Unless the player in error correct himself at once, and make it five clubs, either adversary may demand that it be five clubs, and the partner of the corrected player cannot bid unless this five-club bid is over-called or doubled. A player correcting himself must stick to the suit named, not being allowed to say four diamonds when he sees that four clubs is not enough. If an insufficient declaration is passed or over-called by the player on the left, it is too late to demand any penalty, and the insufficient bid stands as regular. Suppose A bids three royals and Y says four clubs, B and Z passing. A can repeat his bid of three royals if he likes, as that is enough to over-call four clubs. If a player makes an impossible declaration, such as calling six diamonds over five no trumps, when it is clearly impossible to make any diamond declaration worth 50, either adversary may demand a new deal, or may insist that the last bid made by his own side, five no trumps, shall be the winning declaration, or he may force the player in error to declare a grand slam in diamonds and play it, his partner being forbidden to take him out. _=METHOD OF PLAYING.=_ The winning declaration settled, whether doubled or not, the player on the left of the declarer leads for the first trick, and dummy’s cards go down, the declarer playing the combined hands. The declarer gathers the tricks for his side, but either adversary may gather for the other. The first six tricks taken by the declarer make a book, and all over the book count toward his contract.
This consists in playing always the _=second-best=_ of the suit, when no attempt is made to win the trick. Suppose the leader begins with the King. Third hand holds 10 8 7 4, and plays the 8. This marks him with only one card higher than the 8, and is a great exposer of false cards played by the declarer. On the second round, the rule is, always to keep the lowest card of the suit until the last. If third hand held four originally, 10 8 7 4, his play to the second round is the 7, keeping the 4. If he held 10 8 7 only, his play to the second round would be the 10, keeping the 7. This makes it clear to the leader how many and what he holds. _=High Cards Third Hand.=_ When the third hand tries to win his partner’s lead, he does so as cheaply as possible.
If the player on the right takes it, the player on the left may ask for a card also; but whether he does so or not, the banker is not obliged to draw unless he chooses, after the first card offered has been taken by either player. When the card is taken it is turned face up, and left on the table in front of the person to whom it belongs. Only one card may be drawn by any player, and all the hands are then exposed. Ties are a stand-off. The banker pays all bets on the side that is nearer 9 than himself, and wins all on the side which is not so near 9 as himself. The players on the opposite sides of the table have nothing to do with each other; each wins or loses with the banker alone. It should be observed that if a player had 4 originally, and draws a 9, his point is not 13, but 3, because all 10’s count for nothing. There is no such thing as being créve, as at Vingt-et-un. _=Irregularities.=_ If the banker gives two cards, face up, to the player on his right, the player may retain which he pleases, throwing the other into the waste basket.
That is to say, whatever happens the same dealer deals again. Minor irregularities will be found provided for in the laws. The cards being dealt, each player sorts his hand to see that he has the correct number, thirteen; and the player or players keeping the score should announce it at the beginning of each hand. _=STAKES.=_ In auction, the stake is a unit, so much a point. The number of points won or lost on the rubber may be only two or three, or they may run into the hundreds. The average value of a rubber at auction is about 400 points. Any much larger figure shows bad bidding. In straight bridge the average is about 180. In settling at the end of the rubber, it is usual for each losing player to pay his right-hand adversary.
_=Announcing Sixty-six.=_ If neither of the players has claimed to have reached 66 until after the last trick is played, both turn over their cards and count their points. If only one has reached 66, he counts one or two points, according to his adversary’s count. If neither has reached 66, which is possible if no marriages have been declared; or if both have 66 or more, and neither has claimed it, neither side scores, but the winner on the next deal adds one to whatever he may make. For instance: A and B are adversaries, and the last trick is played without either announcing that he is sixty-six. On counting, it is found that A has 48 points and a marriage, 68 altogether, while B has 72 points and the last trick, 82 altogether. Neither counts anything. On the next deal let us suppose that A makes 66 before B gets out of schneider, which will give A two points. To these he adds one for the tie on the last deal, and scores three altogether. _=Closing.
The oldest and most important of the group is whist itself. The game appears to be of English origin, its immediate parent being “ruff and honours.” This was an old English game in which twelve cards only were dealt to each player, the uppermost of the remaining four being turned up for the trump suit. Whoever held the ace of trumps could “ruff” or take in these four cards, discarding in their place any four he chose. As the game developed into whisk, or whist, this ruffing feature disappeared. There was no stock, the four deuces being discarded from the pack instead. Twelve cards were dealt to each player, and the last was turned up for the trump. About 1680 a variation of the game known as “swabbers” came into vogue. The swabbers were the heart ace, club jack, and the ace and deuce of trumps. The players to whom these cards were dealt were entitled to a certain share of the stakes or payments, independent of the play for tricks and honours.
