Serendipity (Final Fantasy XIII-2)

Serendipity is a location in Final Fantasy XIII-2, labeled as the legendary Palace of Pleasure though it was never completed. Serendipity exists within the Void Beyond and is said to have been molded from nothing more substantial than hopes, dreams, and passions.
It is a massive casino city that floats in the sky and is filled with minigames, such as chocobo racing and slot machines. The Mystic residing in a chamber in Serendipity gives out unique abilities the more fragments Serah and Noel obtain. Players who possess save data from Final Fantasy XIII will get higher success rate in the casino.http://andriasang.com/comz7j/ffxiii2_dengeki/
Serendipity is largely an optional location and Noel and Serah are never required to explore its wonders. However, to obtain the "Odinblade/Odinbolt" paradox weapons, they must purchase the Chaos Crystal with 10,000 Casino Coins. Once they do, the casino owner tells them about the nature of the casino, and bids them good luck on their journey.
==Datalog==
Serendipity' is the name of a fantastical wonderland that appears in the folklore of Gran Pulse, and was first imagined by a certain minstrel of old.
This mythical palace exists on the border between life and death, and is said only to open its doors to those chosen by Lady Luck. The fortunate souls that gain entrance experience joy and amusement beyond measure, cavorting in an eternal 'now' that knows neither day nor night.
==Story==
In the DLC scenario "Heads or Tails" Sazh Katzroy has ended up in Serendipity after being separated from his son Dajh. Sazh meets the mysterious owner of the establishment who explains both Sazh and his son are in a state between life and death. Instructed to gamble his way into winning Fortune Medals to be reunited with Dajh, Sazh gathers the amount needed while meeting Chocolina, the future incarnation of the chocobo chick that accompanies him.
Once reunited with Dajh, Sazh learns from the owner that Serendipity's coins are turning up tails as a sign that time is unraveling. Though the owner accepts the waiting doom, Sazh convinces the man to send him and Dajh to a point in time where they can help save the world.
==Areas==
Serendipity is the second smallest locations after the Coliseum. It looks like a fair.
===Entrance===
There is a Time Gate outside the gates of Serendipity and Serah and Noel end up here once by accident, but the gates are closed. They decide to come back some other time and enter back into the Time Gate.
===Temptation Plaza===
The hub of the casino where the player can enter the different attractions. The camera angle is fixed in an overhead view rather than following the player character like elsewhere in the game. This is to pay homage to Final Fantasy VII whose Gold Saucer location Serendipity is based on. There is a large revolving roulette table on the floor in this area.
===Hall of Gaming===
The player can play the slot machine and card games here and talk to the casino's owner. The card games, Serendipity Poker and Chronobind, are unlocked by downloading the "Heads or Tails?" scenario. Here the player can exchange their Casino Coins for items at the Exchange Desk.
===Racing Reception===
The player can play chocobo racing here. The layout of the hall is based on a discarded area from within Edenhall in Final Fantasy XIII.
===Chocobo's Mystic Chamber===
In the Chocobo's Mystic Chamber, the player can obtain fragment skills by showing their obtained fragments to the mystic. The skills improve abilities such as improved Moogle Throw and the ability of regulating the frequency of random encounters.
After having completed the main storyline the player can come here to obtain Paradox Scope, an ability that lets the player trigger alternative outcomes to events of the main storyline. Mystic's Chamber has a different style of music from the rest of Serendipity: the haunting theme of "Ragnarok" from the Final Fantasy XIII soundtrack.
==Map==
==Casino Coins==
The currency used at Serendipity is called Casino Coins. The player can buy them for gil at the exchange desk located in the house where the card tables and slot machines are found. The exchange ratio is 10:1 when buying Casino Coins with gil.
Casino Coins are also won from the minigames. The coins can be exchanged for various prizes at the exchange desk. The player may also find Casino Coupons during their adventures that can be exchanged for Casino Coins. Amassing 10,000 Casino Coins in Serendipity's minigames earns the player the "Serendipitous" achievement/trophy.
