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. III. A single, or game of one point, when their adversaries have scored three or four. 9. The winners of the rubber gain two points (commonly called the rubber points), in addition to the value of their games.
When a player is known to have no trumps, and therefore cannot be calling for them, he may use the trump signal in any plain suit which he wishes led to him. As a general rule, a player should not use this signal unless he has a certain trick in the suit in which he signals. Some players use what is called the reverse discard; a signal in one suit meaning weakness in it, and an invitation to lead another. This avoids the necessity for using the good suit for signalling purposes. _=Unblocking.=_ When the original leader shows a suit of five cards, and the Third Hand has four exactly, the latter should keep his lowest card, not for the purpose of echoing, but in order to retain a small card which will not block the holder of the longer suit. If the Third Hand has three cards of the suit led, and among them a card which may block his partner, he should give it up on the second round. For instance: Holding K 4 3, and partner showing a five-card suit by leading Ace then Jack, Third Hand should give up the King on the second round. Again: Holding Q 9 3, partner leading Ace then Eight; Second Hand playing King second round, Third Hand should give up the Queen. Again: Holding K Q, partner leading the 8 originally, won by Fourth Hand with Ace; the King should be discarded or otherwise got rid of at the first opportunity.
B. Gomme). This game is also called Knight of the Whistle. The boy who is to be made a Knight of the Order of the Whistle, when led up between the two rows of players, has a cloak put round his shoulders and a cap with a feather in it on his head. The whistle is then fastened on to the cloak. This is described by the Rev. J. G. Wood (_Modern Playmate_, p. 189).
=_ Six players cut for partners, two on a side. Each player has two adversaries between himself and his partner. The dealer gives each player eight cards, four at a time, and four are dealt to the table after the first round to the players. These four cards are the widow. The successful bidder can take the widow before he names the trump, and then all the players discard down to six cards. _=SUGGESTIONS FOR GOOD PLAY.=_ There is a great diversity of opinion on bidding. Some persons always bid six on an ace, if they hold neither of the Pedroes. This is based on the sound principle that the odds are five to four in favour of your partner having one of the Pedroes, which he will immediately give up if you lead the ace. The odds are five to two that your partner will hold one or more of any three named counting cards which you do not hold.
He leaves the five and rolls the other die again, getting another five. That is a _=spare=_, and the total pips on his first throw on the next frame will count on the spare. If he does not get a spare, it is a _=break=_, and the total pips on his two dice at the end of his third throw are scored. It is usual to take up anything but fives on the first throw, on the chance of getting a spare. If a spare is not thrown on the second throw, most players leave anything as good as threes, and always leave fours; but ace and treys are always thrown again. BASE BALL WITH DICE. There are two forms of this game. In the simpler any number of persons may play, and three dice are used. Each player throws in turn, the three dice representing his three strikes. Nothing but aces count, but each of them is a run; and as long as a player makes runs he goes on throwing.
The pone is the player on the dealer’s right, and the age is the one on his left. _=STAKES.=_ Before play begins, or a card is dealt, the value of the counters must be decided, and a _=limit=_ must be agreed upon. There are four limitations in Draw Poker, and they govern or fix the maximum of the four principal stakes: the blind; the straddle; the ante; and the bet or raise. The _=blind=_ is the amount put up by the age before he sees anything, and should be limited to one white counter, as the blind is the smallest stake in the game. In some places it is permissible for the age to make the blind any amount he pleases within half the betting limit; but such a practice is a direct violation of the principles of the game, which require that the amount of the blind shall bear a fixed proportion to the limit of the betting. The _=straddle=_ is a double blind, sometimes put up by the player to the left of the age, and like the blind, without seeing anything. This allows the player on the left of the straddler to double again, or put up four times the amount of the original blind. This straddling process is usually limited to one-fourth of the betting limit; that is, if the betting limit is fifty counters, the doubling of the blind must cease when a player puts up sixteen, for another double would carry it to thirty-two, which would be more than half the limit for a bet or raise. The _=ante=_ is the amount put up by each player after he has seen his cards, but before he draws to improve his hand.
