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. Hoc, or Hockelty, the last card in the box at Faro. Honours, usually the highest cards in the suit, such as A K Q J, and sometimes the 10.
The game is sometimes kept on a cribbage board, each player starting at 21, and going twice round to the game-hole, reckoning each peg as 10 points. _=STAKES.=_ Binocle is played for so much a game of 1000 points, and the moment either player either actually reaches or claims to have reached that number, the game is at an end. If his claim is correct, he wins; if it is not, his adversary takes the stakes, no matter what the score may be. _=PLAYERS.=_ Binocle is played by two persons, one of whom is known as the _=dealer=_, and the other as the _=pone=_. They cut for the choice of seats and deal, and the player cutting the higher card may deal or not, as he pleases. It is usual for the player having the choice to make his adversary deal. A player exposing more than one card must cut again. _=DEALING.
After the dealer has taken the trump card into his hand, it cannot be asked for; a player naming it at any time during the play of that hand is liable to have his highest or lowest trump called. 54. If the dealer take the trump card into his hand before it is his turn to play, he may be desired to lay it on the table; should he show a wrong card, this card may be called, as also a second, a third, etc., until the trump card be produced. 55. If the dealer declare himself unable to recollect the trump card, his highest or lowest trump may be called at any time during that hand, and unless it cause him to revoke, must be played; the call may be repeated, but not changed, _i.e._, from highest to lowest, or _vice versa_, until such card is played. CARDS LIABLE TO BE CALLED. 56.
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The total number of points claimed by each player is simply announced, but not scored. The player must win a trick before he can score anything; but the first trick he wins entitles him to score everything he has announced, including dix. It is usual to put the melds on a slate, and to rub them out if the player does not win a trick. _=Playing.=_ The melds are all taken in hand again before play begins. The eldest hand leads for the first trick any card he pleases, and the others must follow suit if able, and must win the trick if they can, either with a higher card or with a trump. If the third hand cannot win the trick, he is still obliged to follow suit if he can; but if he has none of the suit led, and the second hand has already put on a better trump than any held by third hand, the latter must under-trump if he can. The winner of one trick leads for the next, as in the ordinary game. The winner of the sixteenth or last trick counts ten points for it at once. _=Scoring.
In cutting, the cards and suits rank as in play. The one drawing the lowest card shall deal the first hand, and the score shall be kept by the player on his right. 10. The game shall come to an end only at the conclusion of a round, and any player wishing to stop must give notice before the beginning of a round. CARDS. 11. There are thirty-two cards in the pack, the rank and value of which are as follows: Jack 2; ace 11; ten 10; king 4; queen 3; the nine, eight and seven having no counting value. 12. The suits shall always outrank one another in the same order; clubs, spades, hearts and diamonds. The four jacks, or Wenzels, which are always the four best trumps, shall outrank one another in the same order.
8, not touching lines. So successively into Nos. 2, 3, 4, &c. Walk into No. 1 with stone on foot, and out at No. 8. Kick it up and catch it. The same with stone on thumb. Toss it up and catch. Again with stone on your back.
This soon brought about another change, which was to raise the values of all the suits except spades and to cut down the no-trumper. This was done in 1912, and made it possible for any suit to go game on the hand. All the well known writers on whist and bridge came out with text-books on auction, and the newspapers took up the subject in weekly articles. Although to many the game now seemed perfect, there were those that felt the helplessness of weak hands to offer any defence in the bidding against a run of no-trumpers or hearts and royals. To remedy this, F.C. Thwaites of the Milwaukee Whist Club suggested the introduction of the nullo. This was a bid to lose tricks, at no trump only, and its value was to be minus 10, that is, it was to be outranked only by a no-trumper to win. At first, this bid was largely used simply as an additional game-going declaration, and was strongly objected to by many leading players. But as its true place as a defensive bid became better understood it soon came into favour.
These are as follows:-- _Points._ The majority of _=Cards=_ taken in. 3 The majority of _=Spades=_ taken in. 1 The Ten of diamonds, _=Big Cassino=_. 2 The deuce of spades, _=Little Cassino=_. 1 The _=Ace=_ of any suit. 1 A _=Sweep=_ of all the cards on the table. 1 The manner in which these points are secured will become apparent from the description of the method of playing the hands. _=Method of Playing.=_ Beginning on the dealer’s left, each player in turn plays a card from his hand, placing it face upward on the table.
If a player has made a pool bid, and the adversaries, before playing to the second trick, agree to pay, they cannot prevent the caller from taking the pool; but they save possible over-tricks. The agreement of the adversaries to pay must be unanimous. Misère Partout does not touch the pool. If the hand is played out, and the caller fails, he must double the pool, whether he has made a pool bid or not. If there is more than one pool, he must double the first one, which will of course contain the limit. This will simply have the effect of forming an additional pool to be played for. When there are several pools on the table, a successful caller takes any of those that contain the limit. When there is only one pool on the table, he must be satisfied with its contents, however small. At the end of the game, after the twelfth hand has been settled for, it is usual to divide the pool or pools equally among the players. But sometimes a grand is played without trumps, making a thirteenth hand, and the pool is given to the player winning the last trick.
It is not necessary for you to be strong in a suit which you lead through Dummy; and if you are both weak, is often advantageous; especially if it avoids leading one of his strong suits. With A Q 10 x; Dummy having J x x x; play the 10. If partner has the King you make every trick in the suit. With A Q 10 x; Dummy having K x x; play the Q. If Dummy passes, you make two tricks; if he covers, you have tenace over the Jack. With A 10 9 x; Dummy having J x x x; play the 10. If partner has the K, your A 9 is tenace over the Q. With A J 10 x; Dummy having Q x x x; if the suit must be led, play the Jack; but such positions should be avoided, except in the end game, or when you play for every trick. With A J 10 x; Dummy having no honour in the suit; if you must lead the suit, play the 10. In trumps, with K Q x x; Dummy having A J x x; play the Queen.
Mr. Addy (_Sheffield Glossary_) gives the first two lines as a game. He says, The first horse in a team conveying lead to be smelted wore bells, and was called the bell-horse. I remember when a child the two first lines being used to start children a race (A. B. G.). Chambers (_Pop. Rhymes_, p. 148) gives a similar verse, used for starting a race:-- Race horses, race horses, what time of day? One o clock, two o clock, three, and away; and these lines are also used for the same purpose in Cheshire (Holland s _Glossary_) and Somersetshire (Elworthy s _Glossary_).