The following is the account of this game given by Mr. Douce in the _Illustrations of Shakespeare and of Ancient Manners_, 1807, i. 184:-- This game was sometimes called the _nine mens merrils_ from _merelles_, or _mereaux_, an ancient French word for the jettons, or counters, with which it was played. The other term, _morris_, is probably a corruption suggested by the sort of dance which, in the progress of the game, the counters performed. In the French _merelles_ each party had three counters only, which were to be placed in a line in order to win the game. It appears to have been the _tremerel_ mentioned in an old fabliau. See _Le Grand_, _Fabliaux et Contes_, ii. 208. Dr. Hyde thinks the morris, or merrils, was known during the time that the Normans continued in possession of England, and that the name was afterwards corrupted into _three men s morals_, or _nine men s morals_.
He is allowed to count the cards remaining in the talon, provided he does not disturb their order. This count is often important toward the end of the hand. For instance: You know from the cards you hold, and those played, that your adversary must have in his hand the cards that will make a double bézique on the table into a triple bézique, which would give him 1500 points. If, on counting the stock, you find only six cards remain, and you have three certain winning trumps to lead, you can shut out his 1500 by exhausting the stock before he can win a trick. _=Irregular Announcements.=_ If a player announces a combination which he does not show; such as fours, when he has only three, which he may easily do by mistaking a Jack for a King, _his_ adversary can compel him not only to take down the score erroneously marked, but to lead or play one of the three Kings. A player may be called upon to lead or play cards from other erroneous declarations in the same manner; but if he has the right card or cards in his hand, he is permitted to amend his error, provided he has not drawn a card from the stock in the meantime. _=The Last Nine Tricks.=_ When the stock is exhausted, all announcements are at an end, and the players take back into their hands all the cards upon the table which may remain from the combinations declared in the course of play. The winner of the previous trick then leads any card he pleases, but for the last nine tricks the second player in each must not only follow suit, but must win the trick if he can, either with a superior card or with a trump.
Then, making a stop, the wo(man) sings as before-- This dance, &c. Musician: I pray you, madam, &c. Woman: Because John Sanderson, &c. Musician: He must, &c. And so she lays down the cushion before a man, who, kneeling upon it, salutes her, she singing-- Welcom, John Sanderson, &c. Then, he taking up the cushion, they take hands and dance round, singing as before. And thus they do till the whole company are taken into the ring. And then the cushion is laid before the first man, the woman singing, This dance, &c. (as before), only instead of come to, they sing go fro, and instead of Welcom, John Sanderson, &c., they sing Farewel, John Sanderson, farewel, farewel; and so they go out one by one as they came in.
For instance: His point is 51, good; his sequence is five to the Ace, good; and his triplet of Aces is good. These are worth 5, 15, and 3 respectively, and his total count is 23, if he has no minor sequences or trios. This is not put down, but simply announced. The strict rules of the game require the player whose combination is acknowledged to be good, to show it; but among good players this is quite unnecessary, for each usually knows by his own cards what his adversary should and probably does hold. The elder hand having finished his declarations, and announced their total value in points, leads any card he pleases. If this card is a Ten or better, he claims one point for leading it, even if he does not win the trick, and he adds this point to his score. An illustration will probably make the foregoing processes clearer. The elder hand, after the draw, holds these cards:-- ♡ A K Q J: ♣ A K Q: ♢ A K Q 7: ♠ A. He announces: “Forty-one.” “Not good.
36, mentions this as a summer game. It was called Ho, spy! the words which are called out by those boys who have hidden. He says the watchword of Hide and seek was hidee, and gives as the rhyme used when playing-- Keep in, keep in, wherever you be, The greedy gled s seeking ye. This rhyme is also given by Chambers (_Popular Rhymes_, p. 122). Halliwell gives the rhyme as-- Hitty titty indoors, Hitty titty out, You touch Hitty titty, And Hitty titty will bite you. --_Nursery Rhymes_, p. 213. 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.
