FARO

Faro was the most popular game played in Old West gambling establishments. It involved one dealer, whom they would call the “banker”, and …

Faro was the most popular game played in Old West gambling establishments. It involved one dealer, whom they would call the “banker”, and several players, or “punters”. Faro had widespread appeal because it easy to learn and fast-paced, with games typically taking just 10 to 15 minutes. It also gave you better odds than most other games at the time.
Dealer cheating was a common problem in faro and could be pulled off in various ways – by rigging the deck or altering the dealing box used for drawing cards, for instance.
The game was played by laying down a board that had one suit of cards attached to it in numerical order. You could stake your bets on one or several cards at a time. The dealer would then draw two cards from the dealing box. One of the cards was the dealer’s card, which was the losing card; the other was the players’ card, or the winning card. You didn’t win based on the suit, but on the numerical value of the card. Any bets placed on card numbers that weren’t drawn would be left there for the next round. Bets on cards matching the numerical value of the dealer’s card went to him, while those placed on the value of the players’ card paid out at even money.

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