It would seem more probable that the game at one time represented the progress of the soul from earth to heaven through various intermediate states, the name given to the last court being most frequently paradise or an equivalent, such as crown or glory, while the names of the other courts corresponded with the eschatological ideas prevalent in the early days of Christianity. Some such game existed before Christianity, and Mr. Crombie considered that it had been derived from several ancient games. Possibly the strange myths of the labyrinths might have had something to do with Hop-scotch, and a variety of the game played in England, under the name of Round Hop-scotch, was almost identical with a game described by Pliny as being played by the boys of his day. Mr. Crombie also said he believed that the early Christians adopted the general idea of the ancient game, but they not only converted it into an allegory of heaven, with Christian beliefs and Christian names; they Christianised the figure also; they abandoned the heathen labyrinth and replaced it by the form of the Basilicon, the early Christian church, dividing it into seven parts, as they believed heaven to be divided, and placing paradise, the inner sanctum of heaven, in the position of the altar, the inner sanctum of their earthly church. See Hap the Beds. Hop, Step, and Jump See Half-Hammer. Hornie A game among children in which one of the company runs after the rest having his hands clasped and his thumbs pushed out before him in resemblance of horns. The first person whom he touches with his thumbs becomes his property, joins hands with him, and aids in attempting to catch the rest: and so on until they are all made captives.
| | 7.|And dance along with |And walk along with |And dance along with | | |us. |us. |us. | | 8.|For we are going a- | -- |For we are lads a | | |roving. | |roving. | | 9.|We ll take this maid | -- |We ll take this pretty| | |by the hand. | | fair maid by the | | | | |hand.
39. If, during dealing, a player touch any of his cards, the adversaries may do the same, without losing their privilege of claiming a new deal, should chance give them such option. 40. If, in dealing, one of the last cards be exposed, and the dealer turn up the trump before there is reasonable time for his adversaries to decide as to a fresh deal, they do not thereby lose their privilege. 41. If a player, whilst dealing, look at the trump card, his adversaries have a right to see it, and may exact a new deal. 42. If a player take into the hand dealt to him a card belonging to the other pack, the adversaries, on discovery of the error, may decide whether they will have a fresh deal or not. A MISDEAL. 43.
Bell). XIII. How many miles to London? Three score ten. Can I get there by candle-light? Yes, and back again. Open the gate and let me through. Not unless you re black and blue. Here s my black and here s my blue, Open the gates and let me through. Dan, Dan, thread the needle; Dan, Dan, sew. --_Suffolk County Folk-lore_, p. 63.
Set up the men as follows:-- Black King on K R sq. White King on K B 6, white Bishop on K B 5, and white Knight on K Kt 5; White to move and win. The object is to drive the King into a corner of the board which is commanded by the Bishop, as he cannot otherwise be mated. Kt-B7 ch B-K4 B-R7 Kt-K5 1 --------- 2 -------- 3 --------- 4 -------- K-Kt sq K-B sq K-K sq K-B sq Kt-Q7 ch K-K6 K-Q6 B-K6 ch 5 --------- 6 -------- 7 --------- 8 -------- K-K sq K-Q sq K-K sq K-Q sq K-B6 B-B7 Kt-Kt7 ch K-B6 9 --------- 10 --------- 11 --------- 12 -------- K-B sq K-Q sq K-B sq K-Kt sq K-Kt6 B-K6 ch Kt-B5 B-Q7 13 --------- 14 --------- 15 --------- 16 -------- K-B sq K-Kt sq K-R sq K-Kt sq Kt-R6 ch B-B6 mate 17 --------- 18 --------- K-R sq If, at the fourth move, the black King does not go back to the Bishop’s square, but goes on to the Queen’s square, hoping to cut across to the other black corner of the board, the continuation will be as follows, beginning at White’s fifth move:-- K-K6 Kt-Q7 B-Q3 B-Kt5 5 --------- 6 --------- 7 --------- 8 -------- K-B2 K-B3 K-B2 K-Q sq Kt-K5 Kt-B4 K-Q6 Kt-R5 9 --------- 10 --------- 11 --------- 12 -------- K-B2 K-Q sq K-B sq K-Q sq Kt-Kt7 ch K-B6 Kt-Q6 K-B7 13 --------- 14 --------- 15 --------- 16 -------- K-B sq K-Kt sq K-R2 K-R sq B-B4 Kt-B8 ch B-Q5 mate 17 --------- 18 --------- 19 --------- K-R2 K-R sq _=PAWN ENDINGS.=_ There are a great number of these, many being complicated by the addition of Pawns to other pieces. The following example, which is a position that often occurs, should be understood by the beginner:-- Put the black King on K B square; the white King on K B 6, and a white Pawn on K 6. If it is Black’s move, White can win easily; but if it is White’s move it is impossible to win, because whether he checks or not the black King gets in front of the Pawn and either wins it or secures a stale-mate. Put the Pawn behind the King, on K B 5, and White wins, no matter which moves first, for if Black moves he allows the white King to advance to the seventh file, which will queen the Pawn. If White moves first, and the black King keeps opposite him, the Pawn advances. If Black goes in the other direction, the white King goes to the seventh file and wins by queening the Pawn.
