, a fourchette or tenace. Zwickmuhle, G., a cross ruff. DRIVE WHIST. There are several methods of playing Drive Whist; the most popular being to fill as many tables as possible with the players that present themselves, regardless of any order further than that partners should sit opposite each other. The players may select their own partners, or they may be determined by lot, according to the decision of the hostess. Straight whist is played; the cards being shuffled and cut afresh for every hand. Each deal is a game in itself. _=Drawing for Partners.=_ If there is an equal number of ladies and gentlemen, and the number is less than fifty-two, a sufficient number of red and black cards should be sorted out, and the ladies asked to draw from the red, the men from the black; those getting the same denominations being partners.
The number of players was two. The stakes were pins. One player laid in the hollow of the hand, or on one of the forefingers, a pin, and then placed the other forefinger over it so as to conceal it. He then held up his hand to his opponent and said, Headicks or pinticks? His opponent made a guess by pointing with his finger and saying Headicks, or Pinticks. If the guess was correct he gained the pin, but if it was incorrect he forfeited one. The players played alternately.--Keith (Rev. W. Gregor). Another version seems to be Headim and Corsim.
The player who is General must stand at or behind his representative image and within six feet of it. His signalling will be supposed to be perfect, and he will communicate with his subordinates by shout, whisper, or note, as he thinks fit. I suggest he should be considered invulnerable, but Colonel Sykes has proposed arrangements for his disablement. He would have it that if the General falls within the zone of destruction of a shell he must go out of the room for three moves (injured); and that if he is hit by rifle-fire or captured he shall quit the game, and be succeeded by his next subordinate. Now as to the Moves. It is suggested that: Infantry shall move one foot. Cavalry shall move three feet. The above moves are increased by one half for troops in twos or fours on a road. Royal Engineers shall move two feet. Royal Artillery shall move two feet.
] It is 4½ to 1 against filling a four-card flush. It is 23 to 1 against filling a three-card flush. It is 95 to 1 against filling a two-card flush. It is 3 to 1 against improving a four-card straight flush which is open at both ends. The chances against getting the straight or the flush have been given; the odds against getting the straight flush are 24 to 1. The chance for getting a pair exists; but the pair would probably be worthless. It is 4 to 1 against improving a four-card straight flush open in the middle, or at one end only; the odds against getting the straight flush being 46 to 1. There are several minor or speculative draws which may be of interest. Drawing to an ace and a King, it is 3 to 1 against making a pair of either. It is 4 to 1 against making a pair of aces by drawing four cards to an ace; and 12 to 1 against making aces up, or better.
For instance: A, B, C and D play. A takes three hearts; B and C five each, and D none. There being three players besides himself, A puts up three times three, or 9 counters. B and C put up 15 each, and D none; so that there are 39 in the pool. Each player then takes out of the pool 1 counter for every heart he did _=not=_ hold when the hearts were announced. D, having taken no hearts, gets 13 counters. A, having taken three hearts only, is entitled to 10 counters for the 10 hearts he did not hold, while B and C get 8 each. This exhausts the pool. There are no Jacks in this way of settling. Matters may be facilitated by having counters of different colours, the white being the unit, and the red representing the number which it will be necessary to pay for one heart.
These odds against you increase rapidly with the number of additional hearts that you hold. _=LEADING PLAIN SUITS ORIGINALLY.=_ It will often happen that you will have to decide between the lead of a comparatively dangerous heart and a risky plain suit. Your knowledge of probabilities should enable you to select the safer course. The odds against getting a heart on the first round of a plain suit depend upon how many cards of the suit you hold. If you lead an Ace, or any card which is sure to win the trick, the odds against your getting a heart on it are as the following:-- If you have 4 cards of the suit, 22 to 1. ” 5 ” 15 to 1. ” 6 ” 7 to 1. ” 7 ” 4 to 1. ” 8 ” 2 to 1.
Sweeps made by opposite sides are sometimes turned down to cancel one another. _=Trailing.=_ When a player cannot pair, combine, or build anything, he must play a card. This is called trailing, because he is simply following along waiting for opportunities. In trailing it is usually the best policy to play the smaller cards, except Aces and Little Cassino, because as other players will probably trail small cards also, these may be combined and won with the larger cards kept in the player’s hand. _=Last Cards.=_ In the last round, all the cards remaining on the table are won by the player who takes the last trick, but it does not count as a sweep unless it would have been a sweep under any circumstances. The last trick is usually made by the dealer, who always keeps back a court card if he has one, to pair one already on the table. _=Irregularities in Play.=_ If any person plays out of his proper turn, the card so played is laid aside as exposed, until it comes to his turn, when it is simply placed on the table with the others.