==Exchange desk==
Item 	Type 	Price
Chaos Crystal 	Key Item 	10,000 Coins
Priceless Gift 	Key Item 	10,000 Coins
Setzer's Dice 	Key Item 	10,000 Coins
Wild Artefact 	Key Item 	10,000 Coins
Shuffle 	Specialty Item	50 Coins
Shuffle (Common) 	Specialty Item	200 Coins
Shuffle (Graded) 	Specialty Item	200 Coins
Chocoboost 	Specialty Item	200 Coins
Chocobull 	Specialty Item	500 Coins
Phoenix Down 	Item 	400 Coins
Librascope 	Item 	4,000 Coins
Unicorn Horn 	Item 	1,600 Coins
Phoenix Blood 	Item 	1,600 Coins
Elixir 	Item 	30,000 Coins
Ribbon 	Accessory 	10,000 Coins
Summoner's Mask 	Adornment 	5,000 Coins
Party Hat 	Adornment 	10,000 Coins
Shooting Star 	Adornment 	1,000 Coins
Black-Rimmed Glasses	Adornment 	3,000 Coins
Pink-Rimmed Glasses 	Adornment 	3,000 Coins
Long Gui's Shell 	Adornment 	3,000 Coins
Bunny Ears 	Adornment 	10,000 Coins
Red Mage's Chapeau 	Adornment 	10,000 Coins
Queen Mask 	Adornment 	3,000 Coins
Vacationers Shades 	Adornment 	3,000 Coins
Gold Shades 	Adornment 	3,000 Coins
Violet Shades 	Adornment 	3,000 Coins
Odinbolt/Odinblade 	Weapon 	1,000 Coins
==Minigames==
===Chocobo Racing===
Chocobo Racing in Serendipity is similar to the concept in Final Fantasy VII. A chocobo is picked from a list, and the player must race it to the end of the track. The chocobo ranking first wins. There are five race tiers of varying difficulty: Cocoon, Monster, Weapon, Guardian and Fal'Cie. Each yield different items upon succeeding, but by winning races, the player must move up a rank. There are also secret races which can be entered after clearing specific conditions.
Four different parameters must be paid attention to when choosing a chocobo. Speed, the measure of how fast the chocobo can run over short distances, and Stamina, how long the chocobo can last in the race for long distances. The other two are RP or "Race Points", which are used up each time a race is entered, and Skills; abilities which vary from chocobo to chocobo, but can give each racer an edge on the track.
Chocobos can be given items before races to perform actions such as leading the pack or staying in the middle. When the race begins, the confirm button can be pressed to make the player's chocobo dash out of the gates. In the middle of a race, the button can be pressed again to make the chocobo dash. This makes the player's chocobo run faster, but drains the "boost gauge" in the process.
Star-ranked chocobos in the racing laps have names from characters in the Final Fantasy XIII universe.
====List of Chocobo Skills====
Each skill possessed by a chocobo corresponds to a specific passive ability in their arsenal.
Skill	Passive Abilities 	Description 	Infused From
 	Critical: Shell, Role Resonance, Feral Surge, Feral Fatigue; or a combination of three resistances. 	Increases window of opportunity for a Sprinting Start. 	White Chocobo (default), Bamapama (Lv. 16)
 	Item Scavenger (I or II), Item Collector 	Offers improved gambling odds on the chocobo. 	Silver Chocobo (default), Microchu (Lv. 18), Apotamkin (Lv. 14)
 	Kill: ATB Charge, Kill: Libra 	Stats are increased for graded races. 	Goblin Chieftain (Lv. 22)
