Koi-Koi Rules: Card Game Instructions & Strategies

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Learn this classic hanafuda matching game with our complete guide

Co-authored by Hunter Rising

Last Updated: August 3, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Objective
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• Game Rules
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• Scoring Combos
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• Strategy
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• Other Hanafuda Games
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• Video
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• Tips

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If you’re looking for a fun, traditional Japanese game to play with your hanafuda cards, Koi-Koi is really easy to learn. Koi-Koi (“Come on!”) has players matching cards to make special card combos to earn the most points, and you can keep the round going to earn a higher score. However, you risk the other player stealing and scoring the points instead. Keep reading, and we’ll cover the rules of the game and strategies to help you win, as well as other hanafuda card games to try.

Steps

Section 1 of 5:

Object of the Game

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1. 
   Earn the most points over 12 rounds by collecting special sets of cards. Koi-Koi is an easy hanafuda card game meant for 2 players. On your turn, you’ll play cards from your hand and match them with a card on the table. When you match cards, you put them in a scoring pile where certain combos called yaku can give you points. After getting a yaku, you can stop and bank the points or keep the round going, but you risk losing your points if the other player gets another match.

   • Whoever has the most points after the 12th round wins the game!
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Section 2 of 5:

How to Play Koi-Koi

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1. 
   1
   Shuffle and deal 8 cards to each player and to the middle of the table. Use a Japanese hanafuda deck with 48 cards for your game. Choose a player to be the dealer, or oya, and have them shuffle the deck. Then, deal 2 cards at a time to each player as well as the center of the table, or field. When the center of the table and both players each have 8 cards, set the deck face down nearby. Flip all the cards on the field face-up, but keep your hands secret from each other.

   • If there are 4 cards of the same suit or if there are 4 pairs of cards from 4 different suits on the field, then the round is invalid. Collect all the cards, reshuffle, and redeal the cards to restart the round.
   • If there are 3 cards of the same suit on the field, put them all into a single stack.
2. 
   2
   Check for special hands that instantly win a round. There are 2 lucky hands that instantly make you win the round. If you have a set of 4 cards in the same suit, or if you have 4 pairs of cards from 4 different suits, you win the round right away!

   • If someone gets a lucky hand, they earn 6 points for the round. Shuffle and redeal the cards to start the next round.
3. 
   3
   Play a card from your hand to the field and claim any matches. The dealer takes the first turn of the game. Choose 1 card from your hand and play it face-up. If the card you played matches the suit of any card on the field, take that card and the one you just played and put them face-up in front of you to form your point pile.

   • If you play a card that doesn’t match another one in the field, then the card stays on the field.
4. 
   4
   Set the top card of the deck on the field and take any matches. After playing a card from your hand, flip the top card of the deck and set it in the field. If it matches the suit of another card already there, take both cards and add them to your point pile.

   • If the card from the deck doesn’t match any cards, leave it face-up on the field.
5. 
   5
   Check your point pile for any sets of cards. After your turn, look through the cards in your point pile to see if they form any special combinations, or yaku. We’ll cover all the yaku combinations below, but if you have one, you can either end the round or push your luck to earn more points.

   • If you don’t have a yaku in your point pile, the next player takes their turn.
6. 
   6
   Choose to end the round after earning a set to score the points. As soon as you have a yaku in your point pile, you can end the round right away. Add the point value for the yaku you have to your score. The other player doesn’t earn any points this round.

   • If you were able to earn 7 or more points, double the amount and add it to your score.
7. 
   7
   Say “koi-koi” to continue the round for chances to score more points. If you want to risk earning a higher score and getting more points, say “koi-koi,” which means “Come on!” Continue taking turns until you increase your score or until the other player makes a yaku.

   • After saying “koi-koi,” you can only stop the round when you add more points to your point pile. If you do, then add your total points to your score and your opponent earns no points.
   • If the other player makes a yaku before you can increase your score, they earn double the points from their yaku and you earn no points.
   • If both players use all the cards in their hand without increasing their point value or forming a yakum, then the round is considered a draw and no one earns points.
8. 
   8
   Shuffle and deal the cards to start a new round. Whoever won the round becomes the dealer for the next round. Shuffle all the cards and deal them out so each person has 8 and there are 8 face-up on the field.
9. 
   9
   Win the game if you have the most points after 12 rounds. Traditional games of koi-koi last 12 rounds, 1 for each of the 12 suits in the deck. After the 12th round, total the points that players have earned to get the final score. Whoever has the most points wins the game!

