🎴 Faro: the real odds & smartest way to play

Q: What is the house edge on Faro?

Historical — ~2% (the 'turn'/hocks); essentially extinct. Faro's house edge came from 'splits' (when two cards of the dealt rank matched, the house took half the bets on that rank) and the final 'hocks'/'calling the turn' — historically estimated around 2% on ordinary play, lower than almost any modern game. That near-fairness is exactly why it disappeared: casinos make money on the edge, and Faro's was too thin to keep.

Historical — ~2% (the 'turn'/hocks); essentially extincthouse edge
YOUR SHOT: FAIR

A historical entry, not a game you can sit down at today. Faro ruled 19th-century American gambling but is now essentially extinct in Las Vegas — its near-even odds made it unprofitable enough that casinos replaced it with higher-edge games. Marked here as historical for a complete record.

Updated June 2026 · VegasEdge · Education, not a way to beat the house

✅ Best bet

Not applicable today — Faro is effectively gone. Historically it was prized as a near-even-odds game; the house's small edge came only from 'splits' (when matching cards appeared) and the final 'hocks' turn, making it one of the fairest games of the Old West era.

🚫 Sucker bet to avoid

Historically, 'calling the turn' (predicting the order of the last three cards) carried a much higher edge than the simple win/lose bets. But you will not find this game on a modern Las Vegas floor.

How the edge is computed

Faro's house edge came from 'splits' (when two cards of the dealt rank matched, the house took half the bets on that rank) and the final 'hocks'/'calling the turn' — historically estimated around 2% on ordinary play, lower than almost any modern game. That near-fairness is exactly why it disappeared: casinos make money on the edge, and Faro's was too thin to keep.

Optimal strategy

None applicable now — Faro has essentially vanished from Las Vegas (the last regular games died out decades ago). We list it for completeness and historical honesty: it was the dominant card game of frontier American gambling halls, dealt from a box with a betting layout, and famously close to even money, which is partly why casinos eventually dropped it.

What to expect

Play it smart. Gambling is entertainment, not a way to make money — the house always has the long-run edge, and no system beats it. Set a budget you can afford to lose and stick to it. If gambling stops being fun, call or text the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537), available 24/7.

Compare other games

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