Those who have less than the dealer lose their stake; those that have more than the dealer, but still not more than 21, he must pay. When the result is a tie, it is called _=paying in cards=_. _=The Banker.=_ The banker for the next deal may be decided upon in various ways. The old rule was for one player to continue to act as banker and to deal the cards until one of his adversaries held a natural, the dealer having none to offset it. When this occurred, the player who held the natural took the bank and the deal until some one else held a natural. Another way was to agree upon a certain number of rounds for a banker, after which the privilege was drawn for again. Another was for one player to remain the banker until he had lost or won a certain amount, when the privilege was drawn for again. The modern practice is for each player to be the banker in turn, the deal passing in regular rotation to the left. When this is done there must be a penalty for dealing twice in succession, and it is usually fixed at having to pay ties, if the error is not discovered until one player has drawn cards.
Where s Monday? Oh, please, Mother, please, I couldn t help it; but some one came to beg a light for her pipe, and when I went for it she took Monday off. Why, that s the witch! The Mother pretends to beat the eldest daughter, tells her to be more careful another time, and to be sure and not let the pot boil over. The eldest daughter cries, and promises to be more careful, and the Mother goes again to the wash-tub. The same thing occurs again. The Witch comes and asks-- Please, will you lend me your tinder-box? My fire s out. Yes, certainly, if you ll bring it back directly. You shall have it in half-an-hour. While the tinder-box is being looked for she runs off with Tuesday. Then the pot boils over, and the same dialogue is repeated. The Mother comes and finds Tuesday gone.
No-trump, or “grand,” outranks diamonds. Twelve deals is a game; after which the players cut out if there are more than four belonging to the table, or if other candidates are waiting to play. _=PENALTIES=_, for playing with more or less than the proper number of cards, etc., are the same as at Boston. _=OBJECTS OF THE GAME.=_ These are identical with Boston, but instead of doubling the pool, the player who is unsuccessful in his undertaking pays into the pool the same amount that he loses to each of the other players. _=ANNOUNCEMENTS.=_ The bids rank in the order following; beginning with the lowest. The full-faced type show the words used by the players in calling their bids. It will be noticed that the order is not the same as in Boston, and that an additional bid is introduced, called Piccolissimo.
At the end of four deals the players change partners by the pivot system. At the end of twelve deals, each has played four deals with each of the others. The scores are then added up and balanced by the method described in connection with the game of Skat. _=REVERSI BRIDGE.=_ This is playing bridge to lose, and the object of the declaration is to pick out the make which is likely to win the least tricks. At the end of the hand, each side scores what the other makes; so that if the dealer declares no-trumps, and loses two by cards, and finds thirty aces against him, he scores 24 and 30 to his own credit. The adversaries can double if they wish to, and all the rules of regular bridge apply, except that if a revoke is made the usual penalty is reversed, the player in error taking three tricks instead of losing them. _=SHORT BRIDGE.=_ This is bridge without any doubling or rubbers, and is played for so much a game instead of for so much a point, the winners being the side that has the higher score for tricks and honours combined when either side reaches thirty points below the line. It is a good game for occasions upon which the players may be interrupted at any time, or have not time to finish a full rubber.
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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. The slam of course outranks all other bids. This making of a better proposition than one already made is known as “_=Over-calling=_.” A player who has made a call of any kind, or has accepted a proposal, may amend his proposition to a better one, only in case he is over-called; or a player who can not get a partner to accept him may amend his call to solo. For instance: A player may have a hand which he feels sure is good for 8 tricks, perhaps 9.
Halliwell gives this rhyme as No. ccclvii. of his _Nursery Rhymes_, but without any description of the game beyond the words, A game of the fox. It is probably the same game as Fox and Goose. Fox and Goose (1) In Dorsetshire one of the party, called the Fox, takes one end of the room or corner of a field (for the game was equally played indoors or out); all the rest of the children arrange themselves in a line or string, according to size, one behind the other, the smallest last, behind the tallest one, called Mother Goose, with their arms securely round the waist of the one in front of them, or sometimes by grasping the dress. The game commences by a parley between the Fox and Goose to this effect, the Goose beginning. What are you after this fine morning? Taking a walk. With what object? To get an appetite for a meal. What does [will] your meal consist of? A nice fat goose for my breakfast. Where will you get it? Oh, I shall get a nice morsel somewhere; and as they are so handy, I shall satisfy myself with one of yours.
| -- | -- | -- | | 27.| -- | -- |A waiting for to come.| | 28.| -- | -- | -- | | 29.|To take you up the | -- | -- | | |garden. | | | | 30.|Suppose this young man| -- |Suppose he were to | | |was to die. | |die. | | 31.| -- | -- | -- | | 32.
