CHECKERS, OR DRAUGHTS. _=The Board.=_ Checkers is played upon a board which is not more than sixteen, nor less than fourteen inches square, and is divided into sixty-four smaller squares of equal size. These squares are of different colours, alternately light and dark, and the board must be so placed that each player shall have a light square at his right on the side nearer him. _=The Men.=_ Each player is provided with twelve men, which are circular in form, one inch in diameter, and three eighths thick. The men on one side are red or black; those on the other white or yellow. The men must be placed on the _=black=_ squares. _=Diagrams.=_ For convenience in illustrating games and problems the men are always shown as placed on the white squares, type made in that manner being more easily read.
In some places the game is said in a sing-song manner. Some of the versions differ from the general type in two ways--first, in the method of playing; secondly, in the wording of the verses. The differences in the method of playing direct attention to the connection of the game with ancient custom. The game is always played by the players taking sides; but one method is for one side to consist of only two children (Mother and Jenny Jones), and the other side to consist of all the other players; while the other method is for the players to be divided into two sides of about equal numbers, each side advancing and retiring in line when singing their part. Jenny Jones in some cases walks with the girls in her line until the funeral, when she is carried to the grave, and in others she stands alone behind the line. The way of performing the funeral also differs. Generally two of the players carry Jenny to the grave, the rest following two by two; but in one Hampshire version six or eight children carry Jenny, stretched out and flat, to the grave, and cover her over; in Holywood, co. Down, she is carried sitting on the crossed hands of two players; while in some versions no funeral is apparently performed, the words only being sung. Another significant incident is the Ghost. An additional incident occurs in the Liphook version, which represents her being swung to life again by two of the players.
5 and the other in No. 6. Jump round. Go back as you came. Then with stone on shoe, walk through the figure, kick it up and catch at the close. Place stone on eyelid; walk through the same figure, dropping it off into hand at close. This is called jumping. In the fourth plan (fig. 4) the game is:--Throw stone into No. 1.
Ante, a bet made before playing, but after seeing the hand. Antepenultimate, the lowest but two of a suit. Après, the announcement of a refait at Rouge et Noir. Arroser, F., to be compelled to play a trump which will not win the trick. Ask for Trumps, playing an unnecessarily high card, when no attempt is made to win the trick. Auf die Dörfer gehen, to run for home; to make all your aces and kings, instead of leading trumps. A. Y. B.
He drew a zipper open in his fancy blouse, dragged out the Bull Durham and started to roll his own. They watch too much TV. It makes terrible hams of them all. He spat on the floor. A living doll, I said. I took a better look at this honey. Face it, he was an oily snake, cleaned up as much as possible, but not enough. No amount of dude ranch duds, gold spurs or Indian jewelry could hide his stiletto mentality. He was just a Tenderloin hoodlum with some of the scum scraped off. Well, I should know.
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The pack must not be shuffled below the table nor so the face of any card be seen. 29. The dealer’s partner must collect the cards from the preceding deal and has the right to shuffle first. Each player has the right to shuffle subsequently. The dealer has the right to shuffle last, but should a card or cards be seen during his shuffling or while giving the pack to be cut, he must reshuffle. 30. After shuffling, the cards, properly collected, must be placed face downward to the left of the next dealer, where they must remain untouched until the end of the current deal. THE DEAL. 31. Players deal in turn; the order of dealing is to the left.
| |and needles. | |22.|Pins and needles they | -- |Pins and needles rust | | |will break. | |and bend. | |23.| -- | -- | -- | |24.| -- | -- | -- | |25.| -- | -- | -- | |26.| -- | -- | -- | |27.| -- | -- | -- | |28.
Where s the fire? T waters sleekt (extinguished) it. Where s the water? T oxen drank it. Where s the oxen? T butcher killed em. Where s the butcher? Upon the church tops cracking nuts, and you may go and eat the shells; and them as speaks first shall have nine nips, nine scratches, and nine boxes over the lug! Every one then endeavours to refrain from speaking in spite of mutual nudges and grimaces, and he who first allows a word to escape is punished by the others in the various methods adopted by schoolboys. In some places the game is played differently. The children pile their fists in the manner described above; then one, or sometimes all of them, sing: I ve built my house, I ve built my wall; I don t care where my chimneys fall! The merriment consists in the bustle and confusion occasioned by the rapid withdrawal of the hands (Halliwell s _Nursery Rhymes_, p. 225). Compare Burne s _Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 529. Northall (_Folk Rhymes_, p.
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.| Belfast. | Shropshire. | Derbyshire. | +---+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+ | 1.|Green gravel.
B gets rid of cards which might get him into the lead to his partner’s disadvantage. Unfortunately, Z is unable to take the lead away from Y at trick 4. As Y is still in the lead, there is no necessity for A to save his Pedro, for Y cannot possibly catch it, and A must catch Y’s, no matter how Y plays. A-B score 10 points; Low, Game, and both Pedroes, 12, from which they deduct the 2 points made by Y-Z. _=No. 3.=_ | | _=No. 4.=_ A bids 12 on hearts. | T | A bids 8 on hearts.
