Over the past few years, the game of poker has experienced a tremendous surge in popularity. Poker tournaments are hosted in bars and clubs around the country and even televised nationally. With Poker’s rise in popularity comes speculation about what other forgotten games may become trendy once again. One possibility is the Sicilian game of Ziganette.Banned in Italy and legendary in Italian neighborhoods, Ziganette is a simple game known for its fast pace and high stakes. During a typical night of playing, fortunes have been won, lost and regained over and over again. The games simplicity draws players in, but the chance for a big score is what keeps them playing.
Just as with Poker, Ziganette has no ceiling on how much a person could win or lose. Therefore, like Poker, Ziganette is best played “tournament” style, so that a person’s losses can be controlled. “Tournament” style implies that, for a fixed amount of money, a player receives a predetermined amount of chips. Players then play until all players except one have lost all their chips. The last player remaining wins the pot. It is a much safer way to play Ziganette and the reason why Poker has become so popular lately.
To play Ziganette, you need at least two players, although you can have many more. One player is the banker, the rest are the players. The banker shuffles the deck then invites any player to cut the cards. Once the deck is shuffled and cut, the banker deals out two cards, face up. These are the players’ cards. If these two cards are of different denominations, the banker deals out a third card, face up. This is the banker’s card. If all three cards are of different denominations, Ziganette may be played.
The play is simple: players wager that a card matching the banker’s card will come out BEFORE a card matching the card they bet. A fourth card is then drawn from the deck and placed on the table. If it matches a player’s card, the banker wins all money wagered on that card. If it matches the banker’s card, the banker looses and must pay out all bets. Bets are paid out 1 to 1. If the drawn card doesn’t match any card on the table, it becomes available as an additional player’s card.
So, for example, if a 3 and a 5 are dealt first, they become the player’s cards. If a King is dealt next, that becomes the banker’s card. If the next card dealt is a 3, then any players who bet the 3 lose their bet. If the card is a 5, then any players who bet the 5 lose their bet. If the card is a King, then every bet is a winner and the banker must pay them out. If the card isn’t a 3, 5 or King, then it simply becomes another player’s card that may be bet.
Play continues with the banker drawing cards, bets being settled and new bets being placed until the banker loses. At which point, the deal passes to the right and another player becomes the banker.
There are a few additional rules you should know. If two player’s cards match, they are still available to bet. They are stacked one on top of the other and called a Double Up. Double Ups are less likely to lose so they aren’t paid out the same as a regular bet. A Double Up is paid out 1 to 2. So a $2 bet on a Double Up gets paid $1 if it wins. Three players’ cards of the same denomination may be played as well. This is called a Triple and the pay out is even less. A Triple is paid 1 to 4, so that a $2 bet that wins is paid $0.50.
With every deal of Ziganette, the chance to win big or lose big abounds. The only thing that is for certain is that every flip of a card brings new excitement. Faster and easier to play then Poker, Ziganette may just be the next big thing. Always remember, games of chance are just for fun and you should never wager more then you can afford to lose.