 	Quick Stagger, Improved Guard (I or II), Critical: Power Surge (I or II) 	When (x000) strategy is selected, boost gauge charge rate increases. 	Chocobo (default), Flandit (Lv. 8)
 	Improved Ward (I or II), Chain Bonus Boost (I or II), Stagger Maintenance (I or II) 	When (0x00) strategy is selected, boost gauge charge rate increases. 	Red Chocobo (default), Golden Chocobo (Lv. 2), Ceratoraptor (Lv. 2)
 	Critical: Shield (I or II), Siphon Boost (I or II), Defense Maintenance (I or II0, Improved Cure (I or II)	When (00x0) strategy is selected, boost gauge charge depletion decreases. 	Green Chocobo (default), Cait Sith (Lv. 1), Swampmonk (Lv. 1)
 	Ally KO: Power Surge (I or II), Critical: Protect 	When (000x) strategy is selected, boost is doubled if used near the end of the race. 	Silver Chocobo (default), Ceratoraptor (default), Tonberry (default and Lv 30)
 	Rapid Recovery 	Condition is constantly favorable. 	Microchu (Lv 24)
 	Auto-Bravery, Auto-Vigilance, Critical: Faith 	Constantly stays at their own pace despite the situation. 	Narasimha (Lv 29), Thermadon (Lv 36), Major Moblin (Lv 40), Cactuar (Lv 45), Amanojaku (Lv 13), Yaksha (Lv 20), Microchu (Lv 35), Vespid (Lv 19), Grenade (Lv 12)
 	Feral Speed II, Gilfinder II 	Stats increased when deemed a favorite. 	Gancanagh (default), Gancanagh Ace (Lv 4), Dragoon (Lv 4), Lancer (Lv 12), White Chocobo (Lv 7), Moblin (default)
 	Pack Mentality, Hindrance 	Increases the effect of Supersonic or Lightning Bolt. 	Chichu (default), Nanochu (default), Metal Gigantuar (default)
 	Improved Counter, Fettered Magic 	Increases the effect of Turbo or Blue Streak. 	Pulse Gladiator (default), Gigantuar (default)
 	Improved Raise, Attack: ATB Charge, Attack: ATB Charge II 	Slightly recharges the Boost gauge when you run out of stamina just before crossing the finish line.	Caterchipillar (default), Spiranthes (Lv 15), Reaver (default), Barbed Specter (default), Hedge Frog (default), Apkallu (default), Yeoman (default), Pitterpatter (default)
 	Critical: Bravery 	Greatly increases speed for short-distance races. 	Cactuar (default), Reaver (Lv 14), Red Chocobo (Lv 18)
 	Critical: Vigilance, Critical: Tetradefense 	Greatly increases stamina for long-distance races. 	Microchu (Lv 5), Twilight Odin (Lv 9), Pulse Gladiator (Lv 23), Golden Chocobo (default, locked)
====Race lists and prizes====
Name	Length (m)	Type 	Class 	Coins Prize (1st – 2nd – 3rd – 4th – 5th)	First Place Reward
 	600 	Normal	Cocoon (10 RP) 	30 – 15 – 8 – 4 – 2 	Potion
 	1200 	Normal	Cocoon (10 RP) 	30 – 15 – 8 – 4 – 2 	Potion
 	600 	Normal	Cocoon (10 RP) 	30 – 15 – 8 – 4 – 2 	Shuffle
 	1200 	Normal	Cocoon (10 RP) 	30 – 15 – 8 – 4 – 2 	Shuffle
 	600 	Normal	Cocoon (10 RP) 	30 – 15 – 8 – 4 – 2 	Chocoboost
 	1200 	Normal	Cocoon (10 RP) 	30 – 15 – 8 – 4 – 2 	Chocoboost
 	600 	Normal	Cocoon (10 RP) 	30 – 15 – 8 – 4 – 2 	Power Bolt
 	1200 	Normal	Cocoon (10 RP) 	30 – 15 – 8 – 4 – 2 	Mana Bolt
 	600 	Graded	Cocoon (10 RP) 	60 – 30 – 15 – 6 – 3 	Witch's Bracelet
 	1200 	Graded	Cocoon (10 RP) 	60 – 30 – 15 – 6 – 3 	Zealot's Amulet
 	600 	Secret	Cocoon (10 RP) 	60 – 30 – 15 – 6 – 3 	Cute Cactuar Figurine or Power Droplet
