Each player having discarded and drawn, the elder hand proceeds to announce any counting combinations he holds, which he must declare in regular order, beginning with the point. In announcing the point, the suit is not mentioned, only its value. The sequences are defined by the number of cards and the highest; “sixième to the King,” for instance. The fours and trios are defined in the same way; “four Kings,” or “three Jacks.” To each of these declarations, as they are made in regular order, the dealer must reply: “_=Good=_,” “_=Equal=_,” or, “_=Not good=_.” If the point is admitted to be good, the holder scores it; not by putting it down on the score sheet, but simply by beginning his count with the number of points it is worth. If the point is equal, neither player scores it, and secondary points have no value under any circumstances. If the point declared by the elder hand is not good, it is not necessary for the dealer to say how much better his point is; that will come later. To each of the other declarations replies are made in the same manner, except that fours and trios cannot be “equal.” As each combination is admitted to be good, the elder hand adds it to his count.
Moor (_Suffolk Words_) alludes to the game, and Holloway (_Dictionary of Provincialisms_) says in West Sussex boys play with the heads of rib grass a similar game. Whichever loses the head first is conquered. It is called Fighting-cocks. Cock-fight This is a boys game. Two boys fold their arms, and then, hopping on one leg, butt each other with their shoulders till one lets down his leg. Any number of couples can join in this game.--Nairn (Rev. W. Gregor). Cock-haw See Cob-nut.
To lose every trick; the single player’s cards exposed on the table, but not liable to be called; _=Grand Spread=_. 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=_.
That was a curve. Isn t that an even worse breaking of vows? I said. I mean, if in God s sight you re still married to Billy Joe? Would be, she conceded from the black, now right next to me. But He told me that the man I should seek _would be_ Billy Joe--hit s a miracle worked for me. Her voice lowered. A miracle that come to pass tonight, my darlin Billy. A shiver ran its fingers up my spine. She meant every word of it. I _was_ her darlin Billy. * * * * * I wasn t in any mood to get married, and least of all to a seeress.
=_ The expert may finesse much more freely than the beginner. Having led from such a suit as K J x x and partner having won with Ace and returned a small card, the Jack may be finessed with strong trumps. If the adversaries lead trumps, and the Ace wins the first round, a player holding the King second hand on the return, may finesse by holding it up, trusting his partner for the trick. In all cases that mark the best of the suit against a player, and on his left, he may finesse against the third best being there also. For instance: A player leads from K 10 x x x. Third Hand plays Queen and returns a small card. The Ten should be finessed, regardless of trump strength, as the Ace must be on the left, and the finesse is against the Jack being there also. Many varieties of this finesse occur. _=Placing the Lead.=_ This is usually a feature of the end-game A player may have an established suit, his adversary being the only person with any small cards of it.
PLAYER WINS. DEALER WINS. 2 [Illustration: 🃗 🃘 🂷 🂸 🂹] 47,768 18,012 3 [Illustration: 🂷 🂸 🂮 🂧 🃇] 46,039 19,741 4 [Illustration: 🂧 🂨 🃇 🃗 🃞] 43,764 22,016 5 [Illustration: 🃇 🃈 🃘 🃗 🂾] 45,374 20,406 6 [Illustration: 🃗 🃘 🃈 🃉 🂭] 44,169 21,611 7 [Illustration: 🂷 🂸 🃙 🃚 🃋] 43,478 22,302 8 [Illustration: 🂧 🂨 🂺 🂱 🃑] 44,243 21,537 9 [Illustration: 🃇 🃈 🂡 🂫 🂸] 44,766 21,014 10 [Illustration: 🃗 🃘 🂾 🂫 🃇] 44,459 21,321 11 [Illustration: 🂷 🂸 🂮 🃁 🃙] 44,034 21,746 12 [Illustration: 🂧 🂨 🃎 🃚 🂺] 43,434 22,346 13 [Illustration: 🃇 🃈 🂨 🂽 🃞] 44,766 21,014 14 [Illustration: 🃗 🃘 🃁 🂭 🂻] 46,779 19,001 15 [Illustration: 🂷 🂸 🃛 🃋 🂫] 45,929 19,851 The player should always stand on a hand containing three trumps, not including the King, and should lead the trump:-- 16 [Illustration: 🂷 🂸 🂹 🂧 🃇] 42,014 to 23,766 An example of a hand containing only one trump has already been given, and some hands are jeux de règle which contain no trumps. The strongest of these is the King of each plain suit, and any queen. Lead the K Q suit:-- 17 [Illustration: 🃞 🃗 🂾 🂭 🂮] 48,042 to 17,738 The odds in favour of this hand are greater than in any other jeux de règle. Another which is recommended by Bohn is this, the odds in favour of which have not been calculated; the player to begin with the guarded King:-- 18 [Illustration: 🃞 🃗 🃍 🃇 🂮] Another is any four court cards, not all Jacks; unless one is the trump Jack guarded. From the example the Queen should be led:-- 19 [Illustration: 🂫 🂧 🂻 🃛 🃝] There are two hands which are usually played with only one trump, from both of which the best card of the long suit is led:-- 20 [Illustration: 🂷 🂧 🂨 🂨 🂮] 21 [Illustration: 🃗 🃇 🃈 🃍 🂮] _=THE LEADER.=_ There are a great many more opportunities to make the vole than most players are aware of; especially with jeux de règle. Where the vole is improbable or impossible, tenace is very important, and all tenace positions should be made the most of. In No.
