For instance: He holds a 9, and a 4, 3 and 2 are upon the table. He may combine these three cards, calling attention to the fact that their collective value is 9, and then play the 9 from his own hand, gathering in and turning down all four cards. An 8 and Ace, or 6 and 3 might be gathered in the same way; or two such combinations might be gathered at the same time, 3, 2, 6, 7, for instance, which would make two nines; all of which might be gathered by a player holding a 9 his hand. Pairs and combinations may be taken in together. For instance: Among the cards on the table are a 4, 6, and 10, and the player holds a 10. He can gather in not only the pair of Tens, but the combinations which equal a 10. _=Building.=_ A player may have in his hand two cards, the lower of which, if added to a card on the table, would build up its value to that of the higher card still in the player’s hand. For instance: A player holds a 9 and 2, and there is a 7 on the table. He may place the 2 on the 7, announcing the total value; “Nine,” which will notify other players that those two cards cannot be separated; but he cannot take them in until it again comes round to his turn to play, because he is allowed to play only one card at a time, and he has played his card in making the build.
| -- | -- | -- | |32.| -- | -- | -- | |33.| -- | -- | -- | |34.| -- | -- | -- | |35.| -- | -- | -- | |36.|Get a dog to watch all| -- | -- | | |night. | | | |37.|If that dog should run| -- | -- | | |away. | | | |38.|Give that dog a bone | -- | -- | | |to pick.
There appears to be some mistake in the description of this game. Hinch-Pinch The name of an old Christmas game mentioned in _Declaration of Popish Impostures_, 1603. Hinmost o Three A game played on village greens.--Dickinson s _Cumberland Glossary, Supplement_. Hirtschin Hairy The players (boy or girl) cower down on their haunches, sit doon curriehunkers, and hop round and round the floor like a frog, clapping the hands first in front and then behind, and crying out, Hirtschin Hairy. It is sometimes called Hairy Hirtschin. In Lothian the players try to knock each other over by hustling against one another.--Rev. W. Gregor.
If this is an honour, the dealer marks one white counter for it. There are no discards. _=Impérials.=_ Certain combinations of cards are known as impérials, and the player marks one red counter for each of them. The best impérial is carte blanche, which is sometimes marked as a double impérial, and worth two reds. A sequence of K Q J A in any suit is an impérial. An impérial de retourne may be formed in the dealer’s hand if the turn-up trump completes his sequence or makes four of a kind. An impérial tombée, or de rencontre, is made when the player who holds the King and Queen of trumps catches the Jack and Ace from his adversary. Four Kings, Queens, Jacks, Aces, or Sevens in one hand is an impérial; but the Eights, Nines and Tens have no value. _=Declaring.
With an honour and one small card, a player on the left should lead the small card first; if on the right, the honour should be led first. A long suit containing the deuce should be avoided as long as possible. The caller’s cards may sometimes be inferred if there has been a previous call on the hand. For instance: A misère may be a forced call; that is, the player first called a proposal, and not being accepted, was forced to amend his call, choosing misère in preference to solo. This would indicate a long weak suit of trumps. If the dealer calls misère, the turn-up trump should be carefully noted. It is useless to persevere in suits in which the caller is evidently safe. If he plays a very low card to a trick in which there is already a high card, that suit should be stopped. _=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.
A plays his double four, and the dominoes on the table present the following appearance:-- [Illustration] B, having neither 4 nor 0 on any of his remaining dominoes, says: “_=Go=_,” which signifies that he is blocked, and cannot play. A can now play at either end, and with either of two dominoes; but it would be bad policy to play the 4-5, because his adversary might be able to play to the 5; but it is a certainty that he cannot play to either 0 or 4. If A plays the 4-5, B gets rid of all his dominoes before A can play again. If A plays the 4-0 on the blank end, he will have to play again with his 4-5; but if he plays it on the 4 end he blocks himself. Whether to block the game or not depends on the probable comparative value of the dominoes held by A and B. If A blocks the game by making both ends blank, both players show their remaining dominoes, and the one with the greater number of pips loses as many points as he has pips in excess of the other player. In order to judge whether to block or play, it should be remembered that as there are 147 pips in the entire set, the average value of each domino will be 5¼. If A blocks the game, he will have 17 pips left in his hand, which is above the average value of two dominoes; but his adversary will have four dominoes to count, and it is probable that they will be worth about 21 points. The fact that the seven dominoes already played are 13 pips above the average will reduce the probable value of B’s dominoes to about 20. On the other hand, A knows that B has no blanks, which would slightly increase the weight of B’s dominoes.
