In the fraction of a second between the telepaths awareness of a hostile something out in the black, hollow nothingness of space and the impact of a ferocious, ruinous psychic blow against all living things within the ship, the telepaths had sensed entities something like the Dragons of ancient human lore, beasts more clever than beasts, demons more tangible than demons, hungry vortices of aliveness and hate compounded by unknown means out of the thin tenuous matter between the stars. It took a surviving ship to bring back the news--a ship in which, by sheer chance, a telepath had a light beam ready, turning it out at the innocent dust so that, within the panorama of his mind, the Dragon dissolved into nothing at all and the other passengers, themselves non-telepathic, went about their way not realizing that their own immediate deaths had been averted. From then on, it was easy--almost. * * * * * Planoforming ships always carried telepaths. Telepaths had their sensitiveness enlarged to an immense range by the pin-sets, which were telepathic amplifiers adapted to the mammal mind. The pin-sets in turn were electronically geared into small dirigible light bombs. Light did it. Light broke up the Dragons, allowed the ships to reform three-dimensionally, skip, skip, skip, as they moved from star to star. The odds suddenly moved down from a hundred to one against mankind to sixty to forty in mankind s favor. This was not enough.
As the pool will contain thirteen counters to a certainty, he can afford to bid in proportion to his chances of winning it for the privilege of making clubs the suit to be avoided, instead of hearts. It might be assumed, if the odds were 10 to 1 that the player would get clear if the suit were clubs, that therefore he could afford to bid ten times the amount of the pool, or 130, for his chance. Theoretically this is correct, but if he should lose one such pool, he would have to win ten others to get back his bid alone, to say nothing of the amounts he would lose by paying his share in pools won by others. Let us suppose him to win his share, one-fourth of all the pools. While he is winning the ten pools necessary to repair his single loss, he has to stand his share of the losses in the thirty others, which would average about 128 counters. This must show us that even if a player has a 10 to 1 chance in his favour, he must calculate not only on losing that chance once in eleven times, but must make provision for the amounts he will lose in other pools. Experience shows that a bid of 25 would be about the amount a good player would make on such a hand as we are considering, if the pool were not a Jack, and he had first say. The next player, Y, now examines his hand. Let us suppose that he finds ♡ 6 4 3; ♣ A K 10; ♢ 8 7 5 3; ♠ 6 5 4. If the first bidder is offering on clubs, it is evident that he will lead them, as the successful bidder has the original lead in Auction Hearts; and it is equally evident that if he does so, a player with A K 10 will have to pay for most of the pool.
What have this poor prisoner done, Prisoner done, prisoner done, What have this poor prisoner done? My fair lady. Stole my watch and lost my key, Lost my key, lost my key, Stole my watch and lost my key, My fair lady. Off to prison you must go, You must go, you must go, Off to prison you must go, My fair lady. --Liphook, Hants (Miss Fowler). IV. Where are these great baa-lambs going, Baa-lambs going, baa-lambs going, Where are these great baa-lambs going? My fair lady. We are going to London Bridge, London Bridge, London Bridge, We are going to London Bridge, My fair lady. London Bridge is broken down, Broken down, broken down, London Bridge is broken down, My fair lady. [Then verses follow, sung in the same way and with the same refrain, beginning with--] Mend it up with penny loaves. Penny loaves will wash away.
If the cards have been mixed, the claim may be urged and proved, if possible; but no proof is necessary and the revoke is established, if, after it has been claimed, the accused player or his partner mixes the cards before they have been examined to the satisfaction of the adversaries. 33. The revoke can be claimed at any time before the cards have been presented and cut for the following deal, but not thereafter. MISCELLANEOUS. 34. Any one, during the play of a trick and before the cards have been touched for the purpose of gathering them together, may demand that the players draw their cards. 35. If any one, prior to his partner playing, calls attention in any manner to the trick or to the score, the adversary last to play to the trick may require the offender’s partner to play his highest or lowest of the suit led or, if he has none, to trump or not to trump the trick. 36. If any player says “I can win the rest,” “The rest are ours,” “We have the game,” or words to that effect, his partner’s cards must be laid upon the table and are liable to be called.
