FAN-TAN

bank gambling game, of considerable antiquity in China, which became popular in the western United States in the second half of the 19th century. A square is laid out in the centre of a table, its sides marked 1, 2, 3, 4. The banker empties onto the table a double handful of small coins, beans, or other small objects, which he covers with a metal bowl. The players bet on what will be the remainder when the pile is divided by four. They set their stakes on the side of the square bearing the number bet. When all have staked,the bowl is lifted and the banker removes the objects four at a time with a small stick until four or fewer are left. This is the winning number; if four coins remain, the number 4 wins, and so on. The banker takes 25 percent from each winner's stake and pays the winner five times his stake thus reduced, that is, 2.75 to one. The true odds are three to one. Fan-Tan should not be confused with the sequential card game Fan Tan. also called Sevens, or Play And Pay, card game that may be played by any number of players up to eight. The full pack of 52 cards is dealt out, one card at a time. Thus, some hands may contain one more card than others. All players ante to a pool; in some games, those players who are dealt fewer cards than others are required to ante an extra counter. Only one card is played at a turn. Beginning with the player to the left of the dealer, each player in turn must play a card if able; players who cannot play must pay one counter to the pool. The first card played must be a 7. The next player may add a card next in rank and of the same suiti.e., the 8 or the 6or may play another 7. Thereafter, each must play a card of the same suit and in unbroken sequence with one already on the table or may play a 7. Sequences build up to the king and down to the ace. The first player to play all his cards wins the pool, to which each of the others must add one counter for each of his unplayed cards. The card game Fan-Tan should not be confused with the ancient Chinese bank game of the same name.