B. is broken down. |L. B. is broken down. |L. B. is broken down. | | 6.| -- | -- | -- | | 7.
KENT Pegge s _Alphabet of Kenticisms_. Bexley Heath Miss Morris. Crockham Hill, Deptford Miss Chase. Platt Miss Burne. Wrotham Miss D. Kimball. { Nodal and Milner s _Glossary_, LANCASHIRE { Harland and Wilkinson s _Folk-lore_, { ed. 1882, Mrs. Harley. Monton Miss Dendy.
Suppose the steamboat would go too fast, daughter, daughter? Then take a rope and hang yourself, mother, mother. --South Shields (Miss Blair, aged 9). (_b_) One child stands apart and personates the Mother. The other children form a line, holding hands and facing the Mother. They advance and retire singing the first, third, and alternate verses, while the Mother, in response, sings the second and alternate verses. While the last verse is being sung the children all run off; the Mother runs after them, catches them, and beats them. Either the first or last caught becomes Mother in next game. In the Shropshire game the Mother should carry a stick. In the Norfolk version the Mother sits on a form or bank, the other children advancing and retiring as they sing. After the last verse is sung the children try to seat themselves on the form or bank where the Mother has been sitting.
In some of the problems connected with Whist, it is important to know the probability of the suits being distributed in various ways among the four players at the table; or, what is the same thing, the probable distribution of the four suits in any one hand. The author is indebted to Dr. Pole’s “Philosophy of Whist” for these calculations. As an example of the use of this table, suppose it was required to find the probability of any other player at the table holding four or more trumps if you had six. Take all the combinations in which the figure 6 appears, and add together the number of times they will probably occur. That will be your denominator, 166. The numerator will be the number of times that the combinations occur which contain a figure larger than 3, in addition to the 6. This will be found to be 74, and the probability will therefore be 74/166. DISTRIBUTIONS. TIMES IN 1000.
Three to twelve players may form a table. There are two methods of playing Commerce; with and without a widow. We shall take the older form first. _=Without a Widow.=_ The counters have a money value, and each player deposits one in the pool. The dealer then distributes the cards one at a time, face down, until each has three. The players then examine their cards, and each in turn, beginning with the eldest hand, may exchange one card. If he trades _=for ready money=_, he gives his card and one white counter to the dealer, and receives another card, face down, from the top of the pack. The discard is left on the table, and the counter is the dealer’s perquisite. If he trades _=for barter=_, he passes his discard to the player on his left, who must give one of his own in exchange before looking at the one he is to receive.
_=METHOD OF PLAYING.=_ The eldest hand of those who have declared to play begins by leading any card he pleases. Each player in turn must head the trick; that is, play a higher card if he can. If he has two higher, he may play either. If he has none of the suit led, he must trump if he can, even if the trick is already trumped by another player. For instance: Hearts are trumps, and A leads a club. B follows suit, but neither C nor D has a club. Suppose C trumps with the King, and that the only trump D has is the Queen, he must play it on the trick, losing it to C’s King. When a player can neither follow suit nor trump, he may discard any card he pleases. The winner of the trick leads for the next trick, and so on until all five tricks have been played.
As we shall see later, there are some varieties of Euchre in which a lone hand may play against a lone hand, but this is not permitted in the ordinary game. No one but the individual player who makes the trump can play alone. Except in five and seven-handed Euchre, the player or side first reaching five points wins the game. If three are playing, and two of them reach five points simultaneously by euchreing the third, they both win a game. If they are playing for stakes, they divide the pool. _=TAKING UP THE TRUMP.=_ After the trump is turned up, each player in turn examines his cards, and if he does not care whether the trump suit remains unchanged or not, he says: “_=I pass=_.” If all pass, the dealer must decide. The dealer has the advantage of being allowed to take the trump card into his own hand, discarding one of his worthless cards in its place. If he thinks he can make three tricks with the turn-up suit for trumps, and his partner’s probable assistance, or can win five tricks by playing alone, he discards any card he pleases, placing it under the remainder of the pack, face down, and without showing or naming it.
In studying openings, the student should be careful always to play with the winning side next him; that is, never study how to play a losing game. If the variation ends with a plus sign, showing a win for the white, play it over with the white men next you. In selecting openings for general use in play, if it is one for the white men, take those openings that have the greatest number of variations ending in favour of white. The Ruy Lopez is a very good opening for beginners, and the Evans’ Gambit may be studied later. The French Defence and the Petroff are good openings for Black. The theory of opening is to mobilise your forces for the attack in the fewest possible moves. Lasker thinks six moves should be enough for this purpose, and he recommends that only the King’s and Queen’s Pawns should be moved, after which each piece should be placed at once upon the square from which it can operate to the best advantage. He thinks the Knights should be first brought out, and posted at B 3, and then the K’s B, somewhere along his own diagonal. The great mistake made by beginners is that they rush off to the attack and try to capture some of the adverse pieces before they have properly prepared themselves for re-inforcement or retreat. It should never be forgotten that the game is not won by capturing the adversary’s pieces, but by check-mating his King.
