Sometimes an extra point is scored for winning the Ten of trumps: but such a count is quite foreign to the game. NATIONAL GAMES. There are certain games of cards which do not seem to belong to any particular family, but stand apart from other games, and have been played since their first invention with only trifling variations, giving rise to no offshoots bearing other names. These are usually the most popular games with the middle and lower classes in the countries in which they are found, and may be considered as distinctly national in character. Games that become popular with the masses always last longer than others, and the rules governing them are much better understood, and more firmly established. In the course of a century the English aristocracy have run the gamut of Quadrille, Ombre, Whist, Écarté, Bézique, Piquet, Rubicon, and Bridge; while the middle classes have stuck steadily to Cribbage for nearly two hundred years. Six of these popular games are strikingly typical of the national character, both in their construction, and in the manner of playing them. These are: Skat in Germany; Cribbage in England; Piquet in France; Conquian in Mexico; Calabrasella in Italy; and Cassino in America. All these are excellent games, and have deservedly survived much more pretentious rivals. With the exception of Skat, little is known of the exact origin of any of these games, although most of them may be traced by their resemblance to more ancient forms.
VIII. Green grover, green grover, your grass is so green, The prettiest young lady that ever was seen. O ----, O ----, your true love is dead; I send you this letter, so turn round your head. --Gainford, Durham (Miss Eddleston). IX. Green gravels, green gravels, The grass is so green, And all the pretty maidens Are not to be seen, Except ---- (said twice), And she s not [?] to be seen, So I send you a letter to turn round your head. --Hampshire (Miss E. Mendham). X. Green gravels, green gravels, the grass is so green, Fine pencils, fine pencils, as ever were seen.
). Chambers (_Pop. Rhymes_, p. 148) gives a similar verse, used for starting a race:-- Race horses, race horses, what time of day? One o clock, two o clock, three, and away; and these lines are also used for the same purpose in Cheshire (Holland s _Glossary_) and Somersetshire (Elworthy s _Glossary_). Halliwell, on the strength of the corrupted word Bellasay, connects the game with a proverbial saying applied to the family of Bellasis; but there is no evidence of such a connection except the word-corruption. The rhyme occurs in _Gammer Gurton s Garland_, 1783, the last words of the second line being time to away. Bellie-mantie The name for Blind Man s Buff in Upper Clydesdale. As anciently in this game he who was the chief actor was not only hoodwinked, but enveloped in the skin of an animal.--Jamieson. See Blind Man s Buff.
One child walks round inside the ring, singing the verses. This child then chooses another from the ring, bending on one knee and kissing her hand. The lines are then repeated, the two walking arm in arm round the inside of the ring. Another child is chosen out of the ring by the one who was chosen previously. This goes on until all are chosen out of the ring, walking two by two round inside. When the ring will no longer hold them, the two walk round outside. At Northants the ring walks round, and the child is _outside_ the ring. Partners are chosen, and the two walk round outside the ring. The first two walk together till there is a third, then the three walk together till there is a fourth, then they go in couples. In the Northants version, from Raunds, four boys stand in the centre of the ring.
_=Penalties.=_ Penalties can be enforced only at the time an offence is committed, and before any move is made thereafter. A player touching one of his men, when it is his turn to play, must move it. If it cannot be moved he must move his King. If the King cannot move, no penalty can be enforced. For playing two moves in succession, the adversary may elect which move shall stand. For touching an adversary’s man, when it cannot be captured, the offender must move his King. If the King cannot move, no other penalty can be enforced. But if the man touched can be legally taken, it must be captured. For playing a man to a square to which it cannot be legally moved, the adversary, at his option, may require him to move the man legally, or to move the King.
Until the players have made such bets as they wish, bets should not be made with bystanders. Bystanders should make no remark, neither should they by word or gesture give any intimation of the state of the game until concluded and scored, nor should they walk round the table to look at the different hands. No one should look over the hand of a player against whom he is betting. DUMMY. Is played by three players. One hand, called Dummy’s, lies exposed on the table. The laws are the same as those of Whist, with the following exceptions: I. Dummy deals at the commencement of each rubber. II. Dummy is not liable to the penalty for a revoke, as his adversaries see his cards; should he revoke, and the error not be discovered until the trick is turned and quitted, it stands good.
[The next _last_ couple would then presumably try and reach the top.]--East Kirkby, Lincs. (Miss K. Maughan). A similar game to this is played at Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews). It is there called Long Tag. The players stand in line behind one another, and an odd one takes her place somewhere near the front; at a given signal, such as clapping of hands, the two at the back separate and try to meet again in front before the one on the watch can catch them; they may run where they please, and when one is caught that one becomes the one out. See French Jackie. Loup the Bullocks Young men go out to a green meadow, and there on all-fours plant themselves in a row about two yards distant from each other. Then he who is stationed farthest back in the bullock rank starts up and leaps over the other bullocks before him, by laying his hands on each of their backs; and when he gets over the last one leans down himself as before, whilst all the others, in rotation, follow his example; then he starts and leaps again.
