collect more points; but in this case the player can lose all the points by the end). It is this rule, decision to "go" or "stop" that gives this game its name.

• Players and cards

2 or 3 people can play. A pack of flower cards consists of 48 cards, however, in some cases one or more jokers may be added. There are 4 cards corresponding to each of the 12 months of the year. Some of these cards also show a ribbon, animal or other object, indicating a value used for counting points.

The cards are divided into four unequal groups: 5 "bright" or "light" (kwang), 9 "objects" or "animals" (yul), 10 "ribbons" or "banners" (tti) and 24 "junk" (pi) cards. The following table show the cards divided into 12 months and each month divided into corresponding groups. The month of the card can be thought of as a suit and the group as a value or rank. The "junk" cards all rank the same, but two of the "junk" cards count as 2 "junk" cards each.

	bright group kwang	object group yul	ribbon group tti	junk group pi
January pine
February plum blossoms
March cherry blossoms
April black beans
May iris
June roses
July bush clover
August pampas grass
September chrysanthemum
October maple
November paulownia
December willow or rain

In most Korean hwa-tu packs (unlike Japanese hanafuda cards), the five "bright" (kwang) cards have a white Chinese character on a red disc (this is a form of the Chinese character for "guang", which means "bright").

There are a few cards with some special properties:

	This card (the September "object" card, depicting a sake cup) can either be used as "object" or "junk" for the purposes of scoring.
	Some packs include two different versions of the December "junk" card, but only one is used in the game, depending which value is assigned to this card. If the specially-marked second version of this card is used (which is usually the case), then it would count as a "double-junk" ("sang-pi") card.
	These two "junk" cards are "double-junk" ("sang-pi") cards and each count as a two "junk" cards, when added for scoring points.

In addition, most packs contain a collection of bonus cards or jokers with special properties. The game is usually played without them, or using just a few of them. The number and nature of the jokers varies from deck to deck.

• Deal and Layout

The first dealer is chosen by a random draw of cards. The player who draws the highest month, or the highest-ranking card if same month is drawn, is the first dealer. Thereafter, the winner of each round becomes the dealer (and plays first) in any subsequent round.

The dealer shuffles the cards and the dealer's opponent (or the player to dealer's left, if there are three players) has the right to cut. The play goes counterclockwise. The initial distribution of the cards varies depending on the number of players.

◊ 2 players: deal 10 cards to each player and 8 face up to the center of the table as follows: 5 cards to dealer's opponent, 5 to dealer, 4 to the table, 5 to dealer's opponent, 5 to dealer, 4 to the table. The remaining cards are placed face down in a stack in the center of the table to form a drawing stock.

◊ 3 players: deal 7 cards to each player and 6 face up to the center of the table as follows: 4 cards to each player, 3 to the table, 3 to each player, 3 to the table. The remaining cards are placed face down in a stack in the center of the table to form a drawing stock. The 3-player game is dealt and played counterclockwise.

The players pick up their cards and spread them out in a fan to examine their hands. This is a bit more difficult with hwa-tu cards, as the cards are rigid and much smaller than western cards.

The cards that were dealt to the table are turned face up in the center area so that all cards are visible, usually on either side of the drawing stock. Usually, at this point, the face up cards are grouped by month, if possible, to better organize the display. John McLeod, from pagat.com, calls this display the center layout. During the game cards will be added to and captured from this layout.

Players score captured cards and place them face up into groups (brights, objects, ribbons, and junk) in front of themselves. Each player stores captured cards in front of him or her. These captured cards are kept face up so that they are visible to all players. John McLeod calls this area the player's capture area. Captured cards normally remain in the player's capture area until the end of the play, but there are a few special events that require a player to surrender a captured card, moving it to another player's capture area.

• The Play

After the cards are dealt out and before players begin to play, players check for triples or quads (3 or 4 cards of the same month) in their hands or on the table.

