Kuma-ken was played by lower-ranking samurai of the Hitoyoshi clan during the Edo period (1603-1868), mainly at drinking parties. The game is a fusion of su- ken and sukumi-ken (counting fist and cowering fist). The current group game format is called "Giri-ken" and was invented around 1968. In Kuma-ken, players make one of six shapes (0 to 5) with one hand while facing each other. The winner is the one who presents one more number than the opponent. The odds of winning or losing are 1 in 36, but by observing the habits of an opponent, a winner is often easily determined.