Every wall was glass. It couldn t have been in greater contrast to the contrived hominess of the casino if they d thought about it for a year. Then, for the last twist, the furnishings were straight out of the old Southwest--Navajo rugs, heavy, Spanish oak desks, and a pair of matching couches or divans of whole steer leather stretched over oak frames. * * * * * Peno Rose came quickly toward me the moment Fowler Smythe showed me into the office, spurs jingling. Hey! There he is! The boy they had to rule off the track! How s a boy, Lefty? Long time no see. He had his hand stuck way out ahead of him. His sharp, dried-out features repelled me twice as much as they had ten years before. That hatchet face of his was gashed with what he thought was a smile. I ve seen sharks with a pleasanter gape. Naturally, I didn t take his hand.
The question is, How does this theory of the origin of the game fit in with the term Nuts in May ? I attribute this to the gathering by parties of young men of bunches of May at the May festivals and dances, to decorate not only the Maypole, May kissing-bush, but the doors of houses. Knots of May is a term used by children, meaning bunches of May. Thus, a note by Miss Fowler in the MS. of the games she had collected says, In Bucks the children speak of knots of May, meaning each little bunch of hawthorn blossom. The gathering of bunches of May by parties of young men and maidens to make the May-bush round which the May Day games were held, and dancing and courting, is mentioned by Wilde (_Irish Popular Superstitions_, p. 52), the game being Dance in the Ring. Holland (_Cheshire Glossary_) says, May birches were branches of different kinds of trees fastened over doors of houses and on the chimney on the eve of May Day. They were fastened up by parties of young men who went round for the purpose, and were intended to be symbolical of the character of the inmates. I remember one May Day in London, when the May girls came with a garland and short sticks decorated with green and bunches of flowers, they sang-- Knots of May we ve brought you, Before your door it stands; It is but a sprout, but it s well budded out By the work of the Lord s hands, and a Miss Spencer, who lived near Hampton (Middlesex), told me that she well remembered the May girls singing the first verse of this carol, using knots instead of the more usual word branch or bunch, and that she knew the small bunch of May blossom by the name of knots of May, bringing in knots of May being a usual expression of children. The association of May--whether the month, or the flower, or both--with the game is very strong, the refrain cold and frosty morning, all on a summer s morning, bright summer s morning, so early in the morning, also being characteristic of the early days of May and spring, and suggests that the whole day from early hours is given up to holiday.
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. ♛ _=The Queen=_ combines the movements of the Rook and Bishop, and can be moved horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, any number of squares at a time, provided that the path is clear. Like the Rook and Bishop, she cannot move at all until some of the adjoining pieces have made a way for her. ♚ _=The King=_ has the same movement as the Queen, but is limited to one square at a time. The King is not allowed to move to a square which would expose him to capture by adverse pieces, for reasons which will presently be explained. ♞ _=The Knight=_ has a very peculiar movement, which is L shaped, and necessitates his changing the colour of the square he stands on, every time he moves. The simplest way for the beginner to learn the Knight’s move is to observe that he must go two squares, neither more nor less, in a vertical or a horizontal direction, and must then change the colour of the square he stands on by going one square either to the right or left, which will complete the L shaped movement. Diagram No. 4 will show that when the Knight is away from the side of the board, he may go to any one of eight different squares; but when he is in a corner he can go to two only.
