_=Singly Guarded Honours.=_ Many players put on the King Second Hand, if they hold only one small card with it, and a small card is led. This will win the trick as often as it will lose it; but it betrays the hand to the adversary, and enables him to finesse deeply if the suit is returned. It may be done in order to get the lead, and in trumps the practice is very common, and generally right. With Queen and only one small card, it can be demonstrated that it is useless to play the Queen Second Hand, except as an experiment, or to get the lead in desperate cases. With any combination weaker than J 10 x, it is useless to attempt to win the trick Second Hand, and only makes it difficult for the partner to place the cards correctly. _=The Fourchette.=_ When the Second Hand has cards immediately above and below the one led, he should cover. The beginner may have some difficulty in recognising the fact that he holds fourchette if the suit has been round once or twice, and the intermediate cards have been played. Such cards as a Queen and a Seven may be fourchette over a Nine, if Jack, Ten and Eight have been played.
If he exchanges, his original hand is dead, and must not be seen by any player. If any player takes the widow, those following him must play the hand dealt them or pass out. In some clubs the eldest hand is obliged to play, either with his own hand or with the widow. If all pass except the pone, he must play against the dealer, either with the cards dealt him, or with the widow. If he declines to play, he must pay the dealer five counters, and the pool remains. The dealer must play if he is opposed by only one player; but if two others have announced to play, the dealer may play or pass as he pleases. If he plays, he may discard and take up the trump card. No other player may rob the trump. _=METHOD OF PLAYING.=_ The eldest hand of those who have declared to play begins by leading any card he pleases.
_=Stakes.=_ Each deal is a game in itself, and the loser pays one counter for it. If the game is a tie, called a _=tableau=_, each puts up a counter for a pool, and the winner of the next game takes the pool, in addition to the counter paid by his adversary. If the next game is also a tableau, each player adds another counter to the pool, and so on until it is won. _=Dealing.=_ Ten cards are dealt to each player in five rounds of two at a time, and the twenty remaining in the stock are laid upon the table face down, between the players, but a little to the left of the dealer. The stock may be slightly spread, to facilitate the process of drawing cards from it. _=Objects of the Game.=_The object of each player is to form triplets, fours, and sequences, by combining the cards dealt him with others drawn from the stock. These combinations are laid upon the table, face up, and the player wins the game who first succeeds in laying down eleven cards in this manner.
There is no obligation to head the trick, nor to trump or under-trump; but the winner of the first trick must lead a trump if he has one. BIERSPIEL. This is a popular form of Rams among German students. Three crosses are chalked on the table in front of each player, representing five points each. When a trick is won, a beer-soaked finger wipes out the centre of a cross, and reduces its value to four. Successive cancellings of the remaining arms of the cross as tricks are taken gradually reduce it to nothing, and the player who is last to wipe out his third cross pays for the beer. No player is allowed to look at his cards until the trump is turned, and the dealer gives the word of command: “Auf.” The seven of diamonds is always the second-best card of the trump suit, ranking next below the ace. If it is turned up, the dealer turns up the next card for a trump, and when it comes to his turn, he can take both cards into his hand, discarding others in their place. If the dealer passes, the eldest hand may take up the trump.
Combinations from which the _=Ace=_ is led contain at least five cards in suit, or both Queen and Jack. [Illustration: 🂱 🂷 🂶 🂴 🂲 | 🃑 🃝 🃛 🃖 ] This lead is an indication to partner that the leader has not the King, and that the suit is either long, or contains three honours. _=Rules for Leading Low Cards.=_ If the suit selected for the lead contains none of the combinations from which a high card should be led, it is customary with good players to begin with the 4th-best, counting from the top of the suit. This is called the card of uniformity; because it indicates to the partner that there are remaining in the leader’s hand exactly three cards higher than the one led. From any of the following combinations the proper lead would be the Four:-- [Illustration: 🃞 🃛 🃘 🃔 🃓 | 🃑 🃝 🃚 🃔 🂽 🂻 🂶 🂴 🂲 | 🂱 🂻 🂺 🂴 ] [Illustration: 🂫 🂪 🂩 🂤 🂢 | 🂮 🂨 🂧 🂤 🃊 🃉 🃈 🃄 🃃 | 🃍 🃆 🃅 🃄 ] _=Rules for Leading Short Suits.=_ It will sometimes happen that the only four-card suit in the leader’s hand will be trumps, which it is not desirable to lead. In such cases, if there is no high-card combination in any of the short suits, it is usual to lead the highest card, unless it is an Ace or King. Many good players will not lead the Queen from a three card suit, unless it is accompanied by the Jack. All such leads are called _=forced=_, and are intended to assist the partner, by playing cards which may strengthen him, although of no use to the leader.
