A full pack of fifty-two cards is shuffled and cut by the dealer, and then placed face upward in a dealing box, the top of which is open. The cards are drawn from this box in couples, by pushing them one at a time through a slit in the side. As the cards are withdrawn in this manner a spring pushes the remainder of the pack upward. The first card in sight at the beginning of each deal is called soda, and the last card left in the box is in hoc.
The first card withdrawn is placed about six inches from the box, and the second is laid close to the box itself.
Every two cards withdrawn in this manner are called a turn, and there are twenty-five turns in each deal, Soda and Hoc being dead cards. In making the first turn, the Soda begins the pile farther from the box, and the next card taken out is called a loser, which is placed close to the box. The card left face upward in the box is the winner for that turn, so that there must be a winner and a loser for every turn; the loser outside the box, and the winner left in it. On the next and all following turns, the winning card on the previous turn will be placed on the same pile as the Soda, so that it shall be possible at any time to decide which cards have won, and which have lost.
The Object of the Game is for the players to guess whether the various cards on which they place their money will win or lose. They are at liberty to select any card they please, from the ace to the King, and to bet any amount within the established limit of the bank.
The Layout. All bets are made with counters of various colors and values, which are sold to the players by the dealer, and may be redeemed at any time. These counters are placed on the layout, which is a complete suit of spades, enamelled on green cloth, sufficient space being left between the cards for the players to place their bets. The ace is on the dealer’s left.
There are a great many ways of placing bets at Faro. For instance: A player may make bets covering twenty-one different combinations of cards, all of which would play the Ten to win, as follows:—