If he takes the top of the stock, he puts it into his hand without showing it. He may then lay out any combination of three cards that he holds, but he is not obliged to do so. Whether he lays out anything or not, he must discard a card, face up, to take the place of the one drawn. This discard is always placed beside the stock, and of course covers up any card already there. _=LAYING OUT.=_ After drawing from the stock and before discarding, a player may lay out any three cards, but no more than three at one time. Or he may add one card from his hand to any combination already laid out by another player, but he cannot add more than one card in this way. He may add a card to a combination laid out by himself if he wishes to. _=CALLING OUT.=_ Each player in turn to the left draws, lays out and discards in this manner until some player gets rid of his last card, when he calls out, and the game comes to an end.
In exchange for this, but without seeing it, the partner gives the best card in his hand to the lone player, passing it to him face down. If he has not a trump to give him, he can pass him an ace, or even a King. Even if this card is no better than the one discarded, the lone player cannot refuse it. If the dealer plays alone, he has two discards; the first in exchange for his partner’s best card, and then another, in exchange for the trump card, after seeing what his partner can give him. In this second discard he may get rid of the card passed to him by his partner. If the dealer’s partner plays alone, the dealer may pass him the turn-up trump, or any better card he may have in his hand. Any person having announced to play alone, either of his adversaries may play alone against him; discarding and taking partner’s best card in the same manner. Should the lone player who makes the trump be euchred by the lone player opposing him, the euchre counts four points. It is considered imperative for a player holding the Joker, or the right bower guarded, to play alone against the lone hand, taking his partner’s best; for as it is evident that the lone hand cannot succeed, there is a better chance to euchre it with all the strength in one hand than divided. If any player, in his proper turn, announces to play alone, and asks for his partner’s best, the partner cannot refuse; neither can he propose to play alone instead.
Suppose the player’s first throw to be a pair of sixes. He places them on one side, and picks up the three other dice, throwing them over again. If the second throw produced another six, it would be placed with the first pair, making a triplet, and the two remaining dice would be thrown again. Whatever they produced would be the final value of his hand. The player is not obliged to throw again, if he is satisfied with his first or second throw; neither is he obliged to leave any pairs or triplets. A player getting two small pairs on the first throw may put either or both of them back in the box again if he chooses. In throwing for drinks or cigars, it is usual to throw _=horse and horse=_; that is, if several persons are in the game the highest man on each round goes out, ties shake it off immediately, one hand each. After it gets down to two men, they shake for the best two out of three hands, and if each wins a hand they are horse and horse, and throw a third to decide it. The last person to throw on each round follows his lead, throwing the first hand on the next round. TEN PINS WITH DICE.
If a player’s first bid is raised he may raise again in his proper turn. Fifty points is game, and the players are usually provided with two varieties of counters for scoring; one worth five points, and the other worth one. The rank of the points in scoring is; High, Low, Jack, Ten (Game), Five, and Nine. The revoke penalty is to be set back the number of points bid, or ten points if there is no bid, and the player in fault cannot score anything that hand. In all other respects the rules are the same as in Auction Pitch. In _=Dom Pedro, or Snoozer=_, the Joker is added to the pack, and the Three, Five, and Nine of trumps count their pip value in scoring. The Joker, or Snoozer, counts fifteen, so that thirty-six points can be bid and made on one deal. The Joker is the lowest trump, so that the deuce of trumps will win it, but it will win any trick in plain suits. Fifty or a hundred points is the game. In counting out, the order of precedence is: High, Low, Jack, Ten (Game), Three, Five, Nine, Snoozer.
Anything left on the field after six moves capitulates to the victor. Points count as in the preceding game, but this lasts a shorter time and is better adapted to a cramped country with a short back line. With a long rear line the game is simply a rush at some weak point in the first player s line by the entire cavalry brigade of the second player. Instead of making the whole back line available for the Blow at the Rear, the middle or either half may be taken. (3) In the Defensive Game, a force, the defenders, two-thirds as strong as its antagonist, tries to prevent the latter arriving, while still a quarter of its original strength, upon the defender s back line. The Country must be made by one or both of the players before it is determined which shall be defender. The players then toss for choice of sides, and the winner of the toss becomes the defender. He puts out his force over the field on his own side, anywhere up to the distance of one move off the middle line--that is to say, he must not put any man within one move of the middle line, but he may do so anywhere on his own side of that limit--and then the loser of the toss becomes first player, and sets out his men a move from his back line. The defender may open fire forthwith; he need not wait until after the second move of the first player, as the second player has to do. COMPOSITION OF FORCES Except in the above cases, or when otherwise agreed upon, the forces engaged shall be equal in number and similar in composition.
