When a player renounces, his partner should ask him if he is void of the suit. If any player abandons his hand, the cards in it may be exposed and called by the adversaries. The practice of throwing down the hand as soon as one renounces to trumps, cannot be too strongly condemned. All _=exposed cards=_, such as cards dropped on the table; two or more played at once; cards led out of turn; or cards named by the player holding them, must be left face up on the table, and are liable to be called by the adversaries, unless they can be previously got rid of in the course of play. If the exposed card is a trump, the adversaries may prevent its being played, but the holder of it is not liable for a revoke in such cases. _=SCORING.=_ When the last card has been played, each side turns over all the tricks won, and counts the points they contain; High, Low, Jack, Game, Right and Left Pedro. Everything, including Low, counts to the side winning it. The number of points won or lost is determined by deducting the lower score from the higher, the difference being the number of points won on that deal. If it is a tie, neither side scores.
A revoke must be claimed before the tricks have been mixed, preparatory to shuffling for the next deal. 27. If a player is lawfully called upon to lead a certain suit, or to play the highest of it, and unnecessarily fails to comply, he is liable to the penalties for a revoke. 28. Any trick once turned and quitted must not again be seen until the hand is played. Any player violating this rule is subject to the same penalties as for a lead out of turn. 29. In settling at the end of the hand, the player having taken no hearts, [each of the others having taken at least one,] wins the pool. Two players having taken none, the other two having each at least one, divide it, the odd counter remaining until the next pool. Three players having taken none, the thirteen counters remain in the pool, forming a Jack, which can be won only by one player taking no hearts, each of the others having taken at least one.
For instance: He holds a 9, and a 4, 3 and 2 are upon the table. He may combine these three cards, calling attention to the fact that their collective value is 9, and then play the 9 from his own hand, gathering in and turning down all four cards. An 8 and Ace, or 6 and 3 might be gathered in the same way; or two such combinations might be gathered at the same time, 3, 2, 6, 7, for instance, which would make two nines; all of which might be gathered by a player holding a 9 his hand. Pairs and combinations may be taken in together. For instance: Among the cards on the table are a 4, 6, and 10, and the player holds a 10. He can gather in not only the pair of Tens, but the combinations which equal a 10. _=Building.=_ A player may have in his hand two cards, the lower of which, if added to a card on the table, would build up its value to that of the higher card still in the player’s hand. For instance: A player holds a 9 and 2, and there is a 7 on the table. He may place the 2 on the 7, announcing the total value; “Nine,” which will notify other players that those two cards cannot be separated; but he cannot take them in until it again comes round to his turn to play, because he is allowed to play only one card at a time, and he has played his card in making the build.
If the player has seen the superfluous card he may keep any two he chooses of those dealt him. If the dealer gives himself too many he must keep them all. The last card in the pack must not be dealt. If there are not enough cards to supply the players, the discards must be gathered up, shuffled together, and cut. _=Naturals.=_ The cards all dealt, the dealer first examines his hand. If he has exactly 21, an Ace and a tenth card, which is called a natural, he shows it at once, and the players must pay him twice the amount they have staked in front of them, unless they also have a natural, when it is a stand-off. If the dealer has not a natural, each player in turn, beginning with the eldest hand, examines his two cards to see how nearly their total value approaches 21. If he has a natural, he exposes it immediately, and the dealer must pay him double the amount staked. It is sometimes the rule for the holder of a natural, the dealer having none, to take the stakes of all the other players; but this variation is not in favour.
Failure to do either, the inning goes for nothing. No penalties are attached. Dead wood must be removed. Any pins knocked down through the dead wood remaining on the alley cannot be placed to the credit of the player. Ten innings constitute a game. The maximum is 20. HEAD PIN AND FOUR BACK. [Illustration: O O O O . . .
