Hearts are trumps; you hold two small ones, two better being out against you, but whether in one hand or not you cannot tell. You have also two winning Spades, one smaller being still out. The game is seven-point whist. The importance of playing to the score will be evident if you consider your play in each of the following instances, your score being given first: Score 6 to 6; you have 5 tricks in front of you. Score 6 to 6; you have 4 tricks in front of you. Score 6 to 5; you have 4 tricks in front of you. Score 5 to 4; you have 5 tricks in front of you. _=INFERENCES.=_ The great strength of the expert lies in his ability to draw correct inferences from the fall of the cards, and to adapt his play to the circumstances. Inferences from the various systems of leads and returns are too obvious to require further notice; but attention may be called to some that are often overlooked, even by advanced players: If a suit led is won by Third Hand with King or Ace; and the original leader wins the second round with King or Ace, the adversaries must have the Queen.
Either the dealer or his partner may elect to play without a trump, if he has sufficient strength in all the suits to do so. _=IRREGULARITIES IN DECLARING.=_ If the dealer’s partner makes a declaration before being asked to do so, either adversary may demand that the declaration shall stand, or that there shall be a new deal. In England, only the eldest hand, A, may exact the penalty. If the dealer’s partner passes the declaration to the dealer, either adversary may claim a new deal or may insist that the player in error shall make the declaration. In England, the eldest hand exacts this penalty. Should an adversary of the dealer make a declaration, the dealer may, after looking at his own hand, either have a new deal or proceed as if nothing had been said. _=SETTLING THE VALUE OF THE TRICKS.=_ The trump suit having been announced, the first hand or leader, A, before he plays a card, has the privilege of doubling the value of the tricks if he thinks the opponents cannot win the odd trick with the trump named. To do this, he simply says: “I double.
_=At No-trump.=_ The declarer’s first care in a no-trumper must be to select the suit that he will play for. Four simple rules cover this choice:-- 1. Always lead from the weak hand to the strong if the suit is not already established. 2. Play for the suit in which you have the greatest number of cards between the two hands, because it will probably yield the greatest number of tricks. 3. If two suits are equal in number, play for the one in which you have the greatest number of cards massed in one hand. That is, if you have two suits of eight cards each, select the one that has six of those cards in one hand, in preference to the suit with four in each hand. 4.
B. Gomme). Strutt describes a handball game played during the Easter holidays for Tansy cakes (_Sports_, p. 94). Halliwell gives rhymes for ball divination (_Popular Rhymes_, p. 298) to determine the number of years before marriage will arrive. Miss Baker (_Northamptonshire Glossary_) says, The May garland is suspended by ropes from the school-house to an opposite tree, and the Mayers amuse themselves by throwing balls over it. A native of Fotheringay, Mr. C. W.
137-38. II. A-diss, a-diss, a-green grass, A-diss, a-diss, a-dass; Come, my pretty fair maid, And walk along with us. For you shall have a dik-ma-day, You shall have a dr[=a]gon; You shall have a nice young man With princes for his th[=e]gan (or s[=e]gan). --Lanarkshire (W. G. Black). III. A dish, a dish, a green grass, A dish, a dish, a dish, Come all you pretty maidens And dance along wi us. For we are lads a roving, A roving through the land, We ll take this pretty fair maid By her lily white hand.
At least one ball must go into the pocket and one must be left out, or they must be rolled over again. The number of balls left outside the pocket, odd or even, decides whether the inside or the outside bets win; and after the banker has deducted his ten per cent, the players who have backed the winning side get their money. MONTE BANK. The money staked by the banker is piled upon the table, so that all players may see what is to be won. The banker takes a Spanish pack of forty cards, shuffles them, and offers them to the players to be cut. Holding the pack face down, the banker draws two cards from the bottom and places them on the table, face up, for the “bottom layout.” He then draws two cards from the top of the pack for the “top layout.” The players can bet on either layout, and after all the bets are placed the pack is turned face up. The card that shows is called the “gate.” If it is of the same suit as either of the cards in the top layout, the banker pays all bets on that layout.
In the London version (A. B. Gomme) a handkerchief was laid on the ground, and the two children stood on each side of it and clasped hands across it. In the Fernham and Longcot version the one child leads the other out of the ring at go to church, with a graceful half-dancing motion, and back again in the same way. The first child joins the ring while the refrain is sung. In the Hanbury version the centre child pretends to be weeping; another child stands outside the ring and goes into it; when the two meet they kiss. In the North Derbyshire version (Mr. S. O. Addy) a ring is formed of young men and women, a young man being in the centre.
=_ The player cutting the highest écarté card deals the first hand, and has the choice of seats and cards. If a person exposes more than one card in cutting, the lowest is taken to be his cut. If he does not cut, or will not show his cut, he loses the first deal. _=STAKES.=_ Écarté is played for so much a game. If the gallery is betting, all money offered must be placed on the table, and if the bets are not taken by the players, they may be covered by the opposing gallery. _=DEALING.=_ It is usual for the dealer to invite his adversary to shuffle the cards, but if two packs are used this is not necessary. The dealer must shuffle the pack and present it to his adversary to be cut. At least two cards must be left in each packet, and the upper part of the pack must be placed nearer the dealer.
If a player says. “I can win the rest,” “The rest are ours,” “It makes no difference how you play,” or words to that effect, or if he plays or exposes his remaining cards before his partner has played to the current trick, his partner’s cards must be laid face up on the table and are liable to be called. SEC. 3. All cards liable to be called must be placed face up on the table and so left until played. A player must lead or play them when lawfully called, provided he can do so without revoking; the call may be repeated at each or any trick until the card is played. A player cannot, however, be prevented from leading or playing a card liable to be called; if he can get rid of it in the course of a play no penalty remains. SEC. 4. The holder of a card liable to be called can be required to play it only by the adversary on his right.