B. Elwell, 1904. Auction Bridge, by John Doe, 1904. Bridge that Wins, by A. Metcalfe, 1905. Foster’s Complete Bridge, by R.F. Foster, 1905. Foster’s Bridge Maxims, by R.F.
” By so doing, a player intimates that he has four probable tricks also, but in the plain suits, and that he is willing to try for eight tricks with the proposer for a partner. All the other calls are made by a single player with the intention of playing against the three others. Any player except the eldest hand having once said, “I pass,” cannot afterwards make or accept any proposal. The eldest hand, after passing once, can accept a proposal, but he cannot make one. It is the custom in some places, when no one will make a proposal of any sort, to turn down the trump, and play the hands without any trump suit, each man for himself, the winner of the last trick losing to each of the others the value of a solo. This is called a _=Grand=_. _=RANK OF THE PROPOSALS.=_ The various calls outrank one another in the order in which we have given them. If one player says, “I propose,” and another calls “Solo,” the solo call shuts out the proposal, even though it has been accepted by a second player. The call of a misère would in turn shut out a solo; abundance would take precedence of misère; and abundance in trumps would be a better call than simple abundance.
_=Discarding.=_ An adversary should get rid of some one suit, if possible; for when that suit is afterwards led he will have free choice of his discards in the other suits. Short suits should be discarded in preference to high cards in long suits, unless the cards in the short suit are very low. Discards give great information to the adversaries if the rule is followed to discard the highest of a suit; because all cards higher than those discarded must be between the two other adversaries and the caller, and each adversary is thus furnished with a guide. It is useless to discard a suit of which the caller is void; and it is best to keep discarding from one suit until it is exhausted, or only the deuce remains. The trump signal is frequently used in discarding to indicate that the signaller wishes to get into the lead. _=Returning Suits.=_ Whether or not to return a partner’s lead may often be decided by inferences from the fall of the cards. It is frequently an easy matter to locate the cards in the various suits, if it is borne in mind that adversaries who play after the caller get rid of their highest cards. For instance: Right leads the 9; caller plays the 5; left the 10; and the last player finds he holds K Q J 6 of the suit.
Hats in Holes A boys game. The players range their hats in a row against the wall, and each boy in turn pitches a ball from a line at some twenty-five feet distance into one of the hats. The boy into whose hat it falls has to seize it and throw it at one or other of the others, who all scamper off when the ball is packed in. If he fails to hit he is out, and takes his cap up. The boy whose cap is left at the last has to cork the others, that is, to throw the ball at their bent backs, each in turn stooping down to take his punishment.--Somerset (Elworthy s _Dialect_). See Balls and Bonnets. Hattie A game with preens, pins, on the crown of a hat. Two or more may play. Each lays on a pin, then with the hand they strike the side of the hat time about, and whoever makes the pins by a stroke cross each other, lifts those so crossed.
Every one at the table must ante an equal amount. Any player may decline to ante, by saying: “I pass this jack;” and the dealer will give him no cards. _=38. Opening.=_ After the cards are dealt, each player in turn, beginning on the dealer’s left, may open the pot for any amount he pleases within the betting limit, provided he holds a pair of Jacks, or some hand better than a pair of Jacks. If he does not hold openers, or does not wish to open the pot with them, he must say: “I pass;” but must not abandon his hand, under penalty of paying five counters to the pool. _=39. False Openers.=_ Should a player open a jack without the hand to justify it, and discover his error before he draws, his hand is foul, and he forfeits whatever amount he may have already placed in the pool. Those who have come into the pool after the false opening, stay in and play for the pot, regardless of the value of the hands dealt them.
If the take falls below that, the suspicion is that the table is being taken to the cleaners by a crooked gambler, or cross-roader. The table I had picked was the only one in the Sky Hi Club s casino with more than one stick-man working it. The girl sniffled, and her long skinny arm reached around behind me to snag a couple sandwiches the size of postage stamps from a waiter s tray. She wolfed them down, wiping at the end of her long nose with a wadded-up hunk of cambric. She d done it before, and plenty, for her nose was red and sore. She made cow-eyes at me. Don t say it, I told her. I m not your darlin Billy. The dice were to my right--I d get them after a couple more losers rolled. My unwanted hustler stood on that side of me, too.
