The Game of Fan Tan
Fan Tan is a popular solitaire game in which players attempt to empty their decks before they can play. The four sevens are the only cards that can ever be used initially; the 7 & 8 are only played once, after the seventh suit is used then the 6 and 8 are only playable once, and so on. After all playing cards have been played and the player who has the most cards, after everyone else has folded will be the winner. This game is often described as a simplified variant of solitaire. You don't have the stress of dealing with the different rows of playing cards, and you don't have to worry of hitting the right key on the keyboard to bring up the Ace of Coins. It's just a nice change from playing the game entirely by yourself.
Fan Tan was born in China. As can be seen by the early spelling of the word "fantian," which literally means 'eight cards'. But, it can also be translated as'seven cards in a row'. In some versions of the game, sevens are represented with coins. Later it was changed to seven and eight in different variations. They retained their significance, but were no longer considered as coins. Modern Fan Tan allows each player to be dealt nine cards. They can then place their faces on any playing area , unless there are sevens. Players are then dealt another nine cards and can take turns looking at the remaining deck, choosing to call to fold, raise or call. If a player remains in their box for three consecutive calls they are declared the winner.
The origin of Fan Tan is not well-known, but most commonly, it is played identically to the standard version with one difference. The nine cards that make up the variation of Fan Tan are not identified by numbers and laid out the identical way as in the normal version. The only difference is that the game ends with the players receiving points based on their performance. In the standard version, the points are added up from the last turn to ensure that the final score will be the sum of all the scores of the session. The variant awards each player points for each hand they win. Bonus points are also given for matching pairs.
Fan Tan is a legal game of chance. It is important to remember that the luck factor plays an important role in the outcome. In the traditional version, it's nearly impossible to know what will transpire. This variation allows players to be in control of the sequence. An excellent example is seen in the jackpot rounds, where the sequence can either help the player to win or cost them the win, depending on the cards dealt. However it is possible to have an encounter between two players is possible, in which one could end up winning more than the other.
The game starts by drawing seven cards face-down. The first dealer usually picks one of the cards. The seven cards are set face up on the table where players can put his hands on the top of each card. Then comes the blind draw, where the player is required to pick up the cards and not look at them. The first dealer will reveal one card. The third, second, and fourth cards are revealed till the final card is drawn. The dealer then will reveal the first card, followed by the third, second, and fourth cards.
At the end of the session, the fan is revealed and the highest card is revealed. In the Texas Hold'em variation, the Fan Tan is playing with seven suits, including clubs, diamonds, hearts spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs. If a player does not have the same shaped cards in each of their seven suits may decide to switch their cards and change their hand. It is crucial to keep in mind that the Fan Tan is still considered a no-limit game even if the maximum number of players has been reached.
The Texas Hold'em version of the Fan Tan uses nine pockets similar to the no-limit variant. When this variation is played, players must draw from the center pocket, which is known as the flop. After the flop, if there are three or more players, the game is completed. A new round can begin when there are no opponents.
Like the no-limit game, when sevens are dealt, the Fan Tan is playing using sevens, which again aces queens, jacks, queens, the tens, nines and kings. The rule in this variant is if a player has a good hand, he can trade up to a 10 for instance without having to show his cards. Also, players must keep in mind that the sevens don't have to line up in straight lines. In this case, the Ace of Clubs could be transformed into an Ace of Wands. Straight flushes will add one to the value of the hand, whereas full houses will knock off the same amount.