How to 'Buck the Tiger'

The Components of Play

Before the rules can be explained, you first need to familiarize yourself with the parts of a regular faro table set-up.

The Layout is where the field of play lies on a faro table. The face cards (Jack, Queen, King) faced upright when viewed by the dealer. There are 13 cards total, Ace thru' King, placed on the layout, usually in Spades but other suits were seen. These 13 cards are not taken from the deck as to influence play. This layout features a "high card" panel for use of betting a high card.

The Cards used during this time period were different than modern day ones in a few ways.

They were thicker, nicknamed "pasteboards" and were harder to shuffle. They were not waxed or coated with anything so playing with clean hands is preferred for long term use. The face cards are one sided, meaning the portrait of the queen is not mirrored as today's are. Most notably they do not have indices in the corners. Those are the little numbers that tell you the card number. I have had grown adults ask me what the value of a certain card was. I tell them to count it out for me. Other than those distinctions, they are a standard 52 card deck.

The Dealing Box was a contraption that kept the cards out of the sneaky thievin' dealer's hands so that there were no sleight of handing to make the cards come up in pairs. But the dealers got around that anyway. They are also optional because you can deal face up or face down. With the dealer's box, cards are always dealt face up. I got this box off ebay and was listed as "handmade" and it is, very, very handmade. It isn't the glossy German silver types typical of the high end dealers, but it works for me. It operated by lightly pressing down on the card and sliding it out the door one at a time.

The Case Counter, or the Cue Keeper, or combinations of those two names, is a contraption unique unto the gaming world. The sole purpose of the case counter was to count the cards for you. Yes, count them for you. As you are betting on cards the more turns there are, the less cards remain. So you need to know what cards there are before you bet on them. It makes no sense to make a bet on a 3 if all four 3's have been turned! The case counter prevents this from happening. It is run by someone else, not the dealer, called a "Coffin Driver" or the dealer's assistant, the Lookout, or it can be a punter or a employee of the table or establishment. Punters (players) were allowed to keep their own records. A process called "keeping tabs." The coffin driver may indicate wins and losses for the cards, they must also notify the dealer when to "call the turn" and announce what cards remain.

Checks, or chips as modern folk refer to them, are the betting pieces. Like Roulette, each

player has their own distinctive color or design. Mostly checks were made out of clay and others out of wood. The value of the check is known only by the banker, who furnishes checks for all games in the establishment or just for this table, and the player, who sets the value. So Player Red maybe playing with $.50 checks while his neighbor Player Blue may be playing with $5 checks, and Player Pink may be playing with $50 checks. In the photograph the blue checks have two colors because I had an incomplete set of wood blue checks and had to supplement with 9 gram resin checks. The green ones are hand done by me. The design is the Guinness Harp.

Coppers were originally pennies used to signify an opposite bet, hence the name 'copper'. Coppers are used in changing game play so that a winning bet loses, but a losing bet wins. It gives more control over what you choose to do with your bet. As time progressed coppers developed into 6-sided tokens in ranging sizes. You need money to exchange the checks to play. Sometimes money was placed directly on the table

. This practice was not uncommon in very unprofessional, casual gaming and doubtful a reputable gaming house would allow loose money to be let on the table. Perish the thought! It would not be a stretch of the imagination for such a practice to be a necessity for soldiers in the field because there were no banking system to do this in the field. A simple marker or a single valueless check could be the bet if placed on top of the cash wagered.

My, heh heh, "tools of the trade" you might say. Right now I'm packing a 1830's variant style of the infamous Philadelphia Derringer dueling pistol. Infamous because it was this style of pistol that John Wilkes Booth used to assassinate President Lincoln. It's large enough to make people think twice before cheating and small enough to hide when they're thinking about it. My pocket watch keeps me informed of the hour for dining engagements and other social activities. My knife has been with me in thick and thin. Pay no attention to the 6 notches on it. And the leather visor cap completes the "dealer" look. top

Playing Faro

Faro, as a game, developed and changed throughout the 19th century; rules in one place were not allowed in others. One component of play might be allowed only as an exotic side bet. So it is better to observe the game before you plunge in and play or ask the dealer about the rules as there might be some difference in their game that are different than explained here. The following is a basic set of rules more akin to later 19th century. After the main description are some variations of play that you might come across.

After the dealer shuffles and cuts the deck, he declares the tables open to the punters (players).

The first type of bet you can make is a flat bet. It is a bet placed on one of the 13 cards.

You are betting on that card to win. This is illustrated in the photo to the left where Player Red has chosen to place their bet on the 5 while Player Blue backs the 8. When the placing of bets is finished the dealer announces that the betting is closed and deals 3 cards. The first card is the Soda card and does not win nor lose but it offsets the deck which will now be dealt in pairs so that in the end only 3 cards remain. You can remove the Soda card from the discard pile if you wish, just don't forget to put it back in when you reshuffle at the end. Or you could pair off the entire deck without making a Soda card, which would be a different sort of play where there is no calling the turn (that's coming later). In this case it's the 4, you can see that it is the soda card because the coffin driver placed a copper on the soda card on the case counter (look right).

