Part 19

Sometimes a rule is enforced that when a player demands to exchange with his left-hand neighbour, and gets a card with _one_, _two_, or _three_ pips given him for his own, the player with whom he exchanged, if he has got a higher card for his one, two, or three, cries out the value of the card he exchanged, so that the other players may know its worth.

The rule is not one that has ever become very popular, because it tends very much to deteriorate from the uncertainty of the game, a feature in all card-playing that possesses a greater charm than perhaps any other. The vicissitudes of fortune in Ranter Go Round are wonderful.

For instance, a player may have kept his three lives till all but one are out, and then lose them in three successive rounds, while a player who has only had one life for a long time will win the game.

As each life is lost a counter of the player belonging to it is placed in the pool, and as the lives decrease in number they increase in value.

* * * * *

ÉCARTÉ.

The game of Écarté is a real French game; it originated first in Paris, and at one time was one of the most fashionable games in that city.

It has been devoted so extensively by some players to gambling purposes, that its reputation has unmistakably suffered thereby, and any one professing to have a preference for Écarté was, at one time, suspected immediately of not being a very desirable associate.

It would have been a matter of regret if, because of any unfortunate association connected with the game, we should have been deprived of the benefit of it, for it is second to none in its power of affording amusement. It is easy to learn, and yet it is a scientific, clever game, and one that we can well imagine would be selected as a favourite among all other card games by proficient card-players.

It is played by two persons with a pack of thirty-two cards, all the twos, threes, fours, fives, and sixes being thrown out in preparing the pack.

The technical terms used are supplied both in English and French, and considering the game to be so essentially French in its nature we subjoin the latter list.

_Abattre._--To lower the cards and show them. _Atout._--Trump. _Avoir le main._--The act of dealing. _Battre._--To shuffle the cards before dealing. _Carte Doublée._ } _Carte Gardée._ } Two cards of the same suit. _Couper._--To cut. _Defaulter._--To refuse a suit. _Donner._--To deal. _Écart._--The cards thrown aside. _Être à la devine._--To be embarrassed which suit to keep. _Faire._--To deal. _Faire un main._--To make a trick. _Forcer._--To play a superior card on an inferior. _La Belle._--The highest card of any suit. _La Vole._--To make all the tricks. _Le Point._--One score of the five which compose the game. _Levée._--One trick made whilst playing. _Je propose._--Asking fresh hands, or part of fresh hands. _Refaire._--To recommence distributing the cards. _Renoncer._--Not to answer the suited. _Retourner._--When the cards are dealt, to turn up the first of the talon. _Sous-forcer._--To play a card inferior to what remains of some suit in hand. _Talon._--What remains of the pack after there has been distributed to each player what he requires.

The game consists of five points, unless differently arranged.

The king instead of the ace is the highest card.

After the king follow the queen and knave, next comes the ace, then ten, nine, eight, and seven.

After the dealer has shuffled the cards his opponent cuts them. The latter also can claim to shuffle if so inclined, but should he do so the dealer may re-shuffle. The dealer then gives three cards to his opponent and takes three himself, after which he gives two to his opponent and takes two himself, turning up the eleventh, which is also the trump, card on the pack.

Sometimes the two cards are dealt first, and afterwards the three; but this is a trifling matter, to be decided by the wish of the dealer.

Should the turn-up, or trump, happen to be a king of any suit, the dealer makes one point to himself and cries "I mark king."

The point is lost, however, unless the king be declared at once, before the first trick has been played. Still there is one case in which it would be bad policy to declare the king, even though you hold it. Supposing that you mark three, and that your adversary does not allow you to discard, or that, being himself the elder hand, he should play without proposing; in either case, if he does not make the point, he loses two, which gives you the game, a result you will have a greater chance of obtaining by masking your hand; in other words, by not announcing that you hold the king. The markers used are generally a two and a three from the discarded suits.

On examining the cards after the deal the non-dealer, if not satisfied with his hand, exclaims, "Je propose," which is equivalent to saying that he wishes to exchange one or more of his cards with some of those in the remainder of the pack. The dealer, if inclined to accept the proposition, signifies it by saying, "How many?" upon which both he and the non-dealer each change what cards they like, exclaiming, as they throw away the original cards, "J'écarte." Should the dealer decline the offer, and refuse to have any cards exchanged, his opponent scores double for any points he may make, except in the case of marking king.