The car careened and skidded across the curb. It took out a small marble rail around the fountain pool and dived in, still screaming rubber. The fountain went over with a crash and then the racket dwindled off in the shriek of twisted buckets. The turbine had gotten what for in the collision. I didn t hang around to see what had happened to the driver. He was just some heavy who had the job of rubbing me out. But I did seek another haven. If they knew me that well, I d never be safe where I had stashed my suitcase. There was a copter squatting at the Sky Hi s ramp. I jumped for it and had him drop me toward the outskirts of the town of Lake Tahoe, and then walked a few blocks, mostly in circles to see if I were being followed, before darting into a fairly seedy motel a couple blocks off the main drag.
_=FOURTH HAND.=_ There is only one difference from the usual methods in playing fourth hand, and that is in indicating sequences by winning with the best and returning the lowest to show the intermediate cards. For instance: Fourth player, holding K Q J x, wins with King and returns the Jack. Or with A K Q, wins with Ace and returns the Queen. The reason for this is that the declarer gains nothing by the information, for he knows from the first what cards are out against him; but the information may be valuable to your partner, the second hand. If it is not the intention to return the suit at once, the lowest of the sequence should be played. _=PLAYING TO THE SCORE.=_ This is a most important element, and there is no surer indication of a careless or weak player than his inattention to the score. One cannot be too early impressed with the importance of saving the game before trying to win it; although great risks may be taken to win a game that cannot be lost that hand. Never risk a sure contract in the hope of making more; unless the two will win the game, and the odd trick will not win it.
This is manifestly unfair, because there is no compensating advantage to the player that is denied the privilege to justify its being allowed to his adversary. _=Benefiting by Errors.=_ No player should be allowed to win a game by committing a breach of the laws. If a person revokes, for instance, there is a certain penalty, but in addition to the penalty it is always stipulated that the revoking player cannot win the game that hand. _=Double Penalties.=_ No person can be subjected to two penalties for one offence. If a player leads out of turn, and a suit is called, the card played in error cannot be also claimed as exposed and liable to be called. If a player revokes, and his adversary wins ten tricks, the revoke penalty adds three tricks to the ten already won; but these thirteen tricks will not entitle the player to score any points for a slam, because that would be exacting a double penalty; the tricks for the revoke, and the points for the slam. _=Intentional Error.=_ In all games it must be assumed that the player’s intentions are honest, and that any errors that arise are committed through inadvertence.
A “stack of whites” is $5. Starter, the cut card at Cribbage. Stechen, G., to trump. Still Pack, the one not in play when two are used. Stock, cards left after the deal is complete, but which are to be used in the following play. Stool Pigeon, a hustler. Straight Whist, playing a hand and immediately shuffling the cards for another deal, as distinguished from Duplicate. 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.
--Bitterne, Hants (Mrs. Byford). Bubble-hole A child s game, undescribed.--Halliwell s _Dictionary_. Bubble-justice The name of a game probably the same as Nine Holes. --Halliwell s _Dictionary_. Buck, Buck A boy stoops so that his arms rest on a table; another boy sits on him as he would on a horse. He then holds up (say) three fingers, and says-- Buck, buck, how many horns do I hold up? The stooping boy guesses, and if he says a wrong number the other says-- [Two] you say and three there be; Buck, buck, how many horns do I hold up? When the stooping boy guesses rightly the other says-- [Four] you say and [four] there be; Buck, buck, rise up. The boy then gets off and stoops for the other one to mount, and the game is played again.--London (J.
