Fan Tan Guide: The Count, the Bets and the Payouts
Fan Tan Origin and History
Fan tan may date back to the third and fourth centuries, during the Northern and Southern dynasties, and it spread through southern China in the Qing dynasty.
The name fantan dates only to the mid-19th century, and earlier names for the game included yanqian, meaning covering coins.
After 1850 Cantonese emigration carried fan tan overseas, and it was very popular among Chinese migrants in America.
California added fan tan to its banned games in 1885, yet San Francisco's Chinatown reportedly had about 100 parlours around 1900.
Fan tan is less popular today than it once was, but it is still played at some Macau casinos.
Fan Tan Rules: The Cup and the Count of Four
Traditional fan tan is run by two people: the croupier, called the tan kun, and the clerk or cashier, called the ho kun.
The banker places a double handful of small objects, such as buttons, beads or coins, on a table marked with sides 1 to 4 and covers them with a metal bowl.
After bets are placed the croupier removes four objects at a time with a bamboo stick until a final batch of 1 to 4 remains.
In fan tan the final batch decides the result: a batch of 4 wins for position 4, 3 for No. 3, 2 for No. 2 and 1 for No. 1.
Evolution's Fan Tan puts the beads under a glass dome, and during betting time the dealer uses a metal cup to remove a random number of beads.
In Evolution's Fan Tan the dealer arranges the removed beads into groups of four with a special stick, and the final group is placed in a line at the centre of the table.
Fan Tan Bets Explained
Fan Bet
The Fan bet backs a single number from 1 to 4, and it pays 3 to 1 before commission.
Nim Bet
The Nim bet covers two numbers, one of which is a push, and it pays 2 to 1 before commission. A push returns the original stake without a win or loss.
Kwok Bet
The Kwok bet covers two numbers and wins on either, and it pays 1 to 1 before commission.
Nga Tan Bet
The Nga Tan bet covers three numbers with one a push, and it pays 1 to 2 before commission.
Sheh-Sam-Hong Bet
The Sheh-Sam-Hong bet, usually shortened to SSH, wins on any of three numbers and pays 1 to 3 before commission.
Fan Tan Payouts, Commission and House Edge
Fan tan wins pay fair odds less a 5% commission applied to the win amount, and the commission is not applied to pushes.
House commission in fan tan has ranged from 5% to 25% depending on time and place, and in Macau casinos it is uniformly 5%.
After the 5% commission the Fan bet pays 2.85 to 1 and carries a house edge of 3.75%.
After commission the Nim bet pays 1.9 to 1 and the Kwok bet pays 19 to 20, and both carry a house edge of 2.50%.
After commission the Nga Tan bet pays 19 to 40 and the Sheh-Sam-Hong bet pays 19 to 60, and both carry a house edge of 1.25%.
Live Fan Tan RTP runs from 96.25% to 98.75% depending on the bet, with Fan at 96.25%, Nim, Kwok and Big/Small at 97.50%, and SSH at 98.75%.
Live Fan Tan payouts are 2.85:1 for Fan, 1.90:1 for Nim, 0.95:1 for Kwok, Big/Small and Odd/Even, and 0.316667:1 for SSH.
Live Fan Tan from Evolution
Evolution launched Fan Tan on 15 September 2021 as an ancient Asian bead game based on repeated division of beads. Fan Tan is one of the live games offered at an online casino Malaysia such as Winbox.
The objective in Evolution's Fan Tan is to predict how many beads remain in the final line, which will be 1, 2, 3 or 4.
Evolution's Fan Tan has a default view with the main bets for learning the game and an advanced view with more traditional fan tan bets.
The basic bets in Evolution's Fan Tan are a single number from 1 to 4, Odd or Even, and Big or Small.
The advanced bets in Evolution's Fan Tan are Nim, which has several variants, Kwok and Ssh (Sheh-sam-hong).
The betting window in live Fan Tan is 14 seconds before the dealer isolates a batch of beads under the metal cup.
Reading a Fan Tan Table
Each of the four final counts covers one quarter of outcomes, so a single-number Fan bet has 1 to 4 odds before commission.
In live Fan Tan, Small covers final counts 1 and 2, Big covers 3 and 4, Odd covers 1 and 3, and Even covers 2 and 4.
