_=OBJECTS OF THE GAME.=_ Each game is complete in one deal, and the score of the loser is deducted from that of the winner. The combinations which may be declared and scored are the same as in Bézique, but owing to the use of four packs of cards double combinations are much more frequent, and triple combinations are not uncommon. The chief concern of the player must be, first of all, to save himself from a rubicon; that is, either to reach 1000 points, or to score as few points as possible. If he does not reach 1000, his adversary will take whatever he has scored, and add them to his own, besides 1300 in addition for rubicon and brisques. For instance: At the end of the hand A has scored 1200, and B has only 700. B is rubiconed, and his 700 points are added to A’s 1200, together with 1300 more for a rubicon game and brisques; giving A a grand total of 3200 points to nothing. Had B reached 1000, he would have saved his rubicon, and A would have scored the difference only, or 200 points, plus 500 for the game; 700 altogether. _=Brisques.=_ The aces and Tens of each suit are of no value unless it is necessary to count them to decide a tie, or to save a rubicon.
--Barnes, Surrey (A. B. Gomme). II. Rise up, rise up, Betsy Brown, To see your father go through the town. I won t rise up upon my feet, To see my father go through the street. Rise up, rise up, Betsy Brown, To see your mother go through the town. I won t rise up upon my feet, To see my mother go through the street. [Then follow verses for sister, brother, and lover. When this last is sung, she says--] I will rise up upon my feet, To see my lover go through the street.
III. If he counts the cards on the table or in the remainder of the pack. IV. If, having a perfect pack, he does not deal to each player the proper number of cards, and the error is discovered before all have played to the first trick. V. If he looks at the trump card before the deal is completed. VI. If he places the trump card face downward upon his own or any other player’s cards. A misdeal loses the deal, unless, during the deal, either of the adversaries touches a card or in any other manner interrupts the dealer. In _=Boston=_, _=Cayenne=_, and _=Solo Whist=_, the misdealer deals again with the same cards.
We generally used marbles or draught pieces, and not pegs. The following are the accounts of this game given by the commentators on Shakespeare:-- In that part of Warwickshire where Shakespeare was educated, and the neighbouring parts of Northamptonshire, the shepherds and other boys dig up the turf with their knives to represent a sort of imperfect chess-board. It consists of a square, sometimes only a foot diameter, sometimes three or four yards. Within this is another square, every side of which is parallel to the external square; and these squares are joined by lines drawn from each corner of both squares, and the middle of each line. One party, or player, has wooden pegs, the other stones, which they move in such a manner as to take up each other s men, as they are called, and the area of the inner square is called the pound, in which the men taken up are impounded. These figures are by the country people called _nine men s morris_, or _merrils_; and are so called because each party has nine men. These figures are always cut upon the green turf, or leys as they are called, or upon the grass at the end of ploughed lands, and in rainy seasons never fail to be choked up with mud (Farmer). _Nine men s morris_ is a game still played by the shepherds, cow-keepers, &c., in the midland counties, as follows:--A figure (of squares one within another) is made on the ground by cutting out the turf; and two persons take each nine stones, which they place by turns in the angles, and afterwards move alternately, as at chess or draughts. He who can play three in a straight line may then take off any one of his adversary s, where he pleases, till one, having lost all his men, loses the game (Alchorne).
A third mounts on the crossed arms, and clasps the carriers round their necks, while they move on saying-- King, King Cairy (carry) London lairy, Milk an bread, In the King s chairie. This game is played at Keith, without the words. The words are used at Fochabers.--Rev. W. Gregor. Jamieson says, Lothian children, while carrying one of their number in this manner, repeat the following rhyme-- Lend me a pin to stick i my thumb, To carry the lady to London town. He says this method of carrying is often used as a substitute for a chair in conveying adult persons from one place to another, especially when infirm. In other counties it is called Queen s Cushion and Queen s Chair, also Cat s Carriage. Brockett (_North Country Words_) says, King s Cushion, a sort of seat made by two persons crossing their hands, in which to place a third.
Should the revoking player win the pool himself, he must pay to the pool thirteen counters and leave them for a Jack. Should he divide it, he must pay the other winner six counters, and leave up seven for a Jack. 24. Should two or more players revoke in the same hand, each must pay the entire losses in the hand, as if he were alone in error; so that if two should revoke, and a third win the pool, he would receive twenty-six counters, instead of thirteen. In Auction Hearts the revoking player must pay the amount of the bid in addition. 25. The claimant of a revoke may search all the tricks at the end of a hand. The revoke is established if the accused player mixes the cards before the claimants have time to examine them. 26. A revoke must be claimed before the tricks have been mixed, preparatory to shuffling for the next deal.