=_ Above all things a player should avoid regularity in his play, because observant adversaries will soon learn his methods. The best players usually play two pairs pat, without drawing, about half the time. This gives them the reputation of betting on pat hands which are not genuine, and when they get one that is real, they will often succeed in getting a good bet, or even a raise, from those holding triplets or two large pairs, who have noticed them play two pairs pat. In the same way it is advisable to hold up an odd card occasionally, without raising the ante; so that when you do hold triplets, and draw two cards, you will not frighten every one at the table. The chances of improving a pair by drawing three cards, are one in three; and by drawing two cards only, one in four. The difference is worth the moral effect of the variation in the play. _=PROBABILITIES.=_ The endless poker statistics that have been published are of little or no value to the practical player, and there are only a few figures that are worth remembering. It is a general law in all games of chance that you should never do a thing which you would not be willing to repeat under the same circumstances a hundred times. The best example of the application of this law is in drawing to bobtails.
Where s the cat? Up in heath. Where s the heath? The fire burnt it. [The rest is the same as in the last version, p. 393.] --Dorsetshire (_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 221-222). VI. Mother, mother, may I (or we) go out to play? No, child! no, child! not for the day. Why, mother? why, mother? I won t stay long. Make three pretty courtesies, and away begone.
SEC. 5. If a player unlawfully looks at the trump slip, his highest or lowest trump may be called; if a player unlawfully names the trump card, or unlawfully shows the trump slip to his partner, his partner’s highest or lowest trump may be called. SEC. 6. These penalties can be inflicted by either adversary at any time during the play of the deal in which they are incurred before the player from whom the call can be made has played to the current trick; the call may be repeated at each or any trick until the card is played, but cannot be changed. SEC. 7. When a deal has been played the cards of the respective players, including the trump card, must be placed in the tray face down and the trump slip placed face up on top of the dealer’s cards. SEC.
_=9.=_ If in cutting, or in reuniting the packets, a card is exposed, the pack must be reshuffled and cut. _=10.=_ If the dealer reshuffles the pack after it has been properly cut, he forfeits five counters to the current pool. _=11. Dealing Before the Draw.=_ After the age, [the player on the dealer’s left,] has put up the amount of the blind, the dealer distributes the cards face down, one at a time, in rotation, until each player has received five cards. _=12.=_ The deal passes to the left, except in jack pots, when it may be agreed that the same dealer shall deal until the pot is opened. _=13.
The exceptions are when he has nothing in the next suit, but has at least two certain tricks in the cross suit, and a probable trick in a plain suit. It is safer to make it next with a weak hand than to cross it on moderate strength, for the presumption is that neither the dealer nor his partner had a bower in the turn-down suit, and therefore have none in the next suit. Such being the case, it is very likely that one or both may be strong in the cross suits, and it is not considered good policy to cross the suit unless so strong in it as to be reasonably certain of three tricks. Some players invariably make it next, regardless of their hands, unless they can play alone in the cross suit. Such a habit exposes them to the common artifice of the dealer’s turning it down for a euchre. A dealer holding a bower and three cards of the next suit, will often turn it down, and trust to the eldest hand making it next, which will give the dealer four trumps instead of two. The eldest hand should be on his guard against this when the dealer’s side has 3 scored. The dealer’s partner, on the other hand, should cross the suit almost as invariably as the eldest hand should make it next; for if his partner cannot take up the trump, and the eldest hand cannot make it next, their hands must be weak, and if it is passed to the pone, he will probably turn out to have a lone hand. The best chance is to cross the suit, unless the player has three certain tricks in his own hand by making it next, such as five trumps to the ace, or four trumps and a plain-suit ace. With such cards he should play alone.
The undealt portion of the pack, called the _=stock=_ or _=talon=_, is slightly spread between the two players, and a little to the left of the dealer. If in spreading the stock any card is found to be exposed, there must be a new deal by the same dealer. _=Misdealing.=_ A misdeal does not lose the deal, but in some cases a new deal is at the option of the pone. If the dealer exposes a card belonging to his adversary or to the stock, the pone may demand a new deal; but if either player exposes any of his own cards, the deal stands good. If too many cards are given to either player, and the error is discovered before the dealer plays to the first trick, there must be a new deal. If either player has too few cards, the pone may demand a new deal, or may allow the dealer to supply the deficiency from the top of the stock. If any card is found exposed in the pack, there must be a new deal. If any card faced in the stock is not discovered until the first trick has been played to by the dealer, the exposed card must be turned face down, without disturbing its position. If the pack is found to be imperfect, the deal in which it is discovered is void; but all previous scores or cuts made with that pack stand good.
