Some audacious gamblers make it a rule to get a starter by simply removing the top card and turning up the next one. It is needless to say that the second card has been carefully pre-arranged. Any person who fingers the pack longer than necessary in cutting starters, or who cuts sometimes by the edge and sometimes by the side, will bear watching. Marked cards and second dealing are great weapons in a game where so much depends on a knowledge of the adversary’s hand, and on securing good counting cards for yourself. _=SUGGESTIONS FOR GOOD PLAY.=_ In the six-card game the hand is more valuable than the crib, because you know what it contains, whereas the crib is largely speculative. In the five-card game, in which there are only three cards in the hand and four in the crib, it is usual to sacrifice the hand very largely for the possibilities of the crib, because of the much larger scores that can be made with five cards, the starter and four in the crib. _=Baulking.=_ In both games it is the duty of the pone to baulk the dealer’s crib as much as possible, by laying out cards which are very unlikely to be worth anything, either in making fifteens or in filling up sequences. Pairs it is impossible to provide against, and the chance of making a flush is remote, but should be avoided if there is any choice.
A would then gather up the first trick, announcing the total score for his side, which would be 22; 4 for the point, 14 Aces, 3 Kings, and 1 for the card led. He would then play another club, announcing 22. This his partner would win but would not count, as he is on the same side that has already counted for the lead. If the play is followed up it will be found that A-B make a capot. The adversaries will then score 15 for their three sequences of four, and one of three. No point of less than 30 can be announced. _=Pic and Repic.=_ If one player, or two partners together, reach 20 in counting, without playing, they count 90 for the repic. If they reach 20 in declarations and play together, they count 60 for the pic. Carte blanche in the hand of one or other partner may count toward pic or repic; and if two partners each held carte blanche, they would be entitled to 90 points for the repic, no matter what the adversaries held, because carte blanche takes precedence of all other scores.
_=MARKERS=_ suitable for scoring the various points made at Bridge have not yet been invented. Some persons use the bézique marker; but it is not a success. The score is usually kept on a sheet of paper, and it should be put down by each side, for purposes of verification. _=PLAYERS.=_ Auction is played by four persons, and the table is complete with that number. When there are more than four candidates for play, the selection of the four is made by cutting. These cut again for partners, and the choice of seats and cards. _=CUTTING.=_ The usual method of cutting for partners, etc., at auction, is to shuffle the cards thoroughly, and “spread” them face downwards on the table; each candidate drawing a card, and turning it face upwards in front of him.
W. H. Patterson (_Antrim and Down Glossary_) gives the rhyme as-- Nievy, navy, nick nack, Which han will ye tak , The right or the wrang? I ll beguile ye if I can. Chambers (_Popular Rhymes_, p. 117) gives the rhyme the same as that given by Mr. Patterson. In _Notes and Queries_, 6th Series, vii. 235, a North Yorkshire version is given as-- Nievie, nievie, nack, Whether hand wilta tak, Under or aboon, For a singal half-crown? Nievie, nievie, nick, nack, Whilk han will thou tak? Tak the richt or tak the wrang, I ll beguile thee if I can. Jamieson (_Supp., sub voce_) adds: The first part of the word seems to be from neive, the fist being employed in the game.
[17] 81. If any one, except dummy, omit playing to a trick, and such error be not corrected until he has played to the next, the adversaries or either of them may claim a new deal; should either decide that the deal stand, the surplus card (at the end of the hand) is considered played to the imperfect trick, but does not constitute a revoke therein.[18] 82. When any one, except dummy, plays two or more cards to the same trick and the mistake is not corrected, he is answerable for any consequent revokes he may make. When the error is detected during the play, the tricks may be counted face downward, to see if any contain more than four cards; should this be the case, the trick which contains a surplus card or cards may be examined and such card or cards restored to the original holder.[19] THE REVOKE.[20] 83. A revoke occurs when a player, other than dummy, holding one or more cards of the suit led, plays a card of a different suit. It becomes an established revoke when the trick in which it occurs is turned and quitted by the rightful winners (_i.e.
