THE WHIST FAMILY. The most popular card games of the present day undoubtedly belong to the whist family, which embraces all those played with a full pack of fifty-two cards, ranking from the ace to the deuce, one suit being trumps, and the score being counted by tricks and honours, or by tricks alone. 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.
During my preparation of a book of games for children it occurred to me that to separate the whole of the games from the general body of folk-lore and to make them a section of the proposed dictionary would be an advantageous step, as by arranging the larger groups of folk-lore in independent sections the possibility of publishing the contemplated dictionary again seemed to revive. Accordingly, the original plan has been so far modified that these volumes will form the first section of the dictionary, which, instead of being issued in one alphabet throughout, will now be issued in sections, each section being arranged alphabetically. The games included in this collection bear the important qualification of being nearly all Children s Games: that is to say, they were either originally children s games since developed into games for adults, or they were the more serious avocations of adults, which have since become children s games only. In both cases the transition is due to traditional circumstances, and not to any formal arrangements. All invented games of skill are therefore excluded from this collection, but it includes both indoor and outdoor games, and those played by both girls and boys. The bulk of the collection has been made by myself, greatly through the kindness of many correspondents, to whom I cannot be sufficiently grateful. In every case I have acknowledged my indebtedness, which, besides being an act of justice, is a guarantee of the genuineness of the collection. I have appended to this preface a list of the collectors, together with the counties to which the games belong; but I must particularly thank the Rev. W. Gregor, Mr.
He must then discard to reduce his playing hand to eleven cards again. Any points in the cards he lays away will count for him at the end of the play. The player on the dealer’s left always leads for the first trick, any card he pleases. The others must follow suit if they can, but they are not obliged to head the trick. If a player cannot follow suit, he must trump, and if the third player cannot follow suit either, he must play a trump, but he is not obliged to over-trump unless he likes. The eleven tricks played, each side turns over the cards taken in and counts the points. For every point the single player gets over 60 he must be paid a counter by each of the others who held cards. But if he does not get 60, he must pay each of the others at the table, including those who held no cards, if any, a counter for every point his adversaries get over 60. _=Chico=_ outbids Frog. The player offering this game can name any suit for the trump except hearts, but he must not touch the widow, although the points in it will count for him at the end.
, winning all the tricks, a slam. Vorhand, G., the eldest hand, at Skat. Vorwerfen, G., to play out of turn. Weak Trumps, not enough to justify a player in passing a doubtful trick. Wedges, cards trimmed to taper toward one end, so that if certain ones are reversed they can be easily pulled out. Welcher, one who makes mouth bets, and afterward fails to pay. Whipsawed, losing two different bets on the same turn. Whiskey Hole, only one to go.