_ sang] like a lark. Go to church, love, go to church, love, Go to church, love, Farewell! In the ring, love, in the ring, love, In the ring, love, Farewell! Give a kiss, love, give a kiss, love, Give a kiss, love, Farewell! Isabella, Isabella, Isabella, Farewell! --Fernham and Longcot (Miss I. Barclay). VIII. Isabella, Isabella, Isabella, Farewell! Last night when I departed I left her broken-hearted; On the hill yonder there stands your young man. Fetch him here, love, fetch him here, love, Fetch him here, love, Farewell! Shut the gates, love, shut the gates, love, Shut the gates, love, Farewell! Open the gates, love, open the gates, love, Open the gates, love, Farewell! Go to church, love, go to church, love, Go to church, love, Farewell! Show your ring, love, show your ring, love, Show your ring, love, Farewell! --Hanbury, Staffs. (Miss E. Hollis). IX. The trees are uncovered, uncovered, uncovered, The trees are uncovered, Isabella, for me! Last night when we parted we were all broken-hearted, Isabella, Isabella, Isabella, for me! Then give me your hand, love, your hand, love, your hand, love, Then give me your hand, love, and a sweet kiss from you.
At the beginning of the game each player should be provided with an equal number, the general proportion being 20 white, 18 red, and 8 blue for each. Some one player should be selected to act as the banker, selling and redeeming all counters. _=STAKES.=_ The stakes in Boston depend upon the value of the counters. One cent for a white counter is considered a pretty stiff game; because it is quite possible for a single player to win or lose a thousand white counters on one hand, and the payments very seldom fall short of fifty. _=THE POOL.=_ In addition to the counters won and lost on each hand, it is usual for the players to make up a pool at the beginning of the game by each of them depositing one red counter in a small tray provided for the purpose. This pool may be increased from time to time by penalties; such as one red counter for a misdeal; four for a revoke, or for not having the proper number of cards, etc. The whole amount in the pool may be won or lost by the players, according to their success or failure in certain undertakings, which will presently be described. When empty, the pool is replenished by contributions from each player, as at first.
Taking up the six, he sorts them and discards for the crib, just as if the two cards already there had been laid off by an opponent. The pack is then cut for the starter. There is no play, and the hand is turned up and counted, scoring it on a regular cribbage board. The crib is then counted and scored. Leaving the starter still face up on the top of the pack, the eight cards in hand and crib are thrown aside. For the next deal, the player gives himself three cards from the top of the pack, one of which was the starter on the last deal, then two for the crib and three more for himself, discarding for the crib, cutting a starter, counting and scoring hand and crib as before. This is continued until only four cards are left, one of them being the starter for the last deal. Turn up these four cards and count them as a hand. The game is usually 91 points, and the object of the solitaire player is to see if he can reach the game hole without going through the pack more than once. If he does not reach with six hands and cribs, each with a starter, and one hand of four cards without a starter, he has failed to get the solitaire.
5 stage of the Wakefield version, and this varies too, inasmuch as it was the same gob which is picked up and then laid down before catching the buck. Mr. Kinahan says, Jackstones, played with three or four small stones that are thrown up in the air and caught again, seems to have been a very ancient game, as the stones have been found in the _crannogs_ or lake-dwellings in some hole near the fireplaces, similar to where they are found in a cabin at the present day. An old woman, or other player, at the present time puts them in a place near the hob when they stop their game and go to do something else (_Folk-lore Journal_, ii. 266). In the Græco-Roman saloon, British Museum, is a statue originally composed of two boys quarrelling at the game of Tali (see _Townley Gallery_, i. 305; Smith s _Dict. Greek and Roman Antiq._, s.v.
If this card is a Seven, the dealer scores 10 points for it at once. The trump card is laid on the table by itself, the remainder of the pack, which is called the _=stock=_ or _=talon=_, is slightly spread, to facilitate the process of drawing cards from it, and to be sure that none of the cards remaining in the undealt portion are exposed. In sixty-four-card Binocle twelve cards are sometimes dealt to each player. _=Misdealing.=_ A misdeal does not lose the deal, but in some cases a new deal is at the option of the adversary. If the dealer exposes a card belonging to the adversary or to the stock, the pone may demand a new deal; but if either player exposes any of his own cards, the deal stands good. If too many cards are given to either player, there must be a new deal. If too few, the pone may claim a fresh deal, or allow the dealer to supply the missing cards from the top of the stock, without changing the trump card. If any card but the trump is found faced in the pack, there must be a new deal. If a card faced in the stock is not discovered until the first trick has been played to, the exposed card must be turned face down, without disturbing its position.
