The author believes it will save much repetition and confusion to interlineate the exceptions which are necessary in order to cover the special features of such important variations as Boston, Cayenne, and Solo Whist. Where no exceptions are made, the law applies equally to these games and to Whist. The unnumbered paragraphs show the inserted laws. It is a common practice for the framers of laws to insert rules which are simply descriptive of the manner of play. The author believes in adhering to the proper definition of a law, which is a rule carrying with it some penalty for its infraction, or defining the rights of individual players. Such a statement as that the Dummy player may not overlook his adversary’s hand is not a law, because there is no penalty if he does so. The author is not responsible for the peculiar grammar employed in both the American and English Laws. THE GAME. 1. A game consists of seven points, each trick above six counting one.
For instance: A K Q of trumps should certainly be good for eight points; some players habitually bid twelve on them, reckoning to catch both Pedroes and one of the minor points. This is risky unless there are one or two small trumps with the A K Q. On the other hand, two Pedroes, with Jack and Low, are not worth bidding more than five on; because it is very unlikely that you will save more than one of the Pedroes, if that. The very fact that you bid five diminishes your chances, for you betray the fact that your only hope is to save a well-guarded Pedro. Long experience with players who bid their hands correctly will give a player a very good idea of what the bidder has in his hand. To the partner this is a great point, for it enables him to judge when to give up points himself, and when to play for his partner to throw them to him. The number of cards asked for by each player should be very carefully noted; for it will frequently happen that the entire trump suit can be located by this means. It is useless to keep anything but trumps, for tricks, as such, have no value, and every card you draw increases your chances of getting another trump. The most important point in the game is to _=cinch=_ every trick in which an adversary plays after you; that is, to play some trump higher than a Pedro, if the Pedroes have not been played, and you do not hold them yourself. Examples of cinching will be found in the Illustrative Hands.
Play to Score=_; ♡8 turned. | R| ♡J turned. | I| --------------------------------+ C+-------------------------------- A Y B Z | K| A Y B Z +-------+-------+-------+-------+--+-------+-------+-------+-------+ | 6♢ | J♢ | _A♢_ | 9♢ | 1| K♠ | 4♠ | 3♠ | _A♠_ | | _♡3_ | 3♢ | 2♢ | 10♢ | 2| ♡3 | ♡9 | _♡Q_ | ♡2 | | ♣9 | ♣K | _♣A_ | ♣3 | 3| 2♠ | 7♠ | 5♠ | _♡4_ | | _♡6_ | 4♢ | 5♢ | ♣4 | 4| ♣2 | _♣K_ | ♣6 | ♣3 | | _♣Q_ | ♣8 | ♣2 | ♣7 | 5| ♡5 | ♡7 | ♡8 | _♡J_ | | ♣6 | ♡4 | _♡9_ | ♣10 | 6| ♡10 | ♣5 | ♡K | _♡A_ | | _♡10_ | 7♢ | 8♢ | ♣J | 7| ♣8 | _♣J_ | 3♢ | ♣4 | | ♣5 | ♡K | _♡A_ | 7♠ | 8| 5♢ | J♢ | _A♢_ | 2♢ | | 4♠ | Q♢ | _♡Q_ | ♡5 | 9| 10♠ | 9♠ | 8♠ | _♡6_ | | 2♠ | 5♠ | _♡J_ | ♡7 |10| ♣Q | ♣7 | 4♢ | _♣A_ | | _A♠_ | 6♠ | Q♠ | K♠ |11| Q♠ | J♠ | 6♠ | _♣10_ | | _J♠_ | 9♠ | 3♠ | 10♠ |12| 10♢ | 7♢ | 6♢ | _♣9_ | | _8♠_ | K♢ | ♡2 | _♡8_ |13| Q♢ | 8♢ | 9♢ | K♢ | +-------+-------+-------+-------+--+-------+-------+-------+-------+ _=No. 1.=_ This is a fine example of the _=Long-suit Game=_. The leader begins with one of the high cards of his long suit. Missing the 2, he knows some one is signalling for trumps, and as it is very unlikely that the adversaries would signal while he was in the lead, he assumes it is his partner, and leads his best trump. His partner does not return the trump, because he holds major tenace over the king, which must be in Y’s hand. At trick 5 B still holds major tenace in trumps, and leads a small card of his long suit to try to get A into the lead again. If A leads trumps again, his only possible card of re-entry for his club suit is gone.