Sometimes when both players agree to change their cards, discarding may be continued, as long as any cards remain in the stock, or until one of the players shall declare that he is satisfied, when both must immediately cease discarding.

The game consists of five points, each trick being won by the highest card of the suit led. Three tricks must be made in order to score one point; five tricks to score two points. It is possible for a player to score five points in one round, thus: First, by marking king; then if he should _propose_, and be _refused_, and afterwards make two points, these two points he may double on account of being _refused_, securing by this means the five points. Therefore in some cases it is advisable, even with a good hand, to _propose_, for the simple reason that, should the dealer refuse, you score two points for three tricks, and four for five tricks, although you may only wish to change a single card in order to hazard the dealer's refusal, or to make the _vole_ if the proposal be accepted.

The important business of discarding being concluded, the non-dealer leads off the game by playing any card he likes, his adversary playing a higher card, if he can, of the same suit, thus taking the trick. Should he have no higher card, he may take the trick with a trump, or pass it, as he feels inclined.

The holder of the king of trumps scores one point; but it is the rule that before it is played it shall be declared by the owner, who must say, as he puts it on the table, "I have the king." Needless to say, no one announces the possession of the king until the first card has been played. The elder hand may announce _after_ he has played, so that in its strictness the above rule applies only to the opponent; still, should the elder hand's king be covered by the card of his adversary, _before he has declared_, he cannot that time score the king. As in other games, the trump always wins the trick. The winner of one trick also leads on for the next, and thus the playing proceeds until all five tricks are won.

* * * * *

LOO.

This is a splendid round game, in which almost any number of players may take part, though, perhaps, to play the game well with real comfort, the number should not exceed eight or nine.

No great skill is required by the players, indeed success depends so much upon chance, that perhaps the fact of this being so accounts for all the fun and excitement that are usually extracted from the game.

There are two kinds of Loo, viz., Limited and Unlimited. The former being the most popular, it shall receive our first attention.

LIMITED LOO.

This is played with a full pack of fifty-two cards, of which the ace is highest, then king, queen, knave, &c., as in Whist. The person to whom the deal falls must place three counters into the pool. The other players each put in a certain number of counters agreed upon, a number that should properly be divisible by three.

The cards having been shuffled and cut, the dealer proceeds to give three cards to each player, one at a time, beginning with the player on his left. In addition to this, he also deals an extra hand, which is called a dumby, or miss, and is placed in the middle of the table.

After this the card next turned up is the trump. Before looking at his own cards, the dealer asks each player, beginning at the elder hand, and going round to the left, what he intends to do in that round--play his own hand, take the dumby, or throw up his hand.

Should the elder hand decline dumby, the next player has the choice, and so on; but whoever takes it must play it; no one may retract after having declared his intention.

When all have declared their intentions (dealer included), the elder hand of the players left who have not thrown up their hands plays his highest trump, or, if he have no trumps, his highest card, each succeeding player heading the trick. The winner of the trick leads next by playing his highest trump, and in this way the game goes on until all the three tricks are taken.

The pool is then divided into three equal parts, and a part given to the winner of each trick; therefore, any player that should have taken three tricks would be entitled to the whole pool. Those who are unfortunate enough to take no trick at all are _looed_, and their share is deposited by the dealer towards the next pool.

When only two players stand, the last before the dealer is bound to play either his own hand or _dumby_, and the game is re-commenced.

Sometimes no trump is turned up; the elder hand then plays his highest card, the next follows suit, if he can, and so on. If all have not been able to follow suit, the dealer turns up the top card of what is left of the pack, and the highest card of that suit which has been played wins the trick. If all players _have_ followed suit, the dealer waits for an opportunity, when all have _not_ followed suit, to turn up the trump card. When no trumps have been played, the highest card of the suit led wins the trick.

UNLIMITED LOO.

The method adopted in playing Unlimited Loo is much the same as that already described above, excepting that the pool is not divided among the players. Still, a player must take all three tricks to win the pool. Therefore, when the tricks are won, should they have been taken by one person, the pool is his; but if the tricks are divided, the pool is left untouched, and is added on to the next pool. The players also who are looed have to pay double the price of the deal into the pool.