Some of the soldiers go to the fortress and surround it, singing the first verse (fig. 2). The children in the fortress reply, the four first verses being thus sung alternately. The soldiers then go to the King singing the fifth verse (fig. 3), the remaining verses being thus sung alternately. One of the soldiers then goes to the fortress and endeavours by throwing herself on the clasped hands of the children forming the fortress to break down the guard (fig. 4). All the soldiers try to do this, one after the other; finally the King comes, who breaks down the guard. The whole troop of soldiers then burst through the parted arms (fig. 5).
See Doncaster Cherries. Bag o Malt A bag o malt, a bag o salt, Ten tens a hundred. --Northall s _English Folk Rhymes_, p. 394. Two children stand back to back, linked near the armpits, and weigh each other as they repeat these lines. See Weigh the Butter. Ball I. Stottie ba , hinnie ba, tell to me How mony bairns am I to hae? Ane to live, and ane to dee, And ane to sit on the nurse s knee! --Chambers _Pop. Rhymes of Scotland_, p. 115.
Some players show only the cards necessary to open, but the strict rules require the whole hand to be shown before the draw. When once the jack is opened, the betting before the draw proceeds exactly as in the ordinary pool. Any player on the right of the opener, who passed on the first round, may come in after the pot is opened. For instance: E deals. A and B pass, but hold their hands. C opens, and D throws down his hand. E sees the opener’s bet, and it then becomes the turn of A and B, who have passed once, to say whether or not they will play, now that the pot is opened. When all those who have declared to stay have deposited an equal amount in the pool, they draw cards to improve their hands, just as in the ordinary pool, the player on the dealer’s left being helped first. All those who draw cards, except the opener, throw their discards into the centre of the table as usual; but the opener is obliged always to place his discard under the chips in the pool. This is in order that he may be able to show what he held originally, in case he should conclude to _=split his openers=_ in order to try for a better hand.
This hand belongs to the non-dealer, who leads first and plays both hands, so that the dealer is practically opposed to two hands of thirteen cards each. If the dealer does not want to discard and draw, he can play _=misery=_, which is a no-trumper, but played to lose tricks, instead of to win them. If the dealer takes more than one trick, his adversary scores five points penalty for each so taken. But if the dealer succeeds in taking only one trick, or none at all, he scores five points for every trick his adversary has taken over the book of six. _=PIVOT BRIDGE.=_ This is simply a movement of the players, very popular in social games, which requires that the four originally seated at a table shall remain at that table until the game is ended, and shall not cut for partners after the first rubber, but change in regular order. The usual way is for the first dealer to sit still all the time, the three other players moving round her in a circle at the end of each rubber. This will compel the player on her left to pass behind her and take the seat on her right. At the end of three rubbers, each will have had each of the others for a partner. When there are a number of tables in play, it will be necessary to have a prize for each, giving the first choice to the player who has the highest score in the room.
=_ Any one can deal the first hand, after which the deal passes to the left. Three cards are given to each player the first round, then three for the widow, and then two rounds of four cards each to the players, so that there are three hands of eleven cards each, and three in the widow. _=THE GAMES.=_ Each player in turn, beginning on the dealer’s left, can offer to play one of three games, and the highest offer must be accepted. A player cannot increase his own bid unless he is overbid. The highest bidder becomes the single player, opposed to the two others. _=Frog.=_ In this, hearts must be trumps. The single player turns the widow face up to show what it contained, and then takes the three cards into his hand. He must then discard to reduce his playing hand to eleven cards again.
The bids outrank one another according to their order in the foregoing table, and the rank of the suits in which they are made. The players bid against one another, until all but one declare to pass, he then becomes the single player against the three others. A player having once passed cannot come into the bidding again, even to call a misère. In this respect the game differs from Boston. A player is not compelled to bid the full value of his hand, but it is to his interest to do so, and he should make the full announcement the first time he bids, because if he has had a good hand for ten tricks, and begins with a bid of seven, he cannot increase his proposal unless some player bids over him. _=PARTNERS.=_ Before playing, the successful bidder may call for a partner if he chooses to do so. The player accepting him undertakes that the two together shall win three tricks more than the number bid. For instance: A has successfully bid seven in diamonds, and asks for a partner. If Y accepts him they make no change in their positions at the table, but play into each other’s hands, just as at Solo Whist, B and Z being partners against them.
