Shichi-shichi-bana [七七花, lit. ‘77 flowers’], is thought to be an adaptation of the game Hachi-hachi or Hana-awase, using an expanded 14-month hanafuda deck, produced by Tezuka Karuta Kobo and manufactured by Matsui Tengudo. It is intended to be played by 4 active players at the same time.
The game is named after the par score of 77 points.
The rulesheet supplied with the 14-month deck does not give a detailed explanation of the game; rather, it only explains the functions of the 8 additional cards, the par score, the number of cards per deal, the Teyaku and the Dekiyaku. All yaku do not have scores, and it is up to the player to assign scores for them.
NOTE: You need a 14-month hanafuda deck to play this game. Since 14-month hanafuda decks made by Matsui Tengudo are extremely rare and valuable, a more affordable option is to use a Junior Dragon or Tiger Hanafuda deck, which also has 14 months.
| Number | Name of Month | Name of Flower | Composition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Heaven [天, ‘ten’] |
Lotus [蓮, ‘hasu’] |
1 Bright card - Dragon 1 red** Ribbon card 2 Chaff cards |
| 14 | Earth [地, ‘ji’] |
Bamboo [竹, ‘take’] |
1 Animal card - Tiger 1 red** Ribbon card 2 Chaff cards |
※ Card points are standard; the same used in Hachi-hachi.
※※ If a Junior Dragon or Tiger hanafuda deck is used, the Lotus Ribbon card would be blue instead of red, and the Bamboo Ribbon card would be a Poetry ribbon instead of plain red.
The additional 8 cards are worth 44 points in total. Since the standard deck has a total of 264 points, the total points of the 14-month deck is 308 points.
Dividing this total points between four players will give the par score of 77 points.
Deal 6 cards to each player’s hand, and 8 cards face-up on the field, and the rest of the deck is put face-down on the table as the draw pile.
NOTE: Points are not specified with the leaflet of the game; players are expected to assign their own points for these Yaku.