- Source: Oicho-Kabu
Oicho-Kabu (おいちょかぶ) is a traditional Japanese card game that is similar to Baccarat. It is typically played with special kabufuda cards. A hanafuda deck can also be used, if the last two months are discarded, and Western playing cards can be used if the face cards are removed from the deck and aces are counted as one. "Oicho-Kabu" derived from Portuguese "Oito-Cabo," which in English means "Eight-End." As in baccarat, this game also has a dealer, whom the players try to beat.
The goal of the game is to reach 9. As in Baccarat the last digit of any total over 10 makes your hand: a 15 counts as 5, a 12 as 2, and a 20 as 0.
The worst hands in oicho-kabu have a value of 0. One of these worst hands is an eight, a nine and a three, phonetically expressed as "ya-kyu-san". This is the origin of the Japanese word for "gangster," yakuza.
Gameplay
Before the game starts, the players decide on the "domae" (胴前) which is the maximum number of points they can bet on. Note that this is the maximum limit for the total bets of all the players. For example, if the domoe is 50 points, Player A bets 25 points, Player B bets 15 points, and Player C bets 10 points, then Player D is not allowed to bet since the total is now 50 points.
The dealer is determined by having all players flip over a card from the deck. The person closest to 9 will be the dealer. If there is a tie, another card is flipped. The dealer should sit facing the other players.
The dealer shuffles the cards, and a player is given the opportunity to cut. Four cards are placed face-up on the table from right-to-left of the dealer to form four tableaus. The dealer gives themself one card face-down.
The players can choose any tableau to place a bet on. They may choose to bet on multiple tableaus. A tableau may have multiple bets from different players, so the players should keep track of their individual bets.
The dealer then places one card face-down from right-to-left on each tableau. The players are shown the card before it is placed if they had made a bet on its tableau.
The players now consider their tableaus' point values to determine whether to be dealt one more card face-up. However, this also depends on the value of the tableau:
if the value is 3 or less, they must draw a card
if the value is 7 or more, they cannot draw a card. The exception to this is if the tableau's value is 9, in which case, they may request for another card in the hopes for "Arashi" (アラシ).
otherwise, the decision to draw is given to the player sitting closest (counter-clockwise) to the dealer.
Even if players are dissatisfied with their resulting totals, a fourth card cannot be dealt to the tableau.
A tableau with no player bets will have its face-down card flipped up, and a card will be dealt face-up to it.
After all four tableaus have been decided, the dealer then flips their card face-up and deals a second card face-up to themself. The dealer may decide whether to deal themself a third card. After the decision, all face-down cards are revealed so that a winner for each tableau can be determined.
If the dealer wins, they will collect all points bet on the tableaus that they've won. Likewise, if the player wins, they will collect from the dealer the amount that they bet. If both the dealer and player have the same value, it is a draw, but there is a rule that states the dealer wins. There is also a rule where the dealer wins if the dealer and player end up in value 0.
The dealer is replaced when:
they have dealt a set predetermined number of times
they go bankrupt (i.e. lost all their points)
the domae doubles in value
the dealer ends up in a value 5 or less
Special Yaku
A "Yaku" (役) is a specific combination of cards with a predetermined value, similar to the yaku in riichi mahjong.
= Kuppin (クッピン)
=If the dealer's first two cards are 9 and 1, the dealer wins unconditionally, because the number 9 is related to "Ku" (苦, "suffering"). Some rules say the order does not matter and the combination becomes invalid if a third card is drawn, whereas others say the 9 must be the first card before 1.
= Shippin (シッピン)
=If the player's first two cards are 4 and 1, the player wins unconditionally, because the number 4 is related to "Shi" (死, "death"). Some rules say the order does not matter and the combination becomes invalid if a third card is drawn, whereas others say the 4 must be the first card before 1.
If both Kuppin and Shippin occurs during the same round, then Kuppin takes precedence.
= Arashi (アラシ)
=If all three cards in a tableau are the same number (i.e. three-of-a-kind), the player wins triple the amount bet. The player wins this even against the dealer's Kuppin or Shippin. If the dealer gets three-of-a-kind, then the players pay three times the amount bet. In some rules, the Arashi privilege is only reserved for the players.
If both the dealer and the players have Arashi, then the one with the larger total value wins. That is, the strongest combination is three 3 cards. This combination is called Arashi-Kabu (アラシカブ) or the Great Arashi (オオアラシ) and can win five times as much instead of three.
Local Yaku
The following yaku are only used in some regions and in some games. Players should agree upon which yakus (if any) are valid and their rankings before starting a game.
= Niichi (ニイチ)
=A combination of 2 and 1. If you draw a third card, it is invalid. This yaku is more advantageous for players as they are able to choose which cards to bet on, so this yaku is rarely used.
= Shidou (シドウ)
=A combination of 4 and 10.
= Shiro (シロ)
=A combination of 4 and 6.