When only two cards can be discarded, it is a safe rule to stand on the hand; either to play without proposing, or to refuse cards; unless you hold the King. There are no authoritative laws for Écarté, and the various French and English codes do not agree. The code adopted by the English clubs is not in accord with the best usage, and fails to provide for many contingencies. All that is essential in the laws will be found embodied in the foregoing description of the game. _=TEXT BOOKS.=_ The best works on the subject of Écarté are usually to be found in conjunction with other games. The student will find the following useful:-- The Westminster Papers, Vols. IV to XI, inclusive. Bohn’s Handbook of Games; any edition. Écarté and Euchre, by Berkeley, 1890.
48. The loss on the dealer’s original declaration of “one spade” is limited to 100 points, whether doubled or not, unless redoubled. Honours are scored as held. 49. If a player make a declaration (other than passing) out of turn, either adversary may demand a new deal, or may allow such declaration to stand, in which case the bidding shall continue as if the declaration had been in turn. If a player pass out of turn, the order of the bidding is not affected, _i.e._, it is still the turn of the player to the left of the last declarer. The player who has passed out of turn may re-enter the bidding in his proper turn if the declaration he has passed be overbid or doubled. 50.
To use a common expression: “The play must be right for it, or the bluff will be wrong.” There are many cases in which a bluff of fifty cents would be much stronger than one of five dollars; the difference depending on the player’s position at the table, his treatment of the ante, and the number of cards he had drawn. As an example of the play being right for a bluff, take the following case: Five play in a jack pot. A and B have passed when C opens it for the limit. D and E pass out, but A and B both stay, and each draws one card. C takes two cards, and as it is his first bet he puts up the limit on his three aces. A drops out, but B raises C the limit in return. Now, if C is a good player he will lay down his three aces, even if he faintly suspects B is bluffing, because B’s play is sound in any case. He either could not, or pretended he could not open the jack; but he could afford to pay the limit to draw one card against openers, and he could afford to raise the limit against an opener’s evidently honest two-card draw. As a matter of fact the whole play was a bluff; for B not only had nothing, but had nothing to draw to originally.
The leg s broke. Take the chair. Chair s gone to be mended. I suppose I must come myself? The Mother here wrings her hands out of the water in the washing-tub and comes in. She looks about and misses Monday. Where s Monday? Oh, please, Mother, please, I couldn t help it; but some one came to beg a light for her pipe, and when I went for it she took Monday off. Why, that s the witch! The Mother pretends to beat the eldest daughter, tells her to be more careful another time, and to be sure and not let the pot boil over. The eldest daughter cries, and promises to be more careful, and the Mother goes again to the wash-tub. The same thing occurs again. The Witch comes and asks-- Please, will you lend me your tinder-box? My fire s out.
Two packs are generally used. _=Players.=_ A table is complete with four players, and if there are more than four candidates for play the selection must be made by cutting. All the rules for formation of tables, cutting, ties, etc., are the same as at bridge. The lowest cut takes the deal. Partners sit opposite each other. _=Dealing.=_ The dealer presents the pack to be cut, and then gives thirteen cards to each player, one at a time. No trump is turned.
And when they were up they were up, And when they were down they were down, And when they were half-way up the hill They were neither up nor down. --Sheffield (S. O. Addy). A ring of chairs is formed, and the players sit on them. A piece of string long enough to go round the inner circumference of the chairs is procured. A small ring is put upon the string, the ends of which are then tied. Then one of the players gets up from his chair and stands in the centre. The players sitting on the chairs take the string into their hands and pass the ring round from one to another, singing the lines. If the person standing in the centre can find out in whose hand the ring is, he sits down, and his place is taken by the one who had the ring.
However, infantry that have been charged in close order are immobile for the subsequent move. Infantry charged in extended order must on the next move retire one foot; they can be charged again. If cavalry charges cavalry:-- If cavalry is within charging distance of the enemy s cavalry at the end of the enemy s move, it must do one of three things--dismount, charge, or retire. If it remains stationary and mounted and the enemy charges, one charging sabre will kill five stationary sabres and put fifteen others three feet to the rear. Dismounted cavalry charged is equivalent to infantry in extended order. If cavalry charges cavalry and the numbers are equal and the ground level, the result must be decided by the toss of a coin; the loser losing three-quarters of his men and obliged to retire, the winner losing one-quarter of his men. If the numbers are unequal, the melee rules for Little Wars obtain if the ground is level. If the ground slopes, the cavalry charging downhill will be multiplied according to the number of contours crossed. If it is one contour, it must be multiplied by two; two contours, multiplied by three; three contours, multiplied by four. If cavalry retires before cavalry instead of accepting a charge, it must continue to retire so long as it is pursued--the pursuers can only be arrested by fresh cavalry or by infantry or artillery fire.
|Sift the lady s |Sieve my lady s | -- | | |oatmeal. |oatmeal. | | | 3.|Sift it into flour. |Grind my lady s flour.| -- | | 4.| -- | -- |For a lady s daughter.| | 5.| -- | -- | -- | | 6.|Put it in a chest of |Put it in a chestnut.