If there are three at the table, the dealer takes no cards, and has no part in the game for that hand. _=Cutting.=_ Seats and deal are cut for, the lowest cut having the choice, and dealing the first hand. The Ace is low, the King high. _=Stakes.=_ Each deal is a game in itself, and the loser pays one counter for it. If the game is a tie, called a _=tableau=_, each puts up a counter for a pool, and the winner of the next game takes the pool, in addition to the counter paid by his adversary. If the next game is also a tableau, each player adds another counter to the pool, and so on until it is won. _=Dealing.=_ Ten cards are dealt to each player in five rounds of two at a time, and the twenty remaining in the stock are laid upon the table face down, between the players, but a little to the left of the dealer.
A revoke must be claimed and proved before the pool is divided. Non-compliance with a performable penalty is the same as a revoke. _=SETTLING.=_ After the last card has been played, each player turns over his tricks, counts the number of hearts he has taken in, and announces it. Players should be careful not to gather or mix the cards until all thirteen hearts have been accounted for. Each player then pays into the pool for the number of hearts he has taken in, according to the system of settlement agreed upon before play began. The pool is then taken down by the player or players winning it, and the deal passes to the left. The game is at an end any time the players wish to stop, after a hand has been settled for; but it is usual to agree upon some definite hour. There are two ways of settling at the end of the hand, each of which has its good points. _=SWEEPSTAKE HEARTS.
-+---+-.-+---+-.-+---+ | . | | . | | . | | . | | +-.-+---+-.-+---+-.-+---+-.
Hornie Holes A game in which four play, a principal and an assistant on each side. A. stands with his assistant at one hole, and throws what is called a Cat (a piece of stick, and frequently a sheep s horn), with the design of making it alight in another hole at some distance, at which B. and his assistant stand ready to drive it aside. The bat or driver is a rod resembling a walking-stick. The following unintelligible rhyme is repeated by a player on the one side, while they on the other are gathering in the Cats, and is attested by old people as of great antiquity:-- Jock, Speak, and Sandy, W a their lousy train Round about by Errinborra, We ll never meet again. Gae head im, gae hang im, Gae lay im in the sea; A the birds o the air Will bear him companee. With a nig-nag, widdy- [_or_ worry-] bag, And an e endown trail, trail; Quoth he. --Jamieson. The game is also called Kittie-cat.
_=VALUE OF THE HANDS.=_ The various hands possible in poker are given a counting value, supposed to be in proportion to the difficulty of getting them. There are three systems of counting in common use, the English differing slightly from the American, both in value and in rank. The various scoring values are here given: One pair 2 1 1 Two pairs 5 2 3 Triplets 10 7 6 Straights 15 9 12 Flushes 20 5 5 Full hands 25 12 10 Four of a kind 50 20 16 Straight flush 75 30 30 Royal flush 100 50 30 The first column given is the American system of counting by fives, after one pair, retaining the regular poker rank of the hands. The second column is the American system that puts the straight next to the full hand, and the flush between two pairs and a triplet. The third column is the English system, which ranks the straight above the full hand. As no person has as yet come forward with any figures to show which combination is easier to get in patience poker, nor the proportion of one hand to the other, these figures are all guess work; and players may adopt any values they please. As soon as the tableau is complete, with five rows of five cards each, the value of each of the ten hands the tableau contains is found and the total put down. The object of the solitaire player usually is to see how many tableaus he needs to reach a grand total of 500 points. _=SUGGESTIONS FOR GOOD PLAY.
Red or Black. The foregoing are the payments at Monte Carlo; but wheels with less numbers are scaled down accordingly. The players can bet on the zero if they choose, and they will be paid if it comes up, 35 for 1, but all other bets are lost. In wheels with two zeros, red and black, the bank wins on the colour which does not come, and the bets on the right colour are neither paid nor taken, but must remain until the next turn of the wheel. This is now the practice at Monte Carlo, with the single-zero wheels. _=Systems.=_ As at Faro, gamblers at Roulette are never tired of devising systems to beat the game; but none of them are of any further use than to afford a little passing amusement to their inventors. Persons who are interested in systems will find in the New York Sun, July 5, 1896, a very interesting tabulation of every roll of the ball at Monte Carlo for seven successive days, 4,012 in all, of which 120 were zeros. If they can find a system that will beat the wheel for seven days, and have a return ticket, Monte Carlo will take care of all their spare cash. One curious fallacy about some systems is to imagine that they will win if the player will quit when he is a certain amount ahead, and not play again until next day.
