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How to Play Casino
The basics of casino are as follows.
Number of Players
Casino is typically played by two people, though it can accommodate up to four players.
Cards
Casino is played with a standard deck containing 52 cards.
The Deal
Players draw cards to determine who deals first. The player who draws the highest card wins the deal.
- The dealer shuffles the deck.
- Starting with the player to his left, the dealer deals four cards to each player, typically two cards at a time.
- The dealer then places four cards face up on the table. The cards on the table are called the layout.
In a two-player game, the setup after the first deal will look like this:
Play
Play begins with the player to the dealer’s left. When it’s your turn, you must play one card from your hand. Your goal as a player is both to capture as many cards as possible and to capture certain specific cards that are worth a particular number of points (these “special” cards are detailed in Scoring in Casino). Your turn can involve one of the following actions:
- Pairing
- Combining
- Building
- Trailing
Place captured cards face down in a pile at your side to be scored at the end of the game. If you’re dealing, make sure not to confuse the pile of undealt cards with your pile of
captured cards.
Pairing
Pairing refers to capturing a card with an identical card from your hand. For example, in the sample setup for a two-player game, you could play a 3 from your hand to capture a 3 on the layout. To capture a card in the layout through pairing, lay your identical card on top of the card on the layout so that the other player can see that the two cards are in fact identical. Then take both.
Face Cards and Pairing
Face cards may be taken only through one-to-one pairing. They may not be used in combinations or builds (which are described below). For example, if there’s a jack in the layout, it can be taken only with another jack. If there are two jacks on the layout and you have one jack in your hand, you can use your jack to capture only one of the jacks from the layout.
Combining
Combining refers to capturing two or more cards on the board with one of the cards from your hand. You can capture cards through combination in two ways:
- Combining multiple identical cards: If you have a card in your hand that’s identical to two or more cards in the layout, you can capture the cards in the layout with your single card. For instance, if there are two 9s in the layout and you have a 9 in your hand, you can use your 9 to capture the two 9s in the layout. Note that this type of combination can be created only using numbered cards and aces. As mentioned above, face cards can be captured only through one-to-one pairing.
- Combining cards in the layout that add up to a card in your hand: If you hold a card in your hand that’s equal to the sum of two cards in the layout, you can take both cards in the layout using the card in your hand. For example, if the layout contains a 3 and a 4, you can capture those two cards if you have a 7 in your hand. You aren’t limited to combining just two cards—for instance, if the layout contains a 2, a 3, and a 4, you could capture all three of those cards if you have a 9 in your hand.
You can also make both kinds of combinations at once. For example, if the layout contains a 3, a 4, and a 7, and you have a 7 in your hand, you could pick up all three cards in the layout with your 7. To capture cards through combination, gather the cards in the layout that you’re going to combine together, lay your card on top of them and announce the value of the combination—in the example here, you would gather the 3, 4, and 7 in the layout, lay your own 7 over those, and say “Sevens.” Then put the cards from your layout and the card from your hand in your captured pile.
Aces in Combinations (and Builds)
When using aces in combinations (or in builds, which are explained below), the ace counts as 1. For instance, a combination of a 6 and an ace could be picked up only by a 7, since
6 + 1 = 7.
Building
Building entails adding a card from your hand to one or more cards on the board, and then using another card from your hand to capture the build that you’ve made in the layout. As with combinations, you can build with identical cards or by adding cards together:
- Building with identical cards: For instance, if you have two 3s in your hand and there’s a 3 on the layout, you can put one of your 3s on top of the 3 on the layout and announce “Building threes.” On your next turn, you can then pick up those two 3s with the remaining 3 in your hand.
- Building by adding cards: For instance, if there are a 6 and a 2 in the layout and you have an ace and a 9 in your hand, you can form the 2 and the 6 along with your ace into a pile and announce “Building nines.” Then you can take the 2, 6, and ace with your 9 on your next turn.