You shall have it in half-an-hour. While the tinder-box is being looked for she runs off with Tuesday. Then the pot boils over, and the same dialogue is repeated. The Mother comes and finds Tuesday gone. This is repeated for all the seven children in turn, different articles, gridiron, poker, &c, being borrowed each time. Finally, the eldest daughter is taken off too. There is no one now to watch the pot, so it boils over, and makes so much noise that the Mother hears it and comes to see why it is. Finding her eldest daughter gone too, she goes after her children to the Witch s house. A dialogue ensues between the Witch and the Mother. The Mother asks-- Is this the way to the Witch s house? There s a red bull that way! I ll go this way.
_=CARDS.=_ Bézique is played with two packs of thirty-two cards each, all below the Seven being deleted, and the two packs being then shuffled together and used as one. It is better to have both packs of the same colour and pattern, but it is not absolutely necessary. The cards rank, A 10 K Q J 9 8 7; the Ace being the highest, both in cutting and in play. [Illustration: PULL-UP BÉZIQUE MARKER.] _=COUNTERS.=_ Special markers are made for scoring at Bézique; but the score may easily be kept by means of counters. Each player should be provided with four white, four blue, and one red, together with some special marker, such as a copper cent or a button. The button stands for 500 points, each blue counter for 100, the red for 50, and the white ones for 10 each. At the beginning of the game the counters are placed on the left of the player, and are passed from left to right as the points accrue, exchanging smaller denominations for higher when necessary.
4. The penalty for a revoke is the transfer of two tricks from the revoking side to their adversaries. If more than one revoke during the play of a deal is made by one side, the penalty for each revoke, after the first, is the transfer of one trick only. The revoking players cannot score more, nor their adversaries less than the average on the deal in which the revoke occurs; except that in no case shall the infliction of the revoke penalty deprive the revoking players of any tricks won by them before their first revoke occurs. In Pair Matches the score shall be recorded as made, independently of the revoke penalty, which shall be separately indicated as plus or minus revoke (“-R” for the revoking side, and “+R” for their adversaries). In such matches, the penalty for a revoke shall not increase the score of the opponents of the revoking players above the maximum, as made at the other tables, on the deal in which the revoke occurs; provided, however, that if the opponents win more tricks than such maximum, independently of the revoke penalty, their score shall stand as made. Nor shall the score of the revoking players be reduced, by the infliction of the revoke penalty, below the minimum so made at the other tables until the averages for the match and the relative scores of the other players have been determined; the score of the revoking players shall then, if necessary, be further reduced, so that in all cases they shall suffer the full penalty as provided in the first paragraph of this section. SEC. 5. A revoke cannot be claimed if the claimant or his partner has played to the following deal, or if both have left the table at which the revoke occurred.
Mollish s Land. Monday, Tuesday. 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.
If he has made as many as he bid, he scores it; but he cannot score more than he bid unless he succeeds in winning every trick. In that case he scores 250 if his bid was less than 250; but if his bid was more than 250, he gets nothing extra for winning every trick. Any player but the bidder winning a trick scores ten points for it, so it is necessary for each player to keep separate the tricks he individually wins. If the bidder fails, he loses, or is set back, as many points as he bid, and he scores nothing for the tricks he takes, but he may play the hand out to prevent the others from scoring, as his adversaries still get ten points for each trick they win. Five hundred points is game, and as the bidder has the first count he may go out first, even if an adversary has won tricks enough to reach 500 also. EUCHRE LAWS. _=1.=_ _=SCORING.=_ A game consists of five points. If the players making the trump win all five tricks, they count _=two=_ points towards game; if they win three or four tricks, they count _=one=_ point; if they fail to win three tricks, their adversaries count _=two=_ points.
2nd. Leading from the longest suit, in order that higher cards may be forced out of the way of smaller ones, leaving the smaller ones “established,” or good for tricks after the adverse trumps are exhausted. This is called the _=long-suit game=_. 3rd. Trumping good cards played by the adversaries. This is called _=ruffing=_. When two partners each trump a different suit, it is called a _=cross-ruff=_, or _=saw=_. 4th. Taking advantage of the _=tenace=_ possibilities of the hand by placing the lead with a certain player; or by avoiding the necessity of leading away from tenace suits. For example: A player holds A Q 10 of a suit, his right hand adversary holding K J 9.