=_ 27-32 8 11 32-27 11 7 27-23 7 10 22-26 A 10 6 26-31 6 9 31-26 9 6 26-22 6 10 23-18 10 6 18-14 6 1 22-18 1 6 18-15 6 1 15-10 1 5 10- 6 5 1 14-13 1 5 6- 1 5 9 1- 5 9 13 10-14 13 9 14-18 9 6 18-15 30 25 15-18 6 10 5- 1 25 21 1- 5 10 6 18-15 21 17 5- 1 6 9 15-18 17 13 18-15 9 14 1- 5 14 17 15-10 17 22 10-14 22 25 5- 1 25 22 1- 6 22 25 6-10 25 22 10-15 22 25 15-18 25 21 B wins ------ Var A. 30 25 23-18 10 6 18-14 6 1 26-30 25 21 30-25 1 5 25-22 5 1 22-18 1 5 18-15 5 1 15-10 1 5 10- 6 5 1 14-10 1 5 6- 1 5 9 10-15 B 9 5 15-18 5 9 1- 5 9 6 18-15 21 17 5- 1 6 9 15-18 9 5 18-22 17 14 1- 6 5 1 6- 2 1 5 22-17 14 9 B wins ------ Var B. 9 14 1- 5 21 17 5- 1 17 13 1- 5 14 17 15-10 B wins _=Second Position.=_ 1- 5 8 11 5- 9 11 15 9-14 15 11 14-18 11 16 18-15 16 20 15-11 20 24 3- 7 24 19 7-10 19 23 10-15 23 27 15-19 27 32 19-24 32 28 24-27 28 32 27-31 32 28 31-27 28 32 27-23 32 28 23-18 28 24 18-14 24 19 6-10 19 23 10-15 23 27 15-19 27 32 19-24 32 28 24-27 28 24 27-32 24 28 32-27 28 32 27-24 32 28 24-19 28 32 19-15 32 28 15-10 28 24 10- 6 24 19 14-10 19 24 10-15 24 28 15-19 28 32 19-24 32 28 11-16 28 19 16-23 12 8 23-18 8 4 18-14 4 8 6- 1 8 11 14- 9 13 6 1-10 11 16 10-15 16 20 15-19 B wins _=Third Position.=_ White to move 18 15 A 6- 1 14 9 24-28 23 19 1- 5 9 6 B 28-32 19 24 5- 1 24 19 W wins ----- Var A. 24-28 23 27 6- 1 14 10 28-32 27 24 1- 5 10 6 W wins ------ Var B. 5- 1 6 10 W wins ------ Black to move 6- 1 18 15 C 1- 6 14 10 6- 9 23 19 24-27 15 18 D 27-32 19 24 9- 5 10 14 32-28 24 27 W wins ------ Var C. 1- 5 14 10 24-28 23 19 28-32 15 18 32-27 10 6 27-32 19 23 5- 1 6 9 W wins ------ Var D. 9- 5 10 6 27-32 19 23 5- 1 6 9 32-28 23 27 W wins _=Fourth Position.=_ Black to play 28-24 32 28 24-20 28 32 22-18 31 27 23-19 27 31 19-24 32 27 24-28 27 32 18-22 31 27 22-26 30 23 28-24 B wins ----- White to play 31 27 23-19 27 31 19-24 32 27 24-20 27 32 22-18 31 27 28-24 27 31 18-23 31 26 Drawn _=Traps.