Single Builds and Multiple Builds
A single build is one in which you create one group of cards that add up to the card that you’re using to capture. Using a 2, a 6, and an ace to build 9s is an example of a single build. A multiple build involves building two or more groups of cards that add up to the card you’re using to capture. In the illustration of a casino hand below, player A can create a single build by putting the 
on the 
to build 8s, and then picking up that build with the 
in his next turn. Meanwhile, player B could create a multiple build of 9s by putting down the 
and joining it with the 
and the 
on the layout to create two groups of cards that equal 9 (the 4 + 5, and the 9). Player B can pick up those cards with the 
in her hand on her next turn.
on the to build 8s, and then picking up that build with the in his next turn. Meanwhile, player B could create a multiple build of 9s by putting down the and joining it with the and the on the layout to create two groups of cards that equal 9 (the 4 + 5, and the 9). Player B can pick up those cards with the in her hand on her next turn.There are many ways to make multiple bids. In addition to the example provided above (in which player B made a multiple bid by using one card of equal value to the capturing card while also creating a combination that added up to 9), a player could also create two or more combinations that add up to the capturing card. For instance, if player B had an 8 instead of a jack, she would be able to build three groups of 9s (4 + 5, 8 + A, and the 9).
In addition, the example given earlier (in which there’s a 3 on the layout and you have two 3s in your hand) is actually another example of a multiple build—you use the first 3 in your hand to build two groups of cards equal to 3 (the two 3s) and then pick up the build with your last 3.
Adding to Builds
As long as a build is a single build, you can continue to add to it. For instance, in the following example, player A has built a single-build 9 (on his way to building a 10) by playing a 7 on a 2 that was already in the layout. But player A doesn’t have a 9 in his hand—instead, he has an ace and a 10. On his next turn, player A can add to the build with the ace, creating a build of 10, and then on the following turn take the entire build with his 10.
You may not add to a multiple build. The value of multiple builds is said to be locked.
Stealing a Build
A build is not the sole property of the person who first creates it. Another player may steal the build in one of the following ways:
-
Capture card: Your opponent can capture the build outright. For instance, in the following example, player A has built a 9 on the way to trying to build 10s, but player B has a 9 in her hand and can steal the build before it’s player A’s turn.
-
Adding to an opponent’s single build: If the build is a single build, an opponent may add to it, provided that he has the required capture card for the build’s new value. For instance, in the example below, player A has built a 9 and plans to take it on his next turn, but player B has an ace and a 10. Player B can add the ace to the build. If player A had a 10, he could steal back the build—but in this case he doesn’t, so player B will get to take the build on her next turn.
Combining with a Build
A player can also combine two cards from the layout after he has already created a build. For instance, in the example below, player A created a 9-build, and player B then trailed an 8. On his turn, player A can then combine the 8 with the ace that was already in the layout to make another 9 (8 + 1 = 9), and then capture it along with his original 9-build.
Additional Rules About Builds
Along with the rules about builds already covered, there are a few other rules about builds in casino that are important to know:
- A player must hold the capture card in his hand before starting a build. No build should ever remain on the layout after the two players have each played their four cards.
- A player must capture the build on his subsequent turn if he is not adding to it. You may not, for example, capture some other card or make some other build. Once you start a build, you must either continue to add to it or capture it on your next turn.
- A player may use only one card from his own hand on each turn, whether it’s to create, add to, or capture a build.
Trailing
If you can’t pair, combine, or build on your move, then you have to trail, which means that you must discard one card from your hand and place it face up on the layout. When trailing cards, always try to trail only cards that won’t be helpful to your opponent.
Continuing the Deal
When all the players have played their four cards, the dealer deals another four cards to each player. The dealer does not replenish the layout after the initial deal. This cycle of dealing and playing continues until the deck is exhausted.
- A round with two players will have six deals.
- A round with three players will have four deals.
- A round with four players will have three deals.
Capturing the Last Card
The player who makes the last capture—once all cards have been played at the end of a round—takes all cards remaining in the layout.
Ending the Round
After the last card has been captured, players go through their cards to determine their scores for the round. If no player has achieved enough cumulative points to win the game, the deal passes clockwise to the next player, and a new round begins.
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