   • If you want to play a shorter game, then only play 6 rounds instead.
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Section 3 of 5:

Koi-Koi Yaku Combinations

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1. 
   1
   Akatan Aotan no Chōfuku (Red Poetry and Blue Ribbons): 10 points 3 red ribbons with writing on them and 3 blue ribbons
2. 
   2
   Gokō (5 Brights): 10 points The Crane and Sun, the Curtain, the Full Moon, the Man with Umbrella, and the Phoenix
3. 
   3
   Shikō (4 Dry Brights): 8 points The Crane and Sun, the Curtain, the Full Moon, and the Phoenix
4. 
   4
   Ame-Shikō (4 Rainy Brights): 7 points The Man with Umbrella and any 3 from The Crane and Sun, the Curtain, the Full Moon, or the Phoenix
5. 
   5
   Sankō (3 Dry Brights): 6 points Any 3 cards from The Crane and Sun, the Curtain, the Full Moon, or the Phoenix
6. 
   6
   Aotan (Blue Ribbons): 5 points 3 blue ribbons
7. 
   7
   Akatan (Red Poetry Ribbons): 5 points 3 red ribbons with writing on them

   • If you have cards with red ribbons that have no writing, they do not count towards an Akatan yaku.
8. 
   8
   Ino-Shika-Chō (Boar, Deer, Butterfly): 5 points The 3 cards depicting The Boar, the Deer, and the Butterflies
9. 
   9
   Tsukimi-zake (Moon and Sake Cup): 5 points The Moon and the Sake Cup
10. 
    10
    Hanami-zake (Curtain and Sake Cup): 5 points The Curtain and the Sake Cup
11. 
    11
    Tane (5 Animals): 1 point Any combination of 5 animal cards

    • If you have more than 5 animal cards in your point pile, earn 1 additional point for each extra.
12. 
    12
    Tanzaku (5 Ribbons): 1 point Any 5 red or blue ribbons

    • If you have more than 5 ribbons in your point pile, gain 1 point for each additional card.
13. 
    13
    Kasu (10 Plains): 1 point Any 10 plain cards without added designs

    • If you have more than 10 plain cards in your point pile, earn 1 extra point for every additional plain card.
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Section 4 of 5:

Koi-Koi Strategy

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1. 
   1
   Capture high-value cards with lower-point cards. If you notice any cards on the field that can be used in a high-scoring yaku, check your hand for cards in the same suit that you can play to capture them. Save any higher-value cards in your hand for now so you have more opportunities to capture with them later on and to keep them hidden from your opponent.
2. 
   2
   Play a higher-value card when you can immediately make a match. If you have a card in your hand that’s part of a higher-scoring yaku, play it to the field on your turn if there’s a matching card. That way, you can immediately add those cards to your point pile and possibly score higher for the round.
3. 
   3
   Keep track of the cards your opponent takes. Watch the cards your opponent plays and takes from the field so you can guess at the yaku they’re trying to form. If you notice that they’re going after specific cards, like brights or ribbons, then try to capture them from the field before your opponent can to block their plays.
4. 
   4
   Set unmatched cards down to capture them later. If you have multiple cards from the same suit in your hand but none of that suit are on the field, play one of the lower-value cards on your turn. On your next turn, use one of the other cards in the suit to capture the one you just put down so you get it in your point pile.

   • Avoid putting down any higher-valued cards of a suit out on the field without a match because your opponent may try to add it to their own point pile.
5. 
   5
   Call “Koi-koi” sparingly. If you make a yaku, take a second to consider whether continuing the round is worth the risk. If your opponent has been making a lot of matches and they are already close to collecting a set of cards, it’s probably better to end the round and take the points you earned so you don’t lose them.

   • If you only have 1 point from your yaku, then it’s worth continuing the round because there are a lot of opportunities where you can quickly increase your score.
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Section 5 of 5:

Other Games with Hanafuda Cards

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1. 1
   Sakura Sakura, or Hawaiian Koi-Koi, is similar to standard Koi-Koi, but you can play with up to 7 people. During your turn, you still play a card from your hand and the top card of the deck to match cards on the field. When you match cards, you add them to your point pile to score at the end of the round. Each card is worth a set number of points, and whoever has the most points after 12 rounds wins the game!

   • You can also play Sakura with yaku if you want more of a challenge. When you make a yaku, your opponents each lose 50 points from their total score. The yakus are
     • Curtain, Moon, Snake
     • Crane, Warbler, Curtain
     • 3 Red Ribbons with writing
     • 3 Blue Ribbons
     • Butterflies, Sake Cup, Deer
     • 3 Red Ribbons (excluding the Willow suit)
     • Cuckoo, Bridge, Boar
     • Boar, Geese, Deer
2. 2
   Go-Stop Go-Stop also has basic rules similar to Koi-Koi with a more challenging twist. After you play a card from your hand that matches the suit of a field card, flip the top card of the deck. If the card is the same suit as the match you just made but the fourth card of the suit isn’t in play, stack all the cards on the field but do not capture them.

   • If you have 3 cards of a suit in your hand and the last card is out on the field, you may also play all 3 of your cards to capture all the cards of the matching suit.
3. 3
   Oicho-Kabu Oicho-Kabu usually uses kabufuda cards, but you can play with a hanafuda deck if you remove suits. In Oicho-Kabu, players bet their points on rows of cards hoping that the one they chose earns a higher score than the dealer. If they win, then they win points equal to their bet from the dealer. If they lose, then the dealer gains all the points that were bet.
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Tips

• Some people play with different scoring rules or point values, so make sure everyone is on the same page before you start the game.
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