If the striker play before all the balls have ceased rolling, or before a pool ball has been respotted, or whilst any pool ball has been wrongly spotted, he cannot score, and the next player in rotation shall proceed from the position in which the balls have been left. The striker is subject to any penalty he may otherwise incur. 20. If the striker play with the wrong ball, he shall be penalized in the value of the black ball. 21. If the striker touch a ball in play otherwise than in the proper manner laid down in these Rules, he cannot score and the balls shall be replaced. After the balls are replaced the stroke must be played, if the striker was still in play when the ball was moved or touched, and he is subject to any other penalty he may incur. Should he touch a ball after the completion of any stroke, _i.e._, when the balls have become stationary, his scores from previous strokes shall hold good.
1); within two spans, three; and above three spans, one. Each player snaps in turn for an agreed number; the first to score this number wins the game.--Deptford, Kent, and generally in London streets (Miss Chase). [Illustration: Fig. 1.] [Illustration: Fig. 2.] This game is known in America as Spans. --Newell, p. 188.
They were young. They were good. But they had limitations. So much depended on the choice of Partners, so much on the sheer luck of who drew whom. THE SHUFFLE Father Moontree and the little girl named West entered the room. They were the other two pinlighters. The human complement of the Fighting Room was now complete. Father Moontree was a red-faced man of forty-five who had lived the peaceful life of a farmer until he reached his fortieth year. Only then, belatedly, did the authorities find he was telepathic and agree to let him late in life enter upon the career of pinlighter. He did well at it, but he was fantastically old for this kind of business.
All combinations announced and scored must be laid face upward on the table; but the cards still form part of the player’s hand, and may be led or played at any time, although they must not again be taken in hand until the stock is exhausted. _=Irregularities in Play.=_ If either player leads out of turn, and his adversary plays to the lead, whether intentionally or otherwise, the trick stands good. If the adversary calls attention to the error, the card may be taken back without penalty. If at any time it is discovered that a player has too many cards, his adversary may either claim a fresh deal, or may compel him to play without drawing from the talon until the number of his cards is reduced to twelve. The player with too many cards is not allowed to make or score any announcements until he has his right number of cards. If a player has too few cards, his adversary may either claim a fresh deal, or allow him to make good the deficiency by drawing from the stock. Any player looking at any but the last trick turned down, forfeits his entire score for “cards.” _=Irregularities in Drawing.=_ If a player has forgotten to take a card from the talon, and has played to the next trick, his adversary may elect to call the deal void, or to allow him to draw two cards next time.
He cut off the sight of her mind and, as he buried his face in the pillow, he caught an image of the Lady May. She _is_ a cat, he thought. That s all she is--a _cat_! But that was not how his mind saw her--quick beyond all dreams of speed, sharp, clever, unbelievably graceful, beautiful, wordless and undemanding. Where would he ever find a woman who could compare with her? --CORDWAINER SMITH [Illustration] * * * * * End of Project Gutenberg s The Game of Rat and Dragon, by Cordwainer Smith *** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GAME OF RAT AND DRAGON *** Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will be renamed. Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very easy.
While it is manifestly impossible to catch him on that suit, it may still be led three times, in order to give the partners discards, as both of them must be short. If this estimate of the caller’s cards is wrong in anything, it is not with regard to the Ace, so there is not the slightest danger in continuing the suit. As a general rule, the suit first led by an adversary should be returned, unless the player winning the trick has a singleton in another suit, when he should lead that. The suit led by the caller, if he was eldest hand, should not be returned. Some judgment of character must be used in playing on a caller’s own lead. An adventurous player will sometimes call a misère on a hand which contains a singleton 5 or 6, and will lead it at once; trusting that second hand will imagine it to be safe, and cover it. Players should be aware of this trap, and never cover a misère player’s own lead if they can help it, unless the card led is below a 4. _=ABUNDANCE.=_ Very few persons will risk calling an abundance which they are not pretty certain of; but a player may be forced to the call on a doubtful hand, especially if he is over-called on his original proposal to play a solo. The lead is a great advantage, because trumps can be exhausted immediately, and the suits protected.