H. Patterson). IV. Up the plain and down the plain, As stippy [slippery] as a glass, We will go to Mrs. ---- To find a pretty lass. [Annie] with her rosy cheeks, Catch her if you can, And if you cannot catch her I ll tell you who s the man. [Annie] made a pudding, She made it very sweet; She daren t stick a knife in Till George came home at neet [night]. Taste [George], taste, and don t say Nay! Perhaps to-morrow morning ll be our wedding day. [The bells shall ring, and we shall sing, And all clap hands together.][2] --Earls Heaton (Herbert Hardy).
--Dorsetshire (_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 214). (_b_) Played at Monton, Lancashire (Miss Dendy); Clapham Middle-Class School (Miss Richardson); and many other places. It is practically the same game as Drop Handkerchief, played without words. It is described by Strutt, p. 381, who considers Kiss-in-the-Ring is derived from this Cat and Mouse. Catchers One bicken is required in this game, and at this a lad must stand with a bat and ball in hand. He hits the ball away along the sand. Another boy picks it up and asks the striker How many? who replies-- Two a good scat, Try for the bat. The ball is then thrown to the bicken, and if it does not come within the distance named--two bats--the striker again sends the ball away, when the question is again asked-- Three a good scat, Try for the bat.
In the second group are those containing both the second and third best, but not the best. [Illustration: 🂮 🂭 🂫 🂪 | 🂾 🂽 🂺 🂸 🃎 🃍 🃋 🃄 | 🃞 🃝 🃗 🃖 ] The _=King=_ is the proper lead from these combinations. If it wins, the partner should have the Ace; if it loses, partner should know the leader holds at least the Queen. Both these groups, which contain all the King leads, may be easily remembered by observing that the King is always led if accompanied by the Ace or Queen, or both. Beginners should follow this rule for leading the King, regardless of the number of small cards in the suit, unless they hold the sequence of K Q J, and at least two other cards. [Illustration: 🂮 🂭 🂫 🂪 🂤 | 🃎 🃍 🃋 🃄 🃃 ] From this combination the _=Jack=_ is the usual lead, in order to invite partner to put on the Ace, if he has it, and get out of the way, thus establishing the suit in the leader’s hand. This is the only high-card combination from which the Jack is led. There is only one combination from which the _=Queen=_ is led, regardless of the number of the small cards. [Illustration: 🂭 🂫 🂪 🂦 🂥 ] This may be remembered by observing that there is no higher card in the suit than the one led, and that it contains a sequence of three cards, Q J 10. This lead is an indication to the partner that the leader holds neither Ace nor King.
=_ Although it is usual for each player to be provided with two dice, some players insist on the same pair being used by each player alternately; the claim being that luck will then run more evenly. At the beginning of the game each player makes a cast, either with one die or with two, as may be agreed, and the higher throw has the first play. In some clubs the player making the higher throw is allowed the option of playing the first cast, or of throwing again; but the general practice is to insist that the first cast is simply for the privilege of playing first, and that the dice must be cast again for the first move. After each throw the dice must fall within the borders of the table on the caster’s right, and each die must rest fairly and squarely on one of its faces. If it is _=cocked=_ against a man, the edge of the board, or the other die, or if it jumps over the edge of the table in which it is thrown, both dice must be taken up and cast again. The caster must announce his throw as soon as made. _=The Moves.=_ As the men on each side are moved round the board in opposite directions to reach their respective homes, they are of course obliged to meet and pass a number of the adversary’s men, and they must pick their way among them by going to points which are unoccupied by the enemy; for if there are two or more of the enemy in possession of any point, that point is said to be _=covered=_, and must be jumped over. If only one adverse man occupies a point, it is called a _=blot=_, and the man may be captured, as will presently be explained. The numbers that appear on the upper faces of the two dice, when they are thrown, are the number of points that each of any two men, or that any one man may be moved at a time.
