Newspaper Page Text
tbs jap A9 a gambles.
travorite Game 1b Hanna, and Ha
ia In It for All Ho i3 Worth.
y, 0 m the San Francisco Chronicle,
.. ia Chinatown, where both sides of a
/j n a iiey are lined for a full block with
iTttle cubby holes wherein the fascinating
•■fan” is played, there is plenty of evidence
that gaming is one of the oriental vices. If
ore p ro of were required, it could be found
> °tle records of the police oourts, where
Chinese figure by the score as "players” or
Dera ” in the phraseology of the courts,
din the large amounts that flow into ihe
H?tv treasury in the way of fines and for
leiied bail from almond-eyed gamesters
•tftf however, little has been said of
thfl J apanese in this respect. The other day
San Franciscan, who is familiar with the
?n£ruaee and ways of the little people from
Ter the sea, commented on this fact. "The
tins are the gamiest gamblers on earth,”
hs said “Not one of them who is addicted
mnlav— and they are nearly all of that
kind-but would stake the shirt on his
hick rather than draw out of a good
?: ffle There are several resorts in the
Mir where ‘banna,’ as their favorite game
~ called, furnishes nightly attractions for
Jananete students, servants, storekeepers
and so on, by the score. Their play runs
Hh some times, for they are naturally a
thrifty people, and in times of excitement,
suet) as occcr in a stiff game of ‘hanna,’
thflv eo down into their wallets without
hesitation.”
The Japanese word "hanna,” by which
the national gome is designated, means, in
English, flower. The game is as old as the
rsC e and is, apparently, a combination of
coker casino and euchre. The cards are of
thin pasteboard, about an inch wideaud an
inch and a half long. Forty-eight of them
make up the deck. The full pack contains
twelve combinations of four cards, each
series but two representing a month, and
each card bearing in bright colors the
picture of some flower which blooms only
onca a year. Tho first combination is
"lem gefsu,” or first month, and the flower
is tho ‘‘bud of the sugar pine tree.” On two
of the c.;rds of this month tho flowers are
not quite full blown. These are only
valuable for pairing. The third card is
counted as five points, and the fourth, on
which is pictured a flower in full bloom, is
worth twenty points.
The "nee getsu,” or February series, is
denoted by the apricot blossom, and the
highest card is worth ten points. The cherry
blossom is for March, the wistaria for
April, the flag lily for May, the pampas
grass for June and the tulip for July. Sep
tember is denoted by the chrysanthemum,
sad October has for its emblem the leaf of
the Japanese tree callod “mo-ma-gee,” the
foliage of which turns from greea to a
bright red in October. The flower of De
cember is the boxwood blossom.
The two months not represented by
towers are August and November. The
lour cards of the August series denote rain,
tbe first two representing a cloudy day and
tho others a heavy rain shower. “Otsuki
tan," or tbe moon in English, is the sign of
tbe November series, the best in the deck.
One of the cards shows the moon in the first
quarter, aud is of little value, while all the
others are high cards, ranging from five to
twenty points each.
Six players generally make up a "hanna”
party. The table is usually round or oval,
apd m well ordered ‘ ‘joints” is of polished
wad. Tbe players cut for deal, the hand
lirgof tho cards going to the holder of the
highest picture. Four cards are dealt to
eac i end three to the table, face upward.
Tco composition of the deck is such that at
least two hands of the six are valueless, and
their holders pass out, leaving the game
four-handed. Then three more cards are
eddod to each hand and a like number to
tho board.
From this on the play is much like ordi
nary casino. Tbe dealer starts the ball
rolling, putting up a blind on the strength
of his hand, while the others may “see” or
n"t, ns they pleas-. Teen the player matches
from bis hand to the table, at each trick
turning up the top card from the remain
der of the dock. If be should expose a card
of which he has a mate ia his band, he may
match it with anything on the board as if
from bis own band. When he has ex
hausted his pairs ho retires, and
the player to his right repeats the
iM'ciiing process, and so it gce3 till the
cards are all out. All open bets must be
of the amount set by tr.e first player, but
tho wagers on the siae are permissible to
make the gnmfc moro Interesting. The total
number of points in the game is 730, and
when tho cards are all out the tricks are
counted, and tho player holding the highest
number of points takes the pool, turning
over 10 per cent, of the whole amount to
tliu bouse.
I 'llm same is simple and rapidly played
liuidfiio “drop" is sj heavy that the profits
|if a Japanese gaming esiatilishment'are
llarc*. Ic is an unwritten law amonggara-
Bblws and the keepers of the dons that a
■Player who loses his all shall have a good
■ *MiUt the expense cf the houso. so that a
■restaurant is one of the features of every
■ first-class establishment.
■ hi San Vrancisc.) beer is the beverage
■ m "t popular among Jupar.ese while at play
■andis cDumimed in large quantities, Tho
■ "little men" are nervy players, and the
■ Faints usually run until all the money is
■m one man's hands.