= Zoro (揃 or ゾロ)
=A combination of two of the same cards (i.e. a pair). A pair of 1's is worth 1 Zoro, a pair of 9's is worth 9 Zoro, and so forth. If both the dealer and the players have a Zoro, then the one with the larger Zoro value wins. Note that the 9 Zoro is the strongest and the 10 Zoro is considered the weakest. Sometimes only two 2's (called Tsuru, ツル) and two 5's (called Gogo, ゴゴ) are used. This yaku is rarely used because it tends to give the players an advantage.
= Zoro Tsubushi (ゾロつぶし, "Zoro Crush!")
=A combination of 7 and 3. This hand is weak, but it can beat Zoro without question.
= Wake-satsu (分け札)
=A combination of 4 and 9. This hand is weak in itself, but can be set to win against some hands.
= Toichi (トイチ) or Toppin (トッピン)
=A combination of 1 and 10. There are rules that require the order 10 first before 1 to be valid. This has a low adoption rate among the local yakus.
= Nobori / Kudari (ノボリ・クダリ)
=Nobori is when the three cards are consecutive ascending numbers. Kudari is when the three cards are consecutive descending numbers. Sequences do not turn the corner. For example, the combination 9, 10, and 1, is invalid. If both the dealer and players have this yaku, then the one with the larger number in the ones digit of the total value wins. In other words, the combination 2, 3, and 4 (4, 3, and 2 in the case of Kudari) is the strongest. This is relatively common among the local yakus.
= Fūjin
=A combination of 3, 7, and 10. The order doesn't matter. It was used in Hangame.
= Raijin
=A combination of 4, 7, and 9. The order doesn't matter. It was used in Hangame.
= Ichi-Ni-San (一二三)
=Literally, 1-2-3, the same as its combination of 1, 2, and 3. The order doesn't matter.
= Shichi-Go-San (七五三)
=Literally, 7-5-3, the same as its combination of 7, 5, and 3. The order doesn't matter.
= San-Hachi Hikari (38光, "Three-Eight Light")
=This yaku is only valid when using Hanafuda cards. A combination of the third (March) and eighth (August) months' light cards. Better than any other hand.
= Doshippin (ドシッピン)
=A combination of 1, 10, and 10. The order doesn't matter. This is used in the Yakuza's mini-game version of Oicho-Kabu.
= Pinba sa mi (ピンばさみ, "Pin scissors")
=The yaku is applicable for players only. If the face-down middle card in the tableau is sandwiched between two 1's, the players declare Pin scissors, and the dealer unconditionally gives them the number sandwiched between the pins times the number of points bet (i.e. the dealer unconditionally loses).
Osaka (Kansai) local rules
In the Kansai region, centered around Osaka, it is important to note that unique local rules may be adopted.
= Relatively major changes
=Regardless of the total number of the second card, the players can request a third card. Therefore, the player may attempt to get an Arashi for numbers 4 and 9.
Shippin only applies to the players, not the dealer (in which the value stays as 5). The ranking of the Yaku (from strongest to weakest) is thus:
Arashi - triple points
Dealer's Kuppin - double points
Players' Kuppin - double points
Regular hands
In theory, the players should bet on tableaus with a value of 1 or 4.
When both dealer and players have Arashi, one of the following is used (major change from top to bottom):
Dealer wins
The strongest cards rank from: 3>2>1>10>9>8>7>6>5>4
The numbers are strongest in the order of 4=9>3=8>2=7>1=6>5=10, and if they are equal, the dealer wins. This order is based on the strength of the second card. For example, if the cards were two 4's or two 9's, then the value would be 8 (which it would then be surprising to draw for a third card).
Tie; the original bet is returned to the player.
The player wins. In this case, if the player declares the win at the time the Arashi is established, the payout will be made immediately. Also, the dealer cannot escape from the player's Arashi (even if the value is zero for three 10's).
The higher the number, the stronger it is.
When the player has a 4 and a 6, they can choose to drop out instead of choosing to draw the third card. This is called "Shiroku no nige" (シロクの逃げ, "4-6's escape").
= Relatively minor changes
=A dealer's kuppin is an unconditional win for the dealer.
If the player plays three 10's, the game with the dealer will be an unconditional draw. If the dealer plays three 10's, the game itself will be invalid. If the player plays two 10's, it is just a value of 0.
When the dealer is dissatisfied with the cards they were dealt, they can unconditionally redeal the cards for everyone. This is called "Minso" (ミンソ). This must be announced before the players makes their bets. This rule is found not only in the Kansai region but also in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions. This rule is quite disadvantageous to the players, so it has almost disappeared nowadays. It is very rare to see people born before the war playing, so it can be said that it is a rule that is disappearing with the times.
There is also a rule that if three or more cards on the table are the same number, the dealer must re-deal the cards.
Proverbs and Mnemonics
See Also
Hanafuda
Baccarat
Blackjack