=_ The partner of a player who has announced to play alone must lay his cards on the table, face down. Should he expose any of his cards, the adversaries may prevent the lone hand, and compel him to play with his partner, the exposed card being left on the table and liable to be called. _=36.=_ The lone player is not liable to any penalty for exposed cards, nor for a lead out of turn. _=37.=_ Should either adversary lead or play out of turn, the lone player may abandon the hand, and score the points. _=38.=_ _=MISCELLANEOUS.=_ No player is allowed to see any trick that has once been turned and quitted, under penalty of having a suit called from him or his partner. _=39.
Red for the soldiers, soldiers, soldiers, Red for the soldiers, and that shan t do. [Then follow blue for the sailors, black for the mourners, and finally--] What shall we dress her in, dress her in, dress her in? What shall we dress her in? Dress her in white. White for the dead people, dead people, dead people, White for the dead people, and that will do. --Auchencairn, Kirkcudbright (A. C. Haddon). XVII. How s poor Jenny jo, Jenny jo, Jenny jo? He s very ill. Oh, very good, very good, very good. How s poor Jenny jo, Jenny jo, Jenny jo? He s fallen downstairs and broken his neck.
=_ On the second round of any suit, the player holding the best card should play it; or having several equally the best, one of them. If he is Fourth Hand, he may be able to win the trick more cheaply. If the original leader has several cards, equally the best, such as A Q J remaining after having led the King, he should continue with the lowest card that will win the trick. This should be an indication to his partner that the card led is as good as the best, and that therefore the leader must have the intermediate cards. _=Following King=_, which has been led from these combinations:-- [Illustration: 🂡 🂮 🂭 🂫 | 🂱 🂾 🂻 🂷 🃁 🃎 🃍 🃆 | 🃑 🃞 🃔 🃓 ] Leading the Jack on the second round would show both Ace and Queen remaining. Leading Queen would show Ace, but not the Jack. Leading Ace would show that the leader had not the Queen. In combinations which do not contain the best card, the lead may be varied in some cases to show the number remaining in the leader’s hand, or to indicate cards not shown by the first lead. _=Following King=_, which has been led from these combinations:-- [Illustration: 🃎 🃍 🃋 🃊 | 🃞 🃝 🃛 🃖 ] Leading the Ten on the second round would show both Queen and Jack remaining. Leading the Jack would show the Queen; but not the ten.
Addy, Miss Lucy Garnett. Wakefield Miss Fowler. SCOTLAND. Chambers _Popular Rhymes_, ed. 1870. Mactaggart s _Gallovidian Encyclopædia_, ed. 1871. Jamieson s _Etymological Dictionary_, ed. 1872-1889. Folk-lore Society Publications.
Open your gates as wide as you can, And let King George and his family go through. Not without a back, not without a bow, Not without a curtsey, and then I ll let you through. --South Shields (Miss Blair). V. How many miles to Babylon? Three score and ten. Can I get there o candle-light? There and back again. Here s my black [raising one foot], And here s my blue [raising the other], Open the gates and let me through. --Annaverna, Ravendale, co. Louth, Ireland (Miss R. Stephen).
2nd. To win 5 of the 13 tricks, against the three other players combined. This is called a _=Solo=_. 3rd. To take no tricks, there being no trump suit, and the three other players being opposed. This is called _=Misère=_, or Nullo. 4th. To win 9 of the 13 tricks against the three other players combined; the single player to name the trump suit. This is called _=Abundance=_. 5th.
This game is a pure gamble; except that a bold player may occasionally bluff the field off. _=METHODS OF CHEATING.=_ Poker and its congeners have received more attention from the greeks than any other family of card games. In fact it is generally believed that the term greek, as applied to a card sharper, had its origin in the Adam of the poker family, which was a gambling game introduced by the Greeks in Italy. So numerous and so varied are the methods of cheating at Poker that it is an axiom among gamblers that if a pigeon will not stand one thing he will another. The best informed make it a rule never to play Poker with strangers, because they realize that it is impossible for any but a professional gambler to know half the tricks employed by the poker sharp. It is a notorious fact that even the shrewdest gamblers are continually being taken in by others more expert than themselves. What chance then has the honest card player? There are black sheep in all flocks, and it may be well to give a few hints to those who are in the habit of playing in mixed companies. Never play with a man who looks attentively at the faces of the cards as he gathers them for his deal; or who stands the pack on edge, with the faces of the cards towards him, and evens up the bunch by picking out certain cards, apparently because they are sticking up. Any pack can be straightened by pushing the cards down with the hand.