[Illustration: _No. 3._ BLACK. +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | ♜ | ♞ | ♝ | ♛ | ♚ | ♝ | ♞ | ♜ | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | ♟ | ♟ | ♟ | ♟ | | ♟ | ♟ | ♟ | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | ♟ | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | ♙ | | | | ] ♜ _=The Rook=_ can be moved any number of squares at a time, forward or backward, but only in vertical or horizontal lines, never diagonally. The Rook’s movement is of course limited by pieces obstructing its path, for it cannot jump over anything. At the beginning of the game, for instance, the Rook cannot move at all. ♝ _=The Bishop=_ can be moved any number of squares at a time, forward or backward, but only in diagonal lines, never horizontally or vertically. For this reason the Bishop never leaves the squares of the same colour as that on which it originally stood. A Bishop is often spoken of as a white Bishop or a black Bishop, which does not mean that it is one of White’s Bishops, or one of Black’s; but that it stands upon a white or black square. Like the Rook, the Bishop cannot jump over other pieces, and cannot be moved at all until one or other of the two Pawns diagonally in front of it have opened the way.
In chess notation, only the initials of the pieces are used, K standing for King, and Kt for Knight. Although the files bear the same names, the numbers count from the side on which the men are placed, so that each square has a double name, depending on the colour of the man placed upon it. [Illustration: _No. 12._ |QR |QKt|QB | Q | K |KB |KKt|KR | Black. +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ 8 | ♜ | ♞ | ♝ | ♛ | ♚ | ♝ | ♞ | ♜ | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ 7 | ♟ | ♟ | ♟ | ♟ | | ♟ | ♟ | ♟ | 2 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ 6 | | | | | | | | | 3 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ 5 | | | | | ♟ | | | | 4 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ 4 | | | | | ♙ | | | | 5 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ 3 | | | | | | ♘ | | | 6 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ 2 | ♙ | ♙ | ♙ | ♙ | | ♙ | ♙ | ♙ | 7 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | ♖ | ♘ | ♗ | ♕ | ♔ | ♗ | | ♖ | 8 +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ White. |QR |QKt|QB | Q | K |KB |KKt|KR | ] In Diagram No. 12, for instance, both the Pawns that have been moved would be spoken of as on K 4. The Knight that has been moved is on K B 3, because it is a white Knight. If it was a black Knight it would be on K B 6, reckoning from the black side of the board for the black pieces.
|prince. | | 25.| -- | -- | -- | | 26.| -- | -- | -- | | 27.|A young prince for | -- |For your ain sake. | | |your sake. | | | | 28.| -- | -- | -- | | 29.| -- | -- | -- | | 30.|If this young prince | -- |If they all should | | |should die.
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. Each point under or over 60 is worth two counters in Chico. _=Grand=_ outbids Chico, and is the highest bid possible. Hearts must be trumps, and the player offering this game must not touch the widow until the play is finished. Every point under or over 60 in a Grand is worth four counters.
(_b_) This is virtually the same game as Ambassador, described by Grose as played by sailors on some inexperienced fellow or landsman. Between the two chairs is placed a pail of water, into which the victim falls. Cashhornie A game played with clubs by two opposite parties of boys, the aim of each party being to drive a ball into a hole belonging to their antagonists, while the latter strain every nerve to prevent this.--Jamieson. Castles A game at marbles. Each boy makes a small pyramid of three as a base, and one on the top. The players aim at these from a distant stroke with balsers, winning such of the castles as they may in turn knock down (Lowsley s _Glossary of Berkshire Words_). In London, the marble alluded to as balser was called bonsor or bouncer (J. P. Emslie).
=_ The general principle of discarding is to keep trumps and Kings, and let everything else go. If you hold the trump King you may discard freely in order to strengthen your hand for a possible vole. If you have proposed once, and hold the King, and feel pretty sure of the point, you may propose again on the chance of getting strength enough to make the vole. 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.
If a player correct his mistake in time to save a revoke, any player or players who have followed him may withdraw his or their cards and substitute others, and the cards so withdrawn are not exposed. If the player in fault be one of the declarer’s adversaries, the card played in error is exposed, and the declarer may call it whenever he pleases, or he may require the offender to play his highest or lowest card of the suit to the trick, but this penalty cannot be exacted from the declarer. 87. At the end of the play the claimants of a revoke may search all the tricks. If the cards have been mixed, the claim may be urged and proved if possible; but no proof is necessary and the claim is established if, after it is made, the accused player or his partner mix the cards before they have been sufficiently examined by the adversaries. 88. A revoke cannot be claimed after the cards have been cut for the following deal. 89. Should both sides revoke, the only score permitted is for honours. In such case, if one side revoke more than once, the penalty of 100 points for each extra revoke is scored by the other side.
If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™ trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. 1.
If the loser of any trick draws and looks at two cards from the stock, his adversary may look at both cards of the following draw, and may select either for himself. If he chooses the second card, which his adversary has not seen, he need not show it. If, on account of some undetected irregularity, an even number of cards remain in the stock, the last card must not be drawn. The winner of the trick takes the last but one, and the loser takes the trump card. _=OBJECTS OF THE GAME.=_ The aim of each player is to reach 1000 points before his adversary, and the one first reaching that number, and announcing it, wins the game. Points are scored for _=dix=_, _=melds=_, the _=last trick=_, and for _=cards=_, which are the counting cards in tricks won. _=Melds.=_ The various combinations which are declared during the play of the hand are called melds, from the German word melden, to announce. These melds are divided into three classes: _a_, Marriages and Sequences; _b_, Binocles; and _c_, Fours.