Badger the Bear. Bag o Malt. Ball. Ball and Bonnets. Ball in the Decker. Ball of Primrose. Baloon. Bandy-ball. Bandy-cad. Bandy-hoshoe.
His right, of 5 cavalry and 16 infantry, will get up as soon as possible to the woods near the centre of the field (whence the fire of their gun will be able to cut off the two portions of Red s force from each other), and then, leaving the gun there with sufficient men to serve it, the rest of this party will push on to co-operate with the main force of their comrades in the inevitable scrimmage for the farm. Figure 3 shows the fight after Red and Blue have both made their first move. It is taken from Red s side. Red has not as yet realised the danger of his position. His left gun struggles into position to the left of the church, his centre and right push for the farm. Blue s five cavalry on his left have already galloped forward into a favourable position to open fire at the next move--they are a little hidden in the picture by the church; the sixteen infantry follow hard, and his main force makes straight for the farm. Figure 4 shows the affair developing rapidly. Red s cavalry on his right have taken his two guns well forward into a position to sweep either side of the farm, and his left gun is now well placed to pound Blue s infantry centre. His infantry continue to press forward, but Blue, for his second move, has already opened fire from the woods with his right gun, and killed three of Red s men. His infantry have now come up to serve this gun, and the cavalry who brought it into position at the first move have now left it to them in order to gallop over to join the force attacking the farm.
_=18.=_ If the striker move his own or any other ball _while in the act of striking_, the stroke is foul; and if, by the same stroke, he pocket a ball or force it off the table, the owner of that ball does not lose a life, and the ball so pocketed must be placed on its original spot. But if by that foul stroke the player pocket his own ball or force it off the table, _he_ loses a life. _=19.=_ If the striker’s ball touch the one he has to play at, he is at liberty either to play at it or at any other ball on the table, and such stroke is not to be considered foul; in such a case, however, the striker loses a life by running his ball into a pocket or forcing it over the table. _=20.=_ If, after making a hazard, the striker takes up his ball, or stops it before it has done running, he cannot claim the life for the ball pocketed. _=21.=_ If, before a star, two or more balls, each having one life, are pocketed by the same stroke, the owner of the first ball struck can star; but if he refuse, the other player whose ball was pocketed may star. _=22.
It shall be the duty of each player, as soon as his move be made, to stop his own register of time and start that of his opponent, whether the time be taken by clocks, sand-glasses, or otherwise. No complaint respecting an adversary’s time can be considered, unless this rule be strictly complied with. But nothing herein is intended to affect the penalty for exceeding the time limit as registered. _=Abandoning the Game.=_ If either player abandon the game by quitting the table in anger, or in any otherwise offensive manner; or by momentarily resigning the game; or refuses to abide by the decision of the Umpire, the game must be scored against him. If a player absent himself from the table, or manifestly ceases to consider his game, when it is his turn to move, the time so consumed shall, in every case, be registered against him. _=Disturbance.=_ Any player wilfully disturbing his adversary shall be admonished; and if such disturbance be repeated, the game shall be declared lost by the player so offending, provided the player disturbed then appeals to the Umpire. _=The Umpire.=_ It is the duty of the Umpire to determine all questions submitted to him according to these laws, when they apply, and according to his best judgment when they do not apply.
IX. Buy me a milking-pail, my dear mother. Where s the money to come from, my dear daughter? Sell father s feather bed. Where could your father sleep? Sleep in the pig-sty. What s the pigs to sleep in? Put them in the washing-tub. What could I wash the clothes in? Wash them in your thimble. Thimble isn t big enough for baby s napkin. Wash them in a saucer. A saucer isn t big enough for father s shirt. Wash by the river side, wash by the river side.