• Any player who has three cards of the same month may declare them and show them to the other player(s). This is known as heundeum. It is a disadvantage to hold three cards of the same month, but if a player chooses to show them he gets an extra bonus if he manages to win.
• If a player has four cards of the same month in his hand, he shows them and wins the game immediately, collecting 5 chips from each opponent. In a three-player game, if two players have quads, each collects five chips from the third player; if everyone has a quad, the payments cancel and there is no score.
• If there are three cards of the same month on the table, they are combined into a stack, which is later captured as a single unit.
• If there are four cards of the same month on the table, the deal is void. The cards are reshuffled and dealt again by the same dealer.

The dealer plays first. A normal turn is played as follows:

1. a player plays one card from his hand onto the table layout, and then
2. turns the top card of the stock face up and adds it to the table layout.

This may result in the capture of some cards, as detailed below. The turn to play then passes to the right.

The aim of the game is to capture cards by playing cards that match the cards in the center layout. Cards match when they belong to the same month (flower).

• If the card you play from your hand does not match any card in the center layout, you add it to the center layout as a separate card, and then turn over the top card of the stock.
• If this card from the stock matches a card in the center layout, you capture these two cards - the card from the stock and the matching card from the layout - and move them face up to your capture area.
• If the card from the stock matches two cards in the center layout, you choose which of these cards to capture along with the stock card.
• If the card from the stock matches a stack of three cards in the center layout, then it captures the stack, and you move all four cards to your capture area.
• If the card turned from the stock matches nothing in the layout, it is also added to the center layout as a separate card.
• If the card you play from your hand matches the month of a card in the center layout, you place it on top of the matching card (Koreans usually slap the card on top so that it makes a sound). If there are two cards of this month in the layout, you can choose which one you will place your played card onto. You then turn up the top card of the stock. There are several possibilities:
• If the stock card does not match any card in the center layout, you add it to the center layout as a separate card, and you capture the matching pair that you created with the play from your hand, moving them to your capture area, where they are stored face up.
• If the stock card matches a card in the center layout, but not the card you played from your hand, then you place (or slap, as Koreans do) the stock card on a card that it matches, capture both matching pairs you have created, and move these two pairs of cards to your capture area.
• If the stock card matches the pair you created with the card from your hand, and the fourth card of this month is not in the center layout, you are unlucky. You do not capture anything this turn, but you must add this stock card to the pair you made, creating a stack of three cards. This incident is known as a ppuk. The three-card stack remains in the table layout and can only be captured by the fourth card of this same month.
• If the card you played from your hand matched two cards in the layout, and the card you turn from the stock is also of this same month, you capture all four cards of this month. This is known as ttadak.
• If the card you turn from the stock matches a stack of three matching cards in the layout, then you capture all four of these cards as well as the pair you made with the card you played from your hand.
• If the card you play from your hand matches a stack of three matching cards in the table layout, then it captures this stack and all four cards are moved to your capture area. You then turn a card from the stock, which makes another capture if it matches anything in the center layout.

After you have played from your hand and from the stock, and taken any cards that you captured, you may have the opportunity to stop the game, if your score is sufficient. Otherwise the turn passes to the next player to your right.

The play continues like this until someone "stops" the game (as described below) or until all the cards run out. The deal is such that when the last player plays their last card from hand, there will be just one card remaining in the stock, and of course the final cards will automatically match, leaving the center layout empty.

• Special Events During Play

Certain special events allow the current player to capture one junk card from each opponent:

1. There are only two cards in the center layout, belonging to different months, and the player captures both of them, leaving the center layout empty (sseul).
2. The center layout includes two cards of the same month, and the player captures both of them using the other two cards of that month (one from hand and one from stock) (ttadak).
3. The player plays a card from his hand that does not match anything in the center layout, adds this card to the center layout, and then draws a matching card from the stock, capturing the card just played (chok).
4. The player captures a stack of three cards by playing the fourth card of this month from hand or stock.

