Learn the game
Tic-Tac-Toe rules
Learn the Tic-Tac-Toe rules used in DeNiro Card: the board, legal moves and how to win. House rules vary; these are the rules at DeNiro Card tables.
Choose a Tic-Tac-Toe tableHow to play Tic-Tac-Toe
- You are X and open the first round; the computer is O. Take turns marking squares on the 3×3 grid.
- A round is won by three in a row across, down or diagonally. A full board with no line is a drawn round.
- The game is a 3-round match, and the starter alternates each round. The match ends as soon as one player can't be caught (for example 2–0 after two rounds), or after round 3.
- Most round wins takes the match and the pot. A tied match (for example 1–1–1) is a draw and your stake is returned.
- The computer plays one fixed strength; there is no difficulty setting.
- Your clock: at a coin table against the computer you get up to 60 seconds for each move, and the table header counts down the exact time left. If it runs out, the table plays that move for you on the merits. You are not forfeited, nothing extra is charged, and your stake and payout are unchanged. Each of your first three missed moves keeps the full clock; miss a third in a row and the rest of the hand runs at computer speed, about two thirds of a second a turn, which in practice finishes it for you. Making one move yourself puts the full clock back. An Online table against real people runs its own, separate clock; watch the same countdown there.
Common questions
How do you win a round of Tic-Tac-Toe?
A round is won by three in a row across, down or diagonally. A full board with no line is a drawn round.
How does a Tic-Tac-Toe match work?
The game is a 3-round match, and the starter alternates each round. The match ends as soon as one player can't be caught (for example 2–0 after two rounds), or after round 3. Most round wins takes the match and the pot. A tied match (for example 1–1–1) is a draw and your stake is returned.
Playing in DeNiro Card
Practice lets you play any game with no account and no coins. Coin tables use virtual play coins and need a DeNiro account; choose a coin stake before joining one. Leaving an active coin game forfeits the stake and adds a 10% leaving fee. Play coins have no cash value and cannot be cashed out.
Choose a Tic-Tac-Toe table