Go-Stop

Setup

Deal

• 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.

Gameplay

Overview

1. Play begins with the dealer and continues counterclockwise.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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 as ppeok. The three cards remain until a player collects them using the fourth card of the same month.
5. 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 from each opponent's stock pile. This is known as chok.
6. 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 from each opponent's stock pile. This is known as ttadak.
7. The object of the game is to create scoring combinations to accumulate points up to a score of either three or seven, at which point a "Go" or a "Stop" must be called.
8. A game that ends with neither a "Go" nor "Stop" call is called a Nagari game. The dealer and play order of the next game remain the same as with the Nagari game, and when the game ends, the loser owes the winner double money.

   Additional rules

• 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. Each time a player shakes within a single hand, final points are doubled in the event that that player wins the hand.
• If a player has a set of three cards of the same month in their hand and the fourth card of that month is on the table, the player may play all three cards in one turn and collect all four cards as well as one junk card from each player's stock pile. This is known as a poktan. Shaking the cards before playing a poktan is also an option. A player who has played a poktan may then choose to skip step 2 above in as many as two turns.
• 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 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 a ppeok, in which all four cards must remain on the table.

  Point system

• Bright cards : One way to accumulate points in Go-Stop is to collect three or more of the five Bright cards. In most Korean hwatu decks, these are identified with the Chinese character.
• *When three gwang other than that of the month of December are collected, this is known as "Three Brights" and is worth three points.
• *However, if the Three Brights include bi gwang, this is called "Wet Three Brights", and is worth two points.
• *When four gwang are collected, this is called "Four Brights" and is worth four points. It does not matter whether 'bi gwang' is included in "Four Brights" or not.
• *When all five gwang are collected, this is called "Five Brights" and is worth 15 to 50 points, depending on house rules.
• Ribbon cards : Another way to accumulate points is by acquiring five or more of the nine Ribbon cards. A set of any five Ribbon cards is worth one point, and each additional Ribbon card after five is worth one additional point. For example, a set of six Ribbon cards is worth two points and a set of seven Ribbon cards is worth three points.
• * Although there are ten cards with ribbons, the ribbon card for December is excluded.
• * In addition to the points associated with five or more Ribbon cards, points may also be accumulated by collecting a set of three matched Ribbon cards. There are three blue Ribbon cards, three red Ribbon cards with poetry, and three red Ribbon cards without poetry. Note the December Ribbon card, which is also red and without poetry, is excluded. Each of these combinations is worth three points.
• * Moreover, the two methods of accumulating points via Ribbon cards are combined. If a player collects six Ribbon cards, including all three red poetry Ribbons and all three blue Ribbons, the player can claim three points for hong dan, three points for cheong dan, and an additional two points for having six Ribbon cards, for a total of eight points.
• Animal cards : A third way to accumulate points is by collecting five or more of the nine Animal cards. The scoring system of Animal cards is similar to that of Ribbon cards. A set of any five Animal cards is worth one point, and each additional Animal card after five is worth an additional point. For example, a set of six Animal cards is worth two points, and a set of seven Animal cards is worth three points.
• * The bright cards with animals are excluded.
• * Two of the Animal cards do not picture animals: May and September. These two cards may be counted instead as double junk cards.
• * In addition to this, if among the Animal cards, a special set of three cards with birds is collected, made up of the Geese, the Cuckoo, and the Nightingale, this set is called godori and is worth five points. Although the December Animal card has a bird, it is not counted towards godori.
• * Both methods of scoring are combined, as with the Ribbon cards. Thus, if a player collects six Animal cards, including godori, the player can claim five points for godori, and two additional points for having six Animal cards, for a total of seven points.
• Junk cards The fourth and most common way to accumulate points is by collecting junk cards. Any set of ten junk cards is worth a point and each additional card after ten is worth an additional point.
• * The junk cards are those not counted as bright, ribbon, or animal cards.
• * In addition, there are special junk cards called Double Junks, which are counted as two junk cards.
• * Ten of the twelve suits have two junk cards each; November and December are the exceptions.
• * Also, the Animal cards without animals mentioned above usually are counted as double junk cards.