Toppa [十八 - とっぱ, lit. ‘eighteen’] refers to one of several hanafuda fishing games attested to be played in the Hokkaido region of Japan.
The origin of the name is unclear; the term “Toppa” could actually refer to gambling in general. In fact, in the book “A Study of Gambling and Pickpocketing”, by Takeshi Osatake, the game “Toppa” was listed as a kabufuda game.
Another possible explanation is that the word “Toppa” is used in Kansai and Chuugoku dialects, and means “stupid”. It could be a simplification of a more complicated Hanafuda game (as in bakappana).
In all Toppa games, a standard hanafuda deck of 48 cards is used, and all Yaku values are measured in “yaku”, which can be equated to points or cash.
¶ List of attested Toppa Hanafuda games
- Toppa (for 2 players) - This is the most widely attested Toppa hanafuda game.
- Baka - Same game as Toppa but adjusted for 3 players.
- Ishikari Toppa - Bakappana but with Teyaku.
- Kushiro Toppa - A Koi-koi variant for 2 to 4 players.
¶ Toppa (for 2 players)
This game is a hana-awase variant for 2 players, and is the most widely attested version of Toppa.
In this game, each “yaku” is worth 20 points. For sake of simplicity, all yaku values will be measured in points.
Game setup involves choosing a dealer - 親 [おや, oya], shuffling the deck, and distributing the initial cards.
There is no traditional number of rounds for playing the game; settlements are done after every round, and the game will last indefinitely until the players decide to stop.
Also, decide first whether to write down the scores on paper, or to play with chips, or with money. If playing with chips, then both players must have an equal number of chips at the start of the game. (If playing for money, then decide first the exchange rate for each point.)
Any other house rules should also be established at this point, in order to keep gameplay smooth and fair.
¶ Choosing the Dealer
The attested method of selecting the first dealer is as follows: Shuffle the deck, and have both players draw a certain number of cards each.
It is not specified how many cards are required to draw, but it must be the same number of cards for both players. (NEEDS MORE DOCUMENTATION)
Each player then checks the cards they have drawn, and counts the total points of the cards, based on the month of the cards.
All cards from January to September are worth points equal to their month number. (January is 1, February is 2, March is 3, etc.)
All cards from October to December are worth 0 points.
The player with more points becomes the dealer for the first round.
The winner of each round becomes the dealer for the next round.
¶ Distributing the Initial Cards
The dealer shuffles the deck, and their opponent cuts. Then, ten (10) cards are distributed to each player, and eight (8) to the table.
The attested method of distribution is as follows: the dealer gives five (5) to their opponent, four (4) to the table, five (5) to themselves, and then repeat.
The remainder of the deck is placed face-down to form the draw pile.
If four cards of the same month are dealt on the field or on a player’s hand, then a misdeal is declared, and the dealer reshuffles and deals again.
¶ Checking for Teyaku
After the cards are dealt, each player checks if they possess any sets in hand called teyaku [手役 - てやく].
A player could claim points for their teyaku by exposing [さらし, sarashi] it to their opponent; the player must put the cards that are related to the Teyaku face-up on the table nearest to them so that they wouldn’t be mixed up with the player’s captured cards or the cards on the field.
Exposing a teyaku to the other player doesn’t stop the round; Play continues as normal, and the teyaku points are included in the score settlement.
Since it is a disadvantage to play the game with your hand exposed to your opponent, it is up to you whether to expose your teyaku or to hide it.
If you decide to hide your teyaku, then you cannot claim points for it.
| Value (in points) | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
¶ Group A: Set Teyaku |
||
| 20 | Triplet/Three of a Kind 三本ざらし [さんぼんざらし, sanbonzarashi] |
Any three cards of the same month. |
¶ Group B: Chaff TeyakuNote: For the purposes of these teyaku, each  Willow card is treated according to its card type; Willow cards are not automatically treated as Chaff cards. |
||
| 20 | One Ribbon 短一 [他のさらし, tan’ichi] |
One Ribbon card, seven Chaff. |
| 20 | One Animal 十一 [他のさらし, toichi] |
One Animal card, seven Chaff. |
| 20 | One Bright 光一 [他のさらし, pikaichi] |
One Bright card, seven Chaff. |
| 30 | Empty Hand 総ガラ [そうがら, sō gara] |
Eight Chaff cards. |
¶ Gameplay
The gameplay is the same as in hana-awase.
