_=Forcing.=_ We have already observed that a player who is weak himself should not force his partner. An exception may be made in cases where he has shown weakness, or has had a chance to lead trumps and has not done so. On the contrary, an adversary should not be forced unless he has shown strength, or the player forcing him is weak. The hope of a player with a good suit is to defend it by leading and exhausting the trumps. His adversary tries to keep his trumps in order to stop that suit; at the same time forcing the strong hand, by leading cards which he must trump, hoping that such a force may so weaken him that he will be unable to continue the trump lead. It is usually very difficult to convince the beginner that the weaker he is himself, the more reason he has for forcing the adversaries to trump his good cards. He is constantly falling into the error of changing from a good suit, which the adversaries cannot stop without trumping, to a weak suit, which allows them to get into the lead without any waste of trump strength. If an adversary refuses to trump a suit, it is imperative to keep on with it until he does; for it is always good play to force an adversary to do what he does not wish to do. Any person may convince himself of the soundness of this theory of forcing, by giving himself the six highest cards in any suit, three small cards in the others, and four trumps; giving another player the four best trumps, and nine of the highest cards in two suits.
Three of these movements bring about the original position. Each player’s score is kept individually, and when one of the three has won two games, the scores are added up and balanced, after giving the winner 100 rubber points. Each then pays the difference to the others. Suppose the winner to be A, with 320; B having 80 and C 64. A wins 240 from B and 256 from C; while B wins 16 from C. _=BRIDGE FOR TWO.=_ Sometimes called “_=Chinese Bridge=_.” The dealer gives his adversary four cards face down, and then deals four to himself, also face down. He then distributes the remainder of the pack by dealing to his adversary and himself alternately, one card at a time, keeping them separate from the first four. Without lifting or looking at any of these twenty-two cards, each player places eleven of them in two rows, face down, and then the other eleven on the top of the first, but face up.
The editors of Jamieson append a lengthy note connecting the name of this game with the northern belief that the wicked were condemned to suffer eternal punishment in Hecla, the volcanic mountain in Iceland. See Namers and Guessers. Hen and Chicken Chickery, chickery, cranny crow, I went to the well to wash my toe, When I got back a chicken was dead. This verse is said by the Hen to her Chickens, after which they all go with the Hen to search for the dead Chicken. On their way they meet the Fox. The following dialogue between the Fox and Hen ensues, the Hen beginning:-- What are you doing? Picking up sticks. What for? To make a fire. What s the fire for? To boil some water. What s the water for? To boil some chickens in. Where do you get them from? Out of your flock.
Suppose a player to lead two winning cards in one suit, and then the Eight of another, which the Second Hand wins with the Ten; The four honours in the second suit must be between the Second and Fourth Hands. Having won the first or second round of the adverse suit, and having no good suit of his own, the Second or Fourth Hand may be able to infer a good suit with his partner, by the play. For instance: A player opens Clubs, showing five, his partner wins second round, and opens the Diamond suit with the Jack, on which Second Hand plays Ace, his partner dropping the 9. Having now the lead, and no good suit, it is evident that the play should be continued on the assumption that partner is all Spades and trumps. * * * * * _=THE AMERICAN GAME.=_ Since the revolt against the invariable opening from the longest suit, which was the style of game advocated by the old school of Pole and “Cavendish,” many systems have been tried out by the various clubs that meet at our national tournaments. E.C. Howell was the first to attempt to set the short-suit game in order, but his methods have long since been superseded by more elastic tactics. The fundamental principle of the short-suit game, as first explained to the world by the New York _Sun_, is to use the original or opening lead to indicate the general character of the hand rather than any details of the individual suit.
If he throws a six on either die, he passes a counter to his left-hand neighbour, who will have the next throw. Two sixes passes both counters if the caster still has so many. The players throw in turn until all the counters but one have been placed in the pot. If a player has no counters, the throw passes him to the next player on his left who has counters in front of him. The last counter of all cannot be put in the pot by throwing an ace; but it must be passed along to the left when a six is thrown. The player with the last counter in front of him must throw both dice three times in succession, and if he succeeds in avoiding a six, he keeps the counter and wins the pool. If he throws a six, the player who gets the counter must throw three times, and so on, until some one throws three times without getting a six. Instead of a pool, it is sometimes agreed that the final holder of the last counter shall pay for the refreshments. MULTIPLICATION. Any number can play, and three dice are used.