Jest small ailin . You re a healer, all right, I said. And a prophetess, too, from what I saw at the dice table. You know what a Psi personality is? I asked her. Say, what is your name, anyway? Pheola, she said. Yes, I ve heard of them, she said. You re one, I told her. You can heal many people. She shook her head. Only could do it because I love you, Billy Joe, she said.
Any one found late in changing the action or idle in obeying the caperings of the central child becomes the Oary Man in place of the child taking that part. Both girls and boys play. In the Redhill version, Holy Gabriel kneels in the middle of the circle. He acts as leader, and always had the fiddle as his instrument, though he now usually plays the pianoforte as his first instrument. The other children choose any instrument they like. Holy Gabriel pretends to play the fiddle, and all the other children play their own instruments until Holy Gabriel changes his to one of theirs, when that one must immediately begin to play the fiddle, and continue until Holy Gabriel takes another instrument or returns to the fiddle. This is done in vigorous pantomime. In the Luton variant the children sit in a semicircle, the Drummer faces them. He plays the drum; all the other children play on any other instrument they like. If the other players do not at once change their instrument, or neglect to sing the lines, a forfeit is demanded.
|Green gravel. |Green gravel. | | 2.| -- | -- | -- | | 3.| -- | -- | -- | | 4.| -- | -- | -- | | 5.| -- | -- | -- | | 6.|The grass is so green.|The grass is so green.|The grass is so green.
The non-dealer is given the benefit of counting a tie for Game as an offset to the dealer’s advantage in turning Jacks. When no trump is turned, as in Pitch, no one can count Game if it is a tie. _=METHOD OF PLAYING.=_ The eldest hand begins by leading any card he pleases. If a trump is led, each player must follow suit if able. When a plain suit is led he need not follow suit if he prefers to trump; but if he does not trump, he must follow suit if he can. If he has none of the suit led he may either trump or discard. This rule is commonly expressed by saying that a player may _=follow suit or trump=_. The highest card played of the suit led wins the trick, and trumps win all other suits. The winner of the trick takes it in, and leads for the next one, and so on until all the cards have been played.
B. Gomme (see fig. 7). Mr. Emslie has sent me figs. 9 and 10, also from London streets. Newell (_Games_, p. 188) speaks of it as a well-known game in America. Mr. Elworthy (_West Somerset Words_) says, Several of these (diagrams marked on the ground) are still to be seen, scratched on the ancient pavement of the Roman Forum.
Almedha Church, near Brecknock, recorded by Giraldus Cambrensis, where the imitation of a frenzied leader is carried out as a religious ceremony, rather suggests that in this game we may have a survival of a ceremonial so common among early or uncultured people, the chief incident of which is the frenzied dancing of a god-possessed devotee. [3] A variant of the second line is, Ranting, roaring, heely man. I suppose he was Irish, said my informant, as he was named Healey (Miss G. Hope). Follow my Leader This is a boys game. Any number can take part in it. It requires a good extent of country to play it well. The boy who is the swiftest runner and the best jumper is chosen as Leader. He sets out at a good speed over the fields, tries to jump as many ditches or burns, jumping such from one side to the other again and again, to scramble over dykes, through hedges, over palings, and run up braes. The others have to follow him as they can.
| -- | -- | -- | | 39.| -- | -- | -- | | 40.| -- | -- | -- | | 41.| -- | -- | -- | | 42.| -- | -- | -- | | 43.| -- | -- | -- | | 44.| -- | -- | -- | | 45.| -- | -- | -- | | 46.| -- | -- | -- | +----+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ +----+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ | No.| Lincolnshire, |Sussex, Hurstmonceux.