With the hand still twisted throw up the ball and untwist and catch it. The checks are picked up in the course of the twisting. These I am told are the orthodox movements; and I do not doubt that in them there is much of very old tradition, although the tenth and eleventh must have been either added or modified since pot checks came into use, for the figures could not be built up with the natural bones. Some other movements are sometimes used according to fancy, as for example the clapping of the ground with the palm of the hand before taking up the checks and catching the ball.--J. T. Micklethwaite (_Arch. Journ._, xlix. 327-28).
The hurling-green where the famous match was played by the people of Wexford against those of Cather (now divided into the counties of Carlow and Wicklow), and where the former got the name of yellow bellies, from the colour of the scarfs they wore round their waist, is a sunny flat on the western side of North Wicklow Gap, on the road from Gorey to Trinnahely. There are also many other different names that record the game. --_Folk-lore Journal_, ii. 266. See Bandy, Camp, Football, Hockey, Hood, Shinty. Hurly-burly An undescribed boys game. In it the following rhyme is used-- Hurly-burly, trumpy trace, The cow stands in the market-place; Some goes far, and some goes near, Where shall this poor sinner steer? --Patterson s _Antrim and Down Glossary_. For a similar rhyme see Hot Cockles. Huss Children play a game which is accompanied by a song beginning-- Hussing and bussing will not do, But go to the gate, knock, and ring-- Please, Mrs. Brown, is Nellie within? --Parish s _Dictionary of the Sussex Dialect_.
If the single player leads out of turn, the cards must be taken back if the trick is not complete and the adversary who has not played demands it. If both adversaries have played to the false lead, the trick stands. If an adversary has played to his false lead, the player cannot take it back unless the other adversary permit it. 48. If an adversary of the player leads out of turn, and the player calls attention to it, the player may immediately claim his game as won and abandon the hand; or he may insist that the play proceed with a view to making the adversaries schneider or schwarz. Whether he proceeds or not his game is won, and he may either let the false lead stand, or insist on a lead from the proper hand. 49. If, during the progress of the hand, the player lays his cards on the table, face up, and announces that he has won his game by reaching 61 or 91, whichever may be necessary to make good his bid, and it is proved that he is mistaken, he loses his game, even if he could have taken up his cards again and won it. 50. If an adversary lays his cards on the table, face up, and claims to have already defeated the player’s game, all that adversary’s cards shall be taken by the player and counted with the tricks already taken in by the player.
You can go now, he said, like a schoolmarm dismissing class. The gorillas helped the blindly staring dealer to his feet, brushing at the sawdust that clung to his clothing, and had him presentable by the time they led him through the door. They seemed glad to get away. The Blackout, the TK said musingly to me. You hear about it, and the Psiless cringe when they think it might happen to them. But you don t see it every day. You re in the Lodge, of course? he added. Of course, I said coldly. Please, he said, waving a hand at me. Don t take it so big.
The one outside the circle goes round it and touches on the back one of the circle. He then runs off round the circle, and the one who was touched runs off in the opposite direction round the circle. The aim of each player is to reach the vacant place in the circle first. The one left out has to repeat the same action. The game may go on for any length of time.--Keith (Rev. W. Gregor). At Barnes this game is called Gap. It is known as French Tag in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire (Miss Matthews), and Tap-back at Bitterne, Hants (Mrs.
21. If the striker touch a ball in play otherwise than in the proper manner laid down in these Rules, he cannot score and the balls shall be replaced. After the balls are replaced the stroke must be played, if the striker was still in play when the ball was moved or touched, and he is subject to any other penalty he may incur. Should he touch a ball after the completion of any stroke, _i.e._, when the balls have become stationary, his scores from previous strokes shall hold good. 22. If the striker force any of the red or pool balls off the table, he shall be penalized in the value of the ball or balls so forced off. Should the ball or balls forced off the table be struck out of order, or of inferior value to the ball that should have been struck, the latter ball shall govern the penalty. Should he force his own ball off the table, he shall be penalized in the value of the ball aimed at, unless another ball of higher value be first struck, in which case such higher ball shall govern the penalty.
