In Minari, the film directed by Isaac Lee Chung and nominated for five Oscars, young actor Alan Kim - who embodies David, the family's son - plays an interesting Korean card game called Hwatu with his grandmother (Yuh Jung-Youn) and sister (Noel Cho).
The winner for Best Young Performer at the Critics’ Choice Awards is the one who looks for different activities to have fun during the day, since like any young child, he is very energetic, lively and always looking for a way to have a good time. But how do you play Hwatu?
The word that gives life to the game means "the war of flowers" and although the origin of the game is Japanese, it has become very popular in Korea. In English it is known as Go! Stop.
The main objective is to put together various combinations of cards and get the highest score. The cards are divided into twelve suits, one corresponding to each month of the year, and each has four cards. There are also two jokers.
Supposing it is a two-player game, the scheme is as follows:
- 5 cards face down to the opponent
- 4 cards face up on the table
- 5 cards face down to the dealer
- 5 cards face down to the opponent
- 4 cards face up on the table
- 5 cards face down to the dealer
- The remaining cards are placed face down in the center of the table.
Then, each player takes turns alternately. Each turn is divided into two steps: the player takes one of the cards in his hand to create a pair with one of the cards on the table and places them in a pile face up next to him, then draws a card from the deck and places it face up on the table. How are the pairs made? With cards of the same month. In case the player does not have any card in his hand to create a pair with the cards on the table, he discards the card he wants and then draws another card from the deck and places it face up.
There are some special moments in the game such as:
- If there are two cards of the same month on the table and a player plays a third card of that month and the card he draws from the deck to place face up is of the same month –so that the four cards match-, the player will take them all and take a card from the opponent.
- If a player plays a card that does not match a pair on the table and the month of the card drawn from the deck matches this card, then the player will take a card from the opponent.
- If a player leaves the table without cards, he will take a card from the opponent.
- When a player has three cards of the same month in his hand and the fourth card is on the table, this player can play all three cards at the same time, and also take a card from the opponent.
- If a player has a starting hand with all 4 cards in one set, that person wins automatically.
The player that has seven or more points has enough points to make decisions: stop the game (Stop!) and claim payment or continue the game (Go!) in the hope of winning even more, but running the risk of losing and the opponent winning everything.
Would you dare to play it?
