Est.: Aug. 28, 2007
Updated: Jan. 22, 2008

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Fan-Tan in Macau

Last update: August 22, 2007

Fan-Tan is a game I noticed at the larger casinos in Macau in August 2007. The game uses a pile of white buttons, a cup, and a wand. The game is played on a table about the size of a large craps table. The middle is the dealer's territory, which is covered by a clear plastic dome. On either side of the table are betting areas where up to about ten players on each side may play comfortably, or more unconfortably, which is sometimes the case. The betting portions of the table are plastic. After the outcome is determined all winning bets will be illuminated, the same way as in Sic Bo.

Play starts with the dealer placing a cup over some of the buttons, in my experiece an average of about 60 of them. Then players will place bets among many to choose from. Next, the dealer will remove the cup and use the wand to count off the buttons underneath in groups of four, until zero to three remain. All bets will win or lose accordng to this remainder of the number of buttons divided by four. Wins are based on fair odds, but on only 95% of the bet amount. It is important to note that the 5% commission is deducted before applying the fair odds. This is unlike buying or laying odds in craps, where the win is determined based on the full bet, and then the commission applied, which favors the player. Following are the bets available. All wins are on a "to one" basis, adjusting for the commission.

Fan-Tan
Bet	Win Pays	Prob. Win	Prob. Push	Prob. Loss	Return
0	2.85	0.25	0	0.75	-0.0375
1	2.85	0.25	0	0.75	-0.0375
2	2.85	0.25	0	0.75	-0.0375
3	2.85	0.25	0	0.75	-0.0375
0 or 1	0.95	0.5	0	0.5	-0.025
0 or 2	0.95	0.5	0	0.5	-0.025
0 or 3	0.95	0.5	0	0.5	-0.025
1 or 2	0.95	0.5	0	0.5	-0.025
1 or 3	0.95	0.5	0	0.5	-0.025
2 or 3	0.95	0.5	0	0.5	-0.025
0, 1, or 2	0.316667	0.75	0	0.25	-0.0125
0, 1, or 3	0.316667	0.75	0	0.25	-0.0125
0, 2, or 3	0.316667	0.75	0	0.25	-0.0125
1, 2, or 3	0.316667	0.75	0	0.25	-0.0125
0 wins, 1 pushes	1.9	0.25	0.25	0.5	-0.025
0 wins, 2 pushes	1.9	0.25	0.25	0.5	-0.025
0 wins, 3 pushes	1.9	0.25	0.25	0.5	-0.025
1 wins, 0 pushes	1.9	0.25	0.25	0.5	-0.025
1 wins, 2 pushes	1.9	0.25	0.25	0.5	-0.025
1 wins, 3 pushes	1.9	0.25	0.25	0.5	-0.025
2 wins, 0 pushes	1.9	0.25	0.25	0.5	-0.025
2 wins, 1 pushes	1.9	0.25	0.25	0.5	-0.025
2 wins, 3 pushes	1.9	0.25	0.25	0.5	-0.025
3 wins, 0 pushes	1.9	0.25	0.25	0.5	-0.025
3 wins, 1 pushes	1.9	0.25	0.25	0.5	-0.025
3 wins, 2 pushes	1.9	0.25	0.25	0.5	-0.025

The table shows the best bets are the four laying odds against a single number, at a house edge of 1.25%.

For more information on fan tan, please visit my companion site, Wizard of Odds.