Part 33

_=Jamboree.=_ This is the combination of the five highest trumps in one hand, and need only be announced and shown to entitle the holder to score _=sixteen=_ points. If held by the dealer, it may be made with the assistance of the turn-up trump; and any player may make it with the assistance of his partners best; but it does not count unless the holder of it has made the trump. If a player with a pat Jamboree is ordered up, all he can score is a euchre.

As in other forms of Euchre, no one but the maker of the trump can play alone, or announce Jambone or Jamboree. Lone hands are very common in Railroad Euchre, and ordering up to prevent lone hands is commoner still.

SEVEN-HANDED EUCHRE.

_=Cards.=_ Seven-handed Euchre is played with a full pack of fifty-three cards, including the Joker. The cards in plain suits rank as at Whist; but the Joker is always the best trump, the right and left bowers being the second and third-best respectively.

_=Counters.=_ One white and four red counters are necessary. The white counter is passed to the left from player to player in turn, to indicate the position of the next deal. The red counters are placed in front of the maker of the trump and his partners, to distinguish them from their opponents. Markers are not used, the score being kept on a sheet of paper. The score is usually kept by a person who is not playing, in order that none of those in the game may know how the various scores stand. Should an outsider not be available for scoring, there are two methods: One is for one player to keep the score for the whole table, who must inform any player of the state of the score if asked to do so. The other is to have a dish of counters on the table, each player being given the number he wins from time to time. These should be placed in some covered receptacle, so that they cannot be counted by their owner, and no other player will know how many he has. As it is very seldom that a successful bid is less than five, and never less than four, counters marked as being worth 4, 5, 6 and 7 each will answer every purpose, and will pay every bid made.

_=Cutting.=_ The players draw cards from an outspread pack for the choice of seats, those cutting the lowest cards having the first choice. The lowest cut of all deals the first hand, passing the white counter to the player on his left, whose turn it will be to deal next. Ties are decided in the usual way.

_=Dealing.=_ The cards are dealt from left to right, two being given to each player for the first round, then three, and then two again, until each player has received seven cards. The four remaining in the pack are then placed in the centre of the table, face down, and form the _=widow=_. No trump is turned.

The rules governing all irregularities in the deal are the same as in ordinary Euchre.

_=Making the Trump.=_ The cards dealt, each player in turn, beginning with the eldest hand, bids a certain number of points, at the same time naming the suit which he wishes to make the trump. There is no second bid, and the suit named by the highest bidder must be the trump for that deal. The successful bidder takes the widow, selecting from it what cards he pleases, and discarding others in their stead, so as to restore the number of his cards to seven. He then places a red counter in front of him, and chooses his partners, passing a red counter to each of them. These counters must be placed in front of the players to distinguish them as belonging to the bidder’s side; but the players make no changes in their respective positions at the table. Each player should bid on the possibilities of his hand, however small, so as to guide the others in their selection of partners.

_=Partners.=_ If the bidder has proposed to take not more than _=five=_ tricks out of the seven possible, he chooses two partners, and these three play against the remaining four. If he has bid to make _=six=_ or _=seven=_ tricks he chooses three partners, and these four play against the remaining three. Partners cannot refuse to play.

_=Playing Alone.=_ Should a player think he can take all seven tricks without any partners, he may bid _=ten=_, which would outrank a bid of seven; but such a bid must be made before seeing the widow. If a player thinks he can win all seven tricks without either widow or partners, he may bid _=twenty=_, which is the highest bid possible. When twenty is bid the cards in the widow must remain untouched.

_=Playing.=_ The successful bidder has the lead for the first trick. The general rules for following suit, etc., are the same as in ordinary Euchre. The bidder takes in all the tricks won by himself and his partners, and one of the adversaries should gather for that side. If a player on either side _=revokes=_, the adversaries score the number bid, and the hand is abandoned.

_=Scoring.=_ If the bidder is successful in his undertaking, he and his partners, if any, are credited by the scorer with the number of points bid, but no more. Should a player bid five, and his side take seven, it would count them only five points. If the player making the trump fails to reach his bid, he is euchred, and the adversaries are credited with the number of points bid.

_=Prizes.=_ It is usual to give two prizes for each table in play; one for the highest number of points won during the evening, and one for the smallest number; the latter being usually called the “booby” prize.

_=Suggestions for Good Play.=_ It is very risky to bid seven without the Joker, the odds being 11 to 1 against finding it in the widow. A bid of ten should not be made without both Joker and Right Bower, and all the other cards winners and trumps. To bid twenty, a player should have a practically invincible hand, with at least five winning leads of trumps.

