China is the source of many ancient games that have been adapted to modern casino play. They include Mah Jong and Pai Gow as well as Sic Bo. Fan Tan was once a ruling favorite in Chinese neighborhoods throughout the United States. In the 19th century there were Fan Tan parlors in large cities, particularly San Francisco and New York.

Macau casinos offer Fan Tan in these modern times, and some Las Vegas casinos have adopted the game as well. Its appeal in part comes from its simplicity. The center of the table or layout is either marked with a large square or a square board is laid on it. The sides are labeled 1 through 4. There is a banker, which in casinos is an employee, called a “Tan Kun” in Chinese, or a croupier.

The croupier puts a large quantity of small beads or buttons in the middle of the square and covers them with a metal bowl (or “Tan Koi”). The items can be coins, beans or any small countable object, but buttons are traditionally used because of the hole, which facilitates moving them around with a pointed stick. In this description, they are called buttons. Players bet on the numbers 1 through 4, placing the bets on the side of the square corresponding to the number being bet upon. By placing a bet on a corner, the player is making a wager on either one number or the other.

The croupier removes the metal bowl and, using a pointed stick (traditionally of bamboo), removes the buttons four at a time. This continues until no more than four buttons remain. If the last group has four buttons, the bet on “4” wins. If three are left, the bet on “3” wins, and the same for two and one. The croupier deducts a commission from the bets (usually 5%) and pays the winner(s) at 3:1. Corner bets are paid off at 1:1. Thus, the expectation of the game is zero, minus the house commission.

A somewhat obscure card game called “Fan Tan” has nothing to do with the table game involving buttons. The card game involves gambling, but it is not susceptible to table game format. Moreover, it is never found in poker rooms. There is also a totally unrelated card game known mainly as “Sevens,” which some people call “Fan Tan.” So a couple of different chances for confusion are out there. (Sevens is a very simple game, well-suited to recreational play with players of any age group.)