Thus the game goes on, until some one winning three tricks takes the pool. The next hand then becomes _Bold Stand_, and is dealt and played as first described.

The technical terms used in Loo which must be understood are as follows:--

_Bold Stand._--To have a bold stand is a method of playing the game in which it is a rule that whenever there is only the deal to be played for every person is obliged to stand in order to make a loo for the next hand. As often as this happens it is a bold stand.

_Dumby._--The spare hand, which must be dealt in the regular order of the other hands, either first or last but one, and not according to the dealer's whim.

_Force._--The same as Bold Stand.

_Heading the Trick._--Playing a better card of the suit led, or not having any of the suit, trumping it.

_Loo._--The Loo is the sum put up by any one that is looed, and is either limited or unlimited; when unlimited, a person is looed for the whole amount of the pool; if limited, he is looed for no more than a certain sum, previously agreed upon, generally the price of the deal; but he is never looed for more than the pool.

_Looed._--A person playing is looed when he does not take a trick or when he breaks any laws of the game.

_Miss._--The same as _Dumby_.

_Mis-deal_ is when the dealer gives any of the party more or less than three cards, or deals too many or too few hands, or deals out of regular order, or shows a card in dealing.

_Paying for the deal._--At each new deal the dealer puts into the pool three counters, and this is called the price of the deal.

_Pool._--The pool consists of the counters which are paid for the deals and of the sums forfeited by those who were looed the preceding hand.

_Revoke._--When a person who can follow suit does not do so.

* * * * *

CASSINO.

In order to understand the simple but highly amusing game of Cassino it is absolutely necessary that a thorough knowledge of the technical terms used should be first acquired.

We will, therefore, give a list of them before describing the method of playing the game.

_Great Cassino._--The ten of diamonds reckons for two points.

_Little Cassino._--The two of spades for one point.

_The Cards._--When you have a greater number than your adversary, three points.

_The Spades._--When you have the majority of the suit, one point.

_The Aces._--Each of which reckons for one point.

_The Sweep._--Matching all the cards on the board.

_Building up._--Suppose the dealer's four cards in hand to be a seven, ten, and two aces; his adversary plays a six--the dealer puts an ace upon it, and says, "Seven," with a view of taking them with his seven; the non-dealer throws a two upon them, and says, "Nine," hoping to take them with a nine then in his hand; the dealer again puts upon the heap his other ace, and cries "Ten," when, if his adversary has ten, he plays some other card, and the dealer takes them all with his ten. It will be observed that a player in announcing the denomination of a build always employs the singular number. Thus--"Nine" or "Ten," not "Nines" or "Tens." This is called Building up.

_Build from the Table._--Employing cards on the table to continue a build.

_Call._--Suppose a player to have in his hand two or more cards of the same denomination, and one or more cards of the same denomination remain upon the board, he may play one of them on the table, at the same time calling the denomination, and his opponent is thereby debarred from taking it with a card of any other denomination. In calling the denomination, the plural is always used. Thus--"Fours," not "Four." This is termed _calling_.

_Build._--A card already built up.

_False Build._--A build made without any card in hand to redeem it.

_Combine._--To play a card which will take two or more cards of a different denomination whose aggregate number of pips or spots exactly equals those of the card played. Thus: a ten will take a seven, two, and ace, the combined spots on those cards being precisely ten.

_Last Cards._--Those cards remaining on the board after the last trick is taken, all of which go to the winner of the last trick.

_Eldest Hand._--The player sitting at the left hand of the dealer, so called because he is the first to play.

_Mis-deal._--An error in giving out the cards, the penalty for which is the forfeiture of the game and all depending upon it.

LAWS OF CASSINO.

1. The pack must consist of fifty-two cards.

2. The dealer deals four cards, one after another, to each player, beginning at the elder hand, after which he deals four cards into the centre of the table, face upwards. He then gives each player four more cards, putting no more, however, into the centre of the table.

3. In case of a mis-deal, the dealer forfeits his deal.

4. Any number up to twelve may play, though four is the preferable number.

The game consists of eleven points, and the player who first attains this number wins the game.

The score is counted in the following manner:--

The owner of Great Cassino scores 2 points. " Little " " 1 " For every ace 1 " For majority of spades 1 " " cards 3 " A clear board reckons 1 "

The player who takes the last trick wins the game.

