Super Pan 9    Introduction for beginners   Payouts   Strategy      Introduction for beginners:   Object of game.   The object of the basic game is to get closer to nine than the "banker". A "player" can make bets on their own hand or, in casinos only, on other hands or for the tie.   Either the house or a player takes the "Bank". All players and the bank receive three cards and can optionally draw a fourth. The totals are taken by adding up the cards and ignoring the tens. All pictures and tens count as zero. Thus a "six" and a "five" give a total of 1.   Eight packs of cards with no 7s 8s or 9s are used.   Background.   The game is similar to Baccarat except each player receives their own cards.   Cards are dealt face down.   The first card goes to the banker's left and to other players in rotation thereafter.   Each player in turn can then either stand or elect to take a fourth card.   Finally the bank decides whether to take a fourth card.   At this stage all cards are shown and players either win, lose or standoff.   The strategy for the player is to take a card on all totals of five or less and stand on six or more.   Once the dealer knows the player will take a card on five or less, there is an optimal strategy for the dealer. However the actual card taken is not so important as in Baccarat and in practice, unless playing head to head, should adopt the same strategy as the player. Kindly note that "Naturals" do not stop the other party from drawing.   House Way : Casino will stand or six or more, and draw on five or less.   Taking the Bank in the Casino.   After the house has played a hand, players in turn may take the bank.   A player electing to take the bank states the value of the bank's pool. Other players, in turn, may place bets until the full pool value is matched. The house may cover any pool value not yet matched.   UK Casino Versions.   Cards are dealt face down and the player places the card in one box to stand and a different box to draw. When all players have made their decisions the dealer distributes the additional cards, [the "player banker" plays], and finally the house plays its hand.   Californian Casino Versions.   The bank must be taken by a player, the house never plays. The banker has a bank pool and players make their own bets. Cards are dealt face down and players make their decisions. The "player banker" acts last. Wagers are settled in order round the table until either the banker has lost the entire pool or doubled the pool. No further bets are entertained. Casino Payouts:   In California all bets are paid at even money. The casino requests an additional $1 for each $100 the player wagers.   Winning bets against the casino bank are paid at 19-20.   Winning bets against a "player bank" are paid at evens.   Net winning bets received by a "player bank" are paid at 19-20 (ie 5% tax on the profit). Strategy:   Player.   Simple - hit five or less, stand on six or more.   Banking.   The best odds obtainable are by playing against a player banker since you are being paid evens.   The odds are the same, you are taxed on the profit, by taking the bank head to head against the dealer as opposed to playing normally. However are there are other players it might persuade them to take the bank if you also take it.   If you find players who decide to stand on five, play [the bank] as often as possible against them. Even better if they take the bank!   There is a strategy where banking head-to-head your decision is sometimes affected by whether players take a fourth card. However this advantage is slight and only really applies if the house is not playing.