The first line sings the first, third, and fifth verses, and the opposite line the second and fourth. At the end of the fifth verse a handkerchief or other mark is laid on the ground, and the two children (whose names have been mentioned, and who are as evenly matched as possible), take each other s right hand and endeavour to pull each other over the handkerchief to their own side (fig. 2). The child who is pulled over the handkerchief becomes the captured nut, and joins the side of her capturers. Then the game begins again by the second line singing the first, third, and fifth verses, while advancing to gather or capture the nuts, the first line responding with the second and fourth verses, and the same finish as before. Then the first line begins the game, and so on until all the children are in this way matched one against the other. (_c_) Other versions have been sent me, with slight variations: NUTS IN MAY, with the verses ending, On a fine summer morning, from Lincoln and Nottinghamshire (Miss M. Peacock); So early in the morning, Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews); Six o clock in the morning, Nottingham (Miss Wenfield); On a cold and frosty morning, East Kirkby, Lincolnshire (Miss K. Maughan); Barnes (A. B.
Conquerors. Contrary, Rules of. Cop-halfpenny. Corsicrown. Cots and Twisses. Course o Park. Crab-sowl. Crates. Cricket. Crooky.
Sixty-one points is game. _=IRREGULARITIES IN PLAY.=_ The most serious error in Seven-up is the _=revoke=_. If a player does not follow suit when able, it is a revoke unless he trumps the trick. A player holding two small trumps and the Ten of a plain suit, may trump both the ace and King of that suit instead of giving up his Ten. But if on the third round the Queen is led, and he cannot trump it, he must play his Ten if he has no other card of the suit. The only points affected by the revoke are Jack and Game. _=If the Jack is not in play=_, there is only one point that can be affected by the revoke, the score for Game; and the revoke penalty is one point, which the adversary may add to his own score, or deduct from the score of the revoking player. The adversary may also score the point for Game if he makes it; but it cannot be scored by the revoking player; who may mark only High or Low if he holds either or both of those points. _=If the Jack is in play=_, two points may be affected by a revoke.
A full pack of fifty-two cards is used and each player has three markers. The dealer gives one card to each, face down. This card is examined and if it is not satisfactory it is passed to the player on the left, the object being to avoid holding the lowest card at the table. If the player on the left holds any card but a king, he is obliged to exchange. If the one who is forced to exchange gives an ace or a deuce, he announces it; but the player who demands the exchange is not allowed to say what he gives, as the card may be passed on. Each player in turn to the left may exchange, or he may pass, which means that he is satisfied with his card. When it comes round to the dealer, he cannot exchange; but he may cut the pack and take the top card. All the cards are then turned face up, and the lowest shown loses a counter. The deal passes to the left. When all the players but one have lost all their markers, the survivor takes the pool.
The man whose face or manner betrays the nature of his hand, or the effect of an opponent’s bet or raise, will find everyone to beat his weak hands, and no one to call his strong ones. Unless he is a fair judge of human nature he will never be able to estimate the strength or peculiarities of the players to whom he is opposed, and will fail to distinguish a bluff from an ambuscade. Without courage he cannot reap the full benefit of his good hands; and without patience he cannot save his money in the time of adversity. Of one thing every player may rest assured, and that is that Poker cannot be played by mathematical formulas. Beyond the most elementary calculations of the chances in favour of certain events the theory of probabilities is of no assistance. It is not necessary to call in a mathematician to prove that a player who habitually discards a pair of aces to draw to three cards of a suit will lose by the operation in the long run. Nor will any amount of calculation convince some players that they are wasting their money to stay in a jack pot in order to draw to a pair of tens, although such is the fact. The various positions occupied by the player at the poker table may be briefly examined, and some general suggestions offered for his guidance in each of them. In the first place he should look out for his counters. It is always best for each player to place the amount of his ante or his bet immediately in front of him, so that there need be no dispute as to who is up, or who is shy.
Hardy). (_b_) A ring is formed by the players joining hands; one child, who is blindfolded and holds a stick, stands in the centre. The ring dance round, singing the verse. They then stand still, and the centre child holds out the stick and touches one of the ring. This player must take hold of the stick. Then the Muffin Man asks this player any questions he pleases, Is the morn shining? Is ink white? &c. The child who holds the stick answers Yes or No in a disguised voice, and the Muffin Man then guesses who it is. He is allowed three tries. If he guesses right he joins the ring, and the child who was touched takes his place in the centre. In the Yorkshire versions no questions are asked; the blindfolded child goes to any one he can touch, and tries to guess his or her name.