The first bidders are always at a disadvantage, because they know nothing of the contents of the other hands; but after one or two players have made a bid, those following them can judge pretty well how the cards lie. For instance: The seven players are _=A=_ _=B=_ _=C=_ _=D=_ _=E=_ _=F=_ _=G=_. _=A=_ deals, and _=B=_ bids 2 in hearts. _=C=_ and _=D=_ pass. _=E=_ bids 3 in clubs; and _=F=_ says 4 in hearts. It is evident that _=F=_ is bidding on _=B’s=_ offer in hearts, and intends to choose him for a partner. _=G=_ finds in his hand four good spades and the Joker, but neither Bower. He may safely bid 5 or 6, taking _=E=_ for a partner if successful, as _=E=_ very probably has one or both the black Bowers. If he bids 5 only, the dealer, _=A=_, would have an excellent chance to bid 6 in hearts, and to take _=B=_ and _=F=_ for two of his partners, and _=G=_ for the third, trusting to find him with the Joker, or at least protection in one or both black suits.

If the successful bidder has had no previous bids to guide him in his choice of partners, he should take those who have the lowest scores, if the scores are known; because it is to his advantage to avoid advancing those who are perhaps already ahead. When the scores are not known, there is nothing but luck to guide one, unless a person has a very good memory, and knows which players are probably behind.

_=Leading.=_ If the successful bidder wants 6 or 7 tricks, and holds the Joker, he should lead it at once. If he has not the Joker, he should begin with a low trump, and give his partners a chance to play the Joker on the first round. If the leader cannot exhaust the trumps with one or two rounds, it will sometimes be to his advantage to lead any losing card he may have in the plain suits, in order to let his partners win the trick if they can. In playing alone, it is absolutely necessary to exhaust the trumps before opening a plain suit.

Partners should avail themselves of the methods common to four-handed Euchre to support one another in trumps and plain suits. The discard should invariably be from weakness if the player is the bidder’s partner; and from strength, if opposed to him.

_=EUCHRE FOR FIVE PLAYERS.=_ This is practically the same as the seven-handed game, but the pack is reduced to 28 cards, all below the Eight in each suit being deleted. The Joker is not used. Five cards are dealt to each player, by two and three at a time, and the three remaining form the widow. The player bidding _=three=_ tricks takes one partner only. The player bidding _=four=_ or _=five=_ tricks, takes two partners. A player who intends to take the widow, but no partners, can bid _=eight=_ and one who intends to take neither widow nor partners can bid _=fifteen=_. In this form of Euchre the scores are generally known, and 100 points is game.

In some clubs it is the practice for the successful bidder to select one of his partners by asking for the holder of a certain card. For instance: B has the lead, and has bid five in hearts, holding the three best trumps, the club ace, and a losing spade. Instead of selecting his partners at random, he asks for the spade ace, and the player holding that card must say, “Here”; upon which the bidder will pass him a counter, marking him as one of his partners.

CALL-ACE EUCHRE.

In this variety of euchre, each player is for himself so far as the final score goes. The one who takes up the trump or orders it up, or who makes it after it is turned down, may call upon the best card of any suit but the trump. The player holding the best card of that suit must be his partner, but he does not declare himself. When the highest card of the suit asked for falls in play, the partner is disclosed.

As the whole pack is not dealt out, it often happens that the ace, or even both ace and king, of the suit called for are in the talon. Should it turn out that the caller has the highest card of the suit himself, he has no partner.

When six play, 32 cards are used, and only one remains unknown. When five play, the sevens are thrown out. When four play, the eights are also discarded.

If the maker of the trump does not want a partner, he may either say “alone” or he may ask for a suit of which he holds the ace himself.

If the maker of the trump and his partner get three tricks, they score 1 point each. If they win all the tricks, they score 3 points each if there are five or six in the game; 2 points if there are not more than four players. If the partnership is euchred, each of the others at the table scores 2 points.

For a lone hand, winning all five tricks, the player scores a point for as many players as there are at the table, including himself. Euchres score 2 for every other player but the lone hand. A lone hand making three or four tricks only, scores 1.

500, OR BID EUCHRE.

In this variety of euchre, the joker is always used. When there is a trump suit, it is the best trump; but when there are no trumps, it is a suit by itself, but still a trump. The player holding it cannot trump with it as long as he can follow suit; but when he has none of the