The methods will be found fully described under the titles for duplicate whist. In order to prevent the players from giving too much attention to the honours in declaring, it is sometimes the rule to add a certain number of points to the trick scores, as a bonus. This is called _=Bridge to the Score=_. Four deals is a round, before changing adversaries, and fifty points are added to the score of the side having the greater trick score. Another method is to add fifty points to the side winning a game, if a game is won before moving, and then to add a definite number of points for every trick point that one side may be ahead of the other on unfinished games; or as many points as the higher score below the line. None of these methods have proved attractive enough to be popular, however, although the first is the one commonly adopted for club tournaments, adding fifty points bonus for the higher trick score, regardless of any games or rubbers. All the additions of percentages require special score cards and the services of some alleged expert to run the game, and even then they are not attractive. The problem of duplicate bridge remains as yet unsolved, so far as a popular game is concerned. _=SIX-HAND BRIDGE.=_ This is played by six persons, sitting with two card tables pushed together so as to make one.
Honours last. 6. Honours, unless claimed before the trump card of the following deal is turned up, cannot be scored. 7. To score honours is not sufficient; they must be called at the end of the hand; if so called, they may be scored at any time during the game. 8. The winners gain-- I. A treble, or game of three points, when their adversaries have not scored. II. A double, or game of two points, when their adversaries have scored less than three.
If he calls the joker the king of hearts, the club flush still beats him as it is queen next. He must call it the ace, which makes his flush ace-ace high. _=PROBABILITIES.=_ In estimating the value of his hand as compared to that of any other player, before the draw, the theory of probabilities is of little or no use, and the calculations will vary with the number of players engaged. For instance: If five are playing, some one should have two pairs every fourth deal, because in four deals twenty hands will be given out. If seven are playing, it is probable that five of them will hold a pair of some kind before the draw. Unfortunately, these calculations are not of the slightest practical use to a poker player, because although three of a kind may not be dealt to a player more than once in forty-five times on the average, it is quite a common occurrence for two players to have threes dealt to each of them at the same time. The considerations which must guide the player in judging the comparative value of his hand, both before and after the draw, must be left until we come to the suggestions for good play. _=THE ANTE.=_ The player to the left of the age is the one who must make the first announcement of his opinion of his hand, unless he has straddled, in which case the player on the left of the last straddler has the first “_=say=_.
The result shows that the O team had a majority of one trick at table No. 1, while the X team had a majority of three tricks at table No. 2, leaving them the winners of the match by two tricks. If sixteen players were engaged, it would be necessary to institute a similar comparison between each set of tables, and there would be sixteen score-cards to compare, two at a time, instead of four. _=TEAM AGAINST TEAM.=_ The methods just described for a match of club against club are identical with those which are used in a contest between two teams of four; the only difference being that of proportion. In the latter case there will be only one set, of two tables, and only four score-cards to compare. The change of partners should be exhaustive in team matches; which will require six sets. _=TEAMS AGAINST TEAMS.=_ When several quartette teams compete with one another, Howell’s system of arrangement will be found the best.
| | . | +---+-.-+---+-.-+---+-.-+---+-.-+ | ⛂ | . | | . | ⛀ | . | | . | +---+-.
If we suppose the winning declaration to be three hearts, and the declarer makes the odd trick only, holding simple honours, he scores 16 above the line, while the other side scores 100 points above the line for defeating the contract by two tricks, worth 50 each. If the dealer is left in with one spade, he cannot lose more than 100 points, even if he is doubled, provided neither he nor his partner redouble. If the adversaries set the contract for one trick, the declarer loses 50 only, and even if he is set for six tricks, he can lose only the 100. If any other declaration is doubled and fails, the adversaries score 100 points, instead of 50, for every trick by which they defeat the contract. If it is redoubled, they score 200. But if the declarer succeeds after being doubled, he not only scores double value for the tricks toward game, but he gets 50 points for fulfilling a doubled contract and 50 more for any tricks over his contract if he makes them. These figures are 100 in each case if he redoubles. Suppose the declaration is three no trumps, doubled, and the declarer makes five by cards. He scores 5 times 20 toward game, aces as held, and then 150 in penalties, 50 of which is for fulfilling his contract and twice 50 for the two tricks over his contract. _=KEEPING SCORE.