More money is lost at Napoleon by playing imperfect misères than in any other way. _=Variations.=_ The foregoing description applies to the regular four-handed game; but there are several variations in common use. Better bids than “nap” are sometimes allowed, on the understanding that the bidder will pay double or treble stakes if he fails, but will receive only the usual amount if successful. For instance: One player bids _=Nap=_, and another holds what he considers a certainty for five tricks. In order not to lose such an opportunity the latter bids _=Wellington=_, which binds him to pay ten counters to each player if he fails. Another may outbid this again by bidding _=Blucher=_, which binds him to pay twenty to each if he loses, but to receive only ten if he wins. In England, the bidder, if successful, receives double or treble stakes for a Wellington or a Blucher, which is simply another way of allowing any person with a nap hand to increase the stakes at pleasure, for a player with a certain five tricks would of course bid a Blucher at once, trebling his gains and shutting off all competition at the same time. This variation is not to be recommended, and benefits no one but the gambler. _=Pools.
_=FREEZE OUT.=_ This might be called a variety of table stakes. At the start, each player is supplied with an equal number of counters; but no one is allowed to replenish his stock, or to withdraw or loan any part of it. As soon as any player has lost his capital he is decavé, or _=frozen out=_, and must permanently retire from the game. The other players continue until only one remains, who must of course win everything on the table. This is not a popular form of Poker, because it is sometimes a long time before a player who is frozen out can get into a game again. _=SHOW-DOWN POKER.=_ This is a variety of draw poker, in which each player takes the five cards dealt to him and turns them face up so that all the other players can see them. Each player discards and draws in turn, eldest hand first. As soon as a hand is beaten it is thrown into the deadwood, all the cards drawn being dealt face up.
For the present, I have done all that I meant to do in this matter. It is for you, dear reader, now to get a floor, a friend, some soldiers and some guns, and show by a grovelling devotion your appreciation of this noble and beautiful gift of a limitless game that I have given you. And if I might for a moment trumpet! How much better is this amiable miniature than the Real Thing! Here is a homeopathic remedy for the imaginative strategist. Here is the premeditation, the thrill, the strain of accumulating victory or disaster--and no smashed nor sanguinary bodies, no shattered fine buildings nor devastated country sides, no petty cruelties, none of that awful universal boredom and embitterment, that tiresome delay or stoppage or embarrassment of every gracious, bold, sweet, and charming thing, that we who are old enough to remember a real modern war know to be the reality of belligerence. This world is for ample living; we want security and freedom; all of us in every country, except a few dull-witted, energetic bores, want to see the manhood of the world at something better than apeing the little lead toys our children buy in boxes. We want fine things made for mankind--splendid cities, open ways, more knowledge and power, and more and more and more--and so I offer my game, for a particular as well as a general end; and let us put this prancing monarch and that silly scare-monger, and these excitable patriots, and those adventurers, and all the practitioners of Welt Politik, into one vast Temple of War, with cork carpets everywhere, and plenty of little trees and little houses to knock down, and cities and fortresses, and unlimited soldiers--tons, cellars-full--and let them lead their own lives there away from us. My game is just as good as their game, and saner by reason of its size. Here is War, done down to rational proportions, and yet out of the way of mankind, even as our fathers turned human sacrifices into the eating of little images and symbolic mouthfuls. For my own part, I am _prepared_. I have nearly five hundred men, more than a score of guns, and I twirl my moustache and hurl defiance eastward from my home in Essex across the narrow seas.
Some persons imagine that the adversaries can prevent an exposed card from being played; but such is not the case. _=Leading out of Turn.=_ Should a player lead out of turn, the adversaries may call a suit from the player in error, or from his partner, when it is next the turn of either of them to lead. American laws require the call to be made by the player on the right of the one from whom the suit is called. The English laws give the adversaries the option of calling the card played in error an exposed card. If all have played to the trick before discovering the error, it cannot be rectified; but if all have not played, those who have followed the false lead must take back their cards, which are not, however, liable to be called. _=Revoking Players=_ cannot win the game that hand, no matter what they score; but they may play the hand out, and score all points they make to within one point of game. Any player may ask the others to _=draw cards=_ in any trick, provided he does so before they are touched for the purpose of gathering them. In answer to this demand, each player should indicate which of the cards on the table he played. In the English game, any player may look at the last trick turned and quitted; in the American he may not.