Fun Card Propositions: Bets You Can Offer Your Friends
What could be more fun than scamming friends out of a few coins of the realm by outsmarting them with some proposition bets concerning fifty-two pasteboards? You might consider this a little sneaky and cynical, but you can always return it or pick up the bar tab if you feel bad after taking their money. I’ll leave that decision up to you, but I’d like to share a few card proposition bets you can offer your friends. On the surface, these propositions appear to be offering your friends the edge. That, of course, is not true and is the essence of a proposition bet.
The Two Deck Turnover
As the name implies, you will need two standard decks of playing cards to be shuffled and placed next to one another. Let your mark … er, friend, do the shuffling so he will know this is on the square. Tell your friend (or soon-to-be ex-friend) that you will turn over a card from each deck simultaneously and offer to bet even money that, at some point, the same card of suit and rank will appear simultaneously. If, as an example, two deuces of clubs appear on the same turn, you will win, and if there is no match after all fifty-two cards are turned, then your friend wins.
Intuitively, most people will believe that it is highly unlikely that two identical cards would occupy the same position in two randomly shuffled decks. They would further think you would need some odds to win; hence even money sounds like a good deal. You have way the best of it at about a 26 percent edge. Casinos would love customers willing to play against that type of edge.
Five Card Face Up Draw Poker
Many unsuspecting poker players believe this offer sounds like a pretty good deal. Have your friend shuffle a deck of cards and then fan them out face up so you can both see all the cards. Now offer to play him a hand of five card draw poker in which you both will draw five cards initially and then replace as many cards as you like. Since the deck is face up, you will both see what the other draws, and here is the real hook… tell him he will win even if he ties your hand (suits do not have any rank), and you will allow him to go after you so he can see what you’ve drawn.
The part of the prop of allowing him to win, even if he only ties you normally, hooks them. Since you’re allowing him to go after you and suits have no rank, he will reason that the best hand you can make is a Royal flush, and he can make a Royal flush in a different suit, tie you and win the wager! Once he accepts this wager, you proceed to draw five cards allowing, as offered, your friend to see what you draw and react accordingly. This prop is a sure-fire winner… you can’t lose if you use the following strategy.
Draw all four tens and any other card. Having done this, your opponent will draw four Jacks, Queens, Kings, Aces, or a straight flush. He can pull the highest straight flush to the nine, as you have taken all four of the tens. At this point, he will have you beat and possibly be feeling smug. The smug feeling will be short-lived, I can assure you.
It is your turn to draw, and you will throw away three of the tens and whatever card you initially took. You now accept the appropriate cards to build your highest straight flush. If your opponent took four Aces, you straightly flush the King. If he took four Kings, you make a straight flush to the Queen; as I said earlier if he drew a straight flush that could only be as high as a nine, then you could make a Royal flush. He cannot overtake you since you have removed all the tens from the deck.
Allowing your friend to go second seems to pave the way for him to either beat you or at least tie you while, in actuality, sealing his fate. Your more astute buddies may figure this out before stepping into the trap, but many can’t escape what seems like such a good deal.
The Paint Card Cut
Here is another proposition bet that will get action from friends who gamble. Offer a friend to inspect and then shuffle up a standard deck of playing cards. Now ask that he separate it into three piles and offer a wager of even money that at least one of the three cards he cuts to is a paint card… either a Jack, Queen, or King. The normal reaction from friends who know their way around a deck of cards is for them to attempt to calculate the odds. You can hear the gears grinding as they reason that there are twelve paint cards, which is less than a quarter of the full deck, equating to one in four. Since you offer only three tries to get at least one paint card, the odds would be against you, so even money seems like a good deal.
Remember this… if it seems too good to be true, it usually is! That would describe this proposition as well. While this isn’t a lock like the last one, you have an edge of exactly 5-to-4 in your favor. While you won’t win this one every time, you’ll be on the plus side in the long run.
The Paint Card Turnover
This one is good for a chuckle, and I wouldn’t try it with someone who does not have a sense of humor. Once again, you have a friend shuffle up a deck and place it on the bar. Tell him you will alternate turning over cards, and you will bet him that he will turn over a paint card before you. Offer to go first so you could have the first opportunity to lose. Once he agrees, you both lift a card off the deck and place it face-up on the bar.
The trick to this prop is that each time you take a card off the deck, you lift it high enough to determine if it is a picture card before turning it over. If your friend turns over a paint card first, you win and collect your money. If you get a picture card, don’t turn it over but place it face down on the side and pick another card which, if it isn’t a paint, you can turn over. Almost 100 percent of the time, your friend will say, “Hey,” and reach down and turn over the card you placed on the side face down. You can then say, “See, I told you I would not turn over a paint card first.” Remember, I prefaced this prop with the advice to pick your victim carefully!
Conclusion
While some of these props are locked in your favor, others have an element of chance, so they are not sure-fire winners every time. However, the odds are in your favor, so think of yourself as the casino operator who depends upon volume to ensure he wins. You will be assured a profit if you use these props often enough. It would be best if you always allowed your friend to shuffle or, even better, to supply his cards so you do not fall under suspicion of using a set-up deck. If they’re going to lose, let them know they received a fair shake. Good luck in amassing a profit and possibly losing a few friends! Better yet, have fun and pick up the bar tab… that way, everyone wins!