O. Addy. Mactaggart calls it Preest Cat, and says that it is an ingleside game. A piece of stick is made red in the fire; one hands it to another, saying-- About wi that, about wi that, Keep alive the preest cat. Then round is handed the stick, and whomsoever s hand it goes out in, that one is in a wad, and must kiss the crook, the cleps, and what not, ere he gets out of it. Lilly cuckoo, lilly cuckoo, Sticks and stanes lie at thy weary banes If thou fa , for a I blaw, Lilly cuckoo, lilly cuckoo. This rhyme is common in the Preest Cat sport toward the border. Anciently, when the priest s cat departed this life, wailing began in the country side, as it was thought it became some supernatural being--a witch, perhaps, of hideous form--so to keep it alive was a great matter.--Mactaggart s _Gallovidian Encyclopædia_. He also refers to a game called Robin-a-Ree, much like Preest Cat, only in passing the burnt stick round the ring the following rhyme is said-- Robin-a-Ree, ye ll no dee wi me, Tho I birl ye roun three times and three; O Robin-a-Ree, O Robin-a-Ree, O dinna let Robin-a-Reerie dee.
W. Gregor. IRELAND. Folk-lore Society Publications. _Notes and Queries._ ANTRIM AND DOWN Patterson s _Glossary_. CLARE-- Kilkee { G. H. Kinahan (_Folk-lore Journal_, { vol. ii.
If the original leader has several cards, equally the best, such as A Q J remaining after having led the King, he should continue with the lowest card that will win the trick. This should be an indication to his partner that the card led is as good as the best, and that therefore the leader must have the intermediate cards. _=Following King=_, which has been led from these combinations:-- [Illustration: 🂡 🂮 🂭 🂫 | 🂱 🂾 🂻 🂷 🃁 🃎 🃍 🃆 | 🃑 🃞 🃔 🃓 ] Leading the Jack on the second round would show both Ace and Queen remaining. Leading Queen would show Ace, but not the Jack. Leading Ace would show that the leader had not the Queen. In combinations which do not contain the best card, the lead may be varied in some cases to show the number remaining in the leader’s hand, or to indicate cards not shown by the first lead. _=Following King=_, which has been led from these combinations:-- [Illustration: 🃎 🃍 🃋 🃊 | 🃞 🃝 🃛 🃖 ] Leading the Ten on the second round would show both Queen and Jack remaining. Leading the Jack would show the Queen; but not the ten. _=Following the Jack=_, led from this combination:-- [Illustration: 🂾 🂽 🂻 🂷 🂶 ] Leading King on the second round would show five cards in the suit originally. Leading the Queen would show more than five.
For instance: A calls C, and C shows three tens. Neither A nor B can beat it, and C takes everything. But if B had three Jacks, and A only three fives, B would take the part of the pool for which he called a sight, and C would take the remainder. Should C have raised and bluffed A out, or have bet so much that A finally refused to call, A would have no interest in either pool, and C would take all the money outside the pool for which B called a sight. Should it then transpire, on the show of hands between B and C, that A had laid down a better hand than either of them, that would not entitle A to claim the sight pool from B, because in laying down his hand he has practically acknowledged that C’s hand is better, and has retired from the game. If B’s hand is better than C’s, B takes the sight pool. _=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.
If he has no proposal to make, he says distinctly; “_=I pass=_,” and the other players in turn have an opportunity to bid. If any player makes a bid, such as six tricks, and any other player thinks he can make the same number of tricks with a trump of the same colour as the turn-up, that is, Second Preference, he over-calls the first bidder by saying “_=I keep=_;” or he may repeat the number bid, saying “_=Six here=_.” This is simply bidding to win the number of tricks _=in colour=_. The original caller may hold his bid, or a third player may overbid both, by saying; “_=I keep over you=_,” or “_=Six here=_.” This means that he will undertake to win the number of tricks already bid, with the _=turn-up=_ suit for trumps. In order to over-call such a bid as this, any other player would have to announce a greater number of tricks. For instance; Z deals, and turns a heart. A calls six tricks, intending to name hearts trumps; but not saying so. B passes; Y says “I Keep.” This announces to the table that Y will play with a red trump, and A knows he is bidding on diamonds.
This is the same as Knur and Spell. Dab-at-the-hole A game at marbles (undescribed).--Patterson s _Antrim and Down Glossary_. Dalies A child s game, played with small bones or pieces of hard wood. The _dalies_ were properly sheep s trotters.--Halliwell s _Dictionary_. Evidently the same game as Fivestones and Hucklebones. Davie-drap Children amuse themselves on the braesides i the sun, playing at Hide and Seek with this little flower, accompanying always the hiding of it with this rhyme, marking out the circle in which it is hid with the forefinger:-- Athin the bounds o this I hap, My black and bonny davie-drap; Wha is here the cunning yin My davie-drap to me will fin. --Mactaggart s _Gallovidian Encyclopædia_. The davie-drap is a little black-topped field-flower.