_=Playing Out of Turn.=_ The usual penalty in America for leading or playing out of turn is the loss of the game if the error is made by the adversaries of the single player. If by the player himself, the card played in error must be taken back, and if only one adversary has played to the false lead, he may also take back his card. If both have played, the trick stands good. The single player suffers no penalty, as it is only to his own disadvantage to expose his hand. _=The Revoke.=_ If a player revokes, and he is one of the adversaries of the single player, the game is lost for the player in error; but he may count the points in his tricks up to the time the revoke occurred, in order to save schneider or schwarz. In Nullos, the game is lost the moment the revoke is discovered. _=Seeing Tricks.=_ The tricks must be kept separate as they are taken in, and any player is allowed to look at the last trick turned and quitted.
If the King cannot move, no other penalty can be enforced. But if the man touched can be legally taken, it must be captured. For playing a man to a square to which it cannot be legally moved, the adversary, at his option, may require him to move the man legally, or to move the King. For illegally capturing an adversary’s man, the offender must move his King, or legally capture the man, as his opponent may elect. For attempting to Castle illegally, the player doing so must move either the King or Rook, as his adversary may dictate. For touching more than one of the player’s own men, he must move either man that his opponent may name. For touching more than one of the adversary’s men, the offender must capture the one named by his opponent, or if _either_ cannot be captured, he may be required to move the King or capture the man which can be taken, at the adversary’s option; or, if _neither_ can be captured, then the King must be moved. A player moving into check may be required, by the opposing player, either to move the King elsewhere, or replace the King and make some other move--but such other move shall not be selected by the player imposing the penalty. For discovering check on his own King, the player must either legally move the man touched, or move the King at his adversary’s option. In case neither move can be made, there shall be no penalty.
_, all the others in the pool. If he will, he must put up as much as their combined stakes. He cannot be raised; but if any one player or combination of players call him, and one of them can beat his hand, the field divide the pool. For instance: Age makes it a blue, and three others stay with him. After the draw C puts up three blues against the field. D and A call it, and all show hands. If any of the three, A, B or D can beat C they divide the pool, B getting his third, although he did not contribute to the call. This game is a pure gamble; except that a bold player may occasionally bluff the field off. _=METHODS OF CHEATING.=_ Poker and its congeners have received more attention from the greeks than any other family of card games.
O ----, O ----, Your true love is dead; I send you a letter to turn round your head. --Cowes, Isle of Wight (Miss E. Smith). XII. Green gravel, green gravel, the grass is so green, Said the fairest young damsel that ever I ve seen. O mother, O mother, my true-love is dead, He sent me this letter to turn round my head. O mother, O mother, do you think this is true? O yes, love! O yes, love! And what shall I do? I ll wash you in butter-milk, I ll dress you in silk, I ll write down your name with my gold pen and ink. --Isle of Man (A. W. Moore).
There is no rule to prevent his throwing away a pair of aces and keeping three clubs if he is so inclined; but the general practice is for the player to retain whatever pairs or triplets he may have, and to draw to them. Four cards of a straight or a flush may be drawn to in the same way, and some make a practice of drawing to one or two high cards, such as an ace and a king, when they have no other chance. Some hands offer opportunities to vary the draw. For instance: A player has dealt to him a small pair; but finds he has also four cards of a straight. He can discard three cards and draw to the pair; or one card, and draw to the straight; or two cards, keeping his ace in the hope of making two good pairs, aces up. The details of the best methods of drawing to various combinations will be discussed when we come to suggestions for good play. [Illustration: 🂱 🂴 🃒 🂣 🃄 ] In drawing cards, each player in turn who has made good his ante, beginning with the age, must ask the dealer for the number of cards he wants. The demand must be made so that every player can hear, because after the cards have been delivered by the dealer no one has the right to be informed how many cards any player drew. When the dealer comes to his own hand, he must distinctly announce the number of cards he takes. He must also inform any player asking him how many cards he took, provided the question is put before the player asking it has made a bet, and it is put by a player who has made good his ante to draw cards.