 	1200 	Secret	Cocoon (10 RP) 	60 – 30 – 15 – 6 – 3 	Guard's Ravager Badge or Mana Droplet
 	600 	Normal	Monster (15 RP) 	60 – 30 – 15 – 6 – 3 	Vitality Droplet
 	1200 	Normal	Monster (15 RP) 	60 – 30 – 15 – 6 – 3 	Vitality Bolt
 	600 	Normal	Monster (15 RP) 	60 – 30 – 15 – 6 – 3 	Shuffle (Common)
 	1200 	Normal	Monster (15 RP) 	60 – 30 – 15 – 6 – 3 	Shuffle (Common)
 	600 	Normal	Monster (15 RP) 	60 – 30 – 15 – 6 – 3 	Chocoboost
 	1200 	Normal	Monster (15 RP) 	60 – 30 – 15 – 6 – 3 	Chocoboost
 	600 	Normal	Monster (15 RP) 	60 – 30 – 15 – 6 – 3 	Librascope
 	1200 	Normal	Monster (15 RP) 	60 – 30 – 15 – 6 – 3 	Librascope
 	600 	Graded	Monster (15 RP) 	80 – 40 – 20 – 8 – 4 	Silver Bangle
 	1200 	Graded	Monster (15 RP) 	80 – 40 – 20 – 8 – 4 	Auric Amulet
 	600 	Secret	Monster (15 RP) 	80 – 40 – 20 – 8 – 4 	Cie'th Wing or Power Droplet
 	1200 	Secret	Monster (15 RP) 	80 – 40 – 20 – 8 – 4 	Pilot's Badge or Mana Droplet
 	600 	Normal	Weapon (20 RP) 	80 – 40 – 20 – 8 – 4 	Chocobull
 	1200 	Normal	Weapon (20 RP) 	80 – 40 – 20 – 8 – 4 	Chocobull
 	600 	Normal	Weapon (20 RP) 	80 – 40 – 20 – 8 – 4 	Phoenix Down
 	1200 	Normal	Weapon (20 RP) 	80 – 40 – 20 – 8 – 4 	Phoenix Down
 	600 	Normal	Weapon (20 RP) 	80 – 40 – 20 – 8 – 4 	Shuffle (Graded)
 	1200 	Normal	Weapon (20 RP) 	80 – 40 – 20 – 8 – 4 	Shuffle (Graded)
 	600 	Normal	Weapon (20 RP) 	80 – 40 – 20 – 8 – 4 	Power Chip
 	1200 	Normal	Weapon (20 RP) 	80 – 40 – 20 – 8 – 4 	Mana Chip
 	600 	Graded	Weapon (20 RP) 	160 – 80 – 40 – 16 – 8 	Durable Warding Talisman
 	1200 	Graded	Weapon (20 RP) 	160 – 80 – 40 – 16 – 8 	Pain Dampener
 	600 	Secret	Weapon (20 RP) 	160 – 80 – 40 – 16 – 8 	Mog Figurine or Potent Droplet
 	1200 	Secret	Weapon (20 RP) 	160 – 80 – 40 – 16 – 8 	Cactuar Figurine or Potent Droplet
 	600 	Normal	Guardian (25 RP)	160 – 80 – 40 – 16 – 8 	Vitality Sliver
 	1200 	Normal	Guardian (25 RP)	160 – 80 – 40 – 16 – 8 	Vitality Chip
 	600 	Normal	Guardian (25 RP)	160 – 80 – 40 – 16 – 8 	Chocobull
 	1200 	Normal	Guardian (25 RP)	160 – 80 – 40 – 16 – 8 	Chocobull
 	600 	Normal	Guardian (25 RP)	160 – 80 – 40 – 16 – 8 	Elixir
 	1200 	Normal	Guardian (25 RP)	160 – 80 – 40 – 16 – 8 	Elixir
 	600 	Normal	Guardian (25 RP)	160 – 80 – 40 – 16 – 8 	Adamantite
 	1200 	Normal	Guardian (25 RP)	160 – 80 – 40 – 16 – 8 	Dark Matter
 	600 	Graded	Guardian (25 RP)	320 – 160 – 80 – 32 – 16 	Nagaraja
 	1200 	Graded	Guardian (25 RP)	320 – 160 – 80 – 32 – 16 	The Tower
 	600 	Secret	Guardian (25 RP)	320 – 160 – 80 – 32 – 16 	Onion Knight's Helm or Power Sliver
 	1200 	Secret	Guardian (25 RP)	320 – 160 – 80 – 32 – 16 	White Chocobo Figurine or Mana Sliver
 	600 	Normal	Fal'Cie (30 RP) 	320 – 160 – 80 – 32 – 16 	Vitality Orb
 	1200 	Normal	Fal'Cie (30 RP) 	320 – 160 – 80 – 32 – 16 	Bloodguard
 	600 	Normal	Fal'Cie (30 RP) 	320 – 160 – 80 – 32 – 16 	Power Orb
 	1200 	Normal	Fal'Cie (30 RP) 	320 – 160 – 80 – 32 – 16 	Mana Orb
 	600 	Normal	Fal'Cie (30 RP) 	320 – 160 – 80 – 32 – 16 	Collector Catalog
 	1200 	Normal	Fal'Cie (30 RP) 	320 – 160 – 80 – 32 – 16 	Potent Sliver
 	600 	Normal	Fal'Cie (30 RP) 	320 – 160 – 80 – 32 – 16 	Potent Sliver