The following is the method of playing:--

Four cards are dealt to each player, and four more are turned face upwards in the middle of the table. The elder hand then looks at his cards to see if he can build, combine, or match any of his own cards with those turned up on the table.

He may have a _seven and three_, _a five and five_, _a nine and one_, or these combinations may be on the table. Royal cards can only be matched by one of their own kind.

If the elder hand can do nothing, he throws down a card on the table, face upwards, with the other four. The second player then tries what he can do; though it must not be forgotten that such cards as are taken must be kept by themselves and not played with again. Thus the game goes on until all the cards are finished, when the dealer gives four cards more to each player, but none in the centre.

In case of a clear board, should the player next to the person who has made the clear board not have any cards to take, he must throw one down. At the end of the game, the cards that each player has taken are counted up, and the points made accordingly.

After the last trick has been taken there are sure to be some cards left on the board, and these go to the winner of the last trick. It should always be the object of the player to secure as many spades as possible. For instance--if he has a nine of hearts and a king of spades in his hand, and there is a nine and a _king_ on the board, he should take the king in preference to the _nine_, as it will secure him a spade. It is well, however, to get as many cards as possible. Supposing a player to have in his hand a nine and a king, and there is a six and three and king on the board, he would do wisely to take the six and three, as, that will help to a majority in cards.

* * * * *

PUT.

In one respect the game we are about to describe differs from any other card game, and that is in the order in which the cards rank.

Three is the best card, then two, and next the ace, king, and all the rest in succession; four, of course, being the lowest.

Dr. Johnson, in a letter he wrote to his friend Boswell, says:--

"I play at Put, sir, as I indulge in other amusements commonly pursued in society, rather that I may study the real tempers and dispositions of mankind than from any overweening love of personal gain, or any violent desire to take advantage of the ignorance or weakness of my adversaries; for I hold it an indisputable truth that the characters of men and women are more fully and completely discerned at the card-table than in the Senate, the fashionable assembly, or the privacies of domestic life."

Put is played with a full pack of fifty-two cards, and generally by two persons, though frequently three and often four people join in it. The object of the game is to score five points, the player who succeeds first in doing this being winner. After cutting for deal, the player who had the lowest card gives three cards, one at a time, to both or all players, beginning at the non-dealer.

When this is done, if the non-dealer throws up his hand he loses a point; if he plays, and the dealer does not lay down another card to it, he gains one point; but if the dealer either win the same, pass it, or put down one of equal value, making what is termed a tie, the non-dealer is still at liberty to _put_ (or play), and his adversary only scores one point.

Such being the state of things, should both players agree to go on, the one who gains all the three tricks, or two out of the three, scores five points, which make game. If both players get a trick, and the third is a tie, neither player scores.

_Four-handed Put_ differs from two-handed in one point--that is, two of the players give each his best card to his partner, who lays out one of his. The game is played as in Two-handed Put.

* * * * *

MATRIMONY.

The simple, amusing game of Matrimony is one that always keeps up its popularity as a pleasant round game. Any number of players may join in it from five upwards, but the greatest success generally attends it when there are many players rather than few.

The five chances of which the game consists have to be marked on a board or a sheet of paper. The lowest card cut has the deal. The first business is to determine what stakes shall be made. For this purpose counters are mostly used, after which the dealer places on each or any chance the sum he intends to venture. The other players then all do the same, though their stakes must all be one counter at least less than the dealer's. If the dealer, therefore, should stake nine, they may not place more than eight counters on the chance.

Having arrived so far in the proceedings, the dealer, beginning with the player on his left, gives two cards, face downwards, to each player; then, beginning again on his left, he gives a third card to each player, face upwards. If the ace of diamonds, which is the best card, be turned up, the possessor of it gains a clear board; but if the same card be merely held in the hand, its value is no greater than that of any other ace. Should the ace of diamonds not be turned up at all, then the king, queen, or next highest card in that suit wins the best chance.

BEST. The ace of diamonds turned up. +-----------------------------------+ | | CONFEDERACY. | | MATRIMONY King and | | King and Queen. Knave. | | | | +-----------------------------------+ PAIRS. The highest.

All hands are now turned up, the holders of intrigue, matrimony, &c., taking the stakes placed on these points.