The dealer deals the other two cards: the first card is the loser card, or the Dealer's Card where any and all bets connected to that card lose, in this case it's the 8 and his bet is taken from the table. The next card wins for the punters, sometimes called Punter's Card. The 5 won and Player Red gets another check. All bets are paid 1:1. One check ventured, one check gained. 50 checks ventured, 50 checks gained. On the left the dealer takes the losing bet while adds one to Player Red's bet. The case counter slides the beads of the 5 and 8 to indicate that they are only three 5's and 8's remaining.

After the dealer collects the losses and pays the winnings, he declares the table open to the punters. Split bets are done by placing a check in between two cards either vertically, horizontally, or in the corners of 3 or 4. This gives you more coverage of cards; now instead of backing one card, you are backing between 1 to 4! Which means increased chances of the cards selected to win...or lose. To the left you see some examples of split bets before you. Player Green has decided to join and places their bet in between the 4 and 5 and the 3 and Jack. Player White is a big spender who has a stack on the 3, 4, 10, Jack square. Player Red is content with their 5 and flats the Jack. Player Blue is apparently a cautious player. After the betting is finished, the dealer declares the table closed and deals two new cards, first an 8 and then a 4. It looks like 8's not very lucky tonight folks! Fortunately no one chose to bet on the 8 so it affects no one. Player Green gets paid for their bet between the 5 and 4 and Player White gets paid as well. Note that nothing happens to Player Red. No win or loss. The case counter's beads for 4 and 8 move to indicate that there is one less 4 and 8. When the Dealer declares the table open again Player Red may choose to move that bet if they feel like it, or leave it. Any player also has the option to "Bar the bet" where if they want to play but they need to leave for a moment they say to the Dealer or Lookout, another helper for the Dealer, that they are "barring their bet" and leave. Then they are in play but they are not affected by wins and losses until they return and until they say the magic words "it goes", and then their bets may enter play.

If they wish to, the punter has the option to "copper" their bet. This

makes their bet the opposite of the flat bet. Instead of losing to the first card, they win. But if they copper and their card is on a winning card, it will lose. They may, once the table is open to place a penny or provided 6 sided token on top of their selected bet. Only the selected bets are affected. Or, they may wish to uncopper a bet that stood during the turn. Players Red, White, and Green have decided to stand on their previous bets even with their winnings. Player Blue has joined the table again and has bet on the 3 and 9. Then before the Dealer declares the table closed Player Green decides to copper their bet standing in the 3-Jack position. Then the closes the table and deals a 3 first and a 9. Player Green gets paid 1:1 for coppering his bet where it would have been lost like Player Blue. But Player Blue isn't at a loss because they also win the 9, so the net is 0. Sometimes a "whipsaw" occurs. That is where a punter has a bet on a losing card and a coppered bet on a winning card. In that case, both bets are lost. The case counter moves beads for the 3 and the 9 and continues to move beads every time cards are turned over.

Another popular option is to play the High Card. The High Card option is located at the top of the faro layout and is labeled as such or with a "H.C." In this case you are betting that the winning card is higher in value than the losing card. It is popular because every turn is a win or a loss, it is a quick way to make some money or lose a fortune very fast. Player Blue makes a modest bet on the high card, Player Red sees this and wished to go toe-to-toe with Player Blue by coppering it. So in this case, one of them is going to win and the other one is not. The dealer closes betting and deals two cards. The first one is a 10 and the second is a 9. So Player Red won a check with his higher losing card (because it was coppered). But it's not so much a loss for Player Blue, they bet two checks on the 9 and wins back their check plus another. The case counter can also indicate wins and losses of individual cards if they so choose. Depending on the Coffin Driver they may indicate a half move as a win and a full move as the opposite. Some think this will aid in their betting.

After the Dealer calls the table open, the

punters place their bets. Player Red splits 4-10 and has 2 on flat 5. Player White has a bet on the High Card, Player Green is still standing with their bet on the 3-Jack position and has a stack of five on the 4-5 split. Player Blue flats 3 and 6. The dealer calls the table closed and deals something that all punters fear. A Split. He draws two 5's. What happens? Well, you win and you lose. The dealer takes only half of Player Red's Bet. But what about Player Green's stack of five? In this case, the dealer takes the difference as a house advantage. This is the only real house advantage Faro has. Consequently, split cards like this happen frequently if the dealer is crooked.

An alternate version that I like to play when I am trying to hook new players to the game is that I will push the bet if it is split so that the punters will play longer while they are learning. If you are the dealer you and under no obligation to do this, but this is what I do to make the game more enjoyable and longer.

Let's say that this process continues on and on until the Coffin Driver notifies the Dealer

that it is time to "Call the Turn". Calling the turn is optional. What happens is that there are now 3 cards left in the deck and let's say that it is the 2, the 3, and Jack. They have the option to call the turn or bet on which sequence those three cards will be dealt. To keep things in order, the punters are going to actually bet on which card comes first, and then on which card comes second, the last one is a given since it is the last one remaining. I have not determined exactly how this is accomplished but there are three ways that I know of. I will describe those methods now. In this method, each player bets at each stage of the turn. If they are wrong after the first turn, they may not bet in the second round. Player White and Blue bet on the 3, Player Green bets on the 2 and Player Red bets on the Jack.

