Otoroku (おとろく) is a Kingo variant once popular in the Tokai region of Japan.
The game was intended for 5 to 6 players, although it is possible for 2 to 7 players to play the game.
The name comes from the fact that the last player is allowed to reach a score of 16 points instead of 15.
It was also originally designed to be played with a 4-suited mekurifuda deck, and was only later adapted into hanafuda.
¶ Equipment
40 cards of a standard Hanafuda deck is used. Remove all November 
and December 
cards.
A standard 40-card Kabufuda deck may also be used.
If western playing cards are used, remove all Jacks, Queens, Kings, and Jokers.
In addition to the cards, Go Stones are used to keep track of the players’ scores.
¶ Hanafuda Months Table
If playing with Hanafuda, familiarity with which month corresponds to which value is required.
| Value | Month | Icon | Flower |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | January |  |
Pine |
| 2 | February |  |
Plum Blossom |
| 3 | March |  |
Cherry Blossom |
| 4 | April |  |
Wisteria |
| 5 | May |  |
Iris |
| 6 | June |  |
Peony |
| 7 | July |  |
Bush Clover |
| 8 | August |  |
Susuki Grass |
| 9 | September |  |
Chrysanthemum |
| 10 | October |  |
Maple |
¶ Setup
Game setup involves choosing the dealer - 親 [おや, oya] and determining the seating position, shuffling the deck, and distributing the initial cards.
A decision must be made as to how long the game will last - 12 rounds is traditional, though other common options are 6 rounds, 3 rounds, or until all but one player runs out of stones.
Finally, a decision must also be made as to how much points a share (the amount paid during the end of each round) costs per round. It may be fixed throughout the game, or changed every time a round starts (the decision of which may be done either before or after dealing the cards, usually by the dealer).
¶ Choosing the Dealer and Seating Position
There is no required method for selecting who is the first dealer, though a typical method in hanafuda games is to shuffle the deck and have all players draw one card each.
The player who drew a suit for the earliest month becomes the dealer. All other players sit on the opposite side of the table and become bettors.
Next, the seating position of the bettors are determined.
The player who drew 2nd earliest sits to the farthest right of the dealer and is called the first bettor, while the player with the latest month sits to the farthest left and is called the last bettor. The last bettor will have special rules in the game.
In cases where there is a tie, the players re-draw cards.
¶ Dealing the Cards
The dealer shuffles the cards and deals one card to each player’s hand, starting from the first bettor to the last bettor and then finally to the dealer themselves. The rest of the cards are put face-down on the table near the dealer as the draw pile.
¶ Gameplay
Each round, the first bettor is the first to play. Turn to play goes counter-clockwise.
During a bettor’s turn, they are given one more card face-up by the dealer. the bettor may ask the dealer for another card, one at a time, until their hand value total becomes close to 15; however, a bettor may not have more than 5 cards in hand. Or, the bettor may pass the turn to the next bettor.
¶ Buta
If the player’s hand value reaches 16 or higher (17 or higher for the last bettor), his/her hand is called Buta (ブタ, “zero”).
The player automatically loses the round.
The player must reveal their hand to all players, then discard their hand, pay 1 share to the dealer, and pass the turn to the next player.
¶ Last Bettor’s Advantage
Unlike other players whose hand value total must not exceed 15 points, the last bettor may reach 16 points, which is considered a stronger hand than 15.
¶ Dealer’s Turn
Once all bettors have passed their turns, the dealer adds 1 card to their own hand.
The dealer may add as many more cards into their hand as they want.
¶ Showdown
Once the dealer has finished their turn, all players who didn’t have a buta hand then reveal their hands for the showdown.
- If the bettor has a higher value than the dealer, the bettor wins and the dealer pays 1 share to the bettor. (This may be reduced by the rental fee (tera-zen) to the gambling parlor)
- If the bettor has a lower value than the dealer, the dealer wins and the bettor pays 1 share to the dealer.
- If both dealer and bettor have equal hands worth 15 points, then it is considered a tie. No exchange will be made.
- If both dealer and bettor have equal hands worth less than 15, then the dealer wins, and the bettor pays 1 share to the dealer.
In any case, the dealer retains their dealer status.
¶ Special condition: Dealer’s choice
If the dealer has only 2 cards in hand, and the value of the hand is 10 or more, then they may choose any bettor(s) to have a showdown with.
Bettors who are not chosen must discard their hand, but they don’t have to reveal it to other players or pay 1 share to the dealer.
¶ Teyaku
Other than the point values, there are also Teyaku which are considered strong hands.
All Teyaku hands are considered not buta, regardless of the value of the hand. The exception is if a player forms a Teyaku that they cannot avail, and is also a buta hand.
Note that some Teyaku can only be availed by certain players.
| Player who can avail | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bettors only | Undefeatable 負けず [まけず, makezu] |
A two-card hand consisting of a June and a September. Beats all hands. |
| Last bettor only | Otoroku おとろく |
A two-card hand consisting of a June and a October. Beats all hands. |
| Last bettor only | Otoroku おとろく |
A two-card hand consisting of a July and a September. Beats all hands. |
| Dealer only | Birds とりとり [toritori] |
  Beats all hands except Undefeatable and Otoroku. |
| Everyone | 5 pieces 5 and below 五下五枚 [ごしたごまい - goshita gomai] |
A five-card hand consisting of only cards that are May or earlier. Stronger than 15, Weaker than Birds. |
| Everyone | 14.5 Yaku | A two-card hand consisting of a January and a September. Stronger than 14, Weaker than 15. |
| Everyone | 14 Yaku | A two-card hand consisting of a January and either an Iris or Maple. Worth 14 points. |