Beginning with the eldest hand, each player sorts her cards into pairs of the same denomination; such as two Fives, two Jacks, etc., and all pairs so formed are laid upon the table face down, without showing them to the other players. All the cards laid out in this manner are left in front of the player, in order to discover errors, if any. Three of a kind cannot be discarded, but four of a kind may be considered as two pairs. The discarding of pairs complete, the dealer begins by spreading her remaining cards like a fan, and presenting them, face downward, to her left-hand neighbour, who must draw one card at random. The card so drawn is examined, and if it completes a pair, the two cards are discarded. Whether it forms a pair or not, the player’s cards are spread and presented to the next player on the left, to be drawn from in the same manner. This process of drawing, forming pairs, and discarding is continued until it is found that one player remains with one card. This card is of course the odd Queen, and the unfortunate holder of it is the Old Maid; but only for that deal. LIFT SMOKE.
| | . | | . | | . | | +-.-+---+-.-+---+-.-+---+-.-+---+ | . | | . | | .
The Ace is worth 11 points, the Ten 10, the King 4, the Queen 3, and the Jack, 2, no matter what the suit may be, so that there are 240 points for cards to be divided between the players in each deal. It is usual for only one to count, the other checking him, and taking the difference between the total and 240. Cards are not scored as the tricks are taken in, but after the hand is over and the 10 points have been scored for the last trick. From this it might be imagined that no notice was taken of the counting value of the cards taken in during the play. Early in the game this is true; but toward the end each player must keep very careful _=mental count=_ of the value of his tricks, although he is not allowed to make any note of it, nor to score it. When either player knows, by adding his mental count to his score for melds and dix, that he has made points enough to win the game, he stops the play by knocking on the table. He then turns over his tricks and counts his cards, to show his adversary that he has won the game. Even if both have enough to go out, the player wins who knocks first, provided his count is correct. If the player who knocks is mistaken, and cannot count out, he loses the game, no matter what his adversary’s score may be. If neither knocks, and at the end of the hand both players are found to have points enough to put them out, neither wins the game.
With A Q 10 and others, J in Dummy’s hand, begin with the Queen. With A J 9 and others, 10 in Dummy’s hand, lead the Jack. With A J 10, Dummy having K Q x, play the Jack, and do not lead the suit again. In trumps, with K Q and others, if Dummy has the J singly guarded, begin with the King as usual, but follow it with the Queen instead of the smallest; for declarer may have passed in the hope of making a Bath coup with both Ace and Jack. In plain suits this is a dangerous lead, as declarer having Ace, and wishing to force Dummy, would hold his Ace as a matter of course. With short suits, such as K x, Q x; or even with King or Queen alone, the honour is a good lead if Dummy has no court cards in the suit. The Queen is rather a better lead than the King, the only danger being that second hand holds fourchette. With Q J x, or J 10 x, one of the high cards should be played. With Q 10 x, Dummy having Ace or King, the Queen should be led. With K 10 x, Dummy having Jack, the suit should not be led.
[21] The dummy may advise the declarer which penalty to exact. [22] The value of the three tricks, doubled or redoubled, as the case may be, is counted in the trick score. ETIQUETTE OF AUCTION. In the game of Auction slight intimations convey much information. The code succinctly states laws which fix penalties for an offence. To offend against etiquette is far more serious than to offend against a law; for in the latter case the offender is subject to the prescribed penalties; in the former his adversaries are without redress. 1. Declarations should be made in a simple manner, thus: “one heart,” “one no trump,” “pass,” “double”; they should be made orally and not by gesture. 2. Aside from his legitimate declaration, a player should not show by word or gesture the nature of his hand, or his pleasure or displeasure at a play, bid, or double.
While this game is by some persons thought to be the forerunner of bridge, and might be classed as one of the whist family, it is at present so little known outside of Russia, where it is the national game, that the author has thought it best to group it with other games which are distinctly national in character. Vint has been variously described as bridge without a Dummy and as auction whist. It resembles bridge in the making of the trump, and whist in the manner of the play. _=Cards.=_ Vint is played with the full pack of fifty-two cards, which rank from the A K Q down to the deuce. Two packs are generally used. _=Players.=_ A table is complete with four players, and if there are more than four candidates for play the selection must be made by cutting. All the rules for formation of tables, cutting, ties, etc., are the same as at bridge.
