Fan-Tan (Casino)
Officially Fan-Tan (番攤)
ANCIENT CHINESE GAMBLING GAME — simple + iconic: dealer covers a PILE of BEANS (or coins, buttons) with a bowl, then reveals + counts them out in groups of 4. Players BET on the NUMBER OF BEANS REMAINING (1, 2, 3, or 4) after all groups of 4 removed. Traditional in MACAU + Chinatown gambling houses centuries; still offered in MACAU CASINOS (Grand Lisboa) + some Asian casinos. Simple pure-chance game with 4:1 base payout (subject to commission).
Quick facts
Category
Casino & Gambling
Type
Individual
Players
1–8
Duration
~3 min
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇨🇳 China
Estimated origin
Traditional Chinese gambling game centuries old (Tang or Song dynasty origins per some sources); brought to USA via Chinese immigrants 19th c. Chinatown gambling houses; still offered in Macau casinos + regional Chinese gaming halls; NOT to be confused with the same-named Western card game (Sevens/Domino).
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
How it works
Objective
Predict how many beans (1, 2, 3, or 4) will remain after dealer counts out all groups of 4.
Rules
Basic rules
DEALER pours pile of beans onto center of table + COVERS with bowl
Signature bean-cover setup.
PLAYERS place chips on BETTING LAYOUT (1, 2, 3, or 4)
Signature 4-outcome bet placement.
DEALER UNCOVERS + separates beans into GROUPS OF 4 using stick
Signature 4-at-a-time counting.
REMAINING BEANS (1, 2, 3, or 4) after all groups of 4 removed = WINNING NUMBER
Signature remainder = winner.
PAYOUT: winning number pays 3:1 (approx.) after 5% house commission = ~ 2.85:1 net
Signature 3:1 payout minus commission.
SOME HOUSES also offer combination bets: SIN-SI (both of 2 adjacent numbers), NGA (one number won't come up), KWOK (2 non-adjacent), etc.
Signature combination side-bets.
HOUSE EDGE ~1.25% (very low for a casino game) with commission
Signature 1.25% edge.
Scoring
Winning number pays 3:1 minus 5% commission ≈ 2.85:1 net; house edge ~1.25%.
Win condition · Bet number matches remaining beans (1-4).
Equipment
PILE OF BEANS or BUTTONS (originally cash coins) — traditionally 100-200 small identical items
Signature bean pile.
BOWL/CUP for covering pile
Signature cover bowl.
STICK for counting (dealer separates 4 at a time)
Signature counting stick.
BETTING LAYOUT with 4 sections labeled 1, 2, 3, 4 (or Chinese numerals 一 二 三 四)
Signature 4-outcome layout.
Terminology
- Fan-Tan (番攤)
- 'Repeated divisions' or 'four-part' — Chinese name.
- The pile
- Mound of beans/buttons/coins to be counted.
- Counting stick
- Dealer's tool to separate groups of 4.
- Sin-Si / Nga / Kwok
- Combination side-bets (2 adjacent, avoid one, non-adjacent, etc.).
- Commission
- 5% house cut deducted from winnings.
Major competitions
No formal tournament; house-banked casino game
n/a · Macau + Chinese diaspora casinos · since 1800
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Direcção de Inspecção e Coordenação de Jogos (DICJ, Macau)
Founded 1961 · Macau
Regional Asian gaming regulators
Founded 2000 · Various
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Traditional dealer-run casino game; culturally significant in Macau + Chinese diaspora
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Fan-Tan (game)— Wikipedia
- Wizard of Odds — Fan-Tan— Wizard of Odds