Green gravel, green gravel, The grass is so green, Such beautiful flowers As never were seen. O Annie [or any name], O Annie, Your sweetheart is dead! He has sent you a letter To turn back your head. --Earls Heaton, Yorkshire (H. Hardy). V. Green gravel, green gravel, The grass is so green, The fairest young damsels As ever were seen. O ----, O ----, your true love is dead; He sent you a letter To turn round your head. Green gravel, green gravel, The grass is so green, The dismalest damsels As ever were seen. O ----, O ----, your true love s not dead; He sends you a letter To turn back your head. --Lincoln, Winterton, and Wakefield (Miss Fowler and Miss Peacock).
Fortune telling, whether for the purpose of amusement or self-deception, has undoubtedly interested many persons in all stations of life ever since Eittella first explained the art, away back in the sixteenth century. The meanings attached to the cards individually, and the manner of their arrangement, is all that can be given in a work of this kind. The qualifications for success in foretelling the future do not depend so much on the cards as on good judgment of human nature, unlimited assurance, a glib tongue, and a certain amount of ingenuity in making a connected story out of the disjointed sentences formed by the chance arrangement of certain cards, to which an arbitrary or fanciful meaning is attached. Speculation is considered by some persons an excellent training school for the commercial instincts of the younger members of a family, teaching them to form correct estimates as to the value of certain articles offered for sale in a fluctuating market. Authors is a very good game for the family circle, and does not require special cards, the ordinary pack being easily adapted to the distinctions of the game. Patience, or Solitaire, has probably claimed the attention of every card-player at some time or other, and one cannot fail to be impressed by the number and ingenuity of the patience games which have been invented. One of the most expensive works on cards ever published is devoted exclusively to Solitaire. Among all these odd games one should be able to find something to amuse all sorts and conditions of card-players. The only apparatus required in any of them is a pack of cards and a few counters, and for the latter corn or coffee-beans will form an excellent substitute. SOLO.
Little Wars (A Game for Boys from twelve years of age to one hundred and fifty and for that more intelligent sort of girl who likes boys games and books) With an Appendix on Kriegspiel By H. G. Wells CONTENTS I. OF THE LEGENDARY PAST II. THE BEGINNINGS OF MODERN LITTLE WARFARE III. THE RULES-- The Country The Move Mobility of the Various Arms Hand-to-Hand Fighting and Capturing Varieties of the Battle-Game Composition of Forces Size of the Soldiers IV. THE BATTLE OF HOOK S FARM V. EXTENSIONS AND AMPLIFICATIONS OF LITTLE WAR VI. ENDING WITH A SORT OF CHALLENGE APPENDIX-- LITTLE WARS AND KRIEGSPIEL I OF THE LEGENDARY PAST LITTLE WARS is the game of kings--for players in an inferior social position. It can be played by boys of every age from twelve to one hundred and fifty--and even later if the limbs remain sufficiently supple--by girls of the better sort, and by a few rare and gifted women.
SPOT-GREEN ” SPOT-YELLOW. SPOT-BROWN ” SPOT-GREEN. SPOT-BLUE ” SPOT-BROWN, and WHITE ” SPOT-BLUE. _=1.=_ When coloured balls are used, the players must play progressively, as the colours are placed on the pool marking-board, the top colour being No. 1. _=2.=_ Each player has _three_ lives at starting. No. 1 places his ball on the “winning and losing” spot, No.
As it is impossible to have a blaze which does not contain two pairs of court cards, all that they beat is aces up or kings up. If it were ranked, like other poker hands, by the difficulty of getting it, a blaze should beat a full hand. All these hands are improperly placed in the scale of poker values, as will be seen by comparing the odds against them. In any games to which these eccentric hands are admitted, the rank of all the combinations would be as follows, if poker principles were followed throughout:-- DENOMINATION. ODDS AGAINST. One pair 1¼ to 1 Two pairs 20 to 1 Three of a kind 46 to 1 Sequence or straight 254 to 1 Skip or Dutch straight 423 to 1 Flush 508 to 1 Tiger [Big or Little Dog] 636 to 1 Full hand 693 to 1 Round-the-corner straight 848 to 1 Blaze 3008 to 1 Four of a kind 4164 to 1 Straight flush 72192 to 1 Royal Flush [Ace high] 649739 to 1 When the true rank of these eccentric hands is not allowed, local custom must decide what they will beat. _=JOKER POKER=_, or _=MISTIGRIS=_. It is not uncommon to leave the joker, or blank card, in the pack. The player to whom this card is dealt may call it anything he pleases. If he has a pair of aces, and the joker, he may call them three aces.