In some places it is the custom to remove the Eight of diamonds, as at Commit, to form an extra and known stop. The player first getting rid of his cards takes the pool on Game, and the holder of Pope takes that pool if he can get rid of the card in the course of play, if not, he must double the pool, just as with the honours in trumps. NEWMARKET, OR STOPS. This game, which is sometimes called Boodle, is Pope Joan without the pope. The four cards forming the layout are the ♡A, ♣K, ♢Q, ♠J; but there is no ♢7. The dealer names any number of counters that he is willing to stake, which must be at least four, and each player at the table must stake a similar amount. The counters are placed on the layout to suit the players, either all upon one card, or distributed among the four. The cards are dealt as at Pope Joan, and the same number must be left in the talon. Instead of the player being at liberty to begin a sequence with any card he pleases, he must begin with the lowest card in his hand of the suit which he selects. He is not restricted as to suit, but must play all he has in sequence, and then name the card that he fails on.
This completed one game. If mistakes were made another player took the stones. Marks were taken for successful play. This boy called the game Dabs. --A. B. Gomme. In South Notts this game was called Snobs. It was played with small stones or marbles. There were nine sets of tricks.
The four who cut the lowest cards play first, and cut again to decide on partners; the two lowest play against the two highest; the lowest is the dealer, who has choice of cards and seats, and, having once made his selection, must abide by it. 17. When there are more than six candidates, those who cut the two next lowest cards belong to the table, which is complete with six players; on the retirement of one of those six players, the candidate who cut the next lowest card has a prior right to any aftercomer to enter the table. CUTTING CARDS OF EQUAL VALUE. 18. Two players cutting cards of equal value, unless such cards are the two highest, cut again; should they be the two lowest, a fresh cut is necessary to decide which of those two deals. 19. Three players cutting cards of equal value cut again; should the fourth (or remaining) card be the highest, the two lowest of the new cut are partners, the lower of those two the dealer; should the fourth card be the lowest, the two highest are partners, the original lowest the dealer. CUTTING OUT. 20.
See French Jackie. Loup the Bullocks Young men go out to a green meadow, and there on all-fours plant themselves in a row about two yards distant from each other. Then he who is stationed farthest back in the bullock rank starts up and leaps over the other bullocks before him, by laying his hands on each of their backs; and when he gets over the last one leans down himself as before, whilst all the others, in rotation, follow his example; then he starts and leaps again. I have sometimes thought that we (the Scotch) have borrowed this recreation from our neighbours of the Green Isle, as at their wakes they have a play much of the same kind, which they call Riding Father Doud. One of the wakers takes a stool in his hand, another mounts that one s back, then Father Doud begins rearing and plunging, and if he unhorses his rider with a dash he does well. There is another play (at these wakes) called Kicking the Brogue, which is even ruder than Riding Father Doud, and a third one called Scuddieloof. --Mactaggart s _Gallovidian Encyclopædia_. Patterson (_Antrim and Down Glossary_) mentions a game called Leap the Bullock, which he says is the same as Leap-frog. Dickinson s _Cumberland Glossary Supplement_, under Lowp, says it means a leap or jump either running or standing. The various kinds include Catskip --one hitch, or hop, and one jump; Hitch steppin --hop, step, and lowp; a hitch, a step, and a leap; Otho --two hitches, two steps, and a leap; Lang spang --two hitches, two steps, a hitch, a step, and a leap.
Greek, (grec) a card sharp. Guarded Cards, cards which cannot be caught by higher cards unless they are led through. Hand, the cards dealt to one player; the distribution of the cards in any one deal. A “remarkable hand” might be the play of an entire deal at Whist, for instance. Heading a Trick, playing a better card than any already played to the trick, but not necessarily the best in the hand. Heeled Bets, bets at Faro which play one card to win and another to lose, but do not win or lose double the amount if both events come on the same turn. Hinterhand, G., the last player on the first trick, (Skat). His Heels, the Jack turned up for a starter at Cribbage. His Nobs, Jack of the same suit as the starter at Cribbage.
I ve come to see Georgina, Georgina, Georgina, I ve come to see Georgina, how s she to-day? She s upstairs washing, washing, washing, She s upstairs washing, and can t get away. O very well, ladies, ladies, ladies, We ll come another day. We ve come to see Georgina, Georgina, Georgina, We ve come to see Georgina, how s she to-day? She s upstairs ironing, ironing, ironing, She s upstairs ironing, and can t get away. [Then the two verses are repeated-- O very well, ladies. We ve come to see Georgina. Then follows--] She was coming downstairs with a basin of water, and she fell down and broke her toe, and she s dead. And what shall we dress her in, dress her in, dress her in? And what shall we dress her in? Dress her in red. Red for the soldiers, soldiers, soldiers, Red for the soldiers, and that shan t do. [Then follow blue for the sailors, black for the mourners, and finally--] What shall we dress her in, dress her in, dress her in? What shall we dress her in? Dress her in white. White for the dead people, dead people, dead people, White for the dead people, and that will do.