The first card is dealt and it's the 3. So the dealer

collects the bets on the Jack and 2. So now the 2 and Jack remain. Player Blue bets on the Jack and Player White bets on the 2. The dealer reveals the second card to be a Jack, so Player blue wins, because the last card would be a 2. The dealer collects Player White's checks and pays Player Blue 4:1! The other method is to lay the bet as described at first but then the position of the bet on the layout indicates what the second bet would be for the second card and the third in inferred. So if Player Blue and White both place their bets on the 3 but Player Blue places the bet on the 3 but closer to the Jack while Player White places the bet on the 3 closer to the 2, and the other players place their bets in similar manners. This way you can overturn all three cards at once and reveal without hesitation. I have been told that the difference between the two methods mucks with the probability of the turn. The third method is to have each player the wishes to call the turn place their bets out front and declare their sequence audibly. Such as "Jack, two, three" or any other sequence. The dealer's responsibility is to remember these and keep track of that say so. I'd rather save the debate of "What I meant to say was..." by the evidence of where they put their bets.

If you wish to know you're odds of winning, it's 1 in 6 chance of successfully calling a turn. But wait! What if there are two of the suit? An example of this would be 2-2-Jack. What happens? This is called a Cat-Hop and it can be rare but happens from time to time. The betting is still the same but the payout is different; it is 2:1. What if the cards were all the same, like a 3-3-3? Place all your money on the table and leave happy. No, just kidding. It is called a Case and is rarer still. Since any way you guess will be a 3, there is no risk, and no risk means no bet. In any case, whether a call of the turn, a cat-hop, or a case, the turn is over so reshuffle, cut, and start again. It is also customary for players to tip the Coffin-Driver, especially if they did a good job and you won a lot that round.

For further reference, here is a Powerpoint slideshow about Faro and additional betting positions. I wish I remember where I found it but I don't. I would like to look at what they used for sources. I don't like the ones the go around the outside because they are too archaic, complicated, and thus, confusing for me. I've got enough to worry about than to figure out what subtle placement covers what bet. Because in many cases, a check floating out away from the table means something based on the relative position that may or may not represent and thus be open for debate of it was supposed to be covering, particularly if that check stands to win something. I'd rather stick closer into the layout. If you have some other wild bet, check with your dealer. If you are the dealer, it's up to you to remember what each check on the layout is supposed to cover.

Now go out and Play!

Now that you know the rules and how to play you can play for free online. Wichita Faro free flash game was once at the original site but has since ceased to be able to play from that site. However, a bunch of other free game websites have it available for play. They seem to work fine as it did on the original site. I also feel the need to insert a disclaimer: I do not know all of them that are out there, I do not endorse any of them, or vouch for their safety. This is the internet, play at your own risk. But other than that, clicking the link below will send you to a google search that will give you your play options. Make sure you have Flash installed.

Click here for Flash Faro game

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Variations of Play

The 'Old Fogy' rules of 1836

The basic rules and accepted practices of faro just after the repeal of the license laws in New Orleans in 1836 are in this link.

German

Instead of a dealing box, nail the whole deck to a pine board and tear the cards off one by one. It is reported that this is how faro is played in Germany. My guess that it is to prevent fiddling with the deck. It's so simple and effective. So German.

Short Faro

A smaller layout of six cards: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten, and Nine and dealer uses two or more packs and may be dealt from the hand or box. Betting is the same as usual. Three cards are laid face down and are not turned over, another three are laid down face up. If a bet is placed on one of the three exposed cards, the punted is rewarded with an even stake, twice if a double, four times if a triple. If a placed bet card is not laid down, it is taken by the house. It's a bit like the card version of Chuck-a-luck or Hazard. The Short Faro game is largely a swindle, avoid playing or betting.

Rolling Faro

Rolling Faro is nearly exactly the same as faro described above, but instead of a deck, a Roulette-like wheel is used with the indices and face cards painted on the wheel rather than numbers. This form of faro is usually a crooked game with a trigger built into the wheel to get it to stop on any card the operator wishes. Like Short Faro, avoid playing this game

48

This variation of play was introduced shortly after Tennessee enacted anti-faro legislation. Game play is the same as before, however the 7s are taken out of the deck and the layout. It was called by the name "48" since there were only 48 cards in the deck. By calling this variation by a new name, changed deck, and betting layout gamblers hoped to circumvent the laws regarding faro.

Stuss

The basic rules for Stuss are in this link

Faro/Pharaon/Basset

Before there was Faro, there was Faro, also called Pharaon, Pharoah, Pharo, and Basset. The link below takes the visitor to the late game of Basset and earlier form of Faro as it was played in the 18th century. For the purposes of not making it confusing like above, we are just going to call it Pharaon since the French language played such a role its terminology.

Psst!

Now that you know how to play, you might want to come over here and learn a thing or two about protecting yourself from cheating.

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