Any number of red balls may be taken in one stroke; but, if a pool ball is taken in conjunction with a red ball, the stroke is foul. After pocketing a red ball only the pool ball aimed at may be taken. 10. A red ball once off the table shall not be brought into play again under any circumstances; but all pool balls pocketed shall be respotted in their original positions (save that the pink ball shall be placed on the pyramid spot), until Rule 7, as to playing upon the pool balls in rotation, comes into force. When the pool balls are being played upon in rotation, they shall not be respotted after being pocketed in proper order and according to rule. 11. No ball shall, under any circumstances, be taken up. 12. Should the spot allotted to any pool ball be occupied when it becomes necessary to respot it, it shall be placed upon the _nearest unoccupied spot_, and, failing that, as near as possible to its proper spot in the direction of the centre spot. If the middle spot of the baulk line is occupied, the brown ball after being pocketed shall, if possible, be placed on the left-hand spot of the baulk line, and, failing that, the rule as above applies.
LOO, OR DIVISION LOO. This was at one time the most popular of all round games at cards; but its cousin Napoleon seems to have usurped its place in England, while Poker has eclipsed it in America. There are several varieties of the game, but the most common form is Three-card Limited Loo, which will be first described. _=CARDS.=_ Loo is played with a full pack of fifty-two cards, which rank, A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2; the ace being the highest. _=COUNTERS.=_ Loo being a pool game, counters are necessary. They should be of two colours, white and red, one red banker, to sell and redeem all counters. Each player should begin with 18 red and 6 white, which is equal to 20 reds. _=PLAYERS.
If some players have a card more than others, it does not matter. The eldest hand lays upon the table any card he pleases, and each player in turn pairs or matches it, if he can, with another of the same denomination, accompanying the action with a rhyme. Suppose the first card played is a King; the person playing it would say: “There’s as good as King can be.” The first player to lay down another King would say: “There is one as good as he.” The player holding the third King would say: “There’s the best of all the three,” and the holder of the fourth would then triumphantly exclaim: “And there’s the Earl of Coventry.” The fortunate holder of the Earl of Coventry in each round has the privilege of leading a card for the next trick, and the first player to get rid of all his cards wins one counter from the others for every card they hold. The words, “Snip, Snap, Snorem,” may be substituted for the foregoing rhymes if time is short. _=Jig=_ is a variation of Earl of Coventry in which the next higher in sequence and suit must be played, if the player has it, until four cards are shown. The one who lays down the last of the sequence of four cards starts a fresh sequence, and the winner is the one who can first get rid of all the cards originally dealt him. All the others then pay him a counter for each card they have left.
If the Tenter can catch him he becomes Tenter, and puts his stone on the Duckstone, and the original Tenter takes his turn in throwing. One rule of the game is that the Tenter s stone must always be on the Duck-table when he is trying to catch a boy, so if it is knocked off it must be replaced before he can try to catch the boy running home. The chance of getting home is increased for the boy who knocks it off.--North-West Lincolnshire (Rev. ---- Roberts and Miss Peacock). (_b_) Similar versions are from Earls Heaton (Herbert Hardy), Ireland (_Folk-lore Journal_, ii. 265), Peacock (_Mauley and Corringham Glossary_). Addy (_Sheffield Glossary_) gives this game with the following addition: If a duck falls short of the Duckstone, and the one whose duck is on the stone sees that he can _wand_ or _span_ with his hand the distance between the duck thus thrown and the Duckstone, he shouts out Wands, and if he can wand or span the distance he takes his duck off, and the duck thus thrown is put on. Holland (_Cheshire Glossary_), Darlington (South Cheshire), Baker (_Northants Glossary_), and Brogden (_Provincial Words, Lincolnshire_), also give this game. Elworthy (_West Somerset Words_) calls it Duck, and Ducks off and Cobbs off in Dorsetshire.
