=_ Skat is played by three persons. If there are four at the table the dealer takes no cards, but shares the fortunes of those who are opposed to the single player, winning and losing on each hand whatever they win and lose. If there are five or six at the table, the dealer gives cards to the two on his left, and the one next him on the right. Those holding no cards share the fortunes of the two who are opposed to the single player. After the table is formed, no one can join the game without the consent of all those already in, and then only after a _=round=_; that is, after each player at the table has had an equal number of deals. Should any player cut into a table during the progress of a game, he must take his seat at the right of the player who dealt the first hand. When six persons offer for play, it is much better to form two tables, but some persons object to playing continuously, and like the rest given to the dealer when more than three play. There are always three active players in Skat. The one who makes the trump is called _=the player=_, or Spieler; the two opposed to him are called the _=adversaries=_, or Gegners; while those who hold no cards are called _=im Skat=_, or Theilnehmer. Of the three active players, the one who leads for the first trick is called _=Vorhand=_; the second player is called _=Mittelhand=_, and the third _=Hinterhand=_.
At Ashford-in-the-Water the words used were-- One a bin, two a bin, three a bin, four, Five a bin, six a bin, seven, gie o er; A bunch of pins, come prick my shins, A loaf brown bread, come knock me down. I m coming! --_Reliquary_, viii. 57. The words are said by the one who has to find the person hidden. In Scotland the game is called Hospy, and is played by boys only, and it can be played only in a village or hamlet in which there is the means of hiding. A Spy is chosen, and a spot, called Parley, is fixed upon at which the Spy stands till all the other players are hid, and to which he can run when pursued. When the players are hid, the cry, Hospy, _i.e._, Ho! spy! is raised by them. The Spy then sets out to find them.
=_ Cassino may be played for so much a game, or so much a point; and it may be agreed that the game shall be a certain number of points, or shall be complete in one deal, or that the player making the majority of points on each deal shall score one, and the one first making a certain number in this manner, such as five, shall be the winner. If points are played for, the lower score is usually deducted from the higher, and the difference is the value of the game. It is sometimes agreed that if the winner has twice as many points as his adversary, he shall be paid for a double game. _=Dealing.=_ After the cards have been properly shuffled they must be presented to the pone to be cut, and he must leave at least four in each packet. Beginning on his left, the dealer distributes four cards to each player in two rounds of two at a time, giving two to the table just before helping himself in each round. No trump is turned, and the remainder of the pack is left face downward on the dealer’s left. The four cards dealt to the table are then turned face up, and the play begins. After the four cards given to each person have all been played, the dealer takes up the remainder of the pack, and without any further shuffling or cutting, deals four more cards to each player, two at a time, but gives none to the table. These four having been played, four more are dealt in the same manner, and so on, until the pack is exhausted, after which the deal passes to the left in regular rotation.
--Earls Heaton (H. Hardy). One child represents an old woman, and the other players carry on the dialogue with her. At the end of the dialogue the children are chased by the old woman. See Mother, Mother, may I go out to Play, Witch. Letting the Buck out This game was played seventy years ago. A ring being formed, the Buck inside has to break out, and reach his home, crying Home! before he can be caught and surrounded. Afterwards these words were sung-- Circle: Who comes here? Buck: Poor Johnny Lingo. Circle: Don t steal none of my black sheep, Johnny Lingo, For if you do I shall put you in the pinder pin-fold. --Stixwold, Lines.
1, No. 3 at No. 2, and so on--each person playing at the last ball, unless the striker’s ball be in hand, when he plays at the nearest ball. _=3.=_ When a striker loses a life the next in rotation plays at the ball nearest to his own; but if this player’s ball be in hand, he plays at the ball nearest to the centre of the baulk-line, whether it be in or out of baulk. _=4.=_ When any doubt arises as to the nearest ball, the marker measures the distance, and the player strikes at the ball declared to be nearest his own. _=5.=_ The baulk is no protection. _=6.
Mrs. Lincoln sends a diagram of the game from Dublin (fig. 6). Addy (_Sheffield Glossary_) under the name of Hop-score says it is a game in which certain squares are drawn or _scored_ on the ground. The piece of stone which is pushed with the foot is called the scotch. Elworthy (_West Somerset Words_) says a piece of tile is kicked over lines and into squares marked on the ground. It is called Hickety-Hackety, also Huckety. Cope (_Hampshire Glossary_) says it is played in Hants. Moor (_Suffolk Words and Phrases_) describes this game under the name of Scotch-hob, by hopping and kicking a bit of tile from bed to bed of a diagram which he gives (fig. 5, here printed).
The dealer must present the cards to his right hand adversary to be cut; such adversary must take from the top of the pack at least four cards and place them toward the dealer, leaving at least four cards in the remaining packet; the dealer must reunite the packets by placing the one not removed in cutting upon the other. If, in cutting or in reuniting the separate packets, a card is exposed, the pack must be reshuffled and cut again; if there is any confusion of the cards or doubt as to the place where the pack was separated, there must be a new cut. LAW III.--DEALING. SEC. 1. When the pack has been properly cut and reunited, the cards must be dealt, one at a time, face down, from the top of the pack, the first to the player at the left of the dealer, and each successive card to the player at the left of the one to whom the last preceding card has been dealt. The last, which is the trump card, must be turned and placed face up on the tray, if one is used; otherwise, at the right of the dealer. SEC. 2.