 	1200 	Normal	Fal'Cie (30 RP) 	320 – 160 – 80 – 32 – 16 	Potent Sliver
 	600 	Graded	Fal'Cie (30 RP) 	480 – 240 – 120 – 64 – 32 	Entite Ring
 	1800 	Graded	Fal'Cie (30 RP) 	480 – 240 – 120 – 64 – 32 	Potent Orb
 	600 	Secret	Fal'Cie (30 RP) 	480 – 240 – 120 – 64 – 32 	Canned Sheep Logo or Potent Orb
 	1800 	Secret	Fal'Cie (30 RP) 	480 – 240 – 120 – 64 – 32 	Canned Coyo Logo or Potent Orb
====Chocobo Titles====
The following table shows the possible titles a chocobo can win during a career:
Title	Conditions 	Reward
 	Win five races in a single career. 	Train Conductor Cap
 	Demonstrate speed in a short race. 	Electric Guitar
 	Win a 1800m race. Cannot initially be earned if the All-Rounder title is received for the same race.	Lebreau's Violet Tattoo
 	Win a race where your chocobo isn't favored. 	Ripe Apple
 	Compete in 20 races in a single career. 	Frying Pan
 	Win 3,000 coins in a single career. 	Halo
 	Win 10 consecutive races. 	Red Chocobo Chick
 	Win all races with the Derby suffix in a single career. 	Blue Moogle Bobble
 	Win a 600m, 1200m and 1800m race in a single career. 	Tropical Tree
 	Win all 10 secret races in single career. 	Crown
 	Win all 10 graded races in a single career. 	Tonberry Figurine
 	Win all Cocoon class races in a single career. 	Bronze Medal
 	Win all Monster class races in a single career. 	Silver Medal
 	Win all Weapon class races in a single career. 	Gold Medal
 	Win all Guardian class races in a single career. 	Mark of Lindzei
 	Win all Fal'Cie class races in a single career. 	Mark of Etro
===Slot Machine===
Matching up the slots perfectly may allow the player to rack up to 50,000 Casino Coins. The slot machines resemble the hoverbikes used in Final Fantasy XIII and normally take 5 casino coins to play, but will accept 5 or 10 in Victory Mode, and 5, 10 or 100 in Super Victory Mode.
Winning 7,777 coins from the slot machine awards the player with the Lucky Coin fragment. This is one of the hardest Fragments to obtain in the game. It is not necessary to win the 7,777 coins in one sitting—all winnings count toward the total.
Although often referred to as "nines", the "nines" on the slot machines are actually the number 7 in the Etro Script.
====How to play====
The player inserts 5 coins, pulls the lever, and then stops the three slots.
A row of moogles gives a x1 pay-out; hitting a single bomb in the left lane grants a pay-out of x2; a row of chocobos a x3 pay-out; a row of cactuars a x4 pay-out; a row of red sevens a x50 pay-out; and a row of microchus a x500 pay-out.
The machine has colored lights on the sides that light up during play and if the player gets all of them to light up they activate Jackpot Mode. To do this one must first get a bomb in the left reel, or 3 cactuars, followed by either 3 more spins with a bomb in the left reel or 3 cactuars (and very rarely at random). If the bomb appears on the left the player only gets one shot, while with the cactuars they have 3 opportunities to get a bomb in the left slot or 3 more cactuars.
In Jackpot Mode, the odds of a player getting a row of sevens or ochus doubles.