In some places the game is said in a sing-song manner. Some of the versions differ from the general type in two ways--first, in the method of playing; secondly, in the wording of the verses. The differences in the method of playing direct attention to the connection of the game with ancient custom. The game is always played by the players taking sides; but one method is for one side to consist of only two children (Mother and Jenny Jones), and the other side to consist of all the other players; while the other method is for the players to be divided into two sides of about equal numbers, each side advancing and retiring in line when singing their part. Jenny Jones in some cases walks with the girls in her line until the funeral, when she is carried to the grave, and in others she stands alone behind the line. The way of performing the funeral also differs. Generally two of the players carry Jenny to the grave, the rest following two by two; but in one Hampshire version six or eight children carry Jenny, stretched out and flat, to the grave, and cover her over; in Holywood, co. Down, she is carried sitting on the crossed hands of two players; while in some versions no funeral is apparently performed, the words only being sung. Another significant incident is the Ghost. An additional incident occurs in the Liphook version, which represents her being swung to life again by two of the players.
_=Playing On.=_ In this you play to give your adversary a count, hoping to make a better yourself. It is always advantageous to play one of a pair, and to begin with one end of a sequence. If he pairs your first card, you can reply with a pair royal. If he plays to make a sequence, you can sometimes hold him off until you get the score, and he will be unable to continue the run without passing 31. Play one of two cards that form a five, such as 3 and 2; 4 and A. If he plays a tenth card to it, you can peg fifteen. In playing on, you should make all the sequences possible, taking chances of your adversary’s being able to continue the run. If you think he is leading you on, you must be guided by the state of the score as to how much you can risk. Toward the end, you must reckon pretty closely how many points you can afford to risk your adversary’s making without putting him out.
All cards matching the hand cards must be placed with them. TABLE GAMES. The common form of folding chess-board provides a field for three of our best known games; Chess, Checkers, and Backgammon, which are generally spoken of as “table games,” although, strictly speaking, Backgammon is the only game of Tables. These three games were probably played long before history noticed them, and they have survived almost all ancient forms of amusement. _=Chess=_ is not only the most important of the three, but the most widely known, and possesses the most extensive literature. According to Chatto, it is probable that all games of cards owe their origin to chess, cards themselves having been derived from an old Indian variation of chess, known as the Four Kings. Chess is also the most fascinating of the table games, its charm being probably due to the fact that, like whist, it is a game that no man ever mastered. Whether or not this is in its favour is an open question. The amount of study and practice required to make a person proficient in chess brings a serious drain upon the time, and the fascinations of the game are such that once a person has become thoroughly interested in it, everything else is laid aside, and it is notorious that no man distinguished as a chess-player has ever been good for anything else. Mr.
_=The Dealer=_ has the next best position to the age, and in large parties there is very little difference in the way in which the two positions should be played. The _=first bettor=_ has the worst position at the table and he should seldom come in on less than Queens. He should seldom raise the ante, even with two pairs, as he will only drive others out. In this position very little can be made out of good hands, because every one expects to find them there; but it offers many excellent opportunities for successful bluffing. A player in this position should never straddle. Many players endeavour to force their luck in this way, but it is a losing game, and the best players seldom or never straddle. Having to make the first bet after the draw, it is usual for the player in this position, if he has an average hand, to _=chip along=_, by simply betting a single counter, and waiting for developments. With a strong hand, it is best to bet its full value at once, on the chance that the bet may be taken for a bluff, and called. _=Other Positions.=_ As the positions go round the table from the first bettor to the age, they become more desirable, and little need be said of them beyond the consideration of the average strength necessary for a player to _=go in=_ on.
| -- | -- | -- | |10.| -- | -- | -- | |11.| -- | -- | -- | |12.|One and a hush, two |One of you rush, two | -- | | |and a rush. |may rush. | | |13.| -- | -- |Give a silver pin for | | | | |a golden ring. | |14.|Please, young lady, |Please, old woman man,|Pray, young lady, pop | | |come under my bush. |creep under the bush.
