Karafuto Kabu [樺太カブ], is a simplified version of Tehonbiki using either hanafuda cards or a unique set of cards called “Dai-ichiroku”, and was played in Karafuto island (present day Sakhalin Island, Russia) when it was still under Japanese administration.
Despite the name, the game does not feature kabu-style game mechanics.
Unlike in Tehonbiki, the dealer does not have to guess what card they have chosen, so the dealer is free to choose the card while looking at it.
It is a simple gambling game where players try to win against the dealer by guessing which one of the first 6 months of hanafuda is chosen by the dealer.
Any number of players may compete against one banker at the same time.
¶ Setup
¶ Equipment
Only 6 cards of a hanafuda deck are used: 1 
Pine, 1 
Plum Blossom, 1 
Cherry Blossom, 1 
Wisteria, 1 
Iris, and 1 
Peony. Card types are irrelevant; only the month of the cards are considered.
A collection of chips to represent points will also be used.
Next, each player (not including the dealer) must be given 6 pennies, which will be used to indicate a player’s guess.
Next, the banker needs something to hide the chosen card before the showdown. A white square handkerchief (called kamishita) is traditionally used.
In addition, all players also need something to hide their guess before the showdown.
A pen and paper or notepad to keep track of the chosen months of each passing round may be useful.
¶ Choosing the Dealer
No method is stipulated in choosing the dealer, since it is only done in casual games.
Once the dealer is chosen, the remaining players (bettors) seat themselves on the other side of the table opposite the dealer.
If the dealer represents an establishment- say, when playing at a casino or gambling parlour- then their role will obviously be fixed.
¶ Gameplay
¶ Dealer’s Card Selection
The dealer holds six cards in their hand as a stack.
To facilitate choosing the cards, the stack should be in order: The earliest month is on the front, and the latest month is on the back. However, it is not required to do this if you are unfamiliar with the card month sequence.
At the beginning of every round, the dealer hides the cards in hand from the bettors, and cycles through the cards in hand until the card they have chosen is on the front of the stack.
This is traditionally done by skillfully placing the front card on the back of the stack (or the back card on the front of the stack) using one hand only. However, it is not required to do this.
The dealer then places the chosen card face down on the table, and the rest of the cards are stacked face-down nearby. Then, the round begins.
¶ Guessing Round and Betting Round
Bettors must then guess the month number of the card chosen by the dealer.
They indicate their guess by placing a number of pennies on the table, covering it with a handkerchief so that other bettors may not know.
After all players have finished guessing, each player then wagers an amount they want to bet.
Once bettors have finished betting, it’s time for the showdown.
¶ Showdown
The dealer and all bettors remove the handkerchiefs, revealing the card that was chosen by the dealer, as well as the guesses of each player.
Afterward, payments are done based on the bettors’ chosen numbers:
- If the guessed number was correct, the bet is returned to the bettor, and the bettor wins 4 times the amount they have bet.
If playing for money, then the bettors only win either 3.5x or 3.6x the bet amount. (The remaining 0.5x or 0.4x is taken by the dealer as a “rental fee” [寺銭 - てらぜん, terazen] for the gambling parlor.)
- If the guessed number was wrong, the bet is taken by the dealer.
After the payments are done, another round begins. Players play for as many rounds as they want.
¶ Bibliography
- Yamaguchi Yasuhiko, “Saigo no Yomikaruta”