O ----, O ----, your true love s not dead; He sends you a letter To turn back your head. --Lincoln, Winterton, and Wakefield (Miss Fowler and Miss Peacock). VI. Green gravel, green gravel, the grass is so green, The fairest young lady [damsel] that ever was seen. O ----, O ----, your true love is dead; He s sent you a letter to turn round your head. --Redhill, Surrey (Miss G. Hope); Lancashire (Mrs. Harley). VII. Green meadows, green meadows, your grass is so green, The fairest young damsel that ever was seen; O Mary, O Mary, your sweetheart is dead; We ve sent you a letter to turn back your head.
Minder: What do you want? Angel: Ribbons. Minder: What colour? Angel: Red. Minder retorts, if no child is so named, Go and learn your A B C. If the guess is right the child is led away. The Devil then knocks, and the dialogue and action are repeated.--Deptford, Kent (Miss Chase). See Fool, fool, come to School. Auntieloomie The children join hands, and dance in a circle, with a front step, a back step, and a side step, round an invisible May-pole, singing-- Can you dance the Auntieloomie? Yes, I can; yes, I can. Then follows kissing.--Brigg, Lincolnshire (Miss Peacock).
If there are too few cards, and the pone elects to have the deal stand, the deficiency must be supplied from the top of the pack. _=THE CRIB.=_ The cards dealt, each player takes up his six cards and examines them with a view to laying out two cards, face downward, for the crib; leaving himself four cards with which to play. The four cards which form the crib, two from each hand, always belong to the dealer, and it is usual for each player, in discarding for the crib, to slip his two cards under the end of the cribbage board opposite to that occupied by the remainder of the pack. Cards once laid out for the crib, and the hand removed from them, cannot be taken up again. A penalty of two points may be scored by the adversary for each card so taken up again, whether it is returned to the player’s hand or not. If either player confuses his cards in any manner with those of the crib, his adversary scores two points, and may also claim a fresh deal. If it is not discovered until he comes to lay out for the crib, that a player has too many cards, the same rules apply that are given for misdealing; but if he has too few cards there is no remedy, as he has lifted his hand. He must lay out two cards for the crib and play with what remain, his adversary scoring two points penalty at the same time. _=THE STARTER.
A card once played cannot be taken up again, unless it passes 31. _=Pairs.=_ If the first card played by the pone should be a 6, and the dealer had a 6 also, the latter would probably play it, announcing: “Twelve, with a pair,” and pegging two holes. If the pone held a third six he would immediately play it, announcing: “Eighteen, with a pair royal,” and would peg six holes for the three pairs which can be formed with the three Sixes, although he did not hold all of them. If the dealer was fortunate enough to hold the fourth Six he might rejoin with: “Twenty-four, with a double-pair-royal.” This would entitle him to peg twelve more holes, although he had already pegged the single pair. _=Sequences.=_ Suppose the first card played by the pone was a 4. The dealer plays a 2, announcing: “Six.” The pone plays a 3, announcing: “Nine, with a run of three,” and pegging three holes for the sequence formed in play.
[Illustration: Fig. 1.] [Illustration: Fig. 2.] This game is known in America as Spans. --Newell, p. 188. Bar To play at Bar, a species of game anciently used in Scotland.--Jamieson. This game had in ancient times in England been simply denominated Bars, or, as in an Act of James IV.
British Chess Magazine. Chess Player’s Chronicle. Chess Monthly. _Westminster Papers_, 1868 to 1879. Of these works, “Minor Tactics” will be found most useful to the beginner, as it simplifies the openings by grouping them, and concentrates the attention on the essential points of chess strategy. CODE OF CHESS LAWS. ADOPTED BY THE FIFTH AMERICAN CHESS CONGRESS. _=Definitions of Terms Used.=_ Whenever the word “_Umpire_” is used herein, it stands for any Committee having charge of Matches or Tournaments, with power to determine questions of chess-law and rules; or for any duly appointed Referee, or Umpire; for the bystanders, when properly appealed to; or for any person, present or absent, to whom may be referred any disputed questions; or for any other authority whomsoever having power to determine such questions. When the word “_move_” is used it is understood to mean a legal move or a move to be legally made according to these laws.
It is best to have liberal or lucky players on your right; because if they sit behind you, they will continually raise you, and you will be forced either to overbid your hand on the same liberal scale that they adopt, or lose what you have already put up. If a liberal player sits on your right you will often be able to make large winnings on moderate hands. In a close game, when the players bet in a niggardly manner, the liberal player is at a great disadvantage; for he can win little or nothing on his good hands, but will lose large amounts when he runs up the betting on a good hand which is opposed to one that is better. When a liberal player finds a close player following him freely, he may be sure there is a very strong hand against him. _=VARIETY.=_ 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.