The game was originally ten points up, and the cards were dealt one at a time. According to the descriptions in some of the older Hoyles, the honours and Tens of the plain suits did not count towards game; but this is evidently an error, for we find in the same editions the advice to trump or win the adversary’s best cards in plain suits. This would obviously be a mere waste of trumps if these plain-suit cards did not count for anything. All Fours seems to have been popular with all classes of society at one time or another. Cotton’s “Compleat Gamester” gives it among the principal games in his day, 1674. Daines Barrington, writing a hundred years later, speaks of All Fours in connection with Whist. “Whist,” he says, “seems never to have been played on principles until about fifty years ago; before that time [1735] it was confined chiefly to the servants’ hall, with All Fours and Put.” Another writer tells us that Ombre was the favourite game of the ladies, and Piquet of the gentlemen _par excellence_; clergymen and country squires preferring Whist, “while the lower orders shuffled away at All Fours, Put, Cribbage, and Lanterloo.” In 1754 a pamphlet was published containing: “Serious Reflections on the dangerous tendency of the common practice of Card-playing; especially the game of All Four.” For many years All Fours was looked upon as the American gambler’s game _par excellence_, and it is still the great standby of our coloured brother; who would sooner swallow a Jack than have it caught.
You re all too old and ugly, my dilcy dulcy officer; You re all too old and ugly, my dilcy dulcy dee. Thrice too good for you, sir, my dilcy dulcy officer; Thrice too good for you, sir, my dilcy dulcy dee. This couple got married, we wish them good joy, Every year a girl and a boy, And if that does not do, a hundred and two, We hope the couple will kiss together. --Annaverna, co. Louth (Miss R. Stephen). (_b_) One child stands in the middle, the others dance round singing. The one in the middle chooses another before the four last lines are sung. Then the rest dance round singing these lines, and kiss each other. (_c_) It is evident that these words comprise two distinct games, which have become mixed in some inexplicable fashion.
Patterson. DUBLIN-- Dublin Mrs. Lincoln. LOUTH-- Annaverna, Ravendale Miss R. Stephen. QUEEN S COUNTY-- Portarlington { G. H. Kinahan (_Folk-lore Journal_, { vol. ii.) WATERFORD-- Lismore Miss Keane.
They are called checkstones, and the game is played thus. You throw down the cubes all at once, then toss the ball, and during its being in the air gather up one stone in your right hand and catch the descending ball in the same. Put down the stone and repeat the operation, gathering two stones, then three, then four, till at last you have summed up all the five at once, and have succeeded in catching the ball. In case of failure you have to begin all over again. (_b_) In Nashe s _Lenten Stuff_ (1599) occurs the following: Yet towards cock-crowing she caught a little slumber, and then she dreamed that Leander and she were playing at checkstone with pearls in the bottom of the sea. A game played by children with round small pebbles (Halliwell s _Dictionary_). It is also mentioned in the early play of _Apollo Shroving_, 1627, p. 49. See Chucks, Fivestones. Cherry Odds A game of Pitch and Toss played with cherry-stones (Elworthy s _West Somerset Words_).
For instance: A K Q of trumps should certainly be good for eight points; some players habitually bid twelve on them, reckoning to catch both Pedroes and one of the minor points. This is risky unless there are one or two small trumps with the A K Q. On the other hand, two Pedroes, with Jack and Low, are not worth bidding more than five on; because it is very unlikely that you will save more than one of the Pedroes, if that. The very fact that you bid five diminishes your chances, for you betray the fact that your only hope is to save a well-guarded Pedro. Long experience with players who bid their hands correctly will give a player a very good idea of what the bidder has in his hand. To the partner this is a great point, for it enables him to judge when to give up points himself, and when to play for his partner to throw them to him. The number of cards asked for by each player should be very carefully noted; for it will frequently happen that the entire trump suit can be located by this means. It is useless to keep anything but trumps, for tricks, as such, have no value, and every card you draw increases your chances of getting another trump. The most important point in the game is to _=cinch=_ every trick in which an adversary plays after you; that is, to play some trump higher than a Pedro, if the Pedroes have not been played, and you do not hold them yourself. Examples of cinching will be found in the Illustrative Hands.
When it is discovered that a player has not followed suit when able, or has lost a trick that he could have won, the cards are taken back, and the hand played over again, with the foregoing penalty for the renounce. The highest card played, if of the suit led, wins the trick, and trumps win all other suits. _=Leading Out of Turn.=_ Should a player lead out of turn, he may take back the card without penalty. If the adversary has played to the erroneous lead, the trick stands good. _=Gathering Tricks.=_ The tricks must be turned down as taken in, and any player looking at a trick once turned and quitted may be called upon to play with the remainder of his hand exposed, but not liable to be called. _=Abandoned Hands.=_ If, after taking one or more tricks, a player throws his cards upon the table, he loses the point; if he has not taken a trick, he loses two points. But if the cards are thrown down claiming the point or the game, and the claim is good, there is no penalty.
| |22.|Pins and needles they | -- |Pins and needles rust | | |will break. | |and bend. | |23.| -- | -- | -- | |24.| -- | -- | -- | |25.| -- | -- | -- | |26.| -- | -- | -- | |27.| -- | -- | -- | |28.| -- | -- |Here s a prisoner I | | | | |have got.