Ni no kuni casino

The Crypt Casino

In the Tombstone Trailafter you've used the Breach Timespell, you'll be able to enter The Crypt Casino. Here you can participate in four different games -- Slot Machine, Blackjack, Double Cross or Platoon -- to win chips and trade them in for awards. To get started speak with the skeleton in the back to exchange for some chips. They go for 5 guilders a piece so buy a few to get yourself really started. Rank B and C prizes are open initially. Rank A opens up after the Manna event and Rank S opens up after completing the game.

In the NDS version, the casino is seemingly a cross between the PS3 casino and the PS3 Fairyground. See the Del Mocal entry for more info about the NDS' version of the Crypt Casino.

Location[]

The casino is located at the beginning of the Tombstone Trail.&#; If the player goes right at the very first fork in the trail, it is in the immediate viewpoint.

Appearance[]

The casino's sticks to the spooky theme of the Tombstone Trail. The walls are dark colored, and ghosts are decorated on slot machines.

Games and Rules[]

There are four types of games on the casino in the PS3 version. They are:

Slot Machine[]

The slot machines function just like any other with a few exceptions. You can bet between 10 and 90 chips and the payouts written on the at the top. Mega Mode is an addition that is based around getting a row of three in a row. Every time you do this a wisp appears in the corner which fills the Chance Meter, though you can get two if it's a line of Pumpkins. When the meter is filled and you land another three in a row you'll enter Mega Mode where payouts are doubled. This mode only lasts for seven turns. You can also receive items now and again from the treasure chests at the bottom. They all do different things and they can be helpful in landing the big payout.

Blackjack[]

This is a modified game of Blackjack. You are dealt two cards that are taken at face value, face cards are worth ten, an Ace is worth 11 unless it puts you over 21 in which case it is worth 1. Your object is to take a "hit" until you feel you are closer to 21 than the dealer is, at which point you stand. The game is hard to win a lot of chips in because you often bust. Typically, you'll want to stand at 17 or higher because that's what the dealer stand at.

The difference between this and the standard version of Blackjack are as follows:

• At any time you hit 21 exactly, you get the Blackjack. This is not true in standard versions. In standard Blackjack, the Blackjack can only be hit if there is a 10/Face + Ace on the first two cards drawn.
• Standard Blackjack has the dealer hit on 16 and stand on This is not mentioned in the rules.
• There are no doubles or split rules. This is because you can only bet with your current stake. Likewise, there is no insurance rule if the dealer draws the Ace as the first card.
• Because of the stakes system of betting, a draw is considered a win for the player, as all of the stakes are cashed out after a tie. The streak will be reset if the player decides to continue playing after that hand.

Double Cross[]

This is like the Temple of Trials: Trial of Friendship where you control each character with a different analog and must progress to the end of the stage. It's completely skill-based, and doing the harder stages results in more chips.

Platoon[]

This is a totally original card game, and it is the best way to make chips in the casino because it relies more on skill than luck. You are dealt 10 cards and are forced to make 5 piles out of your cards. You must win three of the five battles that take place in order to move to the next round. You can opt out at anytime after a round has been completed. The initial bet here will always be chips.

Card	Description
Ace	Referred to in this game as the Bishop. If it is in a pile then that pile is a loser unless the opposing pile has a King in which this is the winning hand. This is the only condition for which having the Bishop at the end of the hand results in a win. For the purposes of determining the order of play, Aces are valued at 1.
King	This card is worth 10 points just like any other face card but it is an automatic win unless the opposing hand has a Bishop (Ace).
Joker	Called a Wizard in this game, this card is worth 0 and causes the piles to be switched before deciding the winner of the hand. This is typically played with a low card number so as to give your opponent a very low hand, thus resulting in a win for you.

• The objective is to win three hands out of the five possible. Any other result and you lose your bet.
• Before each round you place a bet on a hand you think will win, regardless of who it belongs to, though you can't see the opposing players cards. If your bet pile wins then you gain half of your stakes on top of your current bet. Likewise, if the opposing's bet pile wins, you lose half of your total stakes.
• At the beginning of each Campaign the dealer flips a card for each player, the player with the higher card goes first. You choose which pile of yours to use in battle against the other player. If your number is higher than you win, unless one of the special cards takes place like the King or Bishop.
• Wizards cannot be placed alone in a pile, nor can it be the first card to be placed in a pile. You must make five piles. If both piles contain a King then the highest point total wins, the same thing applies if both piles have Bishops. If both piles have Wizards, the piles are swapped twice so you retain your cards.

The best way to win is based on strategy and knowing how the computer plays this game. First, decide which piles will be losers for you. Place your Bishops by themselves and try to have at least three winners. A winner would be a pile of 18 or higher, a King, or a Wizard coupled with a card under 5. You likely will set up two losers every Campaign, but that's okay as long as your winners come through. The strategy comes from knowing how the computer plays and where the cards are placed.

The computer will always place its Kings, Bishops, and Wizards in the piles to your left. This means that any time a pile consists solely of numbers, all the piles to its right are also number piles. Bishops are always placed to the left of Kings. This leads to deducing that any time a Bishop is revealed, all piles to the left also contain Bishops and thus if you see a King that a Bishop is never to its right. Wizards will always be placed left of a card without a Wizard, i.e.; a Wizard will never be in the right pile.

With this information we can deduce the sorting method of the computer: WB, B, WK, K, W#, #. You'll want to use a King or Wizard + low card against the computer's largest pile on the right side and use your weakest winner (a pile that totals maybe 15 or 16) on any single cards off to the right. This leaves you with your strong pile to beat one of the three remaining decks and the chances of this are extremely good. Of course, you'll have to play this with some common sense based on what the computer uses.

In regards to betting which pile will win, if you have a definite winner, you should make that your bet pile. If the bet piles are on the opposite sides, you can potentially negate your opponent's bet by playing your strongest pile against your opponent's bet pile. If the opponent places a bet on your pile, your best bet is to try to make that bet pile lose against a stronger opponent hand in order to not lose any of your stakes.

Note: In the NDS version of the casino, the available games are the Slot Machine, Blackjack and Platoon. After beating the game a replay of the Cloudsweeper Battle mini-game also becomes available, as well as a VIP room allowing the player to watch the animated cutscenes of the game.