A MISDEAL. 43. A misdeal loses the deal. 44. It is a misdeal-- I. Unless the cards are dealt into four packets, one at a time in regular rotation, beginning with the player to the dealer’s left. II. Should the dealer place the last (_i.e._, the trump) card, face downwards, on his own, or any other pack.
Three forfeitures in succession loses the game for the player making them. _=5.=_ Should the player pocket, by the same stroke, more balls than he calls, he is entitled to the balls he pockets, provided he pockets the called ball. _=6.=_ A forfeiture of three points is deducted from the player’s score for making a miss; pocketing his own ball; forcing his own ball off the table; failing to make the opening stroke, as provided in Rule 2; failing either to make an object-ball strike a cushion or go into a pocket, as provided in Rule 4; striking his own ball twice; playing out of his turn, if detected doing so before he has made more than one counting stroke. _=7.=_ A ball whose centre is on the string line must be regarded as within the line. _=8.=_ If the player pocket one or more of the object-balls, and his own ball goes into a pocket, or off the table from the stroke, he cannot score for the numbered balls, which must be placed on the spot known as the deep-red spot, or if it be occupied as nearly below it as possible on a line with that spot. AMERICAN PYRAMID POOL.
Common. Conkers. Conquerors. Contrary, Rules of. Cop-halfpenny. Corsicrown. Cots and Twisses. Course o Park. Crab-sowl. Crates.
The _=players=_ are designated by the colour of the men with which they play, Black or White, and White always has the first move. In a series of games each player alternately takes the white men with the first move. It is usual to draw for the first game, one player concealing in each hand a pawn of a different colour, and offering the choice of hands to his adversary. Whichever colour the chosen hand contains is the one the chooser must take for the first game. The duplicate pieces of each colour are distinguished by their position with regard to the King or Queen; those on the King’s side being called the King’s Bishop, the King’s Knight, and the King’s Rook. Those on the Queen’s side are the Queen’s Bishop, Queen’s Knight, and Queen’s Rook. The pawns are designated by the pieces in front of which they stand; King’s Pawn; Queen’s Knight’s Pawn, etc. The comparative _=value of the pieces=_ changes a little in the course of play, the Rooks especially not being so valuable early in the game. Authorities differ a little as to the exact value of the pieces, but if we take the Pawn as a unit, the fighting value of the others will be about as follows:-- A Knight is worth 3½ Pawns. A Bishop is worth 5¼ Pawns.
At the beginning of the game each player should be provided with an equal number, the general proportion being 20 white, 18 red, and 8 blue for each. Some one player should be selected to act as the banker, selling and redeeming all counters. _=STAKES.=_ The stakes in Boston depend upon the value of the counters. One cent for a white counter is considered a pretty stiff game; because it is quite possible for a single player to win or lose a thousand white counters on one hand, and the payments very seldom fall short of fifty. _=THE POOL.=_ In addition to the counters won and lost on each hand, it is usual for the players to make up a pool at the beginning of the game by each of them depositing one red counter in a small tray provided for the purpose. This pool may be increased from time to time by penalties; such as one red counter for a misdeal; four for a revoke, or for not having the proper number of cards, etc. The whole amount in the pool may be won or lost by the players, according to their success or failure in certain undertakings, which will presently be described. When empty, the pool is replenished by contributions from each player, as at first.
Gregor. BANFFSHIRE-- Duthil, Keith, Strathspey Rev. W. Gregor. ELGIN-- Fochabers Rev. W. Gregor. KIRKCUDBRIGHT-- Auchencairn Prof. A. C.