K and Q against K and B, K and Kt, or K and P. This is easy enough for the Queen if the player is careful to avoid stale-mate. K and two R’s against K and R. This can be won easily by forcing an exchange of Rooks. K and two B’s against K. In this position the King must be ruled off into a corner by getting the Bishops together, protected by their King. Start with the men in the following position:-- Black K on his own square. White King on K B 6; white Bishops on K B 4 and K B 5. White to move and win. The mate can be accomplished in six moves, as follows:-- B-B7 B-Q7 K-Kt6 1 --------- 2 -------- 3 --------- K-B sq K-Kt sq K-B sq B-Q6 ch B-K6 ch B-K5 mate 4 --------- 5 -------- 6 --------- K-Kt sq K-R sq K, B and Kt against K.
The pone therefore shows his hand, which, combined with the starter, is as follows:-- [Illustration: 🂭 🃃 🂤 🃔 🃕 ] This is worth 10 holes; the run of three with one duplicate is always worth 8, and the fifteen formed by the starter and the Five counts 2 more. This puts the pone’s total score to 25 points. The dealer then counts, showing his hand first. This, with the starter, is as follows:-- [Illustration: 🂭 🂱 🂲 🃂 🃓 ] This is worth 14 holes. In addition to the run of three with one duplicate, three fifteens can be formed by combining the starter and a Three with each of the deuces, and then taking the starter and the Ace with both the deuces together. This puts the dealer’s total score to 24, with the crib still to count. This is as follows, with the starter:-- [Illustration: 🂭 🃛 🂫 🃚 🂡 ] This is worth 9 holes; 8 for the run of three with one duplicate, and 1 for his nobs. There are no fifteens, and the Ace is worthless. This puts the dealer three holes round the corner, and on the homestretch for the game hole. The deal now passes to the player that was the pone, and the next crib will belong to him.
The dealer has the privilege of shuffling last. 5. The dealer must present the pack to his right-hand adversary to be cut. Not less than four cards shall constitute a cut. 6. In case of any confusion or exposure of the cards in cutting, or in reuniting them after cutting, the pack must be shuffled and cut again. 7. If the dealer reshuffles the cards after they have been properly cut, or looks at the bottom card, he loses his deal. 8. After the cards have been cut, the dealer must distribute them one at a time to each player in rotation, beginning at his left, and continuing until the pack is exhausted; or in Two-Handed Hearts, until each player has thirteen.
=_ Shuffle and cut the pack, and deal the cards face upward into four heaps. You are not obliged to deal to each pile in succession, but may place the cards on any of the four piles, according to your judgment or pleasure. In dealing out in this manner it is not good policy to cover one card with a higher, unless you are compelled to do so. Every time you come to an ace, separate it from the others, placing it in a new row, as a foundation for an ascending sequence, which may be continued regardless of the suit of the cards used. The top cards of the four piles are used to build up the sequence. After an ace has appeared, the player may examine the cards in any or all of the piles, but their order must not be disturbed. The object in looking at the cards is to select the pile which is least likely to stop you, or the one having the fewest cards in it. _=TAKE FOURTEEN.=_ Shuffle and cut the pack, and deal the cards one at a time, face upward, into twelve piles, and continue dealing on the top of these twelve until the pack is exhausted. This will give you four piles which contain one card more than the others.
| | . | | . | | . | +---+-.-+---+-.-+---+-.-+---+-.-+ ] In Diagram No. 11, if you count up the men on either your own or your adversary’s system, you will find that the number is even, and as you have not the move you should force an exchange immediately, which will give it to you, and win the game. Every single exchange of man for man _=changes the move=_ when only one of the capturing pieces remains on the board, and the following rule is given for ascertaining how proposed exchanges in complicated positions will affect the move:--The capturing pieces of both black and white in both systems must first be added together, and if the number agrees--in the matter of being odd or even--with that of the number of captured pieces in each system, the move will not be changed; but if one number so found is odd, and the other is even, the move will be changed.
With A Q x, second or third hand, the Q must be finessed if the caller has counted on both A and Q for tricks. If he can probably win without the finesse, he should play Ace. If he has tricks enough to win without either A or Q, he should play neither of them. A solo player should be very sure of his call before finessing for over-tricks. _=Adversaries’ Play.=_ The player to the left of the caller should not lead trumps; but if the solo player has had a lead, and has not led trumps himself, the player on his right should take the first opportunity to lead them through him. The player to the left of the caller should not lead from suits headed only by the King; nor from those containing major or minor tenaces. The best leads are from suits headed by Q J or 10, even if short. With such high-card combinations as can be used to force the command in one round, such as K Q, or K Q J, the regular whist leads should be used. With suits headed by winning sequences, held by the player on the left, it is often right to lead them once, in order to show them, and then to lead a weaker suit to get rid of the lead.
This process is gone through again until the mistress has engaged all the children as her servants, when she is supposed to let them all out to play with the mustard pots, which are represented by sticks or stones, in their hands. The other versions are played as follows:--The children form a line, the one in the middle being the mother, or widow; they advance and retire, the mother alone singing the first verse. One child, who is standing alone on the opposite side, who has been addressed by the widow, then asks [not sings] the question. The mother, or widow, sings the reply, and points to one child when singing the last line, who thereupon crosses over to the other side, joining the one who is standing alone. This is continued till all have been selected. The Ballynascaw version (Miss Patterson) is played in a similar way. One child sits on a bank, and the others come up to her in a long line. The old woman says the first five lines. No question is asked by the lady, she simply takes one child. The old woman shakes hands with this child, and says good-bye to her.