Each round, the dealer is the first to play. Turn to play alternates.
¶ Turns
On their turn, a player chooses a single card from their hand and plays it to the table.
- If it belongs to the same month as another card on the table, then the cards match, and this matching pair is moved to the player’s score pile.
- If the played card matches with two cards on the table, then the player may choose which one they capture.
- If the played card matches three cards on the table, then all three are captured along with the played card (this is to prevent cards from becoming ‘stuck’ on the table and unable to be captured). To help in recognising this case, three cards of the same month on the table are often collected into a small pile at the beginning of the round.
- If the played card does not match any card, then it remains on the table, and may subsequently be captured by other played cards.
If a card is played that matches something on the table, then the player must capture, as described above. However, there is no obligation to play a card that matches something, even if the player has one in their hand; they may, if they wish, elect to play a card that matches nothing on the table.
As is typical of hanafuda games, each player’s score pile should be kept face-up and laid out on the table, so that its contents are fully visible to all players. Ideally, the cards should also be arranged by type (Brights, Animals, Ribbons, and Chaff) to make detecting yaku easier.
After a card has been played from their hand, the player takes the top card of the draw pile, turns it face-up, and immediately plays it to the table in the same fashion.
¶ End of Round and Scoring
The round ends when both players run out of cards in their hands.
The scoring for each round is handled as follows: Count the players’ total Yaku points and exchange the difference using the captured cards, then count the card points of all captured cards in the players’ possession. Subtract the points with the par score of 120 to get the score. Loser pays points/chips/cash to the winner of the round, and the winner becomes the dealer for the next round.
¶ Yaku Settlement
Each player checks for any sets formed in the captured pile called dekiyaku [出来役 - できやく], and count their points. They must add also the Teyaku points if they exposed it.
A player’s Yaku score is as follows:
Player's Yaku Score = Total of Player's Dekiyaku Points + Total of Player's Teyaku Points
The difference between the two players’ Yaku Scores is calculated, and the player with the lower score gives cards to the player with the higher score.
The total points of the cards given to the other player should be equal to the difference between the Yaku Scores.
If the captured cards of the player is not enough to complete the settlement, then skip this step and calculate the score as described below in “Settlement when Yaku Settlement cannot be Done”.
¶ Counting the Card Points and End of Round Settlement
After the Yaku points have been settled, players then count the total points of their captured cards.
Card points are standard except that Chaff cards are worth 0 points.
| Card Type | Value (in points, not “yaku”!) | Number in Deck |
|---|---|---|
| Bright | 20 | 5 |
| Animal | 10 | 9 |
| Ribbon | 5 | 10 |
| Chaff | 0 | 24 |
A player’s score for that round is calculated as follows:
Player's Score = Total of Player's Captured Card Points - 120 points
The player with the negative score (loser) pays the player with positive score (winner) points/chips/cash equal to their score.
The winner becomes the dealer for the next round.
¶ Settlement when Yaku Settlement cannot be Done
If the captured cards of a player is not enough to complete the Yaku settlement, obviously that player becomes the loser of that round.
The losing player’s score is calculated as follows:
Losing Player's Score = Total of Losing Player's Captured Card Points - Opponent's Yaku Score - 120 points
The loser pays the winner points/chips/cash equal to their score.
The winner becomes the dealer for the next round.
¶ List of Dekiyaku
All Dekiyaku stack except for Dekiyaku in the Bright Yaku group (only the highest scoring Bright Yaku is counted).
Also, note that Willow cards are considered strong cards in the game; they all count as Ribbons (some players also treat them as Chaff as well).
