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In 1863 John Loraine Baldwin got together a committee at the Arlington, now the Turf Club, and they drew up the code which is still in use all over the world for English whist. In the United States, laws better suited to the American style of play were drawn up by the American Whist League in 1891, and after several revisions were finally adopted, in 1893, as the official code for League clubs. The literature of whist saw its palmiest days at the beginning of this century. 7,000 copies of Bob Short’s “Short Rules for Whist” were sold in less than a year. Mathews’, or Matthews’, “Advice to the Young Whist-Player,” went through eighteen editions between 1804 and 1828. After these writers came Admiral Burney, who published his “Treatise” in 1821; Major A. [Charles Barwell Coles,] gave us his “Short Whist” in 1835. Deschapelles published his “Traité du Whiste” in 1839, but it gave little but discussions on the laws. “Whist, its History and Practice” by Amateur, appeared in 1843. General de Vautré’s “Génie du Whiste,” in 1847.
If an erroneous score be proved, such mistake can be corrected prior to the conclusion of the game in which it occurred, and such game is not concluded until the trump card of the following deal has been turned up. 12. If an erroneous score, affecting the amount of the rubber, be proved, such mistake can be rectified at any time during the rubber. CUTTING. 13. The Ace is the lowest card. 14. In all cases, every one must cut from the same pack. 15. Should a player expose more than one card, he must cut again.
Off to prison you must go, You must go, Off to prison you must go, My fair lady. --Deptford, Kent (Miss Chase). II. Here are the robbers coming through, Coming through, coming through, Here are the robbers coming through, My fair lady. What will the robbers do to you, Do to you, do to you, What will the robbers do to you, My fair lady? Steal your watch and break your chain, Break your chain, break your chain, Steal your watch and break your chain, My fair lady. Then they must go to jail, Go to jail, go to jail, Then they must go to jail, My fair lady. --Belfast (W. H. Patterson). III.
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. To win 5 tricks, _=Boston=_. To win _=Six Tricks=_. To lose 12 tricks, after having discarded a card which is not to be shown; _=Little Misère=_. To win _=Seven Tricks=_. To win one trick, neither more nor less, after having discarded a card which is not to be shown, there being no trump suit; _=Piccolissimo=_. To win _=Eight Tricks=_. To lose every trick, no trump suit, _=Grand Misère=_. To win _=Nine Tricks=_.
Royal Artillery shall move two feet. Transport and Supply shall move one foot on roads, half foot across country. The General shall move six feet (per motor), three feet across country. Boats shall move one foot. In moving uphill, one contour counts as one foot; downhill, two contours count as one foot. Where there are four contours to one foot vertical the hill is impassable for wheels unless there is a road. Infantry. To pass a fordable river = one move. To change from fours to two ranks = half a move. To change from two ranks to extension = half a move.
_=PROPOSING AND REFUSING.=_ The cards dealt, the pone examines his hand, and if he thinks it strong enough to win three or more tricks, he stands; that is, plays without proposing, and says to the dealer: “_=I play=_.” If he thinks he can improve his chances by drawing cards, allowing the dealer the same privilege of course, he says: “_=I propose=_;” or simply: “_=Cards=_.” In reply the dealer may either accept the proposal by asking: “_=How many?=_” or he may refuse, by saying: “_=Play=_.” If he gives cards, he may also take cards himself, after having helped his adversary. If he refuses, he must win at least three tricks or lose two points; and if the pone plays without proposing, he must make three tricks, or lose two points. The hands on which a player should stand, and those on which the dealer should refuse are known as _=jeux de règle=_, and will be found in the suggestions for good play. A proposal, acceptance, or refusal once made cannot be changed or taken back, and the number of cards asked for cannot be corrected. _=DISCARDING.=_ If the pone proposes, and the dealer asks: “How many?” the elder hand discards any number of cards from one to five, placing them on his right.
--Annie Dicker. I saw this game played in Endell Street, London, W.C., by two girls. Their game was not so long nor so complete as the above. They did not throw all four stones down as a preliminary stage, but began with the second figure, the four gobs being placed in a square ::, nor were they particular as to which stones they picked up. They knew nothing of numbering or naming them. Their marble was called a jack. They had places chalked on the pavement where they recorded their successful goes, and the game was played in a ring.--A.
_=Three for Last.=_ The non-dealer on the first hand of each game is allowed to peg three holes as a compensation for the advantage his adversary derives from having the first deal. Although the rules allow these three to be pegged at any time during the game, they should be put up immediately, in order to avoid disputes. There is no further play after a go is declared, or either player has reached 31. The score for 31 is two holes; and for the go, one hole. Great importance is attached to the score for the go at five-card Cribbage, because so little is made in play that every point counts. _=The Crib.=_ This is the most important thing in the five-card game, and it is much more important to baulk your adversary’s crib than to preserve your own hand. The best baulking cards are a King with a 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 or A. Never lay out a Jack, nor two cards which form a five, nor any pair, nor any two close cards.
Noughts and Crosses [Illustration] This game is played on slates by school-children. The accompanying diagram is drawn on the slate, and a certain figure (generally twenty) is agreed upon as game. There are two players, one takes noughts [o], the other crosses [x]. The three places drawn on the slate above the diagram are for the players each to put down marks or numbers for the games they win, the centre place being for Old Nick, or Old Tom. The object of the game is for each player to occupy three contiguous places in a row or line with either noughts or crosses, and to prevent his opponent from doing so. The diagram is of course empty when play begins. One player commences by putting his mark into either of the vacant places he prefers, the other player then places his in another, wherever he thinks he has the best opportunity to prevent his opponent getting a three, and at the same time to get a three himself; then the first player plays again, and so on alternately until all the squares are occupied, or until one of the players has a three in line. If neither player gets a three, the game is won by Old Nick, and one is scored to his name. In the diagram the result of the game is shown when won by Old Nick. Whichever player first wins a game adds Old Nick s score to his own.
of Provincialisms_) says this game was well known in Somerset, Hants, Sussex, but now is almost out of fashion. He describes it as being played without words. The child who has to find the shoe stands in the centre of the circle. The chief amusement arises from the one in the circle who has the slipper striking the one who stands up (the searcher) while he or she is steadily looking for it in an opposite direction. Strutt (_Sports_, p. 387) also describes this game. Hunt the Staigie A boys game. One is chosen to be the Staigie (little stallion). The other players scatter themselves over the playground. The Staigie locks his fingers into each other.