faro, card game

faro fârˈō [key] [for Pharaoh, from an old French card design], gambling game played with a pack of 52 cards. First played in France and England, faro was especially popular in U.S. gambling houses in the 19th cent. Players bet against a banker (dealer), who draws two cards–one that wins and another that loses–from the deck (or from a dealing box) to complete a turn. Bets–on which card will win or lose– are placed on each turn.

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