*After getting a row of sevens, the player enters Victory Mode and can choose to put 10 coins in to the slots as opposed to 5 and the odds of getting a row of sevens or microchus quadruples. Victory Mode ends if the player gets a row of cactuars or a bomb. The player must aim to light up the side-panels and enter Jackpot Mode. After hitting a row of sevens the player wins 500 coins and enters Super Victory Mode.
Super Victory Mode allows the player to bet 100 coins at a time to increase the odds of getting a row of sevens or microchus by 10. If the player hits a row of moogles in Super Victory Mode there is a 50% chance the mode will end. There is a potential to hit a row of microchus in Super Victory Mode and get a maximum pay-out of 50,000 coins.
====Mechanisms====
The slot machine is based on luck and it is impossible to manipulate the slot machine by trying to aim the reels. Though, having the Eternal Crystal item in the player's inventory stops the slot machines from ever having the mood with the worst odds. The item is received by having Final Fantasy XIII save data at the starting on a new game of Final Fantasy XIII-2, or by default in the Steam version of the game, regardless of whether or not the player has any Final Fantasy XIII save data.
The slot machine has the best chance of winning when the attendant in front of it says "It's like a hot summer's day". To have the best odds, the player should keep entering the Historia Crux and talking to the attendant until they get her to say either of these phrases. If she states "That machine's on fire!", the player should then continue talking to her until she states "It's like a hot summer's day".GameFAQs - Slots, Casino, Serendipitous...
The game gives an auto-play option, and one way to win coins with minimal effort is to use a rubber band on the controller to permanently push the button that puts the slot machine on autoplay, and let the machine work until enough coins have been won. This, however, cuts the chances of winning by 33%.
===Serendipity Poker===
Serendipity Poker (more specifically Texas Hold 'Em Poker) is one of the two card games unlocked with the downloadable content episode "Heads or Tails?". Only Sazh can participate in this card game.
The game works in the same way as in standard Texas Hold 'Em poker, where players can stake Casino Coins if they think they have a better hand than the other players, or bluff in an attempt to make the other players think they have a better hand than they actually possess.
The player (Sazh) and three computer-controlled players start the game. First the player must choose a buy-in amount of either 1,000, 10,000 or 100,000 Casino Coins (subject to funds available). Depending on the buy-in amount, a standard bet is worth 10, 100 or 1,000 coins respectively.
At the start of each game players are designated the following roles: Small Blind (SB), Big Blind (BB), and Dealer (D). in each round The Dealer is always the last player to make their turn.
Whenever it is the player's turn, the following commands can be selected:
*Call: If a bet has been made in the round, the player matches the current highest bet by shouting "call".
*Check: If no other player has made a bet during a current round, the player may pass their turn to the next player without betting by shouting check.
*Bet: If no other player has made a bet during the current round, the player can start by placing a bet of 10, 100 or 1000 casino coins depending on the buy-in amount selected before the game.
*Raise: The player raises the current bet, meaning all other players must now call (or raise) the amount placed to stay in the game. The player may raise up to four times the standard bet, or may shout "All In" to bet all their coins in their buy-in stack.
*Fold: The player forfeits their hand and is out of the game, losing all their coins they have bet.
Each game goes through the following stages:
*Start: Each player are given two cards (known as Pocket Cards).
*Pre-flop: The Small Blind automatically bets coins equal to half a standard bet and the Big Blind automatically bets coins equal to a standard bet. The first round of betting commences. The next stage commences when all players still in the game have bet an equal amount of coins and these coins will be placed in the pot.
*Flop: Three cards are placed on the table (known as open cards). These cards may be used by all players along with their pocket cards to make up their best hand. Another round of betting follows.
*Turn: A fourth open card is placed on the table and a round of betting follows. The next stage commences when all players still in the game have bet an equal amount of coins.
*River: A fifth open card is placed on the table. A final round of betting follows.
*Showdown: If there are at least two players left in the game, all players must reveal their pocket cards. The player with the strongest hand made from the five open cards and their two pocket hands wins the game and receives all the coins in the pot.
At any time in the game should all but one player fold, the remaining player also wins all the coins in the pot.
The following table shows the possible hands in Serendipity Poker, in ascending order of strength.
Hand 	Meaning
One Pair 	Two cards of the same number.
Two Pair 	Two pairs of different numbers.
Three of a Kind	Three cards of the same number.