Cat-hop, two cards of the same denomination left in for the last turn at Faro. Cave, F., the amount a player places in front of him at the beginning of play; table stakes. Checks, the counters at Poker are checks; at Faro they are chips. Chelem, F., a slam. Chip Along, to bet a single counter and wait for developments. Chouette, à la, taking all the bets. Close Cards, those which are not likely to form sequences with others, especially at Cribbage. Club Stakes, the usual amount bet on any game in the club.
The dealer shows 12 in hand and 17 in crib, making him 54 up. In the next deal the player who wanted one could not peg, his adversary securing a fifteen and a go, and showing out with a pair and a fifteen, 61 up and game. THREE-HANDED CRIBBAGE. Five cards are dealt to each player, and then another, face down, for the foundation of the crib. Each player then lays out one card to make the dealer’s crib up to four. The starter is cut by the player on the dealer’s left, and the game proceeds as at six-card Cribbage, the eldest hand having the first show, the dealer the last. FOUR-HANDED CRIBBAGE. When four play, they cut for partners, choice of seats, and deal; the two lowest pairing against the two highest, and the lowest taking the first deal and crib. The game is usually 121 points up, or twice round the board, and only one player on each side keeps the score. Five cards are dealt to each player, one at a time, and one of these is discarded from each hand to form the crib, leaving four cards with which to play.
While one of the party so laid down, the rest sat around; and they laid down and rolled in this manner by turns. These lines are still retained in the modern nursery-rhyme books, but their connection with the game of Cockeldy-bread is by no means generally understood. There was formerly some kind of bread called cockle-bread, and _cocille-mele_ is mentioned in a very early MS. quoted in Halliwell s _Dictionary_. In Peele s play of the _Old Wives Tale_, a voice thus speaks from the bottom of a well:-- Gently dip, but not too deep, For fear you make the golden beard to weep. Fair maiden, white and red, Stroke me smooth and comb my head, And thou shalt have some _cockell-bread_. Cockly-jock A game among boys. Stones are loosely placed one upon another, at which other stones are thrown to knock the pile down.--Dickinson s _Cumberland Glossary_. See Castles.
E deals, and A passes; B takes the widow; C and D draw from B’s abandoned hand, and E knocks; without drawing, of course. A, who passed the first time, now has an opportunity to draw or exchange. So have each of the others in turn, up to D; but after D draws or exchanges, the hands must be shown, because the next player, E, has knocked. When the hands are shown, there are two ways to settle: If the counters have a money value, the best poker hand wins the pool, and the deal passes to the left. If the counters have no money value, there is no pool; but the player who has the worst hand shown puts one of his counters in the middle of the table. This continues until some player has lost all five of his counters, and he is then called upon to pay for the whiskey, or whatever refreshments may be at stake upon the game. Hence the name: Whiskey Poker. THIRTY-ONE. This game is sometimes called _=Schnautz=_. A pool is made up by any number of players.
Mr. Newell (_Games_, pp. 190-93) describes a similar game to Fivestones played in Boston under the name of Otadama, or Japanese Jacks. This game is of Japanese origin, Tedama (that is, Handballs ) being its proper name. He says there can be no doubt that the two forms of this amusement are branches of the same root; and we thus have an example of a game which, having preserved its essential characteristics for thousands of years, has fairly circumnavigated the globe, so that the two currents of tradition, westward and eastward, from Europe and Asia, have met in America. See Checkstones, Dibs, Hucklebones, Jackstones. Flowers Sides are chosen; each side must have a home at the top and bottom of the ground where the children are playing. One side chooses a flower and goes over to the other side, the members of which stand in a row facing the first side. The first side states the initial letters of the flower it has chosen, and when the second side guesses the right flower they run and try to catch as many of the opposite side as they can before they reach their home. The captives then become members of the side which captured them.
