How to Play Casino

Casino is a classic fishing card game for 2–4 players. You need a normal deck of cards, and if you need one, you can find a regular deck of playing cards from Playmore. Your goal is to capture valuable cards from the table by matching them or making their numbers add up. This guide uses one common version; house and regional rules can vary.

Quick facts

Players	2–4
Cards	One standard 52-card deck
Best for	Learning matching, counting, and planning
Main action	Play one card to capture table cards or leave it there
Typical target	21 points
Winner	The first player or partnership to reach the target

What you are trying to do

On every turn, you play one card from your hand. You hope that card can take one or more face-up cards from the table. A capture means moving your played card and the cards it takes into your own face-down pile. Captured cards are kept for scoring later.

Number cards have values: an ace counts as 1, and cards 2 through 10 count as their printed numbers. A jack, queen, or king is called a face card; in this common version, it captures only a face card of the same rank. Suits usually do not matter for ordinary captures, but some individual cards are worth extra points at the end.

What you need

Use one shuffled 52-card deck with no jokers. You also need a clear table and something for scores, such as paper and a pencil or a notes app. With four players, you can play individually or form two partnerships. Partners sit opposite each other and combine their captured cards and score.

Set it up

Choose a dealer. The dealer gives each player four cards, then places four cards face up in the middle of the table. Deal in twos if you like the traditional rhythm, or deal one card at a time. Keep the rest of the deck aside as the stock.

The player to the dealer’s left goes first. Once everyone has played all four cards, deal four new cards to each player from the stock. Do not add more cards to the table. Continue dealing four-card hands until the stock is empty. For a full deal, that means six hands with two players, four hands with three players, or three hands with four players.

How to play

1. Look at your hand and the table. On your turn, choose one card. A legal play may capture cards, create or extend a build, or trail a card. To trail means playing a card face up onto the table without capturing.
2. Capture a matching number. A number card can take one or more loose table cards of the same number. For example, a 7 can capture a table 7.
3. Capture a combination. A number card can also take loose number cards whose values add to its value. A 7 could capture a 4 and a 3, or an ace, a 2, and a 4. It can combine a same-number card with other cards too, as long as every captured card is used in one clear total.
4. Capture face cards by rank. A jack captures a jack, a queen captures a queen, and a king captures a king. If two matching face cards are on the table, choose only one of them; a face card does not capture both.
5. Make a build. A build is a group of table cards joined together so that it can be captured later by one announced number. For example, if a 5 is on the table and you hold a 3 and an 8, play the 3 onto the 5 and say, “Building 8.” The group is now captured only by an 8. You must hold the card that can capture the build when you create it.
6. Remember that builds can be taken. Another player may capture your build with the exact number you announced. A build can sometimes be extended by adding a card, but the player changing it must announce its new number and hold that new capturing card. A multiple build, such as two separate groups that each make 5, stays a 5-build and cannot be changed to another value.
7. Capture when you can. In this common version, you may not simply trail a card if a capture is available. When you capture, show the played card briefly, then move it and all captured cards face down into your pile.
8. Watch for a sweep. If your capture removes every card from the table, you made a sweep. Leave the capturing card face up in your captured pile as a reminder. A sweep is worth one bonus point.
9. Continue clockwise. After your play, the next player takes a turn. If a player has just made a sweep, the next player normally has no table card to capture and must trail a card, unless a new rule agreed by everyone says otherwise.
10. Finish the round. When the final hand is played, the player who made the last capture takes any cards still left on the table. Those leftover cards count in that player’s pile, but they do not make a sweep. Then count points.

How you win

At the end of a round, count the following points:

• 1 point for each ace you captured.
• 2 points for the 10 of diamonds, called the big casino.
• 1 point for the 2 of spades, called the little casino.
• 1 point for capturing the most spades.
• 3 points for capturing the most cards, unless players or partnerships tie for most.
• 1 point for each sweep.

Write down each player’s round total and add it to earlier scores. The first player or partnership to reach 21 points wins. If two players reach 21 in the same round, the higher total wins; if the totals are tied, play another round or use the tie rule your group chooses.

Easy first-game tips

Start by checking for simple captures before thinking about complicated builds. A card that takes several table cards is often more useful than one that takes only a single card. Still, do not grab every card automatically: leaving a valuable card for another player can be risky.

Keep track of aces, spades, the 10 of diamonds, and the 2 of spades. These cards affect the score, so capturing them can matter more than collecting an ordinary card. Before making a build, say its number clearly and make sure the matching card is actually in your hand. If you cannot prove the build’s number, do not make it.

When learning, take turns slowly and explain why a capture works. Count each combination aloud. After a few rounds, you will begin spotting possible totals quickly and predicting which cards opponents may be holding.

Quick questions

Can an 8 capture a 5 and a 3?

Yes. Loose number cards can be captured when their values add up to the value of the card you play, so 5 plus 3 is a legal capture for an 8.

Can a queen capture a jack?

No. Face cards capture only the same rank in this version. A queen captures a queen, while a jack captures a jack.