_=Tout=_ is eight tricks, with or without a partner. If alone, the single player wins or loses all; if with a partner he must share his gains or losses. _=Forcée=_ is when no bid is made, and any player holds both Spadilla and Basta. He must play a Solo, or call for an ace. If he calls, the player holding the ace names the trump suit; but the suit so named must not be the suit of the called ace. Forcée in clubs is worth double, 8 counters. _=Playing.=_ The trump named, the eldest hand leads any card he pleases, and the others must follow suit if they can. The highest card played, if of the suit led, wins the trick, and trumps win all other suits. The hands are abandoned as soon as the bidder takes five tricks, if he is playing anything but a tout.
Kt-B7 ch B-K4 B-R7 Kt-K5 1 --------- 2 -------- 3 --------- 4 -------- K-Kt sq K-B sq K-K sq K-B sq Kt-Q7 ch K-K6 K-Q6 B-K6 ch 5 --------- 6 -------- 7 --------- 8 -------- K-K sq K-Q sq K-K sq K-Q sq K-B6 B-B7 Kt-Kt7 ch K-B6 9 --------- 10 --------- 11 --------- 12 -------- K-B sq K-Q sq K-B sq K-Kt sq K-Kt6 B-K6 ch Kt-B5 B-Q7 13 --------- 14 --------- 15 --------- 16 -------- K-B sq K-Kt sq K-R sq K-Kt sq Kt-R6 ch B-B6 mate 17 --------- 18 --------- K-R sq If, at the fourth move, the black King does not go back to the Bishop’s square, but goes on to the Queen’s square, hoping to cut across to the other black corner of the board, the continuation will be as follows, beginning at White’s fifth move:-- K-K6 Kt-Q7 B-Q3 B-Kt5 5 --------- 6 --------- 7 --------- 8 -------- K-B2 K-B3 K-B2 K-Q sq Kt-K5 Kt-B4 K-Q6 Kt-R5 9 --------- 10 --------- 11 --------- 12 -------- K-B2 K-Q sq K-B sq K-Q sq Kt-Kt7 ch K-B6 Kt-Q6 K-B7 13 --------- 14 --------- 15 --------- 16 -------- K-B sq K-Kt sq K-R2 K-R sq B-B4 Kt-B8 ch B-Q5 mate 17 --------- 18 --------- 19 --------- K-R2 K-R sq _=PAWN ENDINGS.=_ There are a great number of these, many being complicated by the addition of Pawns to other pieces. The following example, which is a position that often occurs, should be understood by the beginner:-- Put the black King on K B square; the white King on K B 6, and a white Pawn on K 6. If it is Black’s move, White can win easily; but if it is White’s move it is impossible to win, because whether he checks or not the black King gets in front of the Pawn and either wins it or secures a stale-mate. Put the Pawn behind the King, on K B 5, and White wins, no matter which moves first, for if Black moves he allows the white King to advance to the seventh file, which will queen the Pawn. If White moves first, and the black King keeps opposite him, the Pawn advances. If Black goes in the other direction, the white King goes to the seventh file and wins by queening the Pawn. If the white King and Pawn are both moved one square further back, the King on K B 5, and the Pawn on K B 4. the win will depend on the move. If it is White’s move he can win by advancing the King; but if it is Black’s move he can draw by keeping his King always opposite the white King.
16. If the striker “push” his ball or strike it more than once, he cannot score, but is subject to any other penalty that he may incur by the stroke. 17. If a player play out of turn, he shall forfeit his next turn, otherwise the sequence of turns shall not be altered. If the error be discovered during his break, he cannot score from the last stroke made, and the balls shall be replaced by the marker as nearly as possible in the positions they occupied before the stroke objected to. The striker shall be credited with any previous scores, but is subject to any other penalty he may incur. 18. The striker cannot score by a stroke made with both feet off the floor, but is subject to any penalty he may otherwise incur. 19. If the striker play before all the balls have ceased rolling, or before a pool ball has been respotted, or whilst any pool ball has been wrongly spotted, he cannot score, and the next player in rotation shall proceed from the position in which the balls have been left.