If, by reason of two or more arriving at the same time, more than four assemble, the preference among the last comers is determined by cutting, a lower cut giving the preference over all cutting higher. A complete table consists of six; the four having the preference play. Partners are determined by cutting; the highest two play against the lowest two; the lowest deals and has the choice of seats and cards. In _=Boston=_ and in _=Solo Whist=_, a table is complete with four players. In cutting for positions at the table, the lowest has the choice of seats and cards, and the two highest sit opposite each other. 3. If two players cut intermediate cards of equal value, they cut again; the lower of the new cut plays with the original lowest. 4. If three players cut cards of equal value, they cut again. If the fourth has cut the highest card, the two lowest of the new cut are partners, and the lowest deals.
Should the paper go into London, the player is entitled to make a head in every space, or to add another mark to those already there.--Westminster (A. B. Gomme). This game resembles one described by F. H. Low in _Strand Mag._, ii. 516. London Bridge [Music] --Wrotham, Kent (Miss D.
He is paid eight counters for fredon, and two for the prime, if it is smaller than 8’s; but he claims grand prime if he has four 9’s, or four 10’S, and gets eleven counters. In case of _=ties=_ which cannot be decided by the pip values, the elder hand wins. Even if a player has lost his entire stake in the pool, he must pay the various combinations shown, and it is usual to reserve about ten counters for this purpose. _=Betting the Hands.=_ After the last cards have been drawn, the players proceed to bet upon their hands precisely as at Poker. If a player makes a bet or raise which no one will call, he takes the pool, and then shows his hand and demands payment for the combination he holds. It is very unusual for a player to stifle a hand at Ambigu, as he would at Bouillotte. If a call is made, the players in the call show and compare their cards, and the best hand wins the pool. Only the player who wins the pool can demand payment for combinations held. TEXT-BOOKS ON POKER.
If the players are unsuccessful in guessing the name, the writer takes the number to his own score and writes another. The game is won when one player gains a certain number of marks previously decided upon as game. --Barnes (A. B. Gomme). Bittle-battle The Sussex game of Stoolball. There is a tradition that this game was originally played by the milkmaids with their milking-stools, which they used for bats; but this word makes it more probable that the stool was the wicket, and that it was defended with the bittle, which would be called the bittle-bat.--Parish s _Sussex Dialect_. See Stoolball. Bitty-base Bishop Kennet (in _MS.
Pink? Pink is for the babies, babies, babies, Pink is for the babies, and that won t do. White? White is for a wedding, a wedding, a wedding, White is for a wedding, and that won t do. Black? Black is for the mourners, mourners, mourners, Black is for the mourners, and that will do. Poor Jenny Jones is dead, dead, dead, Poor Jenny Jones is dead, and lies in her grave. --Southampton (from nursemaid of Mrs. W. R. Carse). VIII. We ve come to see Jenny Jones, Jenny Jones, Jenny Jones, We ve come to see Jenny Jones, is she at home? Jenny Jones is scrubbing, scrubbing, scrubbing, Jenny Jones is scrubbing, you can t see her now.
Shepherds boys and other clowns play it on the green turf, or on the bare ground; cutting or scratching the lines, on the one or the other. In either case it is soon filled up with mud in wet weather. In towns, porters and other labourers play it, at their leisure hours, on the flat pavement, tracing the figure with chalk. It is also a domestic game; and the figure is to be found on the back of some draught-boards. But to compare _morris_ with that game, or with chess, seems absurd; as it has a very distant resemblance, if any at all, to either, in the lines, or in the rules of playing. On the ground, the men are pebbles, broken tiles, shells, or potsherds; on a table, the same as are used at draughts or backgammon. In Nares it is said to be the same as nine-holes. With us it is certainly different. Cope (_Hampshire Glossary_) says that Nine Men s Morrice is a game played with counters. He does not describe it further.