Straight 	Five cards with consecutive numbers (e.g.: 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack).
Flush 	Five cards of the same suit.
Full House 	One pair and a Three of a Kind.
Four of a Kind 	Four cards of the same number.
Straight Flush 	Five cards of the same suit with consecutive numbers.
Royal Flush 	A hand of 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace, all of the same suit.
Should there be more than one player with the same type of hand, the hand with the highest number within the hand will win the game, with the Ace as the highest ranked card (except in a Straight of A, 2, 3, 4, 5). Should the hands be identical, if the players have a pocket card that is unused in the hand (known as the kicker), the player with the highest kicker wins the game. If this does not separate the players, the players will take an equal share of the pot.
Once a player loses all their Casino Coins in their buy-in stack, they are considered bust and must leave the table. When three players are bust, the remaining player wins a bonus 2,000, 20,000 or 200,000 Casino Coins depending on the initial buy-in amount. This means a player can obtain up to six times their investment by winning all the other players' Casino Coins and receiving the bonus payout.
The player can also leave the table at any time, and their stack will be added to the player's Casino Coin total.
===Chronobind===
Chronobind is the other card game unlocked with the downloadable content episode "Heads or Tails?". Only Sazh can participate in this card game.
Chronobind is played using a standard deck of 52 playing cards, and a "clock" with one hand and thirteen positions numbered 1 through 13 clockwise. In this game, Ace = 1, Jack = 11, Queen = 12, and King = 13. Suits are irrelevant.
To begin a session of Chronobind, the player must first Buy-In with 1k, 10k, or 100k coins. Depending on the amount chosen, all bets in the session will be made in increments of 20, 200, or 2000 coins, respectively. Once the player Buys-In, the first game begins.
At any time between games, the player can walk away with their current winnings, but if they have the most winnings at the table when a player busts, the session automatically ends, and the player will earn a substantial amount of coins (equal to double the buy-in amount) on top of their current winnings.
In each game, players make increasing bets with each round that passes, represented by four equal stacks of coins. The goal of the game is to strategically bide time, then swoop in when the pot is large enough. The longer one waits, the more one stands to win... or lose.
At the start of each game:
*The hand of the clock is set to the "13" position.
*Each player makes a starting bet of 20, 200, or 2000 coins (depending on the Buy-In), separated into four stacks of 5, 50, or 500 coins each (respectively).
*Each player is dealt a hand of 5 cards.
*The dealer draws one more card, and moves the hand clockwise a number of positions equal to the value of this card.
The game is divided into rounds, which consist of the Draw, Showdown, Clock, and Bind phases.
In the Draw phase, each player draws cards until they have five in their hand, and then choose cards to play from their hand. Each player may put down either a single card or multiple cards of a single rank. For instance, if the player has a hand of 3-3-4-5-8, they may play a single 3, both 3s, a 4, a 5, or an 8. Playing multiple cards in a round does not increase their value; however, there are other benefits to doing so.
In the Showdown phase, all players reveal their chosen cards. The player with the highest ranking card (or cards) wins the Showdown. If two or more players tie for the highest ranking card, no one wins the Showdown.
*Cards are ranked as follows: Low Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, Clock, High Ace.
*Clock cards refer to any card with a rank matching the clock's current position. For example, if the hand is on the 8, 8 cards are Clock cards.
*Aces are low if no Kings or Clock cards are played in the current showdown.
*Aces are high if at least one King or Clock card is played in the current showdown.
In the Clock phase, if there was a winner in the previous Showdown, the following steps take place:
*The winner must move the clock hand either clockwise or counterclockwise by the number of positions equal to the rank of the card(s) they played.
*If the player moves the hand so that it stops or passes the 13 position, the clock "charges", and players increment their wagers once (by 60, 600, or 6000, depending on the Buy-In).
*If the winner lands the clock hand on a "bind point" (a position with one or more coins bound), they may choose to end the game ("clockout") and win coins from the other players, or let the game continue in hopes of getting a better payout.
If there was no winner in the previous Showdown, the following occurs instead:
*The clock hand is not moved.
*The clock is "charged" a number of times equal to the number of cards tied for the highest-ranking card in the Showdown.
