This game is played with a standard 52 card deck. There are three ways to bet. The player can bet against the dealer (the anti-wager), only on the value of his own hand (the pair plus), or both. The player must decide what to wager before the cards are dealt, and most gamblers bet both ways.

There are three betting circles on the table in front of each player. The one closest to the player in the anti against the dealer, the second circle is the play against the dealer, and the third circle is the pair plus bet where the player is betting on the value of his own hand.

In order to play against the dealer, the player must bet the anti. Once the player sees his cards, he may decide to bet the play and play his cards against the dealer's. If the player doesn't play, he loses his anti no matter what the dealer has. If the player plays and beats the dealer, he is paid on both of the anti and play bets.

The dealer must "qualify" for the player to beat him. A dealer qualifies with any hand that is better than a single jack. So the dealer would qualify with a single queen, a pair, or anything higher. If the dealer doesn't qualify, the player is paid even odds on both bets.