He should know that the caller has nothing between the 5 and the 9, and must have the Ace; so his cards were probably A 5 4 3 2. 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.
=_ Pools may be simple or double. The usual custom is to compel every one to play when the pool is a simple, containing nothing but the five counters put up by the dealer. When there are more than five counters in the pool they must be some multiple of five, and the pool is called a double. In double pools the players may play or pass as they please. No matter how many counters are already in the pool, the dealer must add five. Each player gathers in the tricks he wins, and at the end of the hand he is entitled to take one-fifth of the contents of the pool for every trick he has won. If he has played his hand, and failed to get a trick, he is ramsed, and forfeits five counters to form the next pool, in addition to those which will be put up by the next dealer. If two or more players fail to win a trick, they must each pay five counters, and if the player whose turn it will be to deal next is ramsed, he will have to put up ten; five for his deal, and five for the rams. _=GENERAL RAMS.=_ If any player thinks he can win all five tricks, with the advantage of the first lead, he may announce a general rams, when it comes to his turn to pass or play.
Cards once passed in this manner cannot again be seen by either player. The player who passes the card turns up the next one on the stock. If he does not want it, he places it on the table between himself and his adversary, and if his adversary does not want it either, he turns it down and passes it to the pile of deadwood, turning up the top card of the stock again. In this manner it will be seen that each player has to decide on two cards in succession; the one drawn but not used by his adversary, and the one he draws himself. This is continued until the stock is exhausted, which ends the game. _=Discarding.=_ If a player uses any card drawn from the stock in this manner, it is obvious that he has too many cards, and in order to reduce his hand and show-downs to ten cards, he must discard something, unless he can show down everything remaining in his hand, in which case he would have eleven cards down, and win the game. In discarding, the card thrown out is placed at the disposal of the adversary, as if it were the card drawn from the stock, and if the adversary does not want it, he passes it and draws another. It should be observed that the player drawing the card from the stock always has the first refusal of it. This is sometimes very important, as both players often need the same card.
In no version that I am acquainted with do the elements of love and marriage or kissing occur, otherwise the resemblance it bears to the Scotch Merry-ma-tanzie would suggest that it is a portion of that game. This game possesses the centre tree, which is not preserved in Merry-ma-tansa. Trees were formerly sacred to dancing at the marriage festival, as at Polwarth in Berwickshire, where the custom once prevailed, which is not unworthy of notice. In the midst of the village are two thorn trees near to each other; round these every newly-married pair were expected to dance with all their friends; from hence arose the old song, Polwarth on the Green (_New Statistical Account of Scotland, Polwarth, Berwickshire_, ii. 234). Holland (_Cheshire Glossary_), under Kissing Bush, says, A bush of holly, ivy, or other evergreens, which is hung up in farm kitchens at Christmas, and serves the purpose of mistletoe. The kissing bushes are usually prepared by the farm lads on Christmas Eve, and they are often tastefully decorated with apples, oranges, and bits of gay-coloured ribbon. I have occasionally seen them made upon a framework of hoop iron something in the form of a crown, with a socket at the bottom to hold a lighted candle. Brand (ii. 15) also describes how in Ireland men and women dance round about a bush in a large ring on the Patron Day.
Skinner is a little more particular and says, Vox tesseris globulosis ludentium propria: an expression belonging to a game played with little round tesseræ. He also derives it from French and Italian. It is mentioned by Jonson, _Tale of a Tub_, iii. 2:-- Young Justice Bramble has kept _level-coyl_ Here in our quarters, stole away our daughter. Gifford says that, in our old dramatists, it implies riot and disturbance. The same sport is mentioned by Sylvester, _Dubartas_, IV. iv. 2, under the name of _level-sice_:-- By tragick death s device Ambitious hearts do play at _level-sice_. In the margin we have this explanation: A kinde of Christmas play, wherein each hunteth the other from his seat. The name seems derived from the French _levez sus_, in English, arise up.