Any player on the right of the opener, who passed on the first round, may come in after the pot is opened. For instance: E deals. A and B pass, but hold their hands. C opens, and D throws down his hand. E sees the opener’s bet, and it then becomes the turn of A and B, who have passed once, to say whether or not they will play, now that the pot is opened. When all those who have declared to stay have deposited an equal amount in the pool, they draw cards to improve their hands, just as in the ordinary pool, the player on the dealer’s left being helped first. All those who draw cards, except the opener, throw their discards into the centre of the table as usual; but the opener is obliged always to place his discard under the chips in the pool. This is in order that he may be able to show what he held originally, in case he should conclude to _=split his openers=_ in order to try for a better hand. For instance: He has opened with a pair of Jacks, but has four of one suit in his hand. Four other players have stayed, perhaps the bet has been raised, and he knows that his Jacks will probably be worthless, even if he gets a third.
Dans la main, applies to the possibilities of the hand. Placer la main, to place the lead. Make-up, to get the cards ready for the next deal. Make the Pass, to put the two parts of the pack back as they were before the cut. Maldonne, F., misdeal. Manche, F., one game of the rubber. Manque, the numbers from 1 to 18 at Roulette. See Passe.
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=_ Modern players usually adopt the practice of bidding to the board, eldest hand having the first bid. In this form of the game the points bid count to no one, and anyone can bid up to four, no matter what the scores are. No one can claim the privilege of pitching the trump for as many as bid, as each in turn must bid higher or pass. _=Playing.=_ The successful bidder has the first lead, and whatever card he plays, whether by mistake or not, is the trump suit for that deal. After that, the winner of the trick may lead any suit he pleases. A player must follow suit in trumps if he is able to do so; but in a plain suit he may trump if he chooses, although holding a card of the suit led. If he does not trump, he must follow suit if he can. If he has none of the suit led, he may trump or discard as he pleases. The highest card played of the suit led wins the trick, and trumps win all other suits.
Any player looking at any other trick but the last may be penalized ten points. _=Playing Ouverts.=_ The rules of the game require Ouverts to be exposed face upward on the table before a card is played. _=SCORING.=_ The score should always be kept by the player sitting on the right of the first dealer. This will mark the rounds. The score sheet should be ruled in vertical columns, one for each player at the table. Each player is charged individually with his losses and gains, the amounts being added to or deducted from his score, and a plus or a minus mark placed in front of the last figure, so that the exact state of each player’s score will be apparent at a glance. The score of the single player is the only one put down, and it is charged to him as a loss or a gain at the end of each deal. If there are four players, a line is drawn under every fourth amount entered in each person’s account.
_=9.=_ Any ball or balls behind the baulk-line, or resting exactly upon the line, are not playable if the striker be in hand, and he must play out of baulk before hitting another ball. _=10.=_ Misses may be given with the point or butt of the cue, and shall count one for each against the player; or if the player strike his ball with the cue more than once a penalty shall be enforced, and the non-striker may oblige him to play again, or may call on the marker to place the ball at the point it reached or would have reached when struck first. [The butt may also be used for playing a ball in hand up the table in order to strike a ball in baulk.] _=11.=_ Foul strokes do not score to the player, who must allow his opponent to follow on. They are made thus: By striking a ball twice with the cue; by touching with the hand, ball, or cue an opponent’s or the red ball; by playing with the wrong ball; by lifting both feet from the floor when playing; by playing at the striker’s own ball and displacing it ever so little (except while taking aim, when it shall be replaced, and he shall play again). _=12.=_ The penalty for a foul stroke is losing the lead, and, in case of a score, an opponent must have the red ball spotted, and himself break the balls, when the player who made the foul must follow suit, both playing from the D.
--Deptford, Kent (Miss Chase). II. Here are the robbers coming through, Coming through, coming through, Here are the robbers coming through, My fair lady. What will the robbers do to you, Do to you, do to you, What will the robbers do to you, My fair lady? Steal your watch and break your chain, Break your chain, break your chain, Steal your watch and break your chain, My fair lady. Then they must go to jail, Go to jail, go to jail, Then they must go to jail, My fair lady. --Belfast (W. H. Patterson). III. Hark the robbers Coming through, coming through, My fair lady.