*Each player increments their bets by the number of times the clock was "charged". For example, if the clock was "charged" 3 times in a 10k Buy-In session, each player adds 600 (200 x 3) coins to their wagers.
Finally, in the Bind phase, all players must "bind" one coin to the clock positions for each card they played in the Showdown. For example, if a player puts down two 3s in the Showdown, they must place two coins at the 3 position. As the deck used is a standard deck of 52 cards, the maximum number of bindings any position can have is four.
The game ends either when one player chooses to "clockout" or the dealer runs out of cards in the Draw phase.
When the game ends by a player choosing to "clockout", they win all of the coins bound to the clock, plus part or all of the coins wagered by the other players, depending on how many coins are bound to the clock hand's current position.
*1 Coin: Single Bind. One stack from each opponent, i.e. one quarter of all opponents' wagers.
*2 Coins: Double Bind. Two stacks from each opponent, i.e. two half of all opponents' wagers.
*3 Coins: Triple Bind. Three stacks from each opponent, i.e. three quarters of all opponents' wagers.
*4 Coins: Full Bind. All four stacks from each opponent, i.e. the entirety of all opponents' wagers.
Any coins the winner does not take are returned to their respective players.
If the game ends as a result of the dealer running out of cards, all wagers are returned to their respective players, but the coins bound to the clock are taken by the house.
==Musical themes==
The theme "Serendipity" plays in the main areas. This song was composed by Naoshi Mizuta and his concept was to place the sounds of '80s music into the game. Because there are rarely scenes in a game in which this style can match well, Mizuta never had the opportunity to write anything like that until Final Fantasy XIII-2.Meet Final Fantasy XIII's sound team
Another theme that plays in the Hall of Gaming, "All or Nothing", is a rearrangement of the area's main theme. "Chocobos of Cocoon -Chasing Dreams-" plays within the Racing Reception. The theme "Ragnarok" from Final Fantasy XIII plays in Chocobo Mystic's Chamber.
When playing the slot machine in Victory Mode, the music is "Blinded By Light" from Final Fantasy XIII, and in Super Victory Mode it is "Eidolons".
==Other appearances==
===Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade===
FFAB Serendipity -Age Unknown- (Entrance) FFXIII-2.png|Serendipity -Age Unknown- (Entrance) (Normal).
FFAB Serendipity -Age Unknown- FFXIII-2 Special.png|Serendipity -Age Unknown- (Special).
==Behind the scenes==
Serendipity is reminiscent of the Gold Saucer from Final Fantasy VII and the Nautilus Amusement Park from Final Fantasy XIII. Motomu Toriyama has confirmed that the resemblance to the Gold Saucer is intentional, with the camera view set at a distance rather than following the characters closely.The Complete Official Guide to FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 (Piggyback Interactive), p312
The Chocobo's Mystic Chamber is made after the area of Bodhum in Final Fantasy XIII that housed the statue of the fal'Cie, Siren. The fal'Cie itself, or perhaps a copy of it, is still present (though only visible during a cutscene in Sazh's episode).
The color for the windowskin is different in Serendipity: instead of being a dark blue, it is a perky red with the slot symbols spinning.
Serendipity's playing cards have unique designs. The designs are reused in Final Fantasy XV where the cards appear as background elements, e.g. in hotel scenes.
==Gallery==
Serendipity-dlc-games-artwork-ffxiii2.jpg|Artwork for the downloadable games from Final Fantasy XIII-2 Ultimania Omega.
FFXIII-2 Serendipity 3.png|Serendipity.
FFXIII-2 Serendipity 2.png|Serendipity.
FFXIII-2 Sealed Serendipity.png|Noel and Serah at the sealed entrance to Serendipity.
Chocobo races1.jpg|Chocobo races menu.
Chocobo races2.jpg|Chocobo races menu (2).
Supersonic chocobo.jpg|Supersonic boost.
Serendipity poker2.jpg|Serendipity poker.
Chronobind.jpg|Chronobind.
Serendipity shop.jpg|The Exchange Desk uses the same background as Chocolina's shops.
==Etymology==
In the Japanese version the location is called Xanadu. 
==Citations==
de:Serendipity
Category:Locations in Final Fantasy XIII-2
Category:Minigames in Final Fantasy XIII-2
Category:Towns