There are no straddles, raises, or antes. Immediately after the deal each player who is in the pool draws cards, the age first. There are then two ways to play: The hands are shown and the best wins; or, beginning with the age, each player may say if he will back his hand against the field; _i.e._, all the others in the pool. If he will, he must put up as much as their combined stakes. He cannot be raised; but if any one player or combination of players call him, and one of them can beat his hand, the field divide the pool. For instance: Age makes it a blue, and three others stay with him. After the draw C puts up three blues against the field. D and A call it, and all show hands.
He could sense her welcome of him. It was scarcely a thought, just a raw emotion of greeting. At last they were one again. In a tiny remote corner of his mind, as tiny as the smallest toy he had ever seen in his childhood, he was still aware of the room and the ship, and of Father Moontree picking up a telephone and speaking to a Scanner captain in charge of the ship. His telepathic mind caught the idea long before his ears could frame the words. The actual sound followed the idea the way that thunder on an ocean beach follows the lightning inward from far out over the seas. The Fighting Room is ready. Clear to planoform, sir. THE PLAY Underhill was always a little exasperated the way that Lady May experienced things before he did. He was braced for the quick vinegar thrill of planoforming, but he caught her report of it before his own nerves could register what happened.
[Illustration: +-------+----+----+----+----++---------+--------+ | Pairs | a | b | c | d || Matches | Tricks | +-------+----+----+----+----++---------+--------+ | a | \ | +3 | -2 | +5 || 2 | +6 | | |----+----+----+----++---------+--------+ | b | -3 | \ | +4 | -1 || 1 | 0 | | |----+----+----+----++---------+--------+ | c | +2 | -4 | \ | -2 || 1 | -4 | | |----+----+----+----++---------+--------+ | d | -5 | +1 | +2 | \ || 2 | -2 | +-------+----+----+----+----++---------+--------+ ] The _=a=_ pair wins the tie with _=d=_, being 6 tricks plus. _=Six Pairs.=_ This is a very awkward number to handle, and should be avoided if possible. The whole could be played at three tables simultaneously; but such a course would necessitate their changing places ten times, following a very complicated schedule in so doing. The simplest way to handle six pairs is to arrange them at three tables, two of which are constantly in play, the third only half the time. This is the first position:-- b d f a 1 a c 2 c e 3 e b d f Tables 1 and 2 deal and play two hands each, and then exchange trays with each other. At table 3, two hands are dealt and played, both being left in the trays. The players at tables 1 and 2 then change adversaries; dealing, playing and exchanging two fresh hands. The players at the third table remain idle, or look on. c d | f a 1 a b 2 b | e 3 e c d | f | Hands 5 and 6 played and exchanged.
How many? he asked. I shrugged. The whole stack, Smythe, I told him. His eyebrows went halfway up his tall, tall forehead. But he put them all down on the bar top, about twenty-five silver dollars. Show me, I said. He ran his fingertips down the side of the stack of silver. Another tactile. Well, he certainly wasn t much of a perceptive, or he would have been able to handle the Blackout himself. He closed his eyes for the hard lift.
The new dealer adds his three counters as usual, and the pool becomes a double. _=METHOD OF PLAYING.=_ A description of the method of playing will be better understood if it is divided into two parts, as it varies in simple and in double pools. _=In Simple Pools=_, no trump is turned, and no widow dealt. Should the dealer inadvertently turn a trump, he forfeits three red counters to the current pool, but it remains a simple. If he deals a card for a widow, and fails to correct himself before dealing another card, it is a misdeal. The eldest hand leads any card he pleases, and the others must not only follow suit, but must head the trick if they can. This does not necessarily mean that they shall play the best card they hold of the suit led, but that they shall play a better one than any already played. The cards are left in front of the players. If all follow suit the winner of the trick leads any card he pleases for the next trick.
Ezzeka. FATHER S Fiddle. Feed the Dove. Find the Ring. Fippeny Morrell. Fire, Air, and Water. Fivestones. Flowers. Follow my Gable. Follow my Leader.