| Points | Yaku Name | Composition |
|---|---|---|
¶ Bright Yaku |
||
| 60 or 40 | Five Brights 五光 [ごこう, gokō] |
     |
| 40 or 30 | Four Brights (Dry 4) 本四 [ほんし, honshi] |
|
| 20 | Rainy Four Brights 雨四光 [あめしこう, ameshikō] |
plus 3 of: |
¶ Animal Yaku |
||
| Points | Yaku Name | Composition |
| 20 | Boar-Deer-Butterfly* 猪鹿蝶 [いのしかちょう, inoshikachō] |
   * This yaku is optional; Some people do not use this Yaku. |
¶ Ribbon and Willow Yaku |
||
| Points | Yaku Name | Composition |
| 20 | Poetry Ribbons 菅原 [すがわら, sugawara] |
   |
| 20 | Blue Ribbons 青短 [あおたん, aotan] |
   |
| 40 or 30 | Real Seven Ribbons しょう七 [しょうなな, shōnana] |
Any 7 Ribbon cards. This yaku is worth 10 extra points for each additional Ribbon or Willow card. |
| 20 | Seven Ribbons 短 [たん, tan] |
Any 7 cards consisting of Ribbon cards and/or Willow cards. This yaku is worth 10 extra points for each additional Ribbon or Willow card. If there are at least 7 Ribbons, it is counted as Real Seven Ribbons |
¶ Chaff Yaku |
||
| Points | Yaku Name | Composition |
| 20 | Chaff カラ [から, kara] |
Any 12 Chaff cards*. This yaku is worth 10 extra points for each additional Chaff card. * Some people play such that Willow cards count as Chaff, after determining if they have Real Seven Ribbons or Seven Ribbons. (Optional) |
¶ Four of a Kind Yaku |
||
| Points | Yaku Name | Composition |
| 20 | Wisteria Row ふじ [fuji] |
    |
| 20 | Iris Row かんこ [kanko] |
    |
| 20 | Bush Clover Row いぬ [inu] |
   |
¶ Baka
Baka [馬鹿 - ばか] is a game that retains almost all of the rules of Toppa, adjusted so that 3 players play at once.
Unlike Toppa, however, the number of rounds is limited to three (3) per game. (Of course, players may choose to play multiple games in one session.)
¶ Choosing the Dealer
Determining the first dealer is the same as Toppa, but the dealer of the 2nd round is the player to the dealer’s right, and the dealer of the 3rd round is the player to the dealer’s left, regardless of whoever wins in any of the rounds.
¶ Distributing the Initial Cards
The dealer shuffles the deck, and another player cuts. Then, seven (7) cards are distributed to each player, and six (6) to the table.
The attested method of distribution is as follows: the dealer gives three (3) to each player, two (2) to the table, and then four (4) to each player, four (4) to the table.
The remainder of the deck is placed face-down to form the draw pile.
If four cards of the same month are dealt on the field or on a player’s hand, then a misdeal is declared, and the dealer reshuffles and deals again.
¶ End of Round and Scoring
The round ends when all players run out of cards in their hands.
The scoring for each round is handled as follows: Count the players’ captured card points to check if anyone has a Low Man Out score. Then count the players’ total Teyaku and Dekiyaku points, and exchange the difference using the captured cards. Then count again the card points of all captured cards in the players’ possession. Subtract the points with the par score of 80 to get the score. The score settlement is done in the same manner as in Hachi-hachi.
¶ Special Yaku: Low Man Out
Each player counts their total captured card points to see if they got a score of 25 points or less.
If a player’s total card point score is 25 points or less, that player is paid 40 points each by the other two players for a total of 80 points.
Whether or not the card scores of all players are forfeited (as in Hachi-hachi) has not been attested. Decide first whether this happens or not before starting the game. (NEEDS MORE DOCUMENTATION)
¶ Yaku Settlement
Each player then checks for any Dekiyaku and count their points. They must add also the Teyaku points if they exposed it.
A player’s Yaku score is as follows:
Player's Yaku Score = Total of Player's Dekiyaku Points + Total of Player's Teyaku Points
The average of the 3 players’ Yaku scores is calculated, and subtracted to each player’s Yaku score.
After the subtraction, if your score is negative, you lose those points; If your score is positive, you gain those points.
Just like in 2-player Toppa, the settlement of Yaku scores is done by exchanging captured cards equal to the points they need to exchange.
¶ Counting the Card Points and End of Round Settlement
After the Yaku points have been settled, players then count the total points of their captured cards.
Card points are the same as in Toppa.
A player’s score for that round is calculated as follows:
Player's Score = Total of Player's Captured Card Points - 80 points
The settlement of points is done in the same manner as in Hachi-hachi: Negative score means you lose that score; Positive score means you gain that score.
The player with the most points does NOT become the dealer for the next round. Remember that after the first dealer is selected, the dealer for the 2nd round is the person to their right, and the dealer for the 3rd round is the person to their left.
¶ Dekiyaku
The dekiyaku list is same as in Toppa, except that the Chaff yaku consists of only ten (10) Chaff instead of twelve (12).