What is Yut?
'''Yut''' is a traditional [[Korea|Korean]] [[board game]] played mainly during the period from Korean New Year to the first full moon. ''Cheok-sa'' and ''sa-hee'' are the other names of the game. Its origin is not clear, but it seems that the game was started from the age of ancient Korea called Three-Kingdoms. The game is played by throwing four sticks, and moving marks on the board according to shapes of the sticks that fell down. During Korean New Year, many people play the game because it can be enjoyed anywhere by players of any age. == Tools == [[File:Yut board1.gif|thumb|Board of the game]] The equipment of the game consists of a board, four yut sticks, and four marks, called ''mal'', per each team. The board, which is normally rectangular shaped, is made of various materials like stitched cloth, paper, or leather. It includes a circle with a cross in the center, and 28 circles around this cross. The sticks determine how far a ''mal'' can advance. The stick has two sides; one is round, and the other flat. It is usually made of wood from chestnut trees. Players can move their ''mal'' from one circle to another, based on the results that their sticks indicate. Any item can be used for a ''mal'', if it can be distinguished from the ''mal'' of opposite teams. [[File:Yut stick.jpg|frame|none|Four pieces of yut sticks]] == Rules == The facing of the sticks after being thrown indicate the movements of each team’s ''mal''. There are five possibilities: ''do, gae, geol, yut'', and ''mo'', meaning five livestock, pigs, dogs, cow, sheep, and horses. ''Do'', when the flat side of only one stick faces upward, means a one-step advance. When two flat sides are up, it means ''gae'', which is a two-step advance. ''Geol'' is three flat sides up, which is a three-step advance, and ''yut'', where all four sticks are lying flat side up, means a four-step advance. When all four sticks face round side up, it is ''mo'' which means a five-step advance. Each team normally throw the sticks in turn, but players get one more chanc