The adversaries will then score 15 for their three sequences of four, and one of three. No point of less than 30 can be announced. _=Pic and Repic.=_ If one player, or two partners together, reach 20 in counting, without playing, they count 90 for the repic. If they reach 20 in declarations and play together, they count 60 for the pic. Carte blanche in the hand of one or other partner may count toward pic or repic; and if two partners each held carte blanche, they would be entitled to 90 points for the repic, no matter what the adversaries held, because carte blanche takes precedence of all other scores. PIQUET A ÉCRIRE. This game somewhat resembles Skat in the manner of playing and settling. Any number from three to seven persons sit around the table; but only two play, and the losses of each individual are charged to him on a score sheet ruled off for the purpose. The players may take turns, each playing two deals, the first with the person on his left, and the second with the one on his right.
In either case, he proposes to play single-handed against the three other players. The player proposing the undertaking which is most difficult of accomplishment is said to _=over-call=_ the others, and must be allowed to try. If he is successful, he wins the pool, and is paid a certain number of counters by each of his adversaries. If he fails, he must double the amount in the pool, and pay to each of the other players a certain number of counters. _=ANNOUNCEMENTS.=_ The bids rank in the following order, beginning with the lowest. The full-faced type shows the words used by the players in calling their bids:-- To win five tricks; _=Boston=_. To win _=Six Tricks=_. To win _=Seven Tricks=_. To lose twelve tricks, after having discarded a card which is not to be shown; _=Little Misère=_.
_=When four play=_, if the player who makes the trump declares to play _=alone=_, that is, without any assistance from his partner, who must lay down his cards, the maker of the trump scores four points if he succeeds in winning all five tricks, and one point if he wins three or four tricks. But if he fails to win three tricks, he is euchred, and the adversaries score two points. _=When three play=_, a lone hand counts three if the player wins all five tricks. _=When two play=_, five tricks is simply a march, and counts two points. _=When five or seven play=_, there are special scores for lone hands. When all five tricks are taken by one side, but not by an individual playing a lone hand, it is simply a march, and counts two points, no matter how many are playing. When two or three are playing, a march must of course be a lone hand, as there are no partnerships. 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.
_=Trick 3.=_ _=A=_ returns the Club, reading _=B=_ for the Q or no more. _=B=_ still avoids the lead, and _=Z=_ is marked as not having the trump Ten, or he would have saved it. _=Trick 4.=_ _=Z=_ plays to win what cards he can. _=Trick 5.=_ _=B=_ throws ♢A to avoid the lead, knowing _=Y=_ has the trump Ten; for _=A=_ would have made it on the second round of Spades. _=A=_ also marks it with _=Y=_, as _=B=_ does not save it. _=Trick 6.=_ _=B=_ is not sure whether _=Y=_ has a Diamond or a Club left, and discards the winning card.
WHIST. _=CARDS.=_ Whist is played with a full pack of fifty-two cards, ranking A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2; the Ace being the highest in play, but ranking below the deuce in cutting. Two packs are generally used, the one being shuffled while the other is dealt. _=MARKERS=_ are necessary to keep the score. The most common are red and white circular counters; the white being used for the points in each game, and the red for the games themselves, or for rubber points. It is better to have two sets, of different colours, each set consisting of four circular and three oblong counters, the latter being used for the rubber points, or for games. _=PLAYERS.=_ Whist is played by four persons. When there are more than four candidates for play, five or six may form a “table.
1). One girl gets inside the enclosing hands (fig. 2), and they repeat till all four have popped under (fig. 3), when they jog up and down till they fall on the floor! (fig. 4). At Ellesmere only _two_ girls join hands, and as many pop under as they can encircle. The Lincolnshire and Norfolk versions are played practically in the same way. In the Liphook version the children stand in two and two opposite to each other; the children on one side of the square hold hands up at the third line, and the other two children run under the hands of the first two. There is no pause, but the verse is sung time after time, so that the four children are nearly always moving. In the other Hampshire version four girls stand in a square, each holding the hands of the one opposite to her, pulling each other s hands backwards and forwards singing the lines.