Talk:Oicho-Kabu

The worst hand

Why is this specifically "the worst hand"? It semes to me there would be many other ways to reach 20 or 10 for that matter. i.e. 8,7,5 or 7,2,1.--Crossmr 01:54, 2 September 2006 (UTC)

That's true, and yet it is commonly stated that the yakuza got their name from this alleged 'worst hand.' But what's funny is that if you take the highest point cards from the months of 8, 9 and 3 using hanafuda (flower cards) they would be Moon, Sake and Banner (respectively) which in certain regions of Japan is the highest scoring hand, even over the bright combinations.

Also depending on where you play, kabu can be played using the hanafuda deck instead of the kabu deck (check www.hangame.co.jp and play oicho kabu under the hanafuda section.) which could lead one to believe that for this duality of the worst hand and yet the greatest hand the numbers 8,9,3 were chosen.

Contradictory rules

The goal of the game is to reach a total closest to 9 without going over. 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.

These two statements contradict each other. If it's modular like this, then it's impossible to exceed 9, since it would rollover to 0. --75.63.49.151 (talk) 05:43, 2 September 2008 (UTC)

It's impossible to exceed a -score- of nine, but that's precisely why you don't want to go over, because you're wasting cards. However, it seems to me that getting 19 is as good as getting nine, so you're right... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.73.70.113 (talk) 02:49, 3 June 2009 (UTC)

Where?

Where is it played?andycjp (talk) 06:14, 10 September 2009 (UTC)