How to Play Fan Tan

Fan-Tan is a card game that does not require trick-taking. It is sometimes called "Dominoes" and is one of the contracts or levels included in the game "Barbu." The object of this game is to get rid of all of the cards in your hand by following a precise order of discards to the cards placed in the middle of the table. This game is best played with four persons. The beauty of Fan-Tan is that it is very easy to learn and a typical game can be completed within 15 minutes. Children and adults will also enjoy its many nuances. Here is how to play.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A well-lighted and ventilated room
• A card-sized table
• One deck of standard playing cards
• 3 to 5 players (4 is best)
• Poker Chips or Pennies (Optional)

1. Obtain a standard 52-card deck. The cards rank in this order: Ace (low), deuce, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, Jack, Queen, King. There is no trump suit. The four-hand game is best and each player is dealt 13 cards.
2. The person to the left of the dealer places any SEVEN from his hand to the middle of the table. If he has no seven, the first opening play THEN rotates to the next player who must play a seven. The next person in turn has a choice of three options: He must play the eight or six of the suit which is on the table; he must play another seven of a different suit or he passes, which means he does NOT have a legal play.
3. Suit must always be followed in sequence. If the seven of diamonds is on the table, then the six or eight of diamonds will keep this suit in play. In time, the entire suit will be played out. The King is the last high diamond played, going on the Queen. The Ace is the last low diamond played, going on the Deuce.
4. The first player to get rid of all of his cards is the winner. In some circles each player starts out with a prescribed number of chips and there is a "pot" for each hand.
5. A player may NOT pass if he has a legal play. This prevents "blocking" a suit. If a player has not made a legal play when possible, he is disqualified from the hand and his cards are exposed (to be played in order by the other players).
6. The starter card needs not be a seven. The dealer may select any card from his hand and place this on the table. If a five is selected, then all piles will be started with a five spot. This variation is oten used for the Fan-Tan level in Barbu and adds some strategy to the play.
7. Seasoned players will be familiar with the nuances and techniques of the game. If you have a multiple choice of plays, try to avoid playing the starter card of a new suit if you can keep another suit going. When playing the option of selecting the first lead, try to assess your hand, and determine if a high or low starter card is best. If you can force your opponents into making favorable discards, this is ideal.
8. If you have more than 4 players there will be an odd number of cards per player; this is no problem, as the hand will still proceed as usual. There is a nice 5-player version with a 65-card deck. Add one more complete suit in order to keep the hand balanced with the 13 cards per person. The duplciate suit will allow for variable play.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice a few games by yourself playing with four exposed hands.
• Keep score by assigning a penalty value (as in Rummy) for those players who are left with cards after the first person goes out.
• Agree to play a four or eight-hand game.
• Do not play for high stakes, unless you know the game quite well!