Rules for Casino

Casino (sometimes spelled Cassino) is a classic card game for 2-4 players, though it works best with two. The game is built around capturing cards from a shared table. It likely originated in England in the late 18th century, though it is often said to come from Italy. It is one of the few fishing-style card games that became widely popular in the English-speaking world.

The goal is to collect as many cards as possible from the table, with particular attention to the high-value scoring cards. Players capture cards by matching cards from their hand with cards on the table, combining several table cards that add up to a matching value, or building combinations to capture on a later turn.

Casino is played with a standard 52-card deck. Cards are dealt in rounds until the deck runs out.

• Deal pattern: 2 cards to the opponent, 2 face-up to the table, 2 to the dealer
• Repeat so each player has 4 cards and 4 cards are face-up on the table
• When all hands are played, deal 4 new cards to each player (not to the table)
• Continue until the entire deck is used up

On the final deal, the dealer must announce "last" to let players know.

In standard Casino, cards have these values for building and capturing:

• Ace: 1 point
• Cards 2-10: Face value
• Jack, Queen, King: Can only be captured by a matching face card (no numerical value)

Special cards in the Nordic variant:

• ♦️10 (Big Casino): value of 10 on the table, 16 when played from hand
• ♠️2 (Little Casino): value of 2 on the table, 15 when played from hand
• Ace: value of 1 on the table, 14 when played from hand

The player to the left of the dealer goes first. On your turn, you must do one of the following:

• Capture: Take one or more cards from the table that match the card you play
• Combine: Take multiple table cards that together add up to the value of your played card
• Build: Place a card on a table card to create a sum you plan to capture on a later turn
• Trail: If you cannot or choose not to capture, place a card face-up on the table

Example: with a 9 in hand, you can take a 9 from the table, or pick up a 6 and a 3 that add up to 9.

Building is a core part of the strategy in Casino:

• Single build: Place a card on another and announce the sum (for example, place a 3 on a 5 and say "building 8")
• Multiple build: Build several groups with the same value (for example, two groups both totaling 8)
• Increase a build: Add a card to raise the value, but only if you hold a card matching the new total

Key rules:

• You must hold a card in hand that matches the value you are building toward
• Opponents can steal or add to your builds
• Face cards cannot be used in builds in the standard version

Sweep: If you capture all cards on the table in one play, you earn a bonus point. Place the capturing card face-down or sideways in your pile to mark the sweep.

Last capture: The player who makes the final capture also takes any cards left on the table. This is worth a bonus point in most versions.

In some variants:

• ♠️5 can automatically clear the entire table
• Aces can be played with different values (1 or 14) within the same round

After all cards have been played, count up the points:

• Most cards: 3 points (1 point in the Nordic variant)
• Most spades: 1 point (2 points in the Swedish variant)
• ♦️10 (Big Casino): 2 points
• ♠️2 (Little Casino): 1 point
• Each ace: 1 point
• Each sweep: 1 point
• Last capture: 1 point (not used in all variants)

If two players tie for most cards or most spades, neither scores those points.

Royal Casino: Face cards get numerical values (Jack=11, Queen=12, King=13) and can be used in builds. Aces can count as 1 or 14.

Reverse Casino: The aim is to avoid scoring points. Players who clear the table receive penalty points instead.

Nordic Casino: Played without building. Certain cards have special values when played from hand.

Spade Casino: Every captured spade scores 1 point, with ♠️J worth 2 points.

The game can be played in several ways:

• Single round: The player with the most points after one round wins
• To 11 points: First to reach 11 points wins
• To 21 points: First to reach 21 points wins (most common)

With 4 players, the game is often played in partnerships, with partners sitting across from each other and combining their points.

A few things worth keeping in mind when playing Casino:

• Hold back face cards toward the end to help secure the last capture
• Be cautious about trailing valuable cards such as aces, 10s, and spades
• Multiple builds are harder for opponents to steal than single builds
• Keep track of which cards have been played
• Sweep the table when you get the chance, since each sweep is worth a point
• In partnership play, coordinate with your partner
• Watch what your opponents are building and take those cards if you can