=_ _=Cutting.=_ In cutting, the ace is low, the other cards ranking, K Q J 10 9 8 7, the King being the highest. A player exposing more than one card, or cutting the Joker, must cut again. _=8.=_ _=SHUFFLING.=_ Every player has a right to shuffle the cards, the dealer last. _=9.=_ _=DEALING.=_ The dealer must present the pack to the pone to be cut. At least four cards must be left in each packet.
, by two girls. Their game was not so long nor so complete as the above. They did not throw all four stones down as a preliminary stage, but began with the second figure, the four gobs being placed in a square ::, nor were they particular as to which stones they picked up. They knew nothing of numbering or naming them. Their marble was called a jack. They had places chalked on the pavement where they recorded their successful goes, and the game was played in a ring.--A. B. Gomme. An account sent me from Deptford (Miss Chase) is doubtless the same game.
If a lead is required, it must be called by the person on the jambone player’s left. If a card is called on a trick, it must be called by the person on the jambone player’s right. If in spite of these difficulties the jambone player succeeds in winning five tricks, he scores _=eight=_ points. If he wins three or four only, he counts _=one=_ point. If he is euchred he loses _=two=_. It is not allowable to play alone against a jambone. _=Jamboree.=_ This is the combination of the five highest trumps in one hand, and need only be announced and shown to entitle the holder to score _=sixteen=_ points. If held by the dealer, it may be made with the assistance of the turn-up trump; and any player may make it with the assistance of his partners best; but it does not count unless the holder of it has made the trump. If a player with a pat Jamboree is ordered up, all he can score is a euchre.
When a good player opens his hand with a trump, right up to the declaration, his partner should lead his best supporting cards boldly up to dummy’s weak suits. _=The Pone’s Leads.=_ When the pone gets into the lead, if he does not return his partner’s suit, he should open his own suits according to the rules already given for all the high-card combinations. If he has no high-card combination, it is usually better for him to lead some card that will beat Dummy than to lead his fourth-best. Suppose he wishes to lead a diamond, in which he holds Q 10 8 4 3; Dummy having the 9 and 6 only. It is better to lead the ten of diamonds than the fourth-best, because if the declarer does not follow with an honour, your partner will not have to sacrifice an honour to keep Dummy from winning the trick with the 9. After the opening lead, when Dummy’s cards are exposed, the knowledge of his cards may change the aspect of the game greatly; but the proper cards to lead to and through Dummy will be better understood in connection with the play against no-trumpers. _=No-trump Leads.=_ The chief difference in the leads against no-trumpers is, that there is no hurry to make your aces and kings, the chief thing being to make some of the smaller cards good for tricks. When you are long in a suit, if you lead out the winning cards first, your partner may have none to lead you later on, and if you cannot make every trick in the suit before you lose the lead, you may never make anything but your one or two high cards.
In double pools the players may play or pass as they please. No matter how many counters are already in the pool, the dealer must add five. Each player gathers in the tricks he wins, and at the end of the hand he is entitled to take one-fifth of the contents of the pool for every trick he has won. If he has played his hand, and failed to get a trick, he is ramsed, and forfeits five counters to form the next pool, in addition to those which will be put up by the next dealer. If two or more players fail to win a trick, they must each pay five counters, and if the player whose turn it will be to deal next is ramsed, he will have to put up ten; five for his deal, and five for the rams. _=GENERAL RAMS.=_ If any player thinks he can win all five tricks, with the advantage of the first lead, he may announce a general rams, when it comes to his turn to pass or play. This announcement may be made either before or after taking the widow. When a general rams is announced, all at the table must play, and those who have passed and laid down their hands, must take them up again. If the widow has not been taken, any player who has not already refused it may take it.
