How to play Casino

Learn the rules to the playing card game Casino quickly and concisely - This video has no distractions, just the rules. While there are many variations to Casino, this video covers the original base rules.

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RULES:
The object of this 2 to 4 player card game is to be the first player to win 21 or more points. Shuffle a standard 52 card deck of playing cards, with King high and ace low, and each player picks one at random. The player with the lowest card becomes the first dealer. If there is a tie, try again. The dealer shuffles then deals 2 cards, face-down, to each player and 2 cards face up to the middle. Repeat this once. Players look at their own cards but keep them hidden from their opponents. The remaining deck is placed face down.

The player to the left of the dealer goes first, then play proceeds clockwise. On your turn, you must either pair, build, call, or trail exactly 1 card from your hand. To pair, play a card of the same rank from your hand to a single center card, or a pile of cards, that has the matching value and collect those cards face down next to you. A pile of cards uses the combined face value as its value. Aces are worth 1. Numbered cards are worth their face value. And Face cards are worth 0 and can only pair with any other single face card.

To build, you combine a card from your hand with a card in the middle, adding the two values together so that the resulting combination is equal to another card in your hand. You may also combine face up cards from the middle to your build. You then end your turn.

For example, if you have a 6 and a 2 in your hand and there is a 3 and an ace in the middle, you can play your 2 on the 3 and move the ace to that pile and say “building 6” and your turn ends. Any other player may take their to capture the built cards in a pair if they are able and choose to.

Additionally, any other player is also allowed to add to previously built cards so long as they hold a card of the same value in their hand to the new value they are building and that they play a card from their hand to increase the value. They may not increase a build’s value from another faceup card on the table. To continue the example, your opponent holds an 8 and a 2, they may add the 2 from their hand to the pile and say “building 8”.

When you make a build, it must include the card you just played and you cannot create a build entirely of cards that were already faceup on the table. Cards which have been made into a build can only only be captured as a unit, never individually.

To call, a player can play a pair to the middle and leave it there if they hold another card of the same rank in their hand. For example, if you have two 5s in your hand and there is a 5 in the middle, you can place one of your 5s onto the middle 5 and say “calling 5” and end your turn. No player may build on a called pile and you may not call face cards. The other players have an opportunity to pair the called 5 and capture it if they have a 5 in their hand, but they may not build on it. If they don't capture it, they make another play, then on the original players next turn, they may use their other 5 to take the two middle 5s.

If a player cannot match any cards, they must place one of their cards face up in the middle and end their turn. This is called trailing. If you made a call or build previously, you may not trail until you take those cards. You may also not build or call with a card in your hand that is already reserved in another build or call so that you would then be unable to capture the original build or call.

Once each player has played the four cards in their hand, the dealer deals 4 more cards, 2 at a time, to each player from the remaining stock. This process of play repeats until all the cards from the stock have been played. At the end of the final hand, the player who made the last possible capture collects all the remaining faceup cards. Then points are scored.

The player who collect the most cards gets 3 points and the player who collect the most spades gets 1 point.
Collecting the 10 of Diamonds, called the Big Casino, is worth 2 points; and the 2 of Spades, called the Little Casino, is worth 1 point.
Aces are worth 1 point each.

Add up each player’s points then the role of dealer rotates clockwise by one. Repeat this process until 1 player gets 21 or more points, then, that player is the winner.