The dealer will shuffle the full deck and set it in front of him or her. The first row contains the first 6 cards, the second row the last 6 cards, with the 7 – the middle card – centered at the end of both rows. Take the 13 extra cards and lat them out in two rows. Once you’ve got these things gathered, you’re ready to begin. You’ll also need color coordinated betting chips, giving one color stack to each bettor. The rest (the full deck) are used to play the game. These cards are used to create the game board / betting table. To play, you’ll need a minimum of two people (1 dealer, 1+ players), one penny per player, a full deck of 52 cards, plus an extra 13 cards one of each rank. But that’s enough Faro history… How to Play Faro The photo on the right shows a game taking place at a saloon in Arizona in 1895, when the game’s popularity was at its peak. Everyone assumes poker was the top game in the old west, but Faro was the original card game of choice. What comes to mind when you think of casino games? Is it those infinitesimally popular slot machines? The professional’s favorite blackjack? Maybe your mind goes straight to roulette, baccarat, craps, video poker, or pai gow? Whatever comes to mind, I’d be willing to bet it’s not the old-fashioned game of Faro.īelieve it or not, as uncommon as Faro is in today’s casinos, it was actually the most popular of all card games in the 18 th and 19 th centuries. How to play Faro, an exciting antique among casino table games.

What is the card game faro