Should any of these four scenarios happens, each opponent must surrender one junk card of their choice from their capture area, and the cards are moved face up to the player's capture area. A player who does not have any junk cards in their capture area does not have to surrender a card. Some junk cards are more valuable than others (being worth 2 or 3 cards in scoring): a player who has no ordinary junk cards must surrender a valuable junk card if he has one.

However, if the play runs right to the end, the first three special events above don't count in the last player's last turn, since the cards are guaranteed to match. Nevertheless, a capturing a three-card stack at the end of the play still counts.

Other special events:

• If you make a ppuk (create a stack of three cards) in your first turn of the game, each opponent pays you you money worth 3 points (or could be 3 chips, if playing with chips) and play continues.
• If you make a total of three ppuk during one hand, the play ends and each opponent pays you 5 chips. To make a three-card stack is also sometimes called ssada (meaning "to poop"), so when several of these three-card stacks turn up during a game, people sometimes refer to them as sulssa, which means "diarrhea".

• Playing with Jokers

Jokers are bonus cards that add an extra element of luck to the game. Whenever you play a joker - either from your hand or by turning one up from the stock - you place it directly into your capture area face up, and immediately turn up a card from the stock which you must play as a substitute for the joker. Therefore on a turn when you play a joker, you actually turn up two cards from the top of the stock - one as a normal part of your turn and another as a result of playing the joker.

If there are any jokers dealt face up on the table at the start of the game, the dealer moves them to the captured cards in front of him and replaces them in the layout by turning face up an equal number of cards from the stock.

• Ending the Play and Payments

Before beginning the game, the players should agree a target score at which a player can "stop" the game. When there are 3 players the target is normally set at 3 points. With only 2 players it is usual to set a higher target - normally 5 or 7 points.

Certain combinations of captured cards have a point score, as listed below. The first time that the total score of your captured cards at the end of your turn reaches the agreed target, you have the opportunity to "stop" the game. You must either say "Stop", in which case the play ends and you claim payment as detailed below, or you say "Go" and the game continues.

After you have said "Go", you do not get another opportunity to "stop" the game until the score at the end of your turn is higher than it was the last time you said "Go". When this happens, you must again announce either "Stop" or "Go".

The scores for combinations of captured cards are described below. Note that in several cases cards of the December (rain) suit are less valuable than similar cards of other suits.

Bright cards (kwang)

A set of 5 bright cards scores 15 points

A set of 4 bright cards scores 4 points

A set of 3 bright cards not including rain scores 3 points

3 bright cards including rain score 2 points

Object (or also called "animal") cards (yul)

A set of 5 animal cards scores 1 point

Each additional animal card beyond 5 scores 1 extra point each

The godori combination of 3 bird cards scores 5 points - these are the February, April and August animal cards - the December (rain) animal card is not part of this set

Ribbon cards (tti)

A set of any 5 ribbon cards scores 1 point

Each additional ribbon card beyond 5 scores 1 extra point each

A set of 3 red ribbons with poems scores 3 points

A set of 3 blue ribbons scores 3 points

A set of 3 red ribbons without poems (April, May, July) scores 3 points - the December (rain) ribbon card is not part of this set

Junk cards (pi)

A set of 10 junk cards counts 1 point

Each additional junk card beyond 10 scores 1 extra point

 

 

Note: remember that for scoring purposes there are some cards with special properties (as already described above).

The colored November (paulownia) "junk" card and the specially-marked December (rain) "junk" card each count as two junk cards.

The September "object" card (chrysanthemum and sake cup) can be used either as an "object" card or as a "junk" card for the purpose of scoring.

Example:

The following combination scores 7 points: 1 point for 5 "objects", 1 for the 6th "object" and 5 for godori.

The player who "stops" the game is paid chips equal to their score by each other player. Note that when you "stop" the game, it does not matter if another player has more score than you. For example in a two-player game with a target of 5, if you achieve a score of 5 at the end of your turn while your opponent has 7 (having previously said "Go"), you can stop the game and you are paid 5 chips - the opponent's score does not count.

