The little wooden ball used in this game is in Yorkshire called the Nor, and the receptacle in which it is placed the Spell. Peacock (_Manley and Corringham Glossary_) gives knur, (1) a hard wooden ball, (2) the head. Addy (_Sheffield Glossary_) says knur is a small round ball, less than a billiard ball. It is put into a cup fixed on a spring which, being touched, causes the ball to rise into the air, when it is struck by a trip-stick, a slender stick made broad and flat at one end. The knur is struck by the broad part. The game is played on Shrove Tuesday. Brogden (_Provincial Words of Lincolnshire_) gives it under Bandy. It is called Knur, Spell, and Kibble in S.-W. Lincolnshire.
If the game is played for money, each player puts one counter in the pool before the cards are dealt. There is no raising or betting of any kind. An extra hand, called _=the widow=_, is dealt face down at Whiskey Poker. The dealer gives each player and the widow five cards, one at a time, beginning on his left, and dealing to the widow just before he deals to himself. Each player in turn, beginning with the age, then examines his hand, and has the option of exchanging it for the widow; keeping it for the purpose of drawing to it; or risking his chances of winning the pool with it as it is. If he wishes to exchange, he must place his five cards face upward on the table, and take up the widow, but without showing it to any other player. The hand he abandons then becomes the widow. If he prefers to draw to his hand, he says: “_=I pass=_,” which transfers to the next player the option of taking the widow. If he wishes to stand on the merits of the hand dealt to him, without drawing to it, he _=knocks=_ on the table, which also passes the option of taking the widow to the next player on his left. If any player takes the widow, the next player on his left can do any one of three things: He may discard from his own hand any card he pleases, taking one from the widow in its stead; the card which he discards being placed on the table face upward, and becoming part of the widow; or he may exchange his entire hand for the widow; or he may stand on the hand dealt him, and knock.
| -- | -- | -- | | 28.| -- | -- |Apprentice for your | | | | |sake. | | 29.| -- | -- | -- | | 30.| -- | -- |If this young man | | | | |should happen to die. | | 31.| -- | -- | -- | | 32.| -- | -- | -- | | 33.| -- | -- |And leave the poor | | | | |woman a widow. | | 34.
The Kentish game is played with two lines of children advancing and retiring. This was also the way in which the London version (A. B. Gomme) was played. In the version sent by Mr. H. S. May a ring is formed by the children joining hands. One child stands in the centre--she represents the Mother. The ring of children say the first, third, and every alternate verse.
_=7th Trick.=_ A must risk the King and 3 being divided, for if they are in one hand nothing will save him. Z keeps ♢9 and ♣Q in order to be sure of getting a lead, as he is the only player who can load A by putting him in on spades at the end making him take in his own hearts. _=8th Trick.=_ B cannot risk playing the high clubs while there is any chance for him to win the pool. He can count A to be safe in diamonds, with two hearts and two spades. _=10th Trick.=_ A clears his hand of the very dangerous spade before leading his tenace in diamonds. _=12th Trick.=_ A will not give up the heart until he is sure that B has not the ♣7.
Even if the single player has overbid his hand, he wins his game if either adversary revokes. LOOKING BACK. 54. Any active player may see the last trick turned and quitted, provided no card has been led for the next trick. Should a player look back at any other trick, or count his cards, he loses the game; but either of the others may insist on playing on to see if they can make schneider. 55. If an adversary of the player tell his partner how many points they have taken in, or ask him to fatten a trick which is his, or call attention in any way to the fact that the partner’s play should be thus or so, the single player may at once claim his game as won, and abandon his hand. SCORING. 56. The single player wins his game if he reaches 61 points.