To each of these multipliers shall be added one for each matadore, “with” or “without.” 3. In tournées, if the player says “passt-mir-nicht” to the first card and takes the second, he loses double if he loses his game. In guckis, whether grand or nullo, the player loses double if he loses his game. 4. The value of Ramsch shall be 20 points, to be charged to the player losing the game. If one player takes no trick, the loser shall be charged 30 points. If two players take no trick, the loser shall be charged 50 points. The winner of the last trick takes the skat cards. If there is a tie between two for high score, the winner of the last trick shall be the loser.
We give as an illustration a sheet balanced in this way, showing the losses of the various players. The totals at the end of the match show that _c_ is the winner, losing less tricks than any other player. [Illustration: +-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ |Players| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | |-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ |Set 1 | - | 4 | - | 4 | 4 | - | 4 | - | | +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ | 2 | - | 2 | - | 2 | - | 2 | - | 2 | | +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ | 3 | 5 | 5 | - | - | - | - | 5 | 5 | | +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ | 4 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | 1 | | +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ | 5 | - | - | 3 | 3 | - | - | 3 | 3 | | +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ | 6 | - | - | - | - | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | | +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ | 7 | 4 | - | - | 4 | - | 4 | 4 | - | +-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ |Totals | 10 | 11 | 3 | 14 | 8 | 9 | 19 | 14 | +-------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ ] _=Large Numbers of Individuals.=_ Several ingenious methods have been devised for handling large numbers of players, especially in domestic parties; Safford and Mitchell having both distinguished themselves in this line. The simplest form has been suggested by Mitchell, and is especially adapted for social gatherings of ladies and gentlemen. As many tables as possible are filled; all the ladies sitting N & E; the gentlemen S and W. [Illustration: LADY L +---------+ +---------+ | N | | N | GENTLEMAN|W E|LADY G|W E|L | S | | S | +---------+ +---------+ GENTLEMAN G ] The number of hands dealt at each table must be adjusted to the number of tables filled, and the time to be devoted to play. The trays containing the hands are passed to the West, and all the gentlemen move one table to the East, the ladies sitting still. In all the changes each gentleman keeps to his original point of the compass, South or West. When he arrives at the table he started from, the round is finished.
But if you do lead a suit headed by the Ace, _=without the King=_, be sure that you lead the Ace, when playing against a trump declaration, or you may never make it. All such combinations as the following should be avoided, if possible, as more can be made out of them by letting them alone:-- [Illustration: 🃑 🃝 🃚 🃔 | 🃞 🃛 🃘 🃔 🂱 🂻 🂺 🂴 | 🂽 🂻 🂶 🂴 🂮 🂨 🂧 🂤 | 🂫 🂪 🂩 🂤 🃍 🃆 🃅 🃄 | 🃊 🃉 🃈 🃄 ] But with three honours, A Q J, the Ace should be led. _=Rules for Leading Short Suits.=_ It will sometimes happen that the only four-card suit in the leader’s hand will be trumps or a suit headed by honours not in sequence, which it is not desirable to lead. In such cases, if there is no high-card combination in any of the short suits, it is usual to lead the highest card, unless it is an Ace or King. Many good players will not lead the Queen from a three-card suit, unless it is accompanied by the Jack. All such leads are called _=forced=_, and are intended to assist the partner, by playing cards which may strengthen him, although of no use to the leader. The best card should be led from any such combinations as the following:-- [Illustration: 🃝 🃛 🃖 | 🃊 🃉 🃄 🃋 🃊 🃅 | 🃙 🃘 🃔 🂫 🂥 🂣 | 🂷 🂶 🂴 ] _=Small-card Leads.=_ If the suit selected for the lead does not contain any combination of high cards from which it would be right to lead a high card, good players make it a rule to begin with the fourth-best, counting from the top of the suit. This is called the “card of uniformity,” because it indicates to the partner that there are remaining in the leader’s hand exactly three cards higher than the one led.