55, says: I thought this game was a thing of the past, but I came across some children playing it in the streets of Penzance in 1883. It belongs to the cumulative group of games, and is similar in this respect to Milking Pails, Mother, Mother, the Pot boils over, &c. There seems to be no other object in the game as now played except the pleasures of teasing and showing defiance to a mother s commands, and trying to escape the consequences of disobedience by flight, in order that the mother may chase them. The idea may be that, if she is out of breath, she cannot chastise so much. Mr. Newell (_Games_, p. 172) gives versions of a similar game. Mother Mop All the players, except one, stand two by two in front of each other, the inner ones forming an arch with their hands united--this is called the oven. The odd child is Mother Mop. She busies herself with a pretended mop, peel, &c.
Persons who are interested in systems will find in the New York Sun, July 5, 1896, a very interesting tabulation of every roll of the ball at Monte Carlo for seven successive days, 4,012 in all, of which 120 were zeros. If they can find a system that will beat the wheel for seven days, and have a return ticket, Monte Carlo will take care of all their spare cash. One curious fallacy about some systems is to imagine that they will win if the player will quit when he is a certain amount ahead, and not play again until next day. Until some rule can be given by which the exact hour can be fixed to begin play, all such systems must be delusions, as there is no reason why a second man should not begin where the first left off, and therefore no reason why the first should not continue playing all the time. It is in the interest of the proprietors of all gambling houses to pretend to be afraid of systems. The word is passed round, and the deluded gamesters think they have found the thread which has held the sword of Damocles above the banker’s head so long. As a matter of fact, there is no one so welcome at a gambling house as a player with a system. A man may be fortunate enough for a long time to guess right oftener than he will guess wrong, and a lucky man in good guessing form is a very dangerous customer, that no cold deck will beat; but a man with a system surrenders to a double foe; the inevitable percentage of the game, and the skill of the banker, who can beat any system if the player will only promise to stick to it. KENO, OR LOTTO. This game is played with a large number of cards, on which are printed various permutations of the numbers 1 to 90, taken five at a time; but each of the five numbers selected for one combination must be in a separate division of tens, such combinations as 2 4 8 16 18 not being allowed on any card, because the 2 4 and 8, for instance, are all in the first ten numbers of the 90.
Holding the _=Lowest=_ trump. 5th. Winning a trick with the _=Jack=_ of trumps in it. 6th. Making the majority of the pips that count for what is called _=Game=_. _=Turning the Jack=_ is entirely a matter of chance, and should not occur more than once in thirteen deals. If a Jack is turned every few deals, you may be sure that unfair methods are being used. Nothing is more common among advantage players than turning up Jacks every few deals. _=Begging=_ is resorted to by a player who holds no trumps, or such indifferent ones that it is very unlikely they will be either High or Low. If he has anything better, such as very high or low cards in other suits, such a hand is called, “a good hand to run to,” and the player begs, hoping the new trump will better fit his hand.
=_ Two players sit opposite each other. Three, five or seven sit according to their choice. Four sit as at Whist, the partners facing each other. Six, playing in two partnerships, sit alternately, so that no two partners shall be next each other. Six, playing in three partnerships of two each, sit so that two adversaries shall be between each pair of partners. Eight, playing in two sets of four each, or as four pairs of partners, arrange themselves alternately. If we distinguish the partners by the letters A, B, C, D, the diagram will show the arrangement of the tables. [Illustration: B C A B A B +------+ +------+ +------+ | | D| |C B| |A A| |A | | | | | | C| |D A| |B +------+ +------+ +------+ C B B A B A THREE PAIRS. FOUR PAIRS. TWO FOURS.
_=Four of a Kind=_; such as four 10’s and an odd card. _=Full Hand=_; three of a kind and a pair, such as three 8’s and a pair of Q’s, which beats a _=Flush=_; five cards of the same suit, but not in sequence. _=Straight=_; five cards in sequence, but of various suits. In straights, the Ace cannot be used to form such combinations as Q K A 2 3; but it may be used as the bottom of 5 4 3 2, or the top of 10 J Q K. Straights beat _=Three of a Kind=_; such as three K’s and two odd cards. _=Two Pairs=_; such as two 9’s and two 7’s, with an odd card. _=A Pair=_; such as two Aces and three odd cards. If no pair is shown, the _=Highest Card=_ wins. A short hand, such as four cards, cannot be claimed as either a straight or a flush. _=36.
The three small keys are used for counting rubber points, or games. In ten point games, the scoring to four points is the same; but beyond four, a single counter placed _=below=_ two or more others, is reckoned as three; and _=above=_ two or more others, as five. [Illustration: Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine.] When proper markers are not obtainable, many persons cut eight slits in a visiting card, and turn up the points. [Illustration: Visiting-Card Marker.] Whatever the apparatus employed, it should be such that every player at the table can distinctly see the state of the score without drawing attention to it.
This may be done in many ways. The player may ask the one sitting next him whether or not he should draw, which shows that he has 5. Or he may make a movement as if to expose his first two cards, and then correct himself. This shows the banker that the player has baccara, and is pretending that he thought he had 9. In addition to this system of communication, which Parisians call tiquer, marked cards, second dealing, and prepared stocks which can be palmed on the true cards, or substituted therefor, are all in common use. If Baccara is honestly played it is one of the fairest of all banking games, but the opportunities for cheating are so many and so easily availed of, and the money to be won and lost is so great, especially at Chemin de Fer, that few who know anything of cheating at cards can resist the temptation to practice it at Baccara. _=The Laws=_ of Baccara are very long and complicated. As no official code exists, and as each gambling club makes its own house rules, it is not necessary to give them here, the directions contained in the foregoing description being sufficient for any honest game. _=Text Books.=_ The following will be found useful:-- Théorie Mathematique du Baccara, by Dormoy.