Third Hand winning first round has the choice of four lines of play: 1st. To lead trumps, if he is strong enough. 2nd. To return the best card of his partner’s suit if he has it. This is imperative before opening any other suit but trumps. 3rd. To lead his own suit, if he can do anything with it. It is considered better play for the Third Hand to return the original leader’s suit than to open a long weak suit of his own such as one headed by a single honour. 4th. To return his partner’s suit even with a losing card, in preference to changing.
This is why the straddles are limited. The largest _=bet=_, or _=raise=_, which a player is allowed to make is generally known as _=the limit=_. This limit is not the greatest amount that may be bet on one hand, but is the maximum amount by which one player may increase his bet over that of another player. For instance: If no one has bet, A may bet the limit on his hand; B may then put up a similar amount, which is called _=seeing=_ him, and may then _=raise=_ him any further sum within the limit fixed for betting. If B raises the limit, it is obvious that he has placed in the pool twice the amount of the betting limit; but his _=raise=_ over A’s bet is within the betting limit. If another player should raise B again, he would be putting up three times the limit; A’s bet, B’s raise, and his own raise. In the absence of any definite arrangement, it is usual to make the betting limit fifty times the amount of the blind. That is, if the value of the blind, or one white counter, is five cents, the limit of a bet or raise will be two dollars and a half, or two blue counters. This fixes the ante at two white counters, or ten cents, in the absence of straddles, and limits the straddling to the fourth player from the age, or sixteen white counters. This proportion makes a very fair game, and gives a player some opportunity to vary his betting according to his estimate of the value of his hand.
The White ball shall be used in rotation by the various players taking part in the game solely as the striker’s ball, and shall be played from the “D” at the start of a game by the first player, and at any other period of the game, after it has been off the table from any cause whatever. 4. The ball shall be struck with the point of the cue and not “pushed.” If, after the striker’s ball has been forced against an object ball, the point of his cue remain or come in contact with his ball, the stroke is foul. There is no difference between the act of striking and the act of aiming. 5. The “baulk” is no protection. 6. The striker must pocket a red ball before playing upon a pool ball; otherwise the stroke is foul, and after pocketing a red ball he must play upon a pool ball, an order of play that must be observed throughout each break so long as a red ball remains upon the table. 7.
The pool proper is usually limited to 25 red counters. When it exceeds that amount, the 25 are set aside, and the surplus used to start a fresh pool. Any player winning a pool is entitled to 25 red counters at the most. It will often happen that several such pools will accumulate, and each must be played for in its turn. At the end of the game any counters remaining in the pool or pools must be divided among the players. _=PLAYERS.=_ Boston is played by four persons. If more than four candidates offer for play, five or six may form a table; if there are more than six, the selection of the table must be made by cutting, as at Whist. _=CUTTING.=_ The four persons who shall play the first game are determined by cutting, and they again cut for the deal, with the choice of seats and cards.
The rubber points having been marked, all other scores are turned down. The side winning the rubber adds two points to its score for so doing. The value of the rubber is determined by deducting from the score of the winners any rubber points that may have been made by their adversaries. The smallest rubber possible to win is one point; the winners having scored two singles and the rubber, equal to four; from which they have to deduct a triple made by their adversaries. The largest rubber possible is eight points, called a _=bumper=_, the winners having scored two triples and the rubber, to their adversaries’ nothing. It is sometimes important to observe the order of precedence in scoring. For instance: if, at the beginning of a hand, A-B have three points to Y-Z’s nothing, and A-B make two by honours, Y-Z winning three by cards, Y-Z mark first; so that A-B win only a _=single=_, instead of a _=treble=_. On the contrary, should A-B make two by cards, Y-Z claiming four by honours, A-B win a treble; as their tricks put them out before it is Y-Z’s turn to count. In America, where rubbers are played without counting honours, it is not usual to reckon rubber points; but simply to add some agreed value to the score of those winning the odd game. Where single games are played, whether 5, 7, or 10 points, some persons consider the game as finished when the agreed number of points is reached.
