--Nairn (Rev. W. Gregor). Cock-haw See Cob-nut. Cock-stride One boy is chosen as Cock. He is blindfolded, and stands alone, with his legs as far apart as possible. The other boys then throw their caps as far as they are able between the extended legs of the Cock (fig. 1). After the boys have thrown their caps, and each boy has taken his stand beside his cap, the Cock, still blindfolded, stoops down and crawls in search of the caps (fig. 2).
Some of his cavalry are exposed to the right of the farm, but most are completely covered now by the farm from Red s fire. Red has now to move. The nature of his position is becoming apparent to him. His right gun is ineffective, his left and his centre guns cannot kill more than seven or eight men between them; and at the next move, unless he can silence them, Blue s guns will be mowing his exposed cavalry down from the security of the farm. He is in a fix. How is he to get out of it? His cavalry are slightly outnumbered, but he decides to do as much execution as he can with his own guns, charge the Blue guns before him, and then bring up his infantry to save the situation. Figure 5a shows the result of Red s move. His two effective guns have between them bowled over two cavalry and six infantry in the gap between the farm and Blue s right gun; and then, following up the effect of his gunfire, his cavalry charges home over the Blue guns. One oversight he makes, to which Blue at once calls his attention at the end of his move. Red has reckoned on twenty cavalry for his charge, forgetting that by the rules he must put two men at the tail of his middle gun.
5th. To win 9 of the 13 tricks against the three other players combined, with the trump suit that is turned up. This is called _=Abundance in Trumps=_. 6th. To take no tricks, there being no trump suit, and the three other players being opposed; the single player’s cards being exposed face up on the table after the first trick is complete. This is called Misère sur table, or _=A Spread=_. 7th. To win all 13 tricks against the three other players combined; the single player to name the trump suit, and to have the original lead whether eldest hand or not. This is called Abundance Déclarée, or _=A Slam=_. While the object of the proposing player is to win or lose the declared number of tricks, that of his adversaries is to prevent him from doing so, if possible.
Cinch is a Mexican word for a strong saddle-girth, and when used as a verb it refers to the manner of adjusting the girth on a bucking broncho so that no amount of kicking will get him free. The word is used in this sense to describe one of the principal tactics of the card game, which is to “cinch” certain tricks, so that the adversary cannot possibly get either of the Pedroes free. _=CARDS.=_ Cinch is played with a full pack of fifty-two cards which rank A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2. When the suit is trumps the 5 retains its natural position, and is known as the _=Right Pedro=_; but the 5 of the same colour as the trump suit, which is known as the _=Left Pedro=_, ranks between the 5 and 4 of the trump suit. The ace is highest in cutting and in play. Whist-players, who have taken up Cinch as a side issue, are in the habit of making the ace lowest in cutting; but such a practice is out of harmony with all other members of the Seven-up family of games. _=COUNTERS.=_ The score is usually kept on a sheet of paper; but it is more convenient to provide each side with 8 red and 11 white counters, representing 51 points; the whites being worth 1, and the reds 5 each. A good pull-up cribbage board is still better.
The _=Suggestions for Good Play=_, etc., are given in connection with Solo Whist and need no further amplification for Boston de Fontainbleau. The _=Laws=_ vary so little from those used in the regular game of Boston that it is not necessary to give an additional code, either for Fontainbleau or for French Boston, which follows. FRENCH BOSTON. _=CARDS.=_ French Boston is played with a full pack of fifty-two cards, which rank as at Whist, both for cutting and playing; except that the diamond Jack is always the best trump unless diamonds are turned up, in which case the heart Jack becomes the best trump, and the diamond Jack ranks next below the diamond Queen. _=COUNTERS=_ are used as in Boston, their value being a matter of agreement before play begins. _=THE POOL=_ is made up by the dealer’s contributing ten counters for the first eight rounds, and twenty for the last two. It is increased from time to time by penalties, and is won or lost by the players, just as in Boston. There is no limit to the pool.
Should he refuse to straddle, no other player can do so; but if he straddles, the player on his left can straddle him again by doubling the amount he puts up, which will be four times the amount of the blind. This will open the privilege to the next player on the left again, and so on until the limit of straddling is reached; but if one player refuses to straddle, no other following him can do so. Good players seldom or never straddle, as the only effect of it is to increase the amount of the ante. _=METHOD OF PLAYING.=_ The cards dealt, the players take up and examine their hands. The careful poker player always “spreads” his cards before taking them up, to be sure that he has neither more nor less than five, and he lifts them in such a way that the palm and fingers of his right hand conceal the face of the first card, while the thumb of the left hand separates the others just sufficiently to allow him to read the index or “squeezer” marks on the edges. [Illustration: Spreading. Squeezing.] The object of this examination is to ascertain the value of the hand dealt to him, and to see whether or not it is worth while trying to improve it by discarding certain cards and drawing others in their place. The player should not only be thoroughly familiar with the relative value of the various combinations which may be held at Poker, but should have some idea of the chances for and against better combinations being held by other players, and should also know the odds against improving any given combination by drawing to it.
Rubiconed, lurched, defeated before getting half way. Ruffing, trumping a suit. Run, a succession of counting shots at Billiards. Schnitt, G., a finesse. Schneiden, G., to finesse. Schinden is sometimes used. Scratch, a fluke, a score which was not played for. Screw Shot, a force shot at Billiards.
_, the faggots]. And where s the wood? Fire burnt it. Where s the fire? Water douted it [_i.e._, put it out]. Where s the water? Ox drank it. Where s the ox? Butcher killed it. And where s the butcher? Behind the door cracking nuts, and you may eat the shells of them if you like. --Dorsetshire (_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 219).
The author undertook a series of investigations with a view to discovering the origin of poker, the results of which were published in the N.Y. Sun, May 22, 1904. It would seem that poker came from Persia to this country by way of New Orleans. The French settlers in Louisiana, recognizing the similarity between the combinations held in the newcomer from the East, _as nas_, and those with which they were already familiar in their own game of poque, called the Persian game poque, instead of _as nas_, and our present word, “poker,” seems to be nothing but a mispronunciation of the French term, dividing it into two syllables, as if it were “po-que.” There is no authoritative code of laws for the game of Poker, simply because the best clubs do not admit the game to their card rooms, and consequently decry the necessity for adopting any laws for its government. In the absence of any official code, the daily press is called upon for hundreds of decisions every week. The author has gathered and compared a great number of these newspaper rulings, and has drawn from them and other sources to form a brief code of poker laws, which will be found amply sufficient to cover all irregularities for which any penalty can be enforced, or which interfere with the rights of any individual player. DRAW POKER. _=CARDS.
B. is broken down. |L. B. is broken down. | | 6.|L. B. is falling down.| -- | -- | | 7.