When the pool is divided, it sometimes happens that a player is not allowed to withdraw his share. In such cases the red counters representing it should be changed for their value in white ones, so that the forfeited share may be divided in three parts. The difference between _=Limited Loo=_, and _=Unlimited Loo=_, is in the amounts paid into the pool. In Limited Loo the penalty is always three or six red counters. In Unlimited Loo, it is the same for irregularities, and for infraction of the rules; but any player failing in his undertaking must put up for the next pool an amount equal to that in the current pool. When two or more fail on successive deals the pool increases with surprising rapidity. A player at twenty-five cent Loo has been known to lose $320 in three consecutive deals. _=DEALING.=_ The pack having been properly shuffled and cut, the dealer gives three cards to each player, one at a time in rotation, beginning on his left. The first deal, and every deal in which the pool contains only the three red counters put up by the dealer, is known as a _=simple=_, and no trump card is turned up until one or two tricks have been played to.
This would be an argument for the Scottish home of the rhymes, and for the direct borrowing of the name from Scotland by the English villagers. In furtherance of this view the following passage from Chambers may be quoted:-- In the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, Janet Jo is a dramatic entertainment amongst young rustics. Suppose a party has met in a harvest or winter evening round a good peat fire, and it is resolved to have Janet Jo performed. Two undertake to personate a goodman and a goodwife; the rest a family of marriageable daughters. One of the lads, the best singer of the party, retires, and equips himself in a dress proper for representing an old bachelor in search of a wife. He comes in, bonnet in hand, bowing, and sings-- Guid e en to ye, maidens a , Maidens a , maidens a , Guid e en to ye, maidens a , Be ye or no. I m come to court Janet jo, Janet jo, Janet jo, I m come to court Janet jo, Janet, my jo. Goodwife sings--What ll ye gie for Janet jo, Janet jo, Janet jo? What ll ye gie for Janet jo, Janet, my jo? Wooer--I ll gie ye a peck o siller, A peck o siller, peck o siller, I ll gie ye a peck o siller, For Janet, my jo. Goodwife says--Gae awa , ye auld carle! Then sings--Ye se never get Janet jo, Janet jo, Janet jo, Ye se never get Janet jo, Janet, my jo. The wooer hereupon retires, singing a verse expressive of mortification, but soon re-enters with a reassured air, singing-- I ll gie ye a peck o gowd, A peck o gowd, a peck o gowd, I ll gie ye a peck o gowd, For Janet, my jo.
In West Somerset the pursuing boys after starting were in the habit of crying out the word Brewerre or Brewarre; noise appearing to be quite as essential to the game as speed.--_Somerset and Dorset Notes and Queries_, i. 186 (1888). Another correspondent to the same periodical (i. 204) says that an almost identical game was played at the King s School, Sherborne, some fifty years ago. It was called King-sealing, and the pursuing boy was obliged by the rules to retain his hold of the boy seized until he had uttered-- One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. You are one of the king-sealer s men. If the latter succeeded in breaking away before the couplet was finished, the capture was incomplete. The second game described is almost identical with King Cæsar, played at Barnes. About twenty years ago the game was common in some parts of Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, where it was sometimes called Chevy Chase.
=_ The number of players, their arrangement at the table, etc., is precisely the same as at Boston. _=CUTTING.=_ Instead of cutting for the first deal, any one of the players takes a pack of cards, and gives thirteen to each player in succession, face up. The player to whom he gives the diamond Jack deals the first hand, and has the choice of seats and cards. The others sit as they please. _=DEALING.=_ The cards are shuffled before every deal. The player on the left of the dealer cuts, and cards are given first to the player on the dealer’s right, dealing from right to left. The cards may be dealt one at a time, or three at a time, or four at a time, always dealing the last round singly, and turning up the last card.
Find the Ring. Fippeny Morrell. Fire, Air, and Water. Fivestones. Flowers. Follow my Gable. Follow my Leader. Fool, Fool, come to School. Foot and Over. Football.
King and Rook against King and Bishop. King and Rook against King and Knight. King and Rook against King, Rook and Bishop. The following games can be _=won=_:-- King and Queen, or King and Rook, against a King. King and Queen against King and Rook. King and Queen against King and Bishop. King and Queen against King and Knight. King and Queen against King and Pawn. King and two Rooks against King and Rook. King and two Bishops against a King.