_=Irregular Discards.=_ If a player discards less cards than he intended, it is too late to remedy the error if he has touched the stock. If he discards too many cards, as the dealer frequently will by laying out five instead of three, he may take them back if he has not touched those in the stock, but if he touches any card in the stock, he must play with the short hand if there are not enough cards left in the stock to make his hand up to twelve. _=Irregular Drawing.=_ If the pone draws one of the three cards which properly belong to the dealer, he loses the game; and if the dealer draws any of the first five, before the pone has announced that he leaves them, the dealer loses the game. The dealer has no right to touch any part of the stock until the pone has discarded and drawn; but if the pone draws without making any announcement about leaving cards, the dealer has a right to assume that five cards have been taken, and that only three remain in the stock. For instance: The pone discards five cards, but draws four only, without saying anything. The dealer proceeds to discard and draw. He has of course taken one of the pone’s cards, but it is too late to remedy the error or claim a penalty, and the pone must play with eleven cards. It is evident that the dealer will have too many cards, but as he has been led into the error by his adversary, he must be allowed to discard to reduce his hand to twelve.
_=MARKERS=_ are necessary to count the game points only. Four circular counters for each side, preferably of different colours, are employed, or the ordinary whist markers may be used. At the end of each game, the score of the points won or lost by each player must be transferred to a score-sheet, kept for that purpose. _=PLAYERS.=_ Mort is played by three persons; but the table is usually composed of four. If there are more than four candidates, the methods described in connection with whist are adopted for deciding which four shall play the first tournée. The table being formed, the cards are again shuffled and spread to cut for partners and deal. _=TIES=_ are decided in the same manner as at whist. _=CUTTING.=_ If there are three players, the one cutting the lowest card takes dummy for the first game; he also has the choice of seats and cards, and may deal the first hand for himself or for Mort, as he pleases; but having once made his choice, he must abide by it.
Dismounted cavalry charged is equivalent to infantry in extended order. If cavalry charges cavalry and the numbers are equal and the ground level, the result must be decided by the toss of a coin; the loser losing three-quarters of his men and obliged to retire, the winner losing one-quarter of his men. If the numbers are unequal, the melee rules for Little Wars obtain if the ground is level. If the ground slopes, the cavalry charging downhill will be multiplied according to the number of contours crossed. If it is one contour, it must be multiplied by two; two contours, multiplied by three; three contours, multiplied by four. If cavalry retires before cavalry instead of accepting a charge, it must continue to retire so long as it is pursued--the pursuers can only be arrested by fresh cavalry or by infantry or artillery fire. If driven off the field or into an unfordable river, the retreating body is destroyed. If infantry find hostile cavalry within charging distance at the end of the enemy s move, and this infantry retires and yet is still within charging distance, it will receive double losses if in extended order if charged; and if in two ranks or in fours, will lose at three feet two men for each charging sabre; at two feet, three men for each charging sabre. The cavalry in these circumstances will lose nothing. The infantry will have to continue to retire until their tormentors have exterminated them or been driven off by someone else.
In games in which the cards are dealt by two and threes, for instance, it is illegal to give one player two and another three in the same round. _=Misdeals.=_ In all games in which the deal is an advantage, a misdeal loses the deal; but in all games in which the deal is a disadvantage, or some position is more advantageous than that of the dealer, such as the “age” at Poker, a misdeal does not lose the deal. The only exception to this rule is in Bridge, in which there are no misdeals, and Cribbage, which has a fixed penalty. _=Bidding.=_ In all games in which there is any bidding for the privilege of playing or of making the trump, or any betting on the value of the hands, the privilege must be extended to each player in turn, beginning on the dealer’s left. Any bid or any bet once made can neither be taken back nor amended. If any bid is made out of turn in any partnership game, it must be assumed that undue information is conveyed, and the player in error, or his partner, must lose his bid. In round games there is no penalty. _=Exposed Cards.