In the Scottish version a ring is formed as above. One sings, and the rest join, to the tune of Lillibullero, the first line. As soon as this is concluded each claps his hand and wheels grotesquely, singing the second line. They then sing the third line, suiting the action to the word, still beating the time; then the second again, wheeling round and clapping hands. When they say A feet in, and nae feet out, they all sit down with their feet stretched into the centre of the ring. (_c_) The other variants which follow the Halliwell version are limited to the first verse only, as the remainder of the lines are practically the same as those given in Miss Fowler s version which is written at length, and three or four of these apparently retain only the verse given. A London version, collected by myself, is nearly identical with that of Miss Fowler, except that the third line is Shake your ---- a little, a little, instead of as printed. This is sung to the tune given. The incidents in this game are the same throughout. The only difference in all the versions I have collected being in the number of the different positions to be performed, most of them being for right hands, left hands, right feet, left feet, and heads; others, probably older forms, having ears, yourselves, &c.
=_ The four players at Boston are distinguished by the letters A Y B Z. [Illustration: Y +-------+ | | A| |B | | +-------+ Z ] Z is the dealer, and A is known as the _=eldest hand=_. There are no partnerships in Boston, except that of three players combined against the fourth, who is always spoken of as _=the caller=_. The players having once taken their seats are not allowed to change them without the consent of all the others at the table. _=DEALING.=_ At the beginning of the game the two packs are thoroughly shuffled; after which they must not again be shuffled during the progress of the game. If a hand is dealt and not played, each player must sort his cards into suits and sequences before they are gathered and dealt again. At the beginning of each deal, one pack is presented to the players to be cut; each having the privilege of cutting once, the dealer last. Beginning on his left, the dealer gives four cards to each player, then four more, and finally five; no trump being turned. The general rules with regard to irregularities in the deal are the same as at Whist, except that a misdeal does not lose the deal.
=_ A card is dealt round to each player, face up, and the first Jack takes the first deal. _=THE POOL.=_ Each successive dealer places three red counters in the pool. The pool is added to from time to time by penalties for infractions of the rules, and by forfeitures from players who have failed in their undertakings. Such payments are always made in red counters, the number being always three or six. When the pool is divided, it sometimes happens that a player is not allowed to withdraw his share. In such cases the red counters representing it should be changed for their value in white ones, so that the forfeited share may be divided in three parts. The difference between _=Limited Loo=_, and _=Unlimited Loo=_, is in the amounts paid into the pool. In Limited Loo the penalty is always three or six red counters. In Unlimited Loo, it is the same for irregularities, and for infraction of the rules; but any player failing in his undertaking must put up for the next pool an amount equal to that in the current pool.
In _=Boston=_ and in _=Cayenne=_, no trump is turned, but a card is cut from the still pack to determine the rank of the suits. See Law 13. In _=Cayenne=_, the trump suit must be named by the dealer or his partner after they have examined their cards. The dealer has the first say, and he may select any of the four suits, or he may announce “grand,” playing for the tricks without any trump suit. In Cayenne, he may announce “nullo,” playing to take as few tricks as possible, there being no trump suit. If the dealer makes his choice, his partner must abide by it; but if the dealer has not a hand to justify him in deciding, he may leave the choice to his partner, who must decide. A declaration once made cannot be changed. IRREGULARITIES IN THE HANDS. 19. If, at any time after all have played to the first trick, the pack being perfect, a player is found to have either more or less than his correct number of cards and his adversaries have their right number, the latter, upon the discovery of such surplus or deficiency, may consult and shall have the choice:-- I.
This differs from the American game in several points. There are no “call shots,” the player being entitled to every ball he pockets, whether he played for it or not. All balls in hand must be played from a D, 21 to 23 inches in diameter. There is no rule about driving two balls to the cushion on the opening shot. When all the red balls but one are pocketed, the red and white balls are used as cue balls alternately. If there are only two players, and only two balls on the table, the red and white, if either player makes a miss or goes in the pocket himself, that ends the game; but if there are more than two players another red ball is spotted, as in the American game. The baulk line is no protection, a player in hand being allowed to play on any ball on the table, even if it is behind the D. SHELL OUT. This game should not be confounded with Black Pool. It is simply English Pyramids, but instead of making the player with the lowest score at the end pay for the table, each player equally shares the expense, and the balls are pocketed for so much apiece.
