Quick answer: Casino is a classic fishing card game for two to four players, using a standard 52-card deck. Each player gets four cards, and four cards go face-up on the table. On your turn, you play one card to capture table cards, build a combination to capture later, or trail (leave a card). You score points for capturing key cards like aces, the 10 of diamonds, and the 2 of spades, plus most cards and most spades. First to 21 wins.
Do not confuse this with the gambling floor. Casino, also spelled Cassino, is a traditional table game of skill and planning. Here is how to play it.
What is the Casino card game?
It is a capture game, part of the “fishing” family. You fish cards off the table using the cards in your hand.
The game likely began in England in the late 1700s and became one of the few fishing games to catch on widely in the English-speaking world. It plays best with two people, though three or four can join, and four often pair into two teams.
Rounds are quick, usually 20 to 40 minutes, and the rules suit ages eight and up. Simple to learn, but with real depth once building enters the picture.
What do you need and how do you set up?
You need one standard 52-card deck. Jokers stay in the box.
The setup is fast:
- Choose a dealer. Play moves clockwise, starting to the dealer’s left.
- Deal four cards to each player, usually two at a time.
- Deal four cards face-up to the center of the table.
- Set the rest of the deck aside as the stock.
When everyone has played all four cards, the dealer deals four fresh cards to each player from the stock. No new cards go to the table after the first deal. This repeats until the stock runs out.
What are the card values?
In standard Casino, number cards carry their face value and face cards work differently.
| Card | Value |
|---|---|
| Ace | 1 |
| 2 through 10 | Face value |
| Jack, Queen, King | No number value, matched by rank only |
Number cards (ace through 10) can be added together to make captures. Face cards cannot be built or combined. You capture a face card only by playing a matching face card of the same rank.
What can you do on your turn?
You must play exactly one card from your hand. That card does one of three things.
Capture. Take one or more table cards.
- Play a number card to take any single card of the same value, or any set of cards that adds up to your card. A played 8 can take an 8, or a 5 and a 3 together, or all three at once.
- Play a face card to take one matching face card. If two matching face cards sit on the table, you take only one.
Build. Combine cards to set up a future capture.
- Place a card on a table card and announce the total. Put a 3 on a 5 and say “building 8.” You must hold the card that captures that build, an 8 in this case, to make the build legal.
Trail. If you cannot or choose not to capture or build, place a card face-up on the table. It stays there for later. You may trail even if a capture was possible, though that is often a wasted turn.
After any capture, place the won cards face-down in your pile.
How does building work?
Building is the heart of Casino strategy, and where beginners either shine or stumble.
Single build. One combination. A 4 on a 5 announced as “building 9.” Only a 9 captures it.
Multiple build. Several groups at the same value. For example, a 6 and a 3 grouped with a lone 9, all announced as a 9-build. You still capture the whole thing with a 9.
Increasing a build. Add a card from your hand to raise a single build’s value, but only if you hold the new capturing card. You can lift a build of 6 to a build of 9 by adding a 3, if you hold a 9.
Three rules keep building fair:
- You must always add a card from your hand. You cannot just rearrange table cards.
- You can only announce a build if you hold the card to capture it.
- Once you make a build, you are committed to capturing it on a later turn, so only build when you already hold the capturing card.
The catch: opponents can steal your build if they hold the same capturing value, or add to it themselves. Card counting communities and casual players alike stress the same warning. Building is safest when you hold more than one card of the target value.
What is a sweep?
A sweep is a bonus play. If your capture clears every card off the table at once, you score a sweep, worth one extra point.
Mark it by placing your capturing card face-up or sideways in your pile so you can count sweeps at the end.
There is also a last capture rule. Whoever makes the final capture of a deal takes any cards still sitting on the table. Winning that last pile can swing the majority bonuses, so timing matters late in a round.
How do you score the Casino card game?
Points come from specific captured cards and from two majorities. Here is the standard scoring.
| Points for | Value |
|---|---|
| Most cards captured | 3 points |
| Most spades captured | 1 point |
| Big Casino (10 of diamonds) | 2 points |
| Little Casino (2 of spades) | 1 point |
| Each ace | 1 point (4 total) |
| Each sweep | 1 point |
Add it up and the fixed cards are worth eleven points per game, before sweeps. One important tie rule: if two players tie for most cards or most spades, neither scores that bonus.
Play continues over multiple deals until someone reaches the target. The classic target is 21 points, though some groups play to 11.
What are the popular variations?
Casino has several regional twists worth knowing.
- Royal Casino. Face cards gain number values: jacks 11, queens 12, kings 13, and the ace counts as 1 or 14. This lets you build with face cards.
- Spade Casino. Each spade earns its own points, raising the value of the spades majority.
- Draw Casino. Players draw a replacement card after each turn, keeping a full hand.
- Partnership Casino. Four players in two teams, combining captured piles for scoring.
Some groups also play to 15 or 31 points, or restrict how builds can be extended. The core capture-and-build skeleton stays the same.
What are the best strategy tips?
Casino rewards memory and timing more than luck.
- Track the aces and spades. If three aces are gone, the last one is gold. Counting spades tells you if the majority is within reach.
- Build only when protected. Hold a second capturing card so an opponent cannot easily steal your build.
- Guard the last capture. Late in a deal, controlling the final capture can hand you the leftover cards and the card majority.
- Trail with purpose. Sometimes laying a card down beats a small capture, especially to avoid feeding your opponent.
- Value the point cards. The 10 of diamonds and the aces are worth chasing even at the cost of a few plain cards.
Frequently asked questions
How many players can play Casino?
Two to four. It plays best with two, and four can play in partnerships.
Is Casino the same as Cassino?
Yes. Cassino is simply an alternate spelling of the same game.
How do face cards work in standard Casino?
They have no number value. You capture a face card only with a matching face card of the same rank.
What is the 10 of diamonds worth?
It is Big Casino, worth two points, the single most valuable scoring card.
What score do you play to?
Most play to 21 points. Some play to 11. Variants use 15 or 31.