It is possible for the play to end without a winner. This can happen, for example, if no player manages to reach the target score, or if a player says "Go" and then fails to increase his or her score (and no one else achieves the target score) before the cards run out. This is called nagari, and there is no payment for this deal. The cards are shuffled and the same player deals again.

There are several circumstances in which the number of chips paid to the winner is increased.

• Shake/Bomb - If the winner showed 3 cards of the same month before the start of play, then each opponent must pay double. If the winner showed two such sets, two doubles are applied, thus quadrupling the payment.
• Kwang-bak - If the winner has a scoring set of "bright" (kwang) cards (i.e. 3 or more "bright" cards), then any opponent with no captured "bright" cards must pay double. If the winner captured 5 "bright" cards, then the other player(s) automatically get kwang-bak.
• Mong-tta-bak - If the winner has a set of at least 7 "animal" cards, then each opponent must pay double.
• Pi-bak - If the winner has a set of at least 10 "junk" (pi) cards, then any opponent with fewer than 5 "junk" cards must pay double. (For this purpose, the special "junk" cards count as two or three "junk", as for scoring).
• Go-bak - If the player that called "Go" fails to score a point and the opponent(s) reach(es) the minimum points in the same round, the player must pay double.
• If the previous deal ended with no winner (nagari) the payment is doubled.
• If the winner previously said "Go" once, each opponent pays one extra chip.
• If the winner previously said "Go" twice, each opponent pays two extra chips.
• If the winner previously said "Go" three times, each opponent pays double.
• If the winner previously said "Go" more than three times, the payment is doubled again for each "Go" beyond three.

When calculating payments, if the winner said "Go" once or twice, the chips for this are added before the doubles are applied. Doubles are cumulative - for example suppose you win with 7 "animals" (without Godori) and 11 "junk", having said "Go" twice. Your score is 5 points. You add two chips for the "go", making 7. An opponent who has only 4 "junk" will pay you 28 chips - there is one double for your 7 "animals" and another for fewer than 5 "junk".

In a three-player game, if another player wins after you have said "Go", you have to pay not only your own losses but also those of the third player. The third player pays nothing.

Variations

• Jokers and Special Cards

Most packs include a selection of jokers with various different properties. It is probably best to include not more than one or two of these. Examples of jokers are:

• One "junk" - treated just like a captured "junk" card
• Two "junk" - treated just like a captured "junk" card
• Three "junk" - treated just like a captured "junk" card
• Double - the owner collects double chips if he or she wins
• Bright protection - the owner who has captured no "bright" cards does not have to pay double to a winner with a "bright" set

There are probably many other jokers with other properties. These special properties are written on the cards, in korean, of course.

Some play that the chrysanthemum and sake cup card counts as one "animal" or two "junk", rather than one "junk".

• Scoring and Payment Variations

As mentioned above, the target needed to "stop" the game can vary. A higher target is harder to achieve, but if you do reach it you are more likely to say "go", since it is also harder for your opponent to get reach the target. If the target is set higher than 3 in a 3-player game, there will be quite a few games with no winner.

There are many slight variations in scoring. For example:

• Some score only 3 points rather than 4 for a set of 4 bright including rain (December).
• Some score only 3 points rather than 5 for Godori.
• Some apply an extra payment of only 2 chips (rather than a double) when a player without "brights" pays a winner with a set of brights.
• In the two-player game, some require a player to have 7 "junk" rather than 5 to protect against a double payment to a player with a "junk" set.
• Some award one chip to a player who said "Go" once before winning, double payment to a player who said "Go" twice, triple payment to a player who said "Go" three times, and so on.

On your first turn of the game, if you take all four cards of a month in one turn (either by two captures - ttadak or by capturing a three-card stack), or if the stock card you turn captures the card you played (chok), some award a payment of 3 chips from each opponent for this, and play continues.

• References

References used in this article: pagat.com, Tom Sloper's Hanafuda pages, ijji.com, and Yahoo! Games.