It is said that Pettibone made a fortune playing progression at Faro, which is very likely, for among the thousands of men who play it the probabilities are that one will win all the time, just as the probabilities are that if a thousand men play ten games of Seven Up, some man will win all ten games. At the same time it is equally probable that some man will lose all ten. Some players progress, but never pinch, keeping account on a piece of paper how many bets they are behind, and playing the maximum until they have won as many bets as they have lost. Against a perfectly fair game, with no percentage and no limit, and with capital enough to follow the system to the end, playing progression would pay a man about as much as he could make in any good business with the same capital and with half the worry; but as things really are in gambling houses and casinos, all martingales are a delusion and a snare. It is much better, if one must gamble, to trust to luck alone, and it is an old saying that the player without a system is seldom without a dollar. It is the men with systems who have to borrow a stake before they can begin to play. Such matters as calculating the probability of a certain horse getting a place, the odds against all the horses at the post being given, would be out of place in a work of this kind; but those interested in such chances may find rules for ascertaining their probability in some of the following text books. TEXT BOOKS. Calcul de Probabilité, by Bertrand. Philosophy of Whist, by Dr.
Spoken when men at law have lost their principal evidence. See Cat and Dog, Cudgel, Kit-cat. Cat after Mouse This game, sometimes called Threading the Needle, is played by children forming a ring, with their arms extended and hands clasped; one--the Mouse--goes outside the circle and gently pulls the dress of one of the players, who thereupon becomes the Cat, and is bound to follow wherever the Mouse chooses to go--either in or out of the ring--until caught, when he or she takes the place formerly occupied in the ring by the Cat, who in turn becomes Mouse, and the game is recommenced.--Dorsetshire (_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 214). (_b_) Played at Monton, Lancashire (Miss Dendy); Clapham Middle-Class School (Miss Richardson); and many other places. It is practically the same game as Drop Handkerchief, played without words. It is described by Strutt, p. 381, who considers Kiss-in-the-Ring is derived from this Cat and Mouse. Catchers One bicken is required in this game, and at this a lad must stand with a bat and ball in hand.
If the caller needs only one more trick, it is usually best to lead a trump. If you have three trumps, including the major tenace, pass the first trick if a small trump is led; or if you remain with the tenace after the first trick, be careful to avoid the lead. Discards should indicate weakness, unless you can show command of such a suit as A K, or K Q, by discarding the best of it. This will direct your partners to let that suit go, and keep the others. It is usually better to keep a guarded King than a single ace. The player on the right of the bidder should get into the lead if possible, especially if he holds one or two winning cards. These will either give his partners discards, or allow them to over-trump the bidder. In playing misères, it is better to begin with a singleton, or the lowest of a safe suit. An ace or King two or three times guarded is very safe for a misère, as it is very improbable that any player will be able to lead the suit more than twice; and if the bidder’s missing suit is led, the high card can be got rid of at once. In playing against a misère, discards are important, and the first should be from the shortest suit, and always the highest card of it.
With such a suit as A K Q 2, no one need be told not to begin with the deuce. Whenever a player holds two or more of the best cards of a suit he should play one of them. If he holds both second and third best, playing one of them will force the best out of his way, leaving him with the commanding card. The cards which are recognised by whist players as high, are the A K Q J 10, and if we separate the various combinations from which a player should lead each of them, a study of the groups so formed will greatly facilitate our recollection of them. In the first group are those containing two or more of the best cards. In this and all following notation, the exact size of any card below a Ten is immaterial. [Illustration: 🂡 🂮 🂭 🂫 | 🂱 🂾 🂻 🂷 🃁 🃎 🃍 🃆 | 🃑 🃞 🃔 🃓 ] So far as trick-taking is concerned, it is of no importance which of the winning cards is first led; but for the past hundred years it has been the custom for good whist players to lead the _=King=_ from all these combinations, in order that the partner may be informed, by its winning, that the leader holds the Ace also. In the second group are those containing both the second and third best, but not the best. [Illustration: 🂮 🂭 🂫 🂪 | 🂾 🂽 🂺 🂸 🃎 🃍 🃋 🃄 | 🃞 🃝 🃗 🃖 ] The _=King=_ is the proper lead from these combinations. If it wins, the partner should have the Ace; if it loses, partner should know the leader holds at least the Queen.
V. Arabella! Arabella! Arabella! Farewell! Last night when we parted I left you broken-hearted Down by the mill-side. Who ll you have, love? Who ll you have, love? Who ll you have, love? Farewell! Go to church, love, Go to church, love, Go to church, love, Farewell! Come back, love, Come back, love, Come back, love, Farewell! Shake hands, love, Shake hands, love, Shake hands, love, Farewell! Take a kiss, love, Take a kiss, love, Take a kiss, love, Farewell! --Platt School, near Wrotham, Kent (Miss Burne). VI. Isabella, Isabella, Isabella, Farewell! Last night when we parted I left you broken-hearted, And on the green meadow You was standing alone. Choose a sweetheart, choose a sweetheart, Choose a sweetheart, fair maid. Take her hand, love, take her hand, love, Take her hand, love, fair maid. Kneel down, love, kneel down, love, Kneel down, love, fair maid. Take a kiss, love, take a kiss, love, Take a kiss, love, fair maid. Now you re married I wish you joy, First a girl and then a boy, Seven years after son and daughter; Pray, young couple, come kiss together.