Japanese Card Games: Tehonbiki · 3:43am Feb 3rd, 2023
Japanese Card Games: Tehonbiki
Pictured above is a Japanese card game called Tehonbiki that the Yakuza famously play. For this reason the game is often banned in some parts of Japan but a lot of dealers kind of sell the cards under the table/ quietly anyway.
Because it's banned I naturally am going to make this game set and teach myself how to play it. Then I'll be on my way to becoming part of the Yakuza an awesome Tehonbiki player.
Setup:
Any number of players may compete against the banker. They all sit on one side of the table.
Each player will hold 6 cards, each representing the numbers 1 to 6.
These are called “hari-fuda” and they are used to indicate what number(s) the players have bet on, and what are the odds of their bet.
On the other side of the table is the banker, who holds a different set of 6 cards, also representing the numbers 1 to 6.
These are called “hiki-fuda” (a.k.a “kuri-fuda” or “mame-ichi-roku”), and they are used by the banker to indicate the chosen card. Before players bet, the chosen card is hidden under a white handkerchief or piece of cloth, known as “Kamishita”.
In the middle of the table are 6 large wooden tiles, each with the numbers 1 to 6, placed sequentially in a row.
They are called “me-moku” (a.k.a “me-fuda”), and they are used to indicate the banker’s bet.
Gameplay Works As Follows:
The banker picks up the stack of hiki-fuda, and, without looking at it, cycles through it, chooses one of the cards, and hides it under the kami-shita.
It is the skill of the banker to do this such that the banker knows exactly what number is chosen.
Players must place a bet on a card(s) they think has the same number as the the chosen card. They put the card(s) on the table along with the relevant bets. Up to 4 cards may be bet by a player at once, and depending on the card arrangement, different odds are indicated. Players may also use special indicators to indicate certain special bets.
After all players have placed their bets, the banker also chooses a number they think is that of the chosen card, using the me-fuda on the table. The banker can only choose 1 number.
Afterward, the banker removes the kami-shita, revealing the chosen card.
If the banker guessed the number correctly, then the banker and the players exchange bets depending on whether or not the chosen card was guessed correctly, and also depending on the odds on that bet (some odds are negative; if the chosen card is guessed correctly, the player still pays the banker).
If the banker knows exactly what the chosen card is, then the above will always be the case.
In the very unlikely case that the banker guessed incorrectly, all players win. All bets are paid by the bank according to the odds of the bet (some odds are negative; if the chosen card is guessed correctly, the player pays the banker instead).
I'm gonna keep this in mind.