These stars are usually of three colours; red, green, and gold. The head table is provided with a bell, and each table is supplied with one pack of cards only. It is usual to sort out the thirty-two cards used in play, and the four small cards for markers, before the arrival of the guests. _=Drawing for Positions.=_ Two packs of differently coloured cards are used, and from the two black suits in each a sequence of cards is sorted out, equal in length to the number of tables in play. For instance: If there are sixteen ladies and sixteen gentlemen, or thirty-two players in all, they will fill eight tables, and all the clubs and spades from the ace to the eight inclusive should be sorted out. These are then thoroughly shuffled and presented, face down, to the players to draw from. The ladies take only the red-back cards, and the gentlemen only the blue. The number of pips on the card drawn indicates the number of the table at which the player is to sit, and those drawing cards of the same suit are partners for the first game. _=Playing.
B has bid to make 8, and named hearts for trumps. A-B make 10, which is 2 more than they bid, Y-Z getting the other 4; which leaves A-B 6. These are scored by placing one red and one white counter in the pool. But suppose A-B got only 5 points, Y-Z getting 9. A-B would score nothing, as they did not make good their bid; while Y-Z would score the 9 points actually won, and the 8 points bid in addition, or 17 altogether. The old way of scoring was to _=set back=_ the side that failed to make the number bid; but that system of counting entirely destroyed the interest in the game when one side got much behind; because it could not recover in time to prevent the other side from _=sweating out=_, as it is called. Suppose A-B have been set back 18 points on two failures, Y-Z having made 16 points on those two deals, and 23 on their own bids. The score will stand: A-B 64 to go; Y-Z, 12 to go. Even if we suppose that A-B make 11 on each of the next four deals, they will still have 20 to go, while Y-Z will be out. Again: A-B want 15, Y-Z want 2.
When there is a trump suit, three Aces, or three of a plain suit in sequence, are worth 500 in the honour column. Each additional card is worth 500 points more. A sequence of K Q J 10 9 would be worth 1,500. In the trump suit, and in all the suits when there are no trumps, these coronets are worth double, and each additional card is therefore worth 1,000 more. _=Rubbers.=_ As soon as one side wins two games, that ends the first rubber. The partners then change, without cutting, in such a manner that at the end of three rubbers each player shall have had each of the others for a partner. At the end of the third rubber, the losses and gains are ascertained for each individual, and settled for. _=Laws.=_ The laws that govern the game are almost identical with those for Bridge.
_=IRREGULAR HANDS.=_ If, after the first trick has been played to, any two players are found to have more or less than their correct number of cards, the pack being perfect, the one having less must draw, face downward, from the hand of the one having more; and each must pay five counters into the pool. _=OBJECTS OF THE GAME.=_ As a general proposition, the object of each player is to avoid getting any hearts in the tricks he takes in. In some varieties of the game his object must be to take no hearts; in others it will be to take less than his adversaries; while in others it will be to take less than four. After a person has taken in one or more hearts, his object will be to _=load=_ the others; that is, to see that they get some hearts also; or it may be to see that a given player takes at least one heart; or that no one but himself takes any. The manner in which a person must vary his play in accordance with these different objects will be discussed when we come to the suggestions for good play. In the meantime, it is necessary to bear in mind only the general principle that the object of the game is to avoid winning any tricks that contain hearts. _=METHOD OF PLAYING.=_ The cards dealt, the player to the left of the dealer begins by leading any card he pleases, and the others must follow suit if they can.
=_ Each player in turn has an opportunity to announce that he is willing to undertake to win a certain number of tricks, if allowed the privilege of naming the trump suit; or to lose a certain number, there being no trump suit. If he proposes to play alone, he may select any suit for trumps; but if he takes a partner the trump suit must be belle or petite. The announcements outrank each other in certain order, and the player making the highest must be allowed to play. If he succeeds in his undertaking, he wins the pool, and is also paid a certain number of counters by each of his adversaries. If he fails, he must double the pool, and pay each of his adversaries. The table of payments will be given later. _=ANNOUNCEMENTS.=_ The proposals rank in the order following, beginning with the lowest. The French terms are given in _=italics=_:-- Five tricks; or eight with a partner, in petite. _=Simple in petite=_.
