Goninkan

Five-player card game

Goninkan is a trick-taking card game from the Tsugaru region of Japan, for five players. Each round, a trump suit called the “yaku” is chosen. The player holding that suit’s Ace and the player holding the Joker become the Insiders; the other three players are the Outsiders. The teams try to capture more picture cards, meaning Jacks, Queens, Kings, and Aces.

Tricks and scoring

The two Insiders decide who leads the first trick by calling “Koi” or “Iku.” When you can’t follow suit, you can play a trump card to cut the trick. Playing the Joker is called “dancing.” The team that captures more picture cards wins, but the number needed to win changes from round to round. A set lasts up to three rounds.