The suit is not played again, and for the last six tricks the original leader finds himself with three cards of it, and the Q x x of another suit. If the adversaries play King and Ace of the latter suit, the Queen should be given up, trusting partner for the Jack, for the Queen will force the holder of the three losing cards into the lead. It is sometimes necessary to throw away an Ace in order to avoid the lead at critical stages of the end-game. _=False Cards.=_ It requires more than ordinary skill to judge when a false card will do less harm to the partner than to the adversaries. There are some occasions for false-card play about which there is little question. Having a sequence in the adverse suit, the Second or Fourth Hand may win with the highest card, especially if the intention is to lead trumps. Holding K Q only, Second Hand may play the King, especially in trumps. Holding A K x, the Fourth Hand should play Ace on a Queen led by an American leader. With such a suit as K J 10 x, after trumps have been exhausted, the Ten is not a safe lead; Jack or fourth-best is better.
The additional ceremony of marriage in four of the games is clearly an interpolation, which may have arisen from the custom of playing love and marriage games at funerals and during the watching with the corpse, or may be a mere transition to the more pleasant task of love-making as the basis of a game. The Derbyshire incident (No. 24) may indicate indeed that the funeral is that of a young bride, and in that case the tendency to make the game wholly a marriage game is accounted for. The decay which has set in is apparent by the evident attempt to alter from green gravel to green grover and yellow gravel (Nos. 4 and 5), and to introduce pen and black ink (No. 17). The addition of the incongruous elements from other games (Nos. 27-31) is a frequent occurrence in modern games, and is the natural result of decadence in the original form of the game. Altogether this game-rhyme affords a very good example of the condition of traditional games among the present generation of children. +---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ |No.
In this interesting variation every spade counts one point toward game. The spade Jack counts one in addition to its being a spade, and the extra point so made takes the place of the count for “spades” in the ordinary game, so that 24 points are made in every hand, exclusive of sweeps: Cards 3; Big Cassino 2; Little Cassino 1; the four Aces 4; the spade Jack 1, and 13 spades. It must be remembered that the spade Jack and deuce count 2 points each, the extra point being for the spade. The game is scored on a cribbage board, every point being pegged immediately; that is, every spade, every Ace, the Cassinos and the sweeps. There is nothing to count at the end of the hand but the cards. Sixty-one points is game, once round the board and into the game hole. DRAW CASSINO. In this variation, no more cards are dealt after the first round, but each player keeps his hand filled to four cards by drawing one from the top of the stock as soon as he plays one from his hand. The stock is left on the table, face down, slightly spread, for convenience in slipping off the top card as it is drawn. CONQUIAN.
The fattening process is followed when the dealer can make the original ante what he pleases; but if the ante for jacks is a fixed sum, such as a red counter, it is not usual to fatten the pot at all. This saves all disputes as to _=who is shy=_, one of the greatest nuisances in Poker. _=Opening Jacks.=_ As there is no age or straddle in any form of jack pot, the player to the left of the dealer has the first say, and must examine his hand to see if he has Jacks or better; that is to say, either an actual pair of Jacks, or some hand that would beat a pair of Jacks if called upon to do so, such as two pairs, a straight, or triplets. In some localities it is allowed to open jacks with a _=bobtail=_; that is, four cards of a flush or straight. If the player on the dealer’s left has not openers, or does not care to open the pot if he has, he says: “I pass;” but he does not abandon his hand. The next player on his left must then declare. In some places players are allowed to throw down their cards when they pass; but in first-class games a penalty of five white counters must be paid into the pool by any player abandoning his hand before the second round of declarations, as it gives an undue advantage to players with medium hands to know that they have only a limited number of possible opponents. For instance: If six play, and the first three not only pass, but throw down and abandon their cards, a player with a pair of Jacks will know that he has only two possible adversaries to draw against him, which will so increase his chances that it may materially alter his betting. If no one acknowledges to holding Jacks or better, the pot is fattened, and the cards are reshuffled and dealt.