--Somersetshire (Holloway s _Dict. of Provincialisms_). A duck and a drake And a white penny cake. --Hampshire (Holloway s _Dict. of Provincialisms_). A duck and a drake And a penny white cake, And a skew ball. --Peacock s _Manley and Corringham Glossary_. Moor (_Suffolk Words and Phrases_) gives the names for the number of times the stone emerges, as (1) a duck; (2) a duck an a drake; if thrice, a duck an a drake an a fi epenny cake; four times is a duck an a drake an a fi epenny cake, an a penny to pah the baker. If more than four, a duck, a duck an a drake, &c., are added.
For instance: You want one trick, and have Q 10 x x, Dummy having K x x, of an unplayed suit. The Queen is the best play; for if partner has any honour you must get a trick; otherwise it is impossible. You have K x in one suit, a losing card in another, and a winning card. You want all four tricks to save the game. Play the King, and then the small card; for if your partner has not the Ace and another winning card you must lose the game. You have a losing trump, and Q x x of a suit in which Dummy has K 10 x. If you want one trick, play the losing trump, counting on partner for an honour in the plain suit. If you must have two tricks, lead the Queen, trusting your partner to hold Ace. _=Leading up to Dummy.=_ The best thing for the third hand, or pone, to do, when he does not return his partner’s suit, and has no very strong suit of his own, is to lead up to Dummy’s weak suits, and to lead a card that Dummy cannot beat, if possible.
There are two critical positions. [Illustration: No. 13. +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | ⛂ | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | ⛀ | | ⛀ | | ⛀ | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | ⛀ | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ ] [Illustration: No. 14. +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | ⛂ | | ⛀ | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | ⛀ | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | ⛀ | | ⛀ | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ ] In Diagram No. 13, if White moves 24 19 he loses, because Black goes to 11, and as the tailors advance to head him off, he goes back to 15 and 18, and then gets round by going to 14. White’s proper play is 22 18, after which 26 22 will reform his line. In Diagram No. 14, if White moves 26 22, or 19 15, he loses immediately.
2--return with stone on your eye. Throw into No. 3--return with stone in your palm. Throw into No. 4--return with stone on your head. Throw into No. 5--return with stone on your back. In each case, upon reaching the goal without dropping it, throw up and catch it as it falls. In the second plan (fig. 2) the game is:--Throw stone into No.
Progression, a martingale which increases a bet a certain amount every time it is lost, and decreases it every time it is won. Proil, or Prial, Pairs Royal. Puits, F., only one to go, the whiskey hole. Punters, those who play against the banker. Puppy-foot, the ace of clubs. Quart, the English equivalent of the French word quatrième, a sequence of four cards. Quart Major, A K Q J of any suit. Quatorze, F., four cards of the same denomination.
God is punishing me. Gravel crunched as she came slowly across the roof toward me. The fag end of her cigarette made a spinning arc in the night as she snapped it over the side of the roof. Now there was no way to see her at all. Perception is nice in the dark. I tracked her automatically. What was the vow you broke? I said. She sighed, near me. I divorced my husband, my own darlin Billy, she said. There s no divorce in Heaven.
Leading from the longest suit, in order that higher cards may be forced out of the way of smaller ones, leaving the smaller ones “established,” or good for tricks after the adverse trumps are exhausted. This is called the _=long-suit game=_. 3rd. Trumping good cards played by the adversaries. This is called _=ruffing=_. When two partners each trump a different suit, it is called a _=cross-ruff=_, or _=saw=_. 4th. Taking advantage of the _=tenace=_ possibilities of the hand by placing the lead with a certain player; or by avoiding the necessity of leading away from tenace suits. For example: A player holds A Q 10 of a suit, his right hand adversary holding K J 9. These are known as the _=major=_ and _=minor=_ tenaces.
