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Faro – The Forgotten Casino Game

First becoming popular in 17th century France, the game of Faro quickly spread over the European continent. Then, thanks to the French colonist, the Americas fell to this addictive and easy game. By the 1800s it was probably the most popular card game across the US, with huge sums of cash changing hands every day. But soon the casinos and gambling halls started to cheat the players. And in so doing, the game grew a reputation of being unreliable. By the mid 1900s, the game was forgotten.

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Introduction: Faro – The Forgotten Casino Game

There are casino games that have a long and famous history that we still enjoy in the casinos of the twenty-first century. Yet there are those, which were once the bread and butter of the gambling industry, that have faded away over time. Faro is one such game. From the 1800s to the 1900s, it was THE game in any US gambling house or casino. Now you will be hard-pushed to find a single game in any modern real money casino. It’s even rare with online casinos for that matter. But Bovada Casino does offer the game. They even offer a $3,000 welcome bonus for new players of Faro!

It’s as if the game simply faded into history, without the slightest look backward. So how can a jackpot game, that was so popular, simply lose its credibility and interest? Let’s have a look at the rise and fall of the game of Faro.

Faro: In the Beginning

The game originated in southwest France in the 17th century. Its roots can be traced back to a similar game, with a similar name. The game’s original name was “Pharaon” or “Pharaoh”, as it’s pronounced in the French tongue. This game was also a predecessor to another popular game called “Basset.” Because King Louis XIV took a dim view of gambling and card games, both these games were banned during his reign.

The Game Went Underground

But banning a game is one thing, whereas enforcing the ban is another. So though outlawed in France, it went underground to secret gambling dens. It also circulated around Europe with the Brits being one of the first nations to pick it up. They liked the simple gameplay and the easy-to-follow rules. It was whilst doing the rounds of English gambling establishments that the name got shortened to “Pharo” and it’s this name that stuck. The game moved east to become popular in Russia, where it was known as German Phara, having come via Germany. In Russia, the game was simplified even further.

Faro Crosses the Atlantic To the New World

As the 19th century kicked off, the game reached the Pacific Northwest of the US. French settlers and colonists bought the game from France and it quickly grew in popularity. The name was once again shortened to “Faro” and was to remain so until the game’s gradual demise. The Americans also called the game “bucking the tiger” and “twisting the tiger’s tail”, not because of any rules or gameplay, but simply because a Bengal Tiger was printed on the most common set of playing cards of the time. The image of the Bengal Tiger was to become so popular, that gambling dens and casinos would hang a picture of the tiger in the window to alert everyone that they were playing.

Into The Wild West

The game spread its fate and fortune across the Americas and by 1825, was the most popular game to be found in the Old West. It was played in more than 150 gambling halls and saloons across the state of Washington DC alone. In terms of money being wagered, Faro was without a doubt responsible for the lion’s (tiger’s!) share. Studies have shown that the game eclipsed all other casino games, even the favorites of jackpot poker and blackjack. But it’s days as American gambler’s favorite games were numbered.

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The Cheating Conspiracy

Due to its unbridled popularity, the game of Faro was a great means of attracting players to various gambling establishments. But then an ugly problem reared its head. The casinos and gambling halls couldn’t help themselves but cheat the customers. And with Faro, cheating was easy. The casinos would rig the shoes so that they favored the house. They would stack the decks and remove chips. Also, due to the game’s relentless popularity, many gamblers fell into addiction and lost everything.

A Reputation Sullied

When cheating was discovered, it was always outed and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. But a game has a reputation, and with these problems, irrevocable damage had been done. The game lost its shine as gamblers never quite knew if the game they were playing was straight or whether they were being cheated. By the time World War II broke out, the game was no longer on the menu at many casinos or gambling halls. No one wanted to play it anymore.

Casinos Drop the Game

Faro did continue in some casinos, though it was relegated to being a game few cared for. The various gaming authorities made sure that the game’s players couldn’t be cheated, but the interest had passed and no one gave a damn. With the dawning of the mega-casinos, gamblers who flocked to casinos to win the jackpot, wanted newer casino games. Though traditional poker was already a very popular and well-established game, it had been steadily growing in popularity, as it took the place of Faro as the gambler’s favorite.

In the 1980s, video poker machines were being installed in casinos all over the country, and Faro never had a chance to shine again. Within just a few years, the game was erased from players’ minds as they could play newer and more sophisticated games, like video poker and jackpot slots. And before you knew it, the game was completely forgotten about.

How to Play Faro

Faro is a very basic game, that a small child could master in minutes. There are no real jackpot winning strategies. It requires a typical 52-card deck of standard playing cards. A player will place a chip to bet on a card of their choice. They win the bet by drawing a card of the same value. So, if for example, a player puts a wager on a queen, then they are hoping to draw a queen to add to their collection. Wagers are placed before the beginning of each round.

The Soda Card

To start, the dealer first shuffles the pack. Then the pile of cards is placed face down in a shoe or dealing box. The first card is called the “soda” card and it’s removed from the shoe and discarded. The dealer will then draw the following two cards, the first one is for the banker, and the second is for the player. Now bets placed on the banker card will lose automatically. By this, we mean that if there were, for example, a wager on the four for the banker’s card, then the house wins all the bets placed on the banker’s hand.

Any bets placed on the player will get a payout set at 1:1 if the player wins. So, if the players’ card is a seven, then any bets placed on these cards would payout even. There’s also an option to place wagers on high-value cards. This also means that if the value of the player’s card is higher than that of the banker, then the player wins. All outside bets simply remain on the board and carry-forwards to the next round. To be placed on the same card, or a different card, or to be removed altogether from the board.

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Conclusion: Faro – The Forgotten Casino Game

Unfortunately, the game of Faro was to be the cause of such gambling bitterness. So much so, that its reputation could never recover from the hit it took thanks to shady casinos and gambling dens. And that reputation of unreliability has continued up to the present day. You’ll see it played in TV series like Deadwood. It also features in the game Assassin’s Creed. It’s always shown as the de rigueur game of crooks, scammers, and charlatans.