How to play
Faro (“pharaoh”) was the most popular banking game in the saloons of the 1800s, because it was simple and close to fair. It uses one deck, and the layout on the table shows the thirteen spades, one for each rank.
- A fresh deck is shuffled and the first card, the soda, is shown and taken out of play.
- Place your bets by tapping a rank on the layout. The bet is on the rank, whatever the suit.
- Press Deal turn. Two cards are turned over:
- the first is the bank’s card: bets on that rank lose;
- the second is the player’s card: bets on that rank win 1 to 1.
- A bet that wins or loses is paid and taken off the layout. Bets on other ranks stay for the next turn, and you can add to them or clear the layout between turns.
Split. When both cards of a turn are the same rank, the bank takes half of the bets on that rank. This is the only advantage the house has.
Coppering. Tap Copper before placing a bet to reverse it: a coppered bet wins when its rank comes as the bank’s card and loses when it comes as the player’s card. Coppered bets show a copper token.
The case keeper. The abacus above the layout counts how many cards of each rank have been shown. When all four are out, the rank is closed. A deal lasts 25 turns; the last card, the hock, is never played, and any bets left on the layout are returned before the next shuffle.
The odds
Every bet wins and loses equally often; the house only gains on splits. We counted every possible order of the remaining cards to get the exact split chance, which depends on how many cards of your rank are still in the deck:
| Cards of your rank left (51 cards in the deck) | Split chance | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4.04% | 2.02% |
| 3 | 3.00% | 1.50% |
| 2 | 1.96% | 0.98% |
| 1 | none | 0% |
The figures are for a full deck of 51 cards, right after the soda. As the deck runs down, the split chance for the same number of copies rises: two cards of your rank among the last three split one time in three.
A rank with one card left can’t split, so a bet on it is a perfectly even game. That’s why old faro players watched the case keeper so closely.
Tips
- Bet on ranks with few cards left. The fewer copies remain, the lower the chance of a split.
- Coppering doesn’t change the odds. The bank’s card and the player’s card are equally likely; coppering is just a matter of taste.
- Bets carry over. You don’t have to rebuild your layout every turn.
For another historic casino game, try Trente et Quarante.
If you enjoy Faro, try Fiesta 21 or Final Score Baccarat next.