We know them no more.... II THE BEGINNINGS OF MODERN LITTLE WARFARE THE beginning of the game of Little War, as we know it, became possible with the invention of the spring breechloader gun. This priceless gift to boyhood appeared somewhen towards the end of the last century, a gun capable of hitting a toy soldier nine times out of ten at a distance of nine yards. It has completely superseded all the spiral-spring and other makes of gun hitherto used in playroom warfare. These spring breechloaders are made in various sizes and patterns, but the one used in our game is that known in England as the four-point-seven gun. It fires a wooden cylinder about an inch long, and has a screw adjustment for elevation and depression. It is an altogether elegant weapon.
That left me thirteen chips. Half absent-mindedly, I put three of them on the Pass side of the line and tipped the dice to twelve. Mostly I was looking at this scarecrow beside me. Box cars! one of the dealers called. My future home. But he wasn t as quick as Sniffles. She had called the turn before the galloping dominoes had bounced from the backrail. The box cars cost me the dice. The next gambler blew on them, cursed, and rolled. I didn t bet, and spent the next couple rolls looking at her.
Nares says the simpler plan here represented (fig. 2), which he had also seen cut on small boards, is more like the game than the one referred to in the variorem notes of Shakespeare. [Illustration: Fig. 2.] Forby has, _Morris_, an ancient game, in very common modern use. In Shakespeare it is called nine men s _morris_, from its being played with nine men, as they were then, and still are called. We call it simply _morris_. Probably it took the name from a fancied resemblance to a dance, in the motions of the men. Dr. Johnson professes that he knew no more of it than that it was some rustic game.
With 4 exactly; trumping with the 3rd-best; leading the highest. With 5 or more; trumping with the 3rd-best; leading the 4th-best. These methods of taking the force must not be carried to extremes. For instance: A player holding K J 10 2, would hardly be justified in trumping with the 10 to show number. Some experts, holding the best trump with at least four others, will not lead it; preferring to show number first, by leading the fourth-best. Others, holding four, lead the lowest after trumping with the third-best. _=The Echo in Trumps.=_ When the partner leads high trumps, the Third Hand should echo with four or more, by signalling in the trump suit. The universal form of the echo is to play first the third-best, then the fourth-best. When a player has called, and his partner leads, it is unnecessary for the caller to echo.
=_ In the simple proposal and acceptance, the rules with regard to cards played in error, or led out of turn, are the same as at Whist. In the case of a single player against three adversaries, the caller is not liable to any penalty for cards played in error, or led out of turn; but his adversaries are subject to the usual whist penalties for all such irregularities, such as having the cards laid on the table as exposed, or a suit called, or the highest or lowest of a suit led demanded from an adversary who has followed suit out of turn. For the better protection of the single player, who is much more liable to be injured by irregularities than partners would be, he is allowed to prevent the use of an exposed trump for ruffing, and to demand or _=to prevent=_ the play of any exposed card in plain suits. If a suit is led of which an adversary has an exposed card on the table the single player may call upon him to play his highest or lowest of that suit. If any adversary of a misère player leads out of turn, or exposes a card, or plays before his proper turn in any trick, the caller may immediately claim the stakes, and the individual player in fault must pay for himself, and for his partners. _=METHODS OF CHEATING.=_ While the practice of dealing three cards at a time gives a little more opportunity to the greek than would occur if they were dealt as at Whist, there is little to be feared if two packs are used, unless two greeks are in partnership. When such partners sit next each other, there is more or less danger, if only one pack is used, that one may shuffle so that the other may cut understandingly; or that a good shuffler may run up six cards for a dealer that is not embarrassed by the cards being cut. A shrewd greek can often help a silent partner who is playing under the disguise of a single caller, especially in misère. Persons who play in the many public cafés of Europe should be especially careful to avoid this style of partnership, where it is very common.
A game called The Beds, mentioned by a writer in _Blackwood s Magazine_, August 1821, p. 36, as played in Edinburgh when he was a boy by girls only, is described as a game where a pitcher is kicked into chalked divisions of the pavement, the performer being on one leg and hopping. See Hop-scotch. Hard Buttons Several boys place one button each close together on a line. The game consists in hitting a particular button out of this line with the nicker without touching the others. This is generally played in London streets, and is mentioned in the _Strand Magazine_, ii. 515. See Banger, Buttons. Hare and Hounds A boys game. One boy is chosen as the Hare.