You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. Title: The Game of Rat and Dragon Author: Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger Release date: August 5, 2009 [eBook #29614] Language: English Credits: Produced by Sankar Viswanathan, Adam Buchbinder, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net *** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GAME OF RAT AND DRAGON *** Produced by Sankar Viswanathan, Adam Buchbinder, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net Transcriber s Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction, October 1955. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.
If you want only one trick, play the Queen; but if you want two, play the small card. _=SECOND HAND PLAY.=_ The easiest position to play as second hand, is, of course, with the Dummy on your left, because Dummy’s cards will show what is best to be done. If a small card is led, you having King, put it on if Dummy has not the Ace; unless you want partner to get the lead. If Dummy has only two cards of the suit, neither of them the Ace, always play your King. When the declarer leads a suit it is often important to count how many he and your partner can possibly hold. For instance: You have four, K x x x; Dummy has four, A J 10 x, and declarer leads the Queen. It is useless to play your King; for either the Queen is a singleton, and the declarer cannot continue the suit, which will compel Dummy to lead it to you eventually; or, the third round will be trumped, perhaps by your partner. If you have only two small cards with the King, put it on the Queen. You cannot save it, but you may establish your partner’s 9.
To win Thirteen Tricks; _=Grand Slam=_. The object of the proposing player, if successful in his bid, is to win or lose the proposed number of tricks; while that of his three adversaries is to combine to prevent him from so doing. There are no honours, and the only factor in the count is the number of tricks taken. The highest card played of the suit led wins the trick; and trumps, if any, win against all other suits. _=METHOD OF BIDDING.=_ The eldest hand has the first say, and after examining his cards, and estimating the number of tricks he can probably take, making the trump to suit his hand, he bids accordingly. It is not necessary for him to state which suit he wishes to make the trump; but only the number of tricks he proposes to win. If he has no proposal to make, he says distinctly; “_=I pass=_,” and the other players in turn have an opportunity to bid. If any player makes a bid, such as six tricks, and any other player thinks he can make the same number of tricks with a trump of the same colour as the turn-up, that is, Second Preference, he over-calls the first bidder by saying “_=I keep=_;” or he may repeat the number bid, saying “_=Six here=_.” This is simply bidding to win the number of tricks _=in colour=_.
B. Gomme), Colchester (Miss G. M. Frances). NUTS AND MAY: On a bright and sunny morning (Mr. C. C. Bell); On a cold and frosty morning, Forest of Dean (Miss Matthews); Every night and morning, Gainford, Durham (Miss Edleston); We ve picked [Sally Gray] for nuts in May, All on a summer s morning, Sheffield (Mr. S. O.
If five were playing, a person following Proctor’s advice would have to blind 9 times, and ante in at least 12 jack pots in every 45 hands, to say nothing of fattening. This means an outlay of at least 75 counters. When the triplets come, will he get back 75 counters on them? He will probably win the blind, and one or two antes; but the moment he makes his own ante good, every player who cannot beat triplets, knowing his system, will lay down his hand. An extensive observation of the methods of the best players has led the author to the conclusion that the great secret of success in Poker, apart from natural aptitude for the game, and being a good actor, is to _=avoid calling=_. If you think you have the best hand, raise. If you think you have not the best, lay it down. Although you may sometimes lay down a better hand than the one that takes the pool, the system will prove of immense advantage to you in two ways: In the first place, you will find it a great educator of the judgment; and in the second place, it will take almost any opponent’s nerve. Once an adversary has learned your method, it is not a question of his betting a red chip on his hand; but of his willingness to stand a raise of two blues, which he will regard as inevitable if you come in against him at all. The fear of this raise will prompt many a player to lay down a moderately good hand without a bet; so that you have all the advantage of having made a strong bluff without having put up a chip. The system will also drive all but the most courageous to calling your hand on every occasion, being afraid of a further and inevitable raise; and it is an old saying that a good caller is a sure loser.
Jock and Jock s Man A juvenile sport in which the _bon camarada_ is to repeat all the pranks which the leader can perform.--Brockett s _North Country Words_. See Follow my Gable, Follow my Leader. Jockie Blind-man Scotch name for Blind Man s Buff. --Jamieson. See Blind Man s Buff. Joggle along I. Come all you young men In your youthful ways, And sow your wild oats In your youthful days. Then you ll be happy, Then you ll be happy, As you grow old. For the day s far spent, And the night s coming on, So give us your arm, and We ll joggle along.
O. Addy). V. Mother, come buy me two milking-pails, Two milking-pails, two milking-pails, Mother, come buy me two milking-pails, O sweet mother o mine. [Then verses beginning with the following lines--] Where shall I get my money from, O sweet daughter o mine? Sell my father s feather beds. Where shall your father sleep? Sleep in the servant s bed. Where shall the servant sleep? Sleep in the washing-tub. Where shall I wash the clothes? Wash them in the river. Suppose the clothes float away? Take a boat and go after them. Suppose the boat upsets? Then you will be drownded.
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A rapid estimate of the probable results of each line of play, a glance at the score, and his mind should be made up. Several examples of this foresight will be found in the example hands. Another point of difference is, that the declarer should play false cards whenever possible. He has not a partner who, if he plays the King, might jump to the conclusion that he can trump a suit, or has not the Queen. The more thoroughly the adversaries are confused, the greater the advantage to the declarer, especially in the end game. _=With a Trump.=_ When the winning declaration is a suit for trumps, the declarer’s first consideration upon getting into the lead must be whether or not to lead trumps. As a rule, the trumps should be led at once, so as to exhaust the adversaries; but there are exceptional cases, the principal ones being:-- Do not lead trumps from the strong trump hand if it would be to your advantage to put the other hand in the lead with a plain suit, so as to let the trump lead come from the weaker hand to the stronger, as when a finesse in trumps is desirable. Do not lead trumps if you have no good plain suit, and can make more tricks by playing for a cross-ruff. Do not lead trumps if the weaker hand can trump some of your losing cards first.