Fan Tan

A live lottery game by Evolution Gaming

A dealer scoops a random handful of beads and counts them off in fours. Bet on how many are left at the end: 1, 2, 3 or 4.

Tum By Tum Last reviewed
  • • 4 results, 1 to 4
  • • Default and advanced views
  • • 98.75% top RTP
Play at CasinoMax · 4.4/5 18+ · T&Cs apply · Play responsibly
Results 1 to 4 Beads left in the last line
Best RTP 98.75% The Ssh bet, three numbers
Lowest RTP 96.25% A single number
Top payout 2.85 to 1 A single number

Should you play it?

Fan Tan is one of the cheaper live tables to play. Every bet pays its fair odds less 5% of the win, so returns run from 96.25% on a single number to 98.75% on the Ssh bet, which covers three of the four results. Wins are small and frequent rather than big, and the best value sits in the advanced view.

Play it if

  • You want a simple game with a return of 97.5% or better on most bets
  • You like frequent small wins over long shots
  • You are happy to learn three or four extra bets to get the best price

Variance profile

Low. There are only four results, every bet wins at least one round in four, and the biggest payout is 2.85 to 1, so swings stay small.

Bets and payouts

Default view bets

These bets appear in both views.

Bet When it wins Pays RTP Chance per round House edge
Single number: 1, 2, 3 or 4 (each) That exact number of beads is left 2.85 to 1 96.25% 25.00% 3.75%
Big or Small Small is 1 or 2, Big is 3 or 4 0.95 to 1 97.50% 50.00% 2.50%
Odd or Even Odd is 1 or 3, Even is 2 or 4 0.95 to 1 97.50% 50.00% 2.50%

Advanced view bets

The traditional bets. On Nim, the chance shown is the chance of a win; a further 25% of rounds return your stake.

Bet When it wins Pays RTP Chance per round House edge
Kwok Either of the two numbers on the spot 0.95 to 1 97.50% 50.00% 2.50%
Nim The first number on the spot; the second is a push 1.90 to 1 97.50% 25.00% 2.50%
Ssh Any of the three numbers on the spot 0.316667 to 1 98.75% 75.00% 1.25%

Each chance treats the four results as equally likely, one round in four each. On that basis the returns work out exactly to Evolution's figures of 96.25% for a single number and 98.75% for Ssh.

Pays shows the odds on a winning bet, with your stake returned on top. RTP is the share of all money bet that comes back over a very long run; house edge is the rest. Neither predicts a single session.

Where to play Fan Tan

Showing casinos that carry Evolution Gaming live tables and accept players in your region. This is provider availability, not confirmation that each casino offers this game. Check its live lobby before depositing.

How Fan Tan works

Fan Tan is a classic bead game played live by Evolution. The dealer takes a random number of beads from a pile with a metal cup, then sorts them into lines of four. You bet on how many beads are left in the last line: 1, 2, 3 or 4.

1 1 to 4

Bet on what is left

While betting is open, the dealer scoops a random number of beads under a cup. Bet on how many will remain at the end.

2 Lines of 4

The beads are counted off

When betting closes, the dealer reveals the beads and sorts them into lines of four with a special stick.

3 Last line

The leftover decides

The final 1 to 4 beads go in a line at the center of the table. That number settles every bet.

How a round runs

Only the beads under the cup take part in the round. Once betting closes, the dealer lifts the cup and pulls the beads away four at a time until four or fewer remain. If 2 beads are left, the result is 2; if the last line is a full four, the result is 4.

The bets in plain words

The default view shows the main bets. The advanced view adds the traditional ones with Chinese names. Here is what each one means.

  • Single number (1, 2, 3 or 4): Evolution calls this the Fan Tan bet. You pick one result. It wins one round in four and pays 2.85 to 1.
  • Big or Small: Small is a result of 1 or 2, Big is 3 or 4. Pays 0.95 to 1.
  • Odd or Even: Odd is 1 or 3, Even is 2 or 4. Pays 0.95 to 1.
  • Kwok: a bet on the two numbers shown on the spot. Either one wins, at 0.95 to 1. It works like Big or Odd, but on the pair the spot names.
  • Nim: the spot shows two numbers. If the first comes up you win 1.90 to 1; if the second comes up you get your stake back; the other two results lose. With $10 on a Nim spot showing 1 then 2, a 1 pays $19 plus your $10, a 2 returns your $10, and a 3 or 4 loses it.
  • Ssh (Sheh-sam-hong): a bet on the three numbers shown on the spot, so only one result loses. It pays 0.316667 to 1, which is $9.50 on a $30 win.