I just would have thought... I dribbled off, raising my shoulders. Thought what, Lefty? Oh, I said. That it was somehow beneath the dignity of the Grand Master to drag himself down here to the hospital just to add a little conviction to the hallucination. I mean, working up a big entrance, and all this pretense of your seeing a snake. His smile was a little weary. Try a lift, Lefty, Maragon said. He had finally overplayed his hand.
, 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.--_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 212; Penzance (Mrs. Mabbott). In Shropshire, as soon as the player going round the ring has dropped the handkerchief on the shoulder of the girl he chooses, both players run _opposite ways_ outside the ring, each trying to be the first to regain the starting-point. If the one who was chosen gets there first, no kiss can be claimed. It is often called Drop-handkerchief, from the signal for the chase. The more general way of playing (either with or without words), as seen by me on village greens round London, is, when the handkerchief has been dropped, for the player to dart through the ring and in and out again under the clasped hands; the pursuer must follow in and out through the same places, and must bring the one he catches into the ring before he can legally claim the kiss.
If the Tenter is thus caught tripping, the prisoner can escape from the Den. If during the progress of the game one of the boys out at field runs through the Den shouting Relievo without being caught by the Tenter, the prisoner is allowed to escape, and join his comrades at field. If one of the boys out at field is tired, and comes to stand by the side of the Den, he is not allowed to put his foot into the Den. If he does so the prisoner calls out, There are two Tenters, and escapes if he can (fig. 3). When all the boys out at field have been caught and put into the Den, the process is reversed--the boys who have been, as it were, hunted, taking the place of the hunters. Sometimes the cry is Delievo, and not Relievo. One or two variations occur in the playing of this game. Sometimes the Tenter, instead of standing with one foot in the Den, stands as far off the prisoner as the prisoner can spit. The choosing of sides is done by tossing.
This pastime is said to have been instituted by the Mowbrays, and that the person who furnished the Hood did so as a tenure by which he held some land under the lord. How far this tradition may be founded on fact I do not know, but no person now acknowledges to hold any land by that tenure.--Stonehouse s _Isle of Axholme_, p. 291. W. J. Woolhouse (_Notes and Queries_, 2nd series, v. 95) says when the Hood is thrown up by the Chief of the Boggons or by the officials, it becomes the object of the villagers to get the Hood to their own village, the other eleven men, called Boggons, being stationed at the corners and sides of the field, to prevent, if possible, its being thrown out of the field; and should it chance to fall into any of their hands, it is boggoned, and forthwith returned to the chief, who again throws it up, as at the commencement of the game. The next day is occupied by the Boggons going round the villages singing as waits, and they are regaled with hot furmenty; from some they get coppers given them, and from others a small measure of wheat. The day after that they assume the character of Plough-bullocks, and at a certain part of Westwood-side they smoke the Fool --that is, straw is brought by those who like, and piled in a heap, a rope being tied or slung over the branches of the tree next to the pile of straw; the other end of the rope is fastened round the waist of the Fool, and he is drawn up and fire is put to the straw, the Fool being swung to and fro through the smoke until he is well-nigh choked, after which he goes round and collects whatever the spectators choose to give him.
There are three great principles in playing against Dummy:-- 1st. Lead through the strong suits, and up to the weak. 2nd. Do not lead through a fourchette. 3rd. Do not lead up to a tenace. These rules must not be blindly followed in every instance. They are simply general principles, and some of the prettiest _=coups=_ arise from the exceptional cases. _=Leading Through Dummy.=_ The eldest hand, when he does not deem it advisable to go on with his own suit, may be guided in his choice by the strength or weakness of certain suits in Dummy’s hand.
If a player whose partner has not yet bid names the trump suit, his partner loses his bid. If a player bids with more than nine cards in his hand, his bid is lost, and the adversaries must draw the superfluous cards from his hand, face down, placing them about the middle of the undealt portion of the pack. If no bid is made, the dealer may name any trump he pleases, without bidding. If any player exposes any of his cards before the trump suit is named, the adversaries may elect to have a new deal by the same dealer. _=Discarding.=_ The trump named, each player must put out at least three of his cards, and may discard as many more as he pleases. All such discards must be placed on the table face up. Should a player discard a trump, his partner may call his attention to it, and it may be taken back, provided the player has not been helped to cards, or has not lifted the cards drawn. _=Drawing.=_ The players having discarded, the dealer, beginning on his left, must give to each in turn from the top of the pack, face down, as many cards as may be necessary to restore the number in each hand to six.