Seotda (also called Sutda) is a traditional Korean card game played with a unique deck known as Hwatu (화투), which consists of 20 cards. The gameplay is a blend of strategy and luck, allowing competitive betting like poker. As Texas Hold'em and Omaha players will know, blockers are a useful tool, and Seotda also uses this concept. The game can accommodate 2 to 20 players, making it a good choice for social events with more players. Seotda is played live, but also on various apps.
The game's name, Seotda, is derived from a common word that players shout to start betting.
Some of the artistic readers will instantly appreciate the cards, which share almost no similarities with normal poker decks – except the shape. There are no numbers, no pips, no images of royalty. To a poker player, the Hwatu deck has no obvious hierarchy. Individual cards – which represent months of the year – are not powerful here. In this game, combinations alone will win you the pot.
Seotda became even more popular when people watched the Tazza TV series, which featured the game.
What Players Need to Play Seotda
To play Seotda, you will need:
- Chips: Players use these for wagering during the game and poker chips are acceptable betting chips.
- A Hwatu Deck: The game uses a modified deck of 20 cards, discarding the November and December cards. The remaining cards include animal and ribbon cards from January through October. Usually, these cards are made of plastic and are smaller than typical cards used for Texas Hold'em or other poker games.
How to Play Seotda: Start to Finish
1. Deal: The dealer distributes two cards to each player.
2. Reveal One Card: Each player chooses one card to reveal to the table and the card they choose will affect the game. Because cards are revealed, Seotda begins to use the concept of blockers, just like the poker games you know.
3. Start Betting Rounds: Players engage in a betting round. When the betting round is complete, a winner is decided by the strongest combination, just like regular poker games.
If players choose to play 3-Card Seotda – they will be dealt on more card after the betting round finishes. Using this new private card, the final betting round proceeds. After all bets are complete and matched, the showdown begins and a winner is chosen.
The Betting Rules in Seotda
Players can choose from several betting actions:
- Call (콜): Match the current bet.
- Min-Bet (Bing 삥): Place a minimum bet.
- 200% Raise (Ttadang 따당): Bet double the previous bet.
- Quarter Pot Bet (Kwoteo 쿼터): Bet a quarter of the pot.
- Half Pot Bet (Hapeu 하프): Bet half of the pot.
- Full Pot Bet (Pul 풀): Bet equal to the entire pot.
- Check (Chekeu 체크): Defer your bet until after all bets are made.
- Fold (Die 다이): Fold your hand and forfeit any previous bets.
The Winning Combinations in Seotda
The goal in Seotda is to form high-scoring hands. Notable hand rankings include:
- 3-8 Gwang Pair (삼팔광땡): The highest score, consisting of cards from March (3) and August (8). This is the strongest hand in Seotda.
- 1-3 or 1-8 Gwang Pair (광땡): A combination of January’s cards with either February (2) or August (8) cards.
- Pair (땡): A pair; any two cards from the same month, ranked by month value: 10 Pair (10월)→1 Pair(1월).
- Ali (알리): A combination of a January (1) and February (2) card in any order.
- DokSa (독사): A combination of January (1) and April (4) cards, in any order.
- GooBing (구삥): A combination of January (1) and September (9) cards, in any order.
- JangBing (장삥): A combination of January (1) and October (8) cards, in any order.
- JangSa (장사): A combination of April (4) and October (8) cards, in any order.
- SaeRyook (세륙): A combination of April (4) and June (6) cards, in any order.
- GapO (갑오): Any combination of cards whose combined value ends in 9. (eg. 1+8, 2+7, 3+6, 4+5, 9+10)
- Geut (끗): If no special hand is formed, sum the values; the last digit determines the value.
- MangTong (망통): A combination that adds up to a value with a last digit of zero (0).
Seotda is unlikely to make it to American casinos in our lifetimes, but perhaps it will make it to your home games.