But without such strength in the long suit, we let it severely alone, and develop the hand with a short-suit or “gambit” opening. With three trumps and a five-card suit containing two honors not in sequence, we still open the long suit if we have a sure re-entry in another suit. This, for example, hearts trumps:-- ♡ K 6 2 ♣ 8 6 2 ♢ A Q 6 4 3 ♠ A 10 The trey of diamonds is the best opening. If there were no re-entry, such as only 10 2 of spades instead of A 10, we should open the 10 of spades. Although we open a great many short suits, we avoid weak three-card suits except in rare instances. While our system, like all others, entails losses at times, it seems to avoid many of the pitfalls that confront the player who always opens his long suit, regardless of the possibilities of ever bringing it in. In many instances we find he places himself in the worst possible position for any chance to make even one trick in the suit he opens. We admit that if a team adopts straight American leads, it is much easier for them to count the partner’s hand accurately; but it seems to me that this advantage is more than overcome by the fact that in our openings we have a clear idea as to the general character of the partner’s hand while there is still time to take advantage of the knowledge. In the long-suit game this element is entirely wanting. _=IN CONCLUSION.
When three persons play, the deuce of spades is thrown out of the pack; when five play, both the black deuces are laid aside, and when six play, all four deuces are discarded. It is usual to play with two packs, one being shuffled while the other is dealt. _=COUNTERS.=_ Every deal is a game in itself, and must be settled for in counters immediately. It is usual for each player to begin with fifty counters, which are purchased from some person who is agreed upon to act as banker. When only two play, the game may be scored on a pull-up cribbage board, and settled for at the end. _=PLAYERS.=_ Any number from two to six persons may play, but four is the usual number, each playing for himself against all the others. The players on the dealer’s right and left are known as the _=pone=_ and the _=eldest hand=_, respectively. _=STAKES.
VIII. Stepping on the green grass Thus, and thus, and thus; Please may we have a pretty lass To come and play with us? We will give you pots and pans, We will give you brass, No! We will give you anything For a bonny lass. No! We will give you gold and silver, We will give you pearl, We will give you anything For a pretty girl. Yes! You shall have a goose for dinner, You shall have a darling, You shall have a nice young man To take you up the garden. But suppose this young man was to die And leave this girl a widow? The bells would ring, the cats would sing, So we ll all clap together. --Frodingham and Nottinghamshire (Miss M. Peacock). IX. Stepping up the green grass, Thus, and thus, and thus; Will you let one of your fair maids Come and play with us? We will give you pots and pans, We will give you brass, We will give you anything For a pretty lass. No! We won t take your pots and pans, We won t take your brass, We won t take your anything For a pretty lass.
--Oxford and Wakefield (Miss Fowler). II. Now we dance looby, looby, looby, Now we dance looby, looby, light; Shake your right hand a little, And turn you round about. Now we dance looby, looby, looby; Shake your right hand a little, Shake your left hand a little, And turn you round about. Now we dance looby, looby, looby; Shake your right hand a little, Shake your left hand a little, Shake your right foot a little, And turn you round about. Now we dance looby, looby, looby; Shake your right hand a little, Shake your left hand a little, Shake your right foot a little, Shake your left foot a little, And turn you round about. Now we dance looby, looby, looby; Shake your right hand a little, Shake your left hand a little, Shake your right foot a little, Shake your left foot a little, Shake your head a little, And turn you round about. --Halliwell (_Popular Rhymes_, p. 226). III.
The dealer is guided by the cards dealt to other players, and by what they ask for. The other players should stand on 17, but draw on 16. In practice it has been found that the odds are about 2 to 1 in favour of drawing at 16; 3 to 1 for drawing at 15. The rules for drawing, etc., are more fully described in connection with the very similar game of Baccara. MACAO. In this variety of Vingt-et-un only one card is dealt to each player; court cards and tens count nothing, and the Ace is always worth one. The number to be reached is 9, instead of 21, and if a player has a 9 natural, he receives from the banker three times his stake; if an 8 natural, he receives double, and for a 7 natural, he is paid. If the banker has an equal number of points natural, it is a tie; and if the banker has a 7, 8, or 9 natural he receives from each of the others once, twice, or three times the amount of their stakes. If none of these naturals are shown, the players draw in turn, as at Vingt-et-un, and the dealer receives from those who have less points than he, or who are créve, and pays those who have more, but have not passed 9.