Fan tan bet variants in live play
Evolution's live Fan Tan offers 12 variations of the Nim bet, where a player picks 2 numbers and a push returns the stake in 1 outcome. The Kwok bet in live Fan Tan can be placed on the number pairs 1-2, 2-3, 3-4 or 4-1, and both numbers in the pair can win.
The Ssh bet in live Fan Tan covers 3 numbers and is offered as the combinations 3-2-1, 2-1-4, 4-3-2 or 1-4-3. A Switch Game View button toggles live Fan Tan between the default table view and the advanced table view with the traditional bets.
The live Fan Tan statistics screen shows the previous 500 rounds, with bead count frequency, the odd and even split, and the big and small split. Live Fan Tan is entirely luck-based, and no betting strategy can ensure a win.
Super Fan Tan card version
In Super Fan Tan, a card-based version of the game, the ace counts as 1, cards 2 to 10 count at their pip value, and J, Q and K count as 11, 12 and 13. Super Fan Tan deals 6 or 12 cards and divides the card total by 4, with the remainder from 0 to 3 giving the result of the round.
In Super Fan Tan a card total of 42 on 6 cards pays 19 to 1 and carries a 14.64% house edge.
The 12-card Small bet in Super Fan Tan wins on card totals of 12 to 82, pays 1 to 1, and carries a 9.22% house edge. A card total of 83 to 85 on 12 cards in Super Fan Tan pays 7 to 1 and carries a 26.23% house edge.
Fan tan odds and traditional bets
In traditional fan tan the Hong bet backs 1 primary position along with 2 secondary push positions. The Tan bet, also called Nga Tan, covers 2 primary positions and 1 secondary push position at 1 to 2 odds and is the modern replacement for Hong.
A fan tan variant uses dice, taking the remainder of their total sum divided by 4.
Fan Tan and Live Tables on Winbox
After the Winbox register account steps, players can access live casino studios: Evolution, Playtech, AE Sexy, Asia Gaming, Big Gaming, DB Gaming, Ezugi, Pretty Gaming, Hot Road and PLAYACE.
Fan Tan bets are placed from a signed-in account, so a returning player completes the Winbox sign-in before the bead count begins.
Winbox offers 11 live casino providers, which players can browse directly through the Winbox home page.
A player utilizing an active Winbox bonus can explore live tables: Baccarat, Blackjack, Roulette, sic bo, Dragon Tiger, Fan Tan and Poker, dealt by real dealers in real time.
Access is for players aged 18+, and playing within a budget is advised.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main objective and counting rule in Fan Tan?
The objective in Evolution's Fan Tan is to predict whether 1, 2, 3 or 4 beads remain in the final line on the table. The dealer removes beads in groups of four using a special stick until the final batch decides the result, where four beads award position 4, three award position 3, two award position 2, and one awards position 1.
How does the casino commission work on winning Fan Tan bets?
Winning wagers pay fair odds minus a 5% commission assessed on the profit amount, while pushes do not incur any commission charge. Historically, house commissions have ranged between 5% and 25% depending on the region and time period, but Macau casino tables apply a uniform 5% commission rate.
Which bet has the highest RTP in Live Fan Tan?
The Sheh-Sam-Hong bet, known as SSH, delivers the highest return to player percentage at 98.75% and carries a house edge of 1.25%. After deducting the 5% house commission, the SSH wager pays 19 to 60 or 0.316667:1, rewarding players who successfully cover any of three selected numbers.
What are the differences between basic and advanced bets in Evolution Fan Tan?
Basic bets include single numbers from 1 to 4, Odd or Even, and Big or Small, where Small covers 1 and 2 while Big covers 3 and 4. Advanced options feature Kwok, several variants of Nim which include a push outcome, and SSH wagers covering three winning positions.
What live casino providers and table games are available on Winbox?
Winbox offers 11 live casino providers, featuring studios such as Evolution, Playtech, AE Sexy, Asia Gaming, Big Gaming, DB Gaming, Ezugi, Pretty Gaming, Hot Road and PLAYACE. Available live tables dealt in real time include Fan Tan, Baccarat, Blackjack, Roulette, Sic Bo, Dragon Tiger and Poker.