3 The majority of _=Spades=_ taken in. 1 The Ten of diamonds, _=Big Cassino=_. 2 The deuce of spades, _=Little Cassino=_. 1 The _=Ace=_ of any suit. 1 A _=Sweep=_ of all the cards on the table. 1 The manner in which these points are secured will become apparent from the description of the method of playing the hands. _=Method of Playing.=_ Beginning on the dealer’s left, each player in turn plays a card from his hand, placing it face upward on the table. Only one card can be played at a time, and each person must play in his proper turn until all four of his cards are exhausted. After receiving fresh cards, the eldest hand again plays first, and so on for every round.
--Wolstanton, North Staffs. Potteries (Miss A. A. Keary). (_b_) In Dorsetshire a ring is formed by all the players joining hands except one. The odd player, carrying a handkerchief, commences to walk slowly round the outside of the ring, repeating the words; then, touching each one with her handkerchief as she passes, she says, Not you, not you, not you, &c., &c., till the favoured individual is reached, when it is changed to But you! and his or her shoulder lightly touched at the same time. The first player then runs round the ring as fast as he can, pursued by the other, who, if a capture is effected (as is nearly always the case), is entitled to lead the first player back into the centre of the ring and claim a kiss. The first player then takes the other s place in the ring, and in turn walks round the outside repeating the same formula.
| -- | | 35.|Bells shall ring, cats| | |shall sing. | | 36.| -- | | 37.|We ll all clap hands | | |together. | | 38.| -- | | 39.| -- | | 40.| -- | | 41.| -- | | 42.
Whom shall we send to fetch them away? [And the final verse is--] We ll send [Johnny Cope] to fetch them away, Fetch them away, fetch them away, We ll send [Johnny Cope] to fetch them away, On a cold and frosty morning. --Newbury, Berks (Mrs. S. Batson). VI. Who will go gathering nuts in May, Nuts in May, nuts in May? Who will go gathering nuts in May, At five o clock in the morning? --N.-W. Lincolnshire (Rev. ---- Roberts). VII.
Errors in other scores may be corrected at any time before the final score of the game or rubber is agreed to. BIDDING. In _=Boston=_, or _=Solo Whist=_, any player making a bid must stand by it, and either play or pay. Should he make a bid in error and correct himself, he must stand by the first bid unless he is over-called, when he may either amend his bid or pass. ENGLISH WHIST LAWS. THE RUBBER. 1. The rubber is the best of three games. If the first two games are won by the same players, the third game is not played. SCORING.
On the same principle the odds against two players cutting cards that are a tie, such as two Fours, are not 220 to 1, unless it is specified that the first card shall be a Four. The first player having cut, the odds against the second cutting a card of equal value are only 16 to 1. _=Dice.=_ In calculating the probabilities of throws with two or more dice, we must multiply together the total number of throws possible with each die separately, and then find the number of throws that will give the result required. Suppose two dice are used. Six different throws may be made with each, therefore 6 × 6 = 36 different throws are possible with the two dice together. What are the odds against one of these dice being an ace? A person unfamiliar with the science of probabilities would say that as two numbers must come up, and there are only six numbers altogether, the probability is 2/6, or exactly 2 to 1 against an ace being thrown. But this is not correct, as will be immediately apparent if we write out all the 36 possible throws with two dice; for we shall find that only 11 of the 36 contain an ace, and 25 do not. The proper way to calculate this is to take the chances against the ace on each die separately, and then to multiply them together. There are five other numbers that might come up, and the fraction of their probability is ⅚ × ⅚ = 25/36, or 25 to 11 in their favour.
g._, orange, the one so named steps out and stands beside Foolie. All not first chosen are gone over in this way. Those left unchosen take their stand beside the Namer. There is then a tug-of-war, with the Namer and Foolie as the leaders.--Keith (Rev. W. Gregor). In Hants the children stand _vis-à-vis_, as in a country dance. One of the number is sent out of earshot, and the others decide with the Captain as to the name of the bird each wishes to personate.
(H. Hardy). II. O, have you seen the muffin man, The muffin man, the muffin man; O, have you seen the muffin man Who lives in Drury Lane O? --N. W. Lincolnshire (Rev. ---- Roberts). III. Have you seen the muffin girl, The muffin girl, the muffin girl? O have you seen the muffin girl Down in yonder lane? --Congleton Workhouse School (Miss A. E.