Kt-B7 ch B-K4 B-R7 Kt-K5 1 --------- 2 -------- 3 --------- 4 -------- K-Kt sq K-B sq K-K sq K-B sq Kt-Q7 ch K-K6 K-Q6 B-K6 ch 5 --------- 6 -------- 7 --------- 8 -------- K-K sq K-Q sq K-K sq K-Q sq K-B6 B-B7 Kt-Kt7 ch K-B6 9 --------- 10 --------- 11 --------- 12 -------- K-B sq K-Q sq K-B sq K-Kt sq K-Kt6 B-K6 ch Kt-B5 B-Q7 13 --------- 14 --------- 15 --------- 16 -------- K-B sq K-Kt sq K-R sq K-Kt sq Kt-R6 ch B-B6 mate 17 --------- 18 --------- K-R sq If, at the fourth move, the black King does not go back to the Bishop’s square, but goes on to the Queen’s square, hoping to cut across to the other black corner of the board, the continuation will be as follows, beginning at White’s fifth move:-- K-K6 Kt-Q7 B-Q3 B-Kt5 5 --------- 6 --------- 7 --------- 8 -------- K-B2 K-B3 K-B2 K-Q sq Kt-K5 Kt-B4 K-Q6 Kt-R5 9 --------- 10 --------- 11 --------- 12 -------- K-B2 K-Q sq K-B sq K-Q sq Kt-Kt7 ch K-B6 Kt-Q6 K-B7 13 --------- 14 --------- 15 --------- 16 -------- K-B sq K-Kt sq K-R2 K-R sq B-B4 Kt-B8 ch B-Q5 mate 17 --------- 18 --------- 19 --------- K-R2 K-R sq _=PAWN ENDINGS.=_ There are a great number of these, many being complicated by the addition of Pawns to other pieces. The following example, which is a position that often occurs, should be understood by the beginner:-- Put the black King on K B square; the white King on K B 6, and a white Pawn on K 6. If it is Black’s move, White can win easily; but if it is White’s move it is impossible to win, because whether he checks or not the black King gets in front of the Pawn and either wins it or secures a stale-mate. Put the Pawn behind the King, on K B 5, and White wins, no matter which moves first, for if Black moves he allows the white King to advance to the seventh file, which will queen the Pawn. If White moves first, and the black King keeps opposite him, the Pawn advances. If Black goes in the other direction, the white King goes to the seventh file and wins by queening the Pawn. If the white King and Pawn are both moved one square further back, the King on K B 5, and the Pawn on K B 4. the win will depend on the move. If it is White’s move he can win by advancing the King; but if it is Black’s move he can draw by keeping his King always opposite the white King.
SEC. 5. If a player unlawfully looks at the trump slip, his highest or lowest trump may be called; if a player unlawfully names the trump card, or unlawfully shows the trump slip to his partner, his partner’s highest or lowest trump may be called. SEC. 6. These penalties can be inflicted by either adversary at any time during the play of the deal in which they are incurred before the player from whom the call can be made has played to the current trick; the call may be repeated at each or any trick until the card is played, but cannot be changed. SEC. 7. When a deal has been played the cards of the respective players, including the trump card, must be placed in the tray face down and the trump slip placed face up on top of the dealer’s cards. SEC.
Will you give me one? --Ballynascaw School, co. Down (Miss C. N. Patterson). (_b_) The first Dorsetshire game is played as follows:--Two girls are chosen, the one to represent a lady and the other a mother, who is supposed to be taking her children out to service. She has one or more of them in each hand, and leads them up to the lady, saying or singing the first verse. The dialogue then proceeds, and the verse is repeated until all the children are similarly disposed of. A few days are supposed to pass, after which the mother calls to see her children, when the lady tells her she cannot see them. At last she insists upon seeing them, and the children are all sat down behind the lady, and the mother asks one child what the lady has done to her; and she tells her that the lady has cut off her nose, and made a nose-pie, and never give her a bit of it. Each one says she has done something to her and made a pie, and when all have told their tale they all turn on her and put her to prison.
|your head. |your head. | |24.| -- | -- | -- | |25.| -- | -- | -- | |26.| -- | -- | -- | |27.| -- |True love not dead, he| -- | | | |sends letter to turn | | | | |your head. | | |28.| -- | -- | -- | |29.| -- | -- | -- | |30.
Only as far as the garden gate, to gather flowers for my wedding day. Make a fine curtsey and go your way. [They all curtsey and scamper off, and proceed to plan some mischief. Then they return.] Now where have you been? Up to Uncle John s. What for? Half a loaf, half a cheese, and half a pound of butter. Where s my share? Up in cupboard. Tisn t there, then! Then the cat eat it. And where s the cat? Up on the wood [_i.e.