_=SUGGESTIONS FOR GOOD PLAY.=_ The general principles of play are much the same in all the Bézique family of games. It is usually best to give your adversary the deal, because the first lead is often an advantage, especially if the turn-up is valuable, and you have a dix, or if you want to make the trump in Rubicon Bézique. It is seldom right to make the trump unless you have one or two of the sequence cards with the marriage. _=The Lead=_ is a disadvantage unless you have something to declare, or there is a brisque in the trick, or you can get home the Ten of a plain suit. The Tens are of no value in plain suits except as brisques, for they enter into no combination with other cards except in Penchant, Cinq-cents, and Rubicon. If the trick is of no value, or you have nothing important to declare, get rid of your small cards, and lead them when you do not want to retain the lead. The lead is sometimes necessary to prevent your adversary from declaring, especially toward the end of the hand. If you have led a brisque and won the trick, it is better to lead another brisque in the same suit than to change. Aces are better leads than Kings or Queens, for the court cards can be married, and you may never get 100 Aces.
But I am a civilian, and Kriegspiel is not my proper business. I am deeply preoccupied with a novel I am writing, and so I think the best thing I can do is just to set down here all the ideas that have cropped up in my mind, in the footsteps, so to speak, of Colonel Sykes, and leave it to the military expert, if he cares to take the matter up, to reduce my scattered suggestions to a system. Now, first, it is manifest that in Little Wars there is no equivalent for rifle-fire, and that the effect of the gun-fire has no resemblance to the effect of shell. That may be altered very simply. Let the rules as to gun-fire be as they are now, but let a different projectile be used--a projectile that will drop down and stay where it falls. I find that one can buy in ironmongers shops small brass screws of various sizes and weights, but all capable of being put in the muzzle of the 4 7 guns without slipping down the barrel. If, with such a screw in the muzzle, the gun is loaded and fired, the wooden bolt remains in the gun and the screw flies and drops and stays near where it falls--its range being determined by the size and weight of screw selected by the gunner. Let us assume this is a shell, and it is quite easy to make a rule that will give the effect of its explosion. Half, or, in the case of an odd number, one more than half, of the men within three inches of this shell are dead, and if there is a gun completely within the circle of three inches radius from the shell, it is destroyed. If it is not completely within the circle, it is disabled for two moves.
Campbell-Walker’s “Correct Card” in 1876; Drayson’s “Art of Practical Whist,” with its new theories of trumps; Fisher Ames, “Modern Whist,” in 1879; “Whist, or Bumblepuppy?” by “Pembridge” [John Petch Hewby], in 1880; G.W.P. [Pettes], in 1881; Proctor’s “How to Play Whist,” in 1885; and the “Handbook of Whist,” by “Major Tenace,” 1885. Then began the long list of American authors (Pettes has already been mentioned): “Foster’s Whist Manual,” by R.F. Foster, appeared in 1890; “Practical Guide to Whist,” by Fisher Ames, in 1891; Hamilton’s “Modern Scientific Whist,” in 1894, and in the same year, Coffin’s “Gist of Whist,” and “Foster’s Whist Strategy.” In 1895, Milton C. Work’s “Whist of To-day,” and “Foster’s Whist Tactics,” giving the play in the first match by correspondence; and in 1896, Val Starnes’ “Short-suit Whist,” and Howell’s “Whist Openings.” In 1897, Mitchell’s “Duplicate Whist.
Strength in Trumps, enough to justify a player in passing a doubtful trick; usually four or five at least. Strengthening Cards, those which are of no practical trick-taking value to the leader, but which may be useful to the partner; usually restricted to Q J 10 9. String Bets, those that take all the odd or all the even cards to play one way, win or lose, at Faro. Strippers, cards trimmed so that certain ones may be pulled out of the pack at will. Strohman, G., the dummy at Whist or Bridge. Strong Suits, those in which a number of tricks can be made after the adverse trumps are out of the way. Sub Echo, a trump signal in a plain suit, made after partner has led trumps, and the player has not echoed on the trump lead. Sub-sneak, a two-card suit which is led for the sole purpose of getting a ruff on the third round. Sweating Out, winning a game without taking any risks, by waiting for the trifling points that fall to your share.