The same reasons for changing suits as those given for the original leader will apply to the Third Hand. _=RULES FOR RETURNING PARTNER’S SUITS.=_ When the original leader’s suit is returned by his partner, either immediately or upon his regaining the lead, it is usual to show, if possible, how many cards remain in the Third Hand, so that by adding them to his own, the leader may estimate the number held by his adversaries. This consideration is secondary to the return of the best, or one of the second and third best; but in the absence of such cards, the Third Hand should always return the higher of only two remaining, and the lowest of three or more, regardless of their value. In addition to the foregoing conventionalities, which are proper to the leader of a suit and his partner, there are two usages which apply equally to any player at the table. These are discarding and forcing. _=Discarding.=_ When a player cannot follow suit, and does not wish to trump, his safest play is to discard whatever seems of least use to him. It is not considered good play to unguard a King or to leave an Ace alone; but this may be done if the partner is leading trumps, and there is a good established suit to keep. Beginners should be careful to preserve cards of re-entry, even if they have to discard from their good suit in order to do so.
Some years ago a clergyman of one of the upper counties wrote that in the pulling down of a wall in his church, built in the thirteenth century, the workmen came to a block of stone with a Marrel s pound cut on it. Merrels the game was called by a mason.--Barnes _Additional Glossary; Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 233. Nine Men s Morris, in Gloucestershire called Ninepenny Morris, was, says a correspondent in the _Midland Garner_, largely practised by boys and even older people over thirty years ago, but is now, as far as I know, entirely disused. Two persons play. Each must have twelve pegs, or twelve pieces of anything which can be distinguished. The Morris was usually marked on a board or stone with chalk, and consists of twenty-four points. The pegs are put down one at a time alternately upon any point upon the Morris, and the first person who makes a consecutive row of three impounds one of his opponent s pegs. The pegs must only be moved on the lines.
In some places the forfeit is omitted, and in others it takes the place of doubling the pool. It is not usual to play the hand out after a revoke is claimed and proved. If an adversary of the single player revokes, he and his partners must each pay the caller just as if he had been successful, and must also pay him for three over-tricks as forfeit, provided his bid was not more than nine tricks; for the bid and the over-tricks together must not exceed thirteen tricks. In addition to this, the individual player in fault must pay four red counters as forfeit to the pool. In some places he is made to double the pool; but this is manifestly unfair, as he could not win the amount in the pool in any case, and therefore should not lose it. In a Misère Partout, the revoking player pays five red counters to each adversary, and deposits a forfeit of four red counters in the pool. The hands are immediately thrown up if the revoke is claimed and proved. _=CARDS PLAYED IN ERROR.=_ The single player is not liable to any penalty for cards played in error, or led out of turn, except those taken back to save a revoke; but his adversaries are liable to the usual whist penalties for all such irregularities. The single player can forbid the use of an exposed trump for ruffing, and can demand or prevent the play of an exposed card in plain suits, provided he does not ask the adversary to revoke.
Blind Harie may therefore, Jamieson thinks, arise from the rough or hairy attire worn by the principal actor. Auld Harie is one of the names given to the devil, and also to the spirit Brownie, who is represented as a hairy being. Under Coolin, a curious Highland custom is described by Jamieson, which is singularly like the game of Belly Blind, and assists in the conclusion that the game has descended from a rite where animal gods were represented. Sporting with animals before sacrificing them was a general feature at these rites. It is known that the Church opposed the people imitating beasts, and in this connection it is curious to note that in South Germany the game is called _blind bock_, i. e., blind goat, and in German _blinde kuhe_, or blind cow. In Scotland, one of the names for the game, according to A. Scott s poems, was Blind Buk : Blind buk! but at the bound thou schutes, And them forbeirs that the rebutes. It may therefore be conjectured that the person who was hoodwinked assumed the appearance of a goat, stag, or cow by putting on the skin of one of those animals.