He also derives it from French and Italian. It is mentioned by Jonson, _Tale of a Tub_, iii. 2:-- Young Justice Bramble has kept _level-coyl_ Here in our quarters, stole away our daughter. Gifford says that, in our old dramatists, it implies riot and disturbance. The same sport is mentioned by Sylvester, _Dubartas_, IV. iv. 2, under the name of _level-sice_:-- By tragick death s device Ambitious hearts do play at _level-sice_. In the margin we have this explanation: A kinde of Christmas play, wherein each hunteth the other from his seat. The name seems derived from the French _levez sus_, in English, arise up. Halliwell s _Dictionary_ says that Skelton, ii.
In this case, Y would announce four to the King, and four to the Jack, and would play a spade, having no club. B would then announce three Kings, which are good on account of his partner’s having four Aces; but both the sequences are shut out by Y’s better declarations. The dealer, Z, then declares four to the Ten and three to the Nine, both those sequences being made good by his partner’s holding the best sequence at the table. The first trick played, each person at the table shows what he has claimed, in order that his adversaries may verify the count. A would then gather up the first trick, announcing the total score for his side, which would be 22; 4 for the point, 14 Aces, 3 Kings, and 1 for the card led. He would then play another club, announcing 22. This his partner would win but would not count, as he is on the same side that has already counted for the lead. If the play is followed up it will be found that A-B make a capot. 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.
This is quite right at the beginning of the raffle, but it is not right to assume that because 100 of the 116 chances have been thrown without reaching 44, that the odds are only 15 to 1 that 44 will not be thrown in the remaining 16 chances. The odds are still 116 to 1 against 44, just as they were before the raffle began. If you are going back to take into account the previous throws of the dice, you should know the 100 throws that were made with those dice before the raffle began. CRAP SHOOTING. This game is a simple form of Hazard, and when played “on the square,” is one of the fairest of all games, the percentage in favour of either side being very small. It is rapidly replacing Faro as the gambling game of America. Any number of persons may play, and any one may be the caster for the first throw. Two dice are used. The players bet a certain amount of money, and the caster covers it, or as much of it as he can. If the caster does not take all the bets offered, players may back him against the other players.
--Bitterne, Hants (Miss Byford). In Sussex there is the same action with the following words, but there is no chasing or hitting-- Of all the birds in the air, Of all the fishes in the sea, You can pick me out [ ] If the children fail to do so, they say-- Poor fool, been to school, Learn more in a week; Been there seven years And hasn t learnt a bit. --Hurstmonceux, Sussex (Miss Chase). The same game is played indoors in Cornwall, the reply being-- Fool, fool, go back to school And learn your letters better. --Cornwall (_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 99-80). See Namers and Guessers. Foot and Over One boy out of a number stoops in the position for Leap-frog at an agreed fixed line. From the players he chooses a Leader and a Foot. The Leader first leaps over the stooping boy at a foot from the line; the other players then leap in turn each at a foot further from the line, the stooping boy moving forward from the line for each player; finally the Foot leaps as far as the distance leapt by the last boy.
If the dealer will lay two to one, it is a fair gamble; but if he lays even money only, the player is betting two to one against himself. There are endless ways of pretending to mark the shown card, so that it may be known by the back; but the dealer or his confederate always knows that this is done, and the mark is shifted during the passes. UNDER AND OVER SEVEN. This game is played with a layout, divided and marked as follows:-- [Illustration: +------+--------+------+ | _U_ | _7_ | _O_ | | EVEN | 3 TO 1 | EVEN | +------+--------+------+ ] The players can bet on any of the three spaces. Two dice are thrown by the banker, and if the number thrown is _=under=_ seven he pays all bets upon the U, even money, taking all those upon 7 and O. If the throw is _=over=_ seven, he pays all bets upon the O, taking all those upon U and 7. If seven is thrown, he pays all bets upon that number, three for one, and takes all upon U and O. As there are 36 possible throws with two dice, 15 being under and 15 over seven, the percentage in favour of the banker is always 21 to 15, on U and O. As there are only 6 ways out of 36 to throw seven, the odds against it are 5 to 1; but the banker pays only 3 for 1. In spite of this enormous percentage in his favour, he frequently adds to his revenue by skilful cheating.