Moolie Pudding. More Sacks to the Mill. Mother, may I go out to Play? Mother Mop. Mother, Mother, the Pot boils over. Mount the Tin. Mouse and the Cobbler. Muffin Man. Mulberry Bush. Munshets. Musical Chairs.
_=METHODS OF CHEATING.=_ There being no shuffling at Boston, and each player having the right to cut the pack, the greek must be very skilful who can secure himself any advantage by having the last cut, unless he has the courage to use wedges. But Boston is usually played for such high stakes that it naturally attracts those possessing a high degree of skill, and the system adopted is usually that of counting down. The greek will watch for a hand in which there is little changing of suits, and will note the manner of taking up the cards. The next hand does not interest him, as he is busy studying the location of the cards in the still pack. When this comes into play on the next deal, he will follow every cut, and finally cut for himself so that the desired distribution of the suits shall come about. Even if he fails to secure an invincible hand for bidding on himself, he knows so nearly the contents of the other hands that he can bid them up, and afterwards play against them to great advantage. It is unnecessary to say that if a greek can mark the cards, the game becomes a walkover, even if he can recollect only the hand on his left. _=SUGGESTIONS FOR GOOD PLAY.=_ Boston so closely resembles Solo Whist in such matters as bidding, and playing single-handed against three others, that the reader may be referred to that game for the outlines of the principles that should guide him in estimating the probable value of his hand, playing for tricks or for misères, and combining forces with his partners for the purpose of defeating the single player.
--A. B. Gomme. Marbles Brand considers that marbles had their origin in bowls, and received their name from the substance of which the bowls were formerly made. Strutt (_Sports_, p. 384) says, Marbles have been used as a substitute for bowls. I believe originally nuts, round stones, or any other small things that could easily be bowled along were used as marbles. Rogers notices Marbles in his _Pleasures of Memory_, l. 137:-- On yon gray stone that fronts the chancel-door, Worn smooth by busy feet, now seen no more, Each eve we shot the marble through the ring. Different kinds of marbles are alleys, barios, poppo, stonies.
All but the first two on the list treat of the old game, bidding by suits, and making no mention of Guckis; but some of them, especially Buhle’s, contain some very fine examples of good play. The first two on the list and the last two are in English. All the others are in German. AMERICAN SKAT. In this variation, now so largely played, the highest bidder always sees the skat before announcing his game. Although a gucki, it need not be a grand, but may be solo or nullo if he likes. If he wins the game he announces the scores as usual; but if he loses he always loses double. He may announce schneider or schwarz after discarding for the skat. If he makes an announced schneider, it doubles the value of his game, instead of simply adding a multiplier. An announced schwarz trebles it.
The winner of the rubber scores 100 points extra. _=MISERY BRIDGE.=_ This is a game for two players, who sit opposite each other. Four hands of thirteen cards each are dealt, the dealer beginning on his left. Before declaring, the dealer may discard any number of cards from one to four, laying them on the table at his left, but face up, where they so remain during the play of the hand. In place of this discard, the dealer takes an equal number of cards from the top of the hand on his left. These are not shown to the adversary. Having discarded and drawn, the dealer declares. There is no doubling; but the dealer himself may undertake to win at least eight of the thirteen tricks, and if he announces “eight tricks,” he can score them at double value if he succeeds. If he fails to get the full eight, his adversary scores ten points penalty, the dealer scoring nothing at all.
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The Mistress says softly-- She shall ramble, she shall trot, She shall carry the mustard pot. --_Dorset County Chronicle_, April 1889; _Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 228. III. Here comes an old woman from Baby-land, With all her children in her hand. Pray take one of my children in. [Spoken] What can your children do? [Sung] One can bake, one can brew, And one can bake a lily-white cake. One can sit in the parlour and sing, And this one can do everything. --Tong, Shropshire (Miss R. Harley).