The same thing may also apply to the word farewell, and hence the incongruity of the first few lines in nearly all versions. Jack s Alive. A number of people sit in a row, or on chairs round a parlour. A lighted wooden spill or taper is handed to the first, who says-- Jack s alive, and likely to live; If he dies in your hand you ve a forfeit to give. The one in whose hand the light expires has to pay a forfeit. As the spill is getting burnt out the lines are said very quickly, as everybody is anxious not to have to pay the forfeit.--Addy s _Sheffield Glossary_. At Egan, in Derbyshire, a number of persons sit round a fire; one of them lights a stick, twirls it round, and says-- Little Nanny Cockerthaw, What if I should let her fa ? The others reply-- Nine sticks and nine stones Shall be laid on thy bare back bones If thou shouldst let fa Little Nanny Cockerthaw. If the ember or lighted stick goes out whilst any one is twirling it round, and whilst the lines are being said, he has to lie on the floor, when stones, chairs, or other articles of furniture are piled upon him.--S.
REVISED TO NOVEMBER, 1913. _Reprinted and Copyrighted, 1913, by permission of The Whist Club of New York._ THE RUBBER. 1. The partners first winning two games win the rubber. When the first two games decide the rubber, a third is not played. SCORING. 2. Each side has a trick score and a score for all other counts, generally known as the honour score. In the trick score the only entries made are points for tricks won (see Law 3), which count both toward the game and in the total of the rubber.
See Dust-Point. Bob Cherry A children s game, consisting in jumping at cherries above their heads and trying to catch them with their mouths (Halliwell s _Dictionary_). It is alluded to in Herrick s _Hesperides_ as Chop Cherry. Major Lowsley describes the game as taking the end of a cherry-stalk between the teeth, and holding the head perfectly level, trying to get the cherry into the mouth without using the hands or moving the head (_Berkshire Glossary_). It is also mentioned in Peacock s _Manley and Corringham Glossary_. Strutt gives a curious illustration of the game in his _Sports and Pastimes_, which is here reproduced from the original MS. in the British Museum. [Illustration] The Staffordshire St. Clement Day custom (Poole s _Staffordshire Customs, &c._, p.
Two girls cross their arms behind their backs, and thus taking hold of each other s hands, parade along together, by daylight or moonlight, occasionally turning upon their arms, as indicated in the rhyme. Another rhyme for this amusement is-- A basket, a basket, a bonny penny basket, A penny to you, and a penny to me, Turn about the basket. --Chambers s _Popular Rhymes_; p. 123. See Basket. Jib-Job-Jeremiah An undescribed Suffolk game.--Moor s _Suffolk Words_, p. 238. Jiddy-cum-jiddy A northern name for See Saw. Jingle-the-bonnet A game in which two or more put a halfpenny each, or any piece of coin, into a cap or bonnet.
=_ The game is 1000 points, and is usually scored with counters, each player being provided with four white, worth 10 each; four blue, worth 100 each; one red, worth 50, and a copper cent or a button, which represents 500. These counters are placed on the left of the player at the beginning of the game, and are moved over to his right as the points accrue. The game is sometimes kept on a cribbage board, each player starting at 21, and going twice round to the game-hole, reckoning each peg as 10 points. _=STAKES.=_ Binocle is played for so much a game of 1000 points, and the moment either player either actually reaches or claims to have reached that number, the game is at an end. If his claim is correct, he wins; if it is not, his adversary takes the stakes, no matter what the score may be. _=PLAYERS.=_ Binocle is played by two persons, one of whom is known as the _=dealer=_, and the other as the _=pone=_. They cut for the choice of seats and deal, and the player cutting the higher card may deal or not, as he pleases. It is usual for the player having the choice to make his adversary deal.
--Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews). XVIII. How many miles to Babylon? Three score and ten. Can you get there by candle-light? O yes, and back again. --Hanbury, Staffordshire (Miss E. Hollis). XIX. Open the gates as wide as high, And let King George and I go by; It is so dark I cannot see To thread my grandmother s needle. --Surrey (_Folk-lore Record_, v. 88).
Gomme, { Mr. J. P. Emslie, Miss Dendy, Mr. London { J. T. Micklethwaite (_Archæological { Journal_, vol. xlix.), _Strand { Magazine_, vol. ii.
14. In cutting the ace is the lowest card; between cards of otherwise equal value the heart is the lowest, the diamond next, the club next, and spade the highest. 15. Every player must cut from the same pack. 16. Should a player expose more than one card, the highest is his cut. FORMING TABLES. 17. Those first in the room have the prior right to play. Candidates of equal standing decide their order by cutting; those who cut lowest play first.