Go-Stop (Korean: 고스톱;RR: Goseutop), also calledGodori (고도리, after the winning move in the game) is aKoreanfishingcard game played with aHwatu (화투) deck. The game can be calledMatgo (맞고) when only two players are playing.
The game is derived from similar Japanese fishing games such asHana-awase andHachihachi, though the Japanesehanafuda gameKoi-koi is in turn partially derived from Go-Stop.[1]
Modern Korean-produced hwatu decks usually include bonus cards specifically intended for play with Go-Stop, unlike Japanese hanafuda decks. Typically there are two or three players, although there is a variation where four players can play. The objective of this game is to score a minimum predetermined number of points, usually three or seven, and then call a "Go" or a "Stop", where the name of the game derives. When a "Go" is called, the game continues, and the number of points or amount of money is first increased, and then doubled, tripled, quadrupled and so on. A player calling "Go" risks another player scoring the minimum and winning all the points themselves. If a "Stop" is called, the game ends and the caller collects their winnings.
The game was invented in the 1960s and became very popular in South Korea in the 1970s.[2] The game was still described as popular there in the 1990s[3] and 2010s.[4]
The game is commonly used as a light form of gambling. Though the game can be played without money, it is considered more entertaining with the gambling aspect, with households commonly playing at₩100 per point.
The game is played with great caution outside the family household, if ever played, as the gambling aspect brings the possibility of cheating, including hiding cards and introducing foreign cards to improve a hand.
Two players: The dealer places four cards face-up on the table then deals five cards to their opponent's hand and five cards to their hand. Then the dealer places another four cards face-up on the table and deals another five cards to each player's hand, starting with the opponent.
Three players: The dealer places three cards face-up on the table then deals four cards to each player's hand, starting with the player to the right and continuing counterclockwise. Then the dealer places another three cards face-up on the table and deals another three cards to each player's hand, again starting with the player on the right.[6]
The remaining cards are placed face down on top of the cut portion of the deck in the center of the table to form a draw pile. Before the play begins, the players check for sets of two, three or four cards of the same month on the table. If there is a set, they pile it up on top of each other, usually leaving space on each of the top part of the cards.
Play begins with the dealer and continues counterclockwise.
A turn begins with a player attempting to match one of the cards lying face-up on the table with a card of the same month in their hand. If there are two cards of the same month already on the table, the player may select one of them. If the player has no cards matching the cards on the table, the player discards a card to the table.
The turn continues with the player flipping over the top card from the draw pile and looking for a card of the same month on the table. If the player finds a matching card on the table, the player collects both cards along with the cards matched in step 2. Otherwise, the drawn card is added to the table.
If the card drawn from the top of the draw pile in step 3 matches the two cards matched in step 2, the three cards remain on the table. This is known asppeok (뻑;ppeog). The three cards remain until a player collects them using the fourth card of the same month.
If a player draws a card that matches the card discarded in step 2, the player collects both cards as well as one junk card (pi) from each opponent's stock pile. This is known aschok.
If a player plays a card in step 2 for which two matching cards are already on the table, and then draws the fourth matching card from the draw pile in step 3, the player collects all four cards as well as one junk card (pi) from each opponent's stock pile. This is known asttadak.[7]
The object of the game is to create scoring combinations to accumulate points up to a score of either three (for three players) or seven (for two players), at which point a "Go" or a "Stop" must be called.
A game that ends with neither a "Go" nor "Stop" call is called aNagari game (나가리;nagali). The dealer and play order of the next game remain the same as with theNagari game, and when the game ends, the loser owes the winner double money.
Any player who has a set of three cards of the same month in their hand can show them to the other players in what is referred to as "shaking" the cards (흔들기;heundeulgi). Each time a player shakes within a single hand, final points are doubled in the event that that player wins the hand.
Any player who has a set of four cards of the same month can show them to the other players and win the hand immediately.
If there is a set of three cards of the same month on the table, they are combined into one stack. The player who collects the pile using the fourth card of that month will also collect one junk card (pi) from each player's stock pile.
If there is a set of four cards of the same month on the table, the cards are reshuffled and redealt by the same dealer.
If there is a bonus card on the table during initial deal, the dealer collects the bonus card and turns the top card of the draw pile face-up and places it on the table.
If a player is dealt a bonus card, they may add it to their stock pile at the beginning of any turn and draw a card from the draw pile to replace it in their hand.
If a player draws a bonus card from the draw pile during their regular turn, they will automatically collect it along with any other cards matched during that turn, except in the event of appeok, in which all four cards (i.e. the three cards involved in theppeok plus the bonus card) must remain on the table.[7]
There are several ways to collect points in Go-Stop.
Bright (광;gwang)
Jan 송학
Mar 벚꽃
Aug 공산
Nov 오동
Dec 비
Bright cards (광;gwang): One way to accumulate points in Go-Stop is to collect three or more of the five Bright cards (gwang). In most Koreanhwatu decks, these are identified with the Chinese character光.
When threegwang other than that of the month of December (referred to asbi gwang,bi meaning “rain”) are collected, this is known as "Three Brights" (sam gwang) and is worth three points.
However, if the Three Brights includebi gwang, this is called "Wet Three Brights" (bi sam gwang), and is worth two points.
When fourgwang are collected, this is called "Four Brights" (sa gwang) and is worth four points. It does not matter whether 'bi gwang' is included in "Four Brights" or not.
When all fivegwang are collected, this is called "Five Brights" (o gwang) and is worth 15 to 50 points, depending on house rules.
Both methods of scoring are combined, as with the Ribbon cards. Thus, if a player collects six Animal cards, includinggodori, the player can claim five points forgodori, and two additional points for having six Animal cards, for a total of seven points.
When a player accumulates at least three (for three players) or seven (for two players) points, the player must decide if they will continue that hand by calling "Go" (고;go) or end it by calling "Stop" (스톱;seutob). If a player says "Go" once, the player must increase their score by at least one point in order to be given another opportunity to call "Go" or “Stop". A player who calls “Go” once has one point added to their final score. With two "Go"s, two points are added. With the third "Go", the score is doubled. After the third “Go” (in which the score is doubled), the score is multiplied by the number one less than the number of times the winner has called "Go". But before calling "Go", the winner must consider whether another player may increase their score to at least three or seven points within the next turn.
When "Stop" is called, any non-winning players who have called "Go" have their penalty (calculated from the winning player's total points) doubled. This is calledgo bak. If a non-winning player has no Bright cards when the winner has accumulated points by collecting Bright cards, the player without Bright cards will have their penalty doubled. This is known asgwang bak. Further, if a non-winning player has fewer than six junk cards and the winner has accumulated points by collecting junk cards, the non-winning player will have their penalty doubled. This is known aspi bak. All of these are cumulative.
As an example, if a player accumulates seven or more points through only Ribbon cards and Animal cards, the player may then call "Go". If, however, before the first player is given another opportunity to call "Go" or "Stop" another player accumulates at least seven points through both Bright cards and junk cards and subsequently calls "Stop", the first player is subject togo bak,gwang bak andpi bak. Thus, the player's penalty would be doubled three times, or multiplied by eight.[7]