Switching views

You can move from the default view to the advanced view at any point in a round. Going back to the default view only works when you have no bets, or only bets that the default view also shows.

Same numbers, different price

Some bets cover the same results at different prices. Put $10 on each of 1, 2 and 3 and a win returns $38.50 for your $30. A $30 Ssh bet on 1, 2 and 3 wins on exactly the same results and returns $39.50. Two $10 single numbers return $38.50 when one hits; a $20 Kwok on the same pair returns $39.

The math behind Fan Tan

With four equally likely results, every chance here is a count of quarters. The paytable then sets the price of each bet.

Every bet pays fair odds less 5% of the win

A single number wins one round in four, so fair odds would be 3 to 1; it pays 2.85 to 1. Even chances would be fair at 1 to 1 and pay 0.95 to 1, Nim would be fair at 2 to 1 and pays 1.90 to 1, and Ssh would be fair at 1 to 3 and pays 0.316667 to 1. Each is 95% of the fair price.

The more often a bet wins, the less it costs

Because the 5% comes off the winnings, the house edge equals 5% of a bet's chance of losing. A single number loses three rounds in four, so it costs 3.75%. Ssh loses one round in four, so it costs 1.25%.

Nim's push

Nim returns 97.5% of what you bet, the same as Kwok. But a quarter of Nim bets come back as a push, so counting only the rounds that are not a push, it costs 3.33%.

Official rules: Evolution Fan Tan game rules, checked October 30, 2026. The rules at your casino may show different figures; its in game help is the version that applies to you.

Is there a Fan Tan strategy?

Only in your choice of bet. The beads are a random handful each round and past results change nothing, but the bets are priced differently, and Ssh is clearly the cheapest.

Use Ssh to cover three numbers

If you like three of the four results, one Ssh bet returns more than three single number bets on the same numbers for the same total stake, and costs 1.25% against 3.75%.

Use Kwok, Big, Small, Odd or Even to cover two

Each costs 2.5%, against 3.75% for two single numbers. Nim costs the same 2.5% per bet but trades a lower win chance for a bigger payout and a push.

What you can control

Your cost per round

House edge, cheapest first. A shorter bar costs less.

  1. Ssh1.25%
  2. Big or Small and 3 more2.50%
  3. Single number: 1, 2, 3 or 4 (each)3.75%

Your stake per round

Rounds are short and every spot is a separate bet. Set a total stake per round before you start.

How long you play

Even on Ssh, play costs about 1.25% of everything you bet over time. On single numbers it is 3.75%.

Play for fun, with money you can afford to lose. Set a time and money limit before you start and keep to it. If gambling stops being fun or you feel the urge to chase losses, take a break and get support: see our problem gambling help page.

Full game specifications

🎰 Game specifications

Format
Live bead game: a random handful of beads counted off in fours
RTP stated by the studio
98.75% (the Ssh bet; 96.25% to 98.75% across all bets)
Results
1, 2, 3 or 4 beads left in the last line
Bets
Single number, Big or Small, Odd or Even; advanced view adds Kwok, Nim and Ssh
Top payout
2.85 to 1, a single number
Several bets per round
Yes, any number of spots

Fan Tan FAQ

Do the past results help me pick a number?

The statistics panel shows up to the last 500 rounds and how often each result, Odd, Even, Big and Small came up. Each round starts from a fresh random handful of beads, though, so a number that has not appeared for a while is no more likely in the next round.

Can I see where other players are betting?

Yes, for the single numbers. The table shows the total wagered on each of 1, 2, 3 and 4 and how many players bet on it.

What happens if the dealer makes a mistake?

The round pauses while the dealer calls a manager. If the problem can be fixed on the spot, the round carries on. If not, it is cancelled and every bet is refunded. Any malfunction also voids the round and returns the bets.

What if I lose my connection during a round?

Your bets stay valid and are settled without you. When you reconnect, the outcome is in your History window.

What is the most one bet can win?

A single number pays 2.85 to 1, so a $100 bet on 3 that wins pays $285 plus your $100 back. That is the top payout on the table; the maximum stake on each spot is shown in the Bet Limits panel.

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