This sport, in other parts, is called Dancing the Candlerush (Aubrey s _Remaines of Gentilisme and Judaisme_, p. 45). Halliwell (_Rhymes_, p. 65) has a rhyme-- Jack be nimble, And Jack be quick, And Jack jump over The candlestick, which may refer to this game. Northall (_Folk Rhymes_, p. 412) says in Warwickshire a similar game is called Cock and Breeches. Leap-frog One boy stoops down sideways, with his head bent towards his body, as low as possible. This is called Tucking in your Tuppeny. Another boy takes a flying leap over the frog, placing his hands on his back to help himself over. He then proceeds to a distance of some four or five yards, and, in his turn, stoops in the same manner as the first boy, as another frog.
As soon as either of the parties succeed in driving the ball, or, as it is called, hailin the dules, the game then begins by one of the party which was successful throwing the ball towards the opposing goal and the other party striving to drive it back. Hand in and Hand out A game played by a company of young people who are drawn up in a circle, when one of them, pitched upon by lot, walks round the band, and, if a boy, hits a girl, or, if a girl, she strikes a boy whom she chooses, on which the party striking and the party struck run in pursuit of each other till the latter is caught, whose lot it then becomes to perform the same part. A game so called was forbidden by statute of Edward IV.--Halliwell s _Dictionary_. See Drop Handkerchief. Handy-Croopen A game in which one of the players turns his face to the wall, his hand resting upon his back. He must continue in position until he guesses who struck his hand, when the striker takes his place.--Orkney and Shetland (Jamieson s _Dictionary_). See Hot Cockles. Handy Dandy I.
A revoke must be claimed before the tricks have been mixed, preparatory to shuffling for the next deal. 27. If a player is lawfully called upon to lead a certain suit, or to play the highest of it, and unnecessarily fails to comply, he is liable to the penalties for a revoke. 28. Any trick once turned and quitted must not again be seen until the hand is played. Any player violating this rule is subject to the same penalties as for a lead out of turn. 29. In settling at the end of the hand, the player having taken no hearts, [each of the others having taken at least one,] wins the pool. Two players having taken none, the other two having each at least one, divide it, the odd counter remaining until the next pool. Three players having taken none, the thirteen counters remain in the pool, forming a Jack, which can be won only by one player taking no hearts, each of the others having taken at least one.
If the top did not give way, the other players tried in turn. If the top did not split, it was returned to its owner, but any boy who succeeded in splitting it through the middle, so that the peg fell out, took possession of the peg. I have seen a top split at the side in such a way as to be quite useless as a top, though no peg was gained. I remember, too, a schoolfellow of mine drawing from his pocket some seven or eight pegs, the trophied memorials of as many tops.--London (J. P. Emslie). See Hoatie, Hoges, Peg-top. Hairry my Bossie This is a game of chance. The players are two, and may be boys or girls, or a boy and a girl.
In the second case, what he wants to know is his chance for getting his suit cleared or established. _=With a Trump.=_ When third hand makes no attempt to win the trick, either because his partner’s or Dummy’s card is better than any he need play, he plays the higher of two cards only, the lowest of three or more. This is called playing _=down and out=_. Suppose third hand holds 7 and 2 only, and the lead is a King. The 7 is played. The leader goes on with the Ace, denying the Queen, and the third hand plays the deuce. If the Queen is not in the Dummy, the declarer must have it. In any case, the leader knows that if he goes on, his partner, the third hand, can trump that suit. With three cards, the lowest falling to the first round, followed by a higher card, will show the leader that the third hand still has another of that suit.
Should the revoking player not discover his error in time, the hand must be played out, and if the revoke is detected and claimed the player in error must pay all the losses on that hand. Should the revoking player win the pool himself, he must pay the thirteen counters to the pool, and leave them for a _=Jack=_. Should he divide the pool with another player, he must pay his co-winner six counters, and put up the other seven for a Jack. If two or more players revoke in the same hand, each must pay the entire losses in that hand as if he were alone in error; so that if two should revoke and a third win the pool, the latter would receive twenty-six counters instead of thirteen. In Auction Hearts, the revoking player must also refund the amount put up by the bidder. A revoke must be claimed and proved before the pool is divided. Non-compliance with a performable penalty is the same as a revoke. _=SETTLING.=_ After the last card has been played, each player turns over his tricks, counts the number of hearts he has taken in, and announces it. Players should be careful not to gather or mix the cards until all thirteen hearts have been accounted for.
| -- | -- | -- | | 3.| -- | -- | -- | | 4.|For my lady s |For the farmer s |For my lady s | | |daughter. |daughter. |daughter. | | 5.| -- | -- | -- | | 6.| -- | -- | -- | | 7.| -- | -- | -- | | 8.| -- | -- | -- | | 9.
--West Sussex (Holloway s _Dict. of Provincialisms_). See Bandy, Doddart, Hockey. Headicks and Pinticks This game was played only at Christmas. 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.