5. The dealer must present the pack to his right-hand adversary to be cut. Not less than four cards shall constitute a cut. 6. In case of any confusion or exposure of the cards in cutting, or in reuniting them after cutting, the pack must be shuffled and cut again. 7. If the dealer reshuffles the cards after they have been properly cut, or looks at the bottom card, he loses his deal. 8. After the cards have been cut, the dealer must distribute them one at a time to each player in rotation, beginning at his left, and continuing until the pack is exhausted; or in Two-Handed Hearts, until each player has thirteen. 9.
My right arm came off the bed and thrashed like a wounded snake. She wrestled it, climbed onto the bed, and held it down with her boney knees. Her fingers kneaded it, working some imaginary devil out through the fingertips, till the hurt was gone. * * * * * We sat close together on the edge of the bed at last, as I worked and moved my arm, one of us more in awe of what had happened than the other. It was weak--with those flabby, unused muscles, it had to be. But I could move it, to any normal position. I never done like that before, she breathed. Jest small ailin . You re a healer, all right, I said. And a prophetess, too, from what I saw at the dice table.
[Illustration: Fig. 1.] [Illustration: Fig. 2.] [Illustration: Fig. 3.] [Illustration: Fig. 4.] [Illustration: Fig. 5.
In throwing for drinks or cigars, it is usual to throw _=horse and horse=_; that is, if several persons are in the game the highest man on each round goes out, ties shake it off immediately, one hand each. After it gets down to two men, they shake for the best two out of three hands, and if each wins a hand they are horse and horse, and throw a third to decide it. The last person to throw on each round follows his lead, throwing the first hand on the next round. TEN PINS WITH DICE. Any number can play, and the score sheet is ruled off for ten frames, just as in ten pins. Only two dice are used, and they are rolled from a box. Sixes count nothing, and are “off the alley.” Each player has three balls or rolls, and he can leave either one or both dice at the end of any throw. If he leaves one he picks up the other and throws it again, but he must abide by the figures appearing on the two dice at the end of his third throw. Suppose he throws double fives on his first throw; that is a _=strike=_, and is so scored, and the total pips appearing on the two dice at the end of his second throw on the next frame will count on the strike.
He cannot use the deuce on the table to increase the build from 5 to 7, nor the 4 to increase it to 9; because that would not be building from his hand; but if he held the 4 and 9 in his hand, he could build on the 5. The simple rule to be remembered is that no combination of cards once announced, and left on the table, can be changed, except by the addition of a card from the hand of some player. _=Taking In.=_ Any player who has made a build is obliged either to win it, when it is next his turn to play, or to win something else, or to make another build. For instance: He has built a 5 into a 9 with a 4, and holds another 4; if another 5 appears on the table before it comes to his turn to play, he may build that into a 9 also, with his other 4, announcing, “Two Nines.” Or if some player should lay out a 4 he could pair it and take it in, leaving his 9 build until the next round. In the same way a player may increase or win another player’s build instead of taking in his own. An opponent’s build may be increased by cards from the hand only. In the four-handed game, partners may take in one another’s builds, or may make builds which can be won by the card declared in the partner’s hand. For instance; One player builds an 8, and his partner holds Little Cassino.
Three forfeitures in succession loses the game for the player making them. _=5.=_ Should the player pocket, by the same stroke, more balls than he calls, he is entitled to the balls he pockets, provided he pockets the called ball. _=6.=_ A forfeiture of three points is deducted from the player’s score for making a miss; pocketing his own ball; forcing his own ball off the table; failing to make the opening stroke, as provided in Rule 2; failing either to make an object-ball strike a cushion or go into a pocket, as provided in Rule 4; striking his own ball twice; playing out of his turn, if detected doing so before he has made more than one counting stroke. _=7.=_ A ball whose centre is on the string line must be regarded as within the line. _=8.=_ If the player pocket one or more of the object-balls, and his own ball goes into a pocket, or off the table from the stroke, he cannot score for the numbered balls, which must be placed on the spot known as the deep-red spot, or if it be occupied as nearly below it as possible on a line with that spot. AMERICAN PYRAMID POOL.