This idea has been brought to perfection in practice by the famous American Whist Club of Boston, and under the able leadership of its captain, Harry H. Ward, it has demonstrated that he can take any kind of a team and beat any of the old style long-suit players, no matter how skilful they may be. The following is a brief outline of the American game, as given by Captain Ward in _Whist_ for May, 1906:-- _=Five-trump Hands.=_ With five trumps, and the suits split, 3, 3, 2, we always open a trump, unless we have a tenace over the turn-up card. From five trumps and a five-card plain suit, we open the suit if it is one that will require some help to establish; otherwise the trump. From five trumps with a four-card plain suit, we open the trump with hands of moderate strength; otherwise the plain suit. _=Four-trump Hands.=_ From four-trump hands we invariably open a suit of five cards or more, but prefer to avoid a four-card suit headed by a single honor. These are the suits in which the best chance for a single trick usually occurs when the suit is led by some one else. For example: Hearts trumps:-- ♡ 8 7 6 3 ♣ 9 8 ♢ K 8 3 2 ♠ K 4 2 The best opening from such a hand is the club nine.
” If his adversary has no cards left, the player must say “go” to himself. When a person is told to go, he must play as many cards as he can without passing 31. If he reaches 31 exactly, he scores two points; if he cannot quite reach it, he scores one point for the go. The principle is that if 31 cannot be made by either player, the one playing the card that brought the count nearest to it shall count one for it, even if he has told himself to go. There is no count for “last card” if it makes 31. But the “last card” counts if it makes 15. If a player tells another to go when he can still play himself, he forfeits two points, and his adversary may, if he chooses, take back the cards to the point where the error occurred and have them played over again. The same penalty can be enforced against a player who pegs for a go when he can still play. Suppose the first card played is a Jack. The dealer, holding two Nines, an Eight, and a Five, plays the Five, and pegs 2 for the fifteen.
This agrees with the theory of probabilities; for while the odds are 22 to 1 against your getting a heart on the first round of a plain suit of which you have 4 cards, the odds are only 2 to 1 against it on the second round, and on the third they are 5⅛ to 1 in favour of it. Accordingly, on the first round most players put up their highest card of the suit led, no matter what their position with regard to the leader; but in so doing, they often run needless risks. The object in Sweepstake Hearts is to take none, and the most successful players will be found to be those who play consistently with the greatest odds in their favour for taking none. Suppose that you hold such a suit as A 10 9 7 4 2. This is a safe suit; because it is very improbable that you can be compelled to take a trick in it. The best lead from such a suit is the 10 or 9. If the suit is led by any other player, the same card should be played, unless you are fourth hand, and have no objection to the lead. This avoids the risk, however slight, of getting a heart on the first round, which would be entailed by playing the ace. In Sweepstake Hearts it is a great mistake to play the high cards of a suit in which you are safe; for no matter how small the risk, it is an unnecessary one. In the case we are considering, when you have six cards of the suit, the odds are 7 to 1 against your getting a heart if you play the ace first round.
Then he lays down the cushion before a woman, on which she kneels, and he kisses her, singing-- Welcom, Joan Sanderson, welcom, welcom. Then he rises, takes up the cushion, and both dance, singing-- Prinkum-prankum is a fine dance, And shall we go dance it once again, Once again, and once again, And shall we go dance it once again. Then, making a stop, the wo(man) sings as before-- This dance, &c. Musician: I pray you, madam, &c. Woman: Because John Sanderson, &c. Musician: He must, &c. And so she lays down the cushion before a man, who, kneeling upon it, salutes her, she singing-- Welcom, John Sanderson, &c. Then, he taking up the cushion, they take hands and dance round, singing as before. And thus they do till the whole company are taken into the ring. And then the cushion is laid before the first man, the woman singing, This dance, &c.
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