Both are excellent round games for the family circle. _=Progressive Cinch=_ is played by dealing one round at each table; that is, four deals, each player having the deal once only. The ordinary game of Cinch is played, and the pair having the fewest points to go at the end of the four deals progress to the next higher table. Ties cut to decide, high going up. On arriving at the next table, the partners divide, and another game of four deals is played, the winning pair again progressing. The general arrangements for the original positions of the players, and the prizes to be given, are the same as in Progressive Euchre, and have been fully described in connection with that game. _=Blind Cinch.=_ Instead of giving each player thirteen cards at once, the hands are dealt in two parts. First of all, nine cards are dealt to each player, three at a time. Then four cards are dealt in front of each player, but not to be touched until the bidding is finished.
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--Darlington s _Folk-speech of South Cheshire_. IV. Obbly, obbly onkers, my first conquers; Obbly, obbly O, my first go. --Lawson s _Upton-on-Severn Words and Phrases_. V. Hobley, hobley, honcor, my first conkor; Hobbley, hobbley ho, my first go; Hobley, hobley ack, my first crack. --Chamberlain s _West Worcestershire Glossary_. (_b_) This game is played with horse chestnuts threaded on a string. Two boys sit face to face astride of a form or a log of timber. If a piece of turf can be procured so much the better.
For this purpose the dealer must be careful to preserve a re-entry card in the hand which is longer in the suit. Suppose that Dummy’s long suit is clubs, but that the Ace is against him, and that his only winning card outside is the Ace of diamonds. If diamonds are led, and the dealer has the Queen, he must let the lead come up to his hand so as to keep Dummy’s Ace of diamonds for a re-entry to bring the clubs into play after the Ace has been forced out and the suit established. Many of the prettiest plays in bridge are in the management of re-entry cards. _=Underplay.=_ When the dealer is afraid of a suit which is opened against him, and has only one winning card in it, such as the Ace, he should hold up that card until the third hand has no more of the suit to lead to his partner. The original leader will then have to get in himself, because his partner cannot help him; but if the dealer gave up the Ace on the first trick, it would not matter which partner got into the lead, they would return to the suit first opened. _=Ducking.=_ This is a method of play by which the dealer hopes to make his own suit even when the hand that is longer in it has no re-entry card. Suppose Dummy holds six clubs to the Ace King, and not another trick in his hand.
A game played by children with round small pebbles (Halliwell s _Dictionary_). It is also mentioned in the early play of _Apollo Shroving_, 1627, p. 49. See Chucks, Fivestones. Cherry Odds A game of Pitch and Toss played with cherry-stones (Elworthy s _West Somerset Words_). Boys always speak of the stones as ods. Cherry-pit Cherry-pit is a play wherein they pitch cherry-stones into a little hole. It is noticed in the _Pleasant Grove of New Fancies_, 1657, and in Herrick s _Hesperides_. Nares (_Glossary_) mentions it as still practised with leaden counters called Dumps, or with money. Chicamy Chicamy, chickamy, chimey O, Down to the pond to wash their feet; Bring them back to have some meat, Chickamy, chickamy, chimey O.
Checks, the counters at Poker are checks; at Faro they are chips. Chelem, F., a slam. Chip Along, to bet a single counter and wait for developments. Chouette, à la, taking all the bets. Close Cards, those which are not likely to form sequences with others, especially at Cribbage. Club Stakes, the usual amount bet on any game in the club. Cogging Dice, turning one over with the finger after they have been fairly thrown. Cold Deck, a pack of cards which has been pre-arranged, and is surreptitiously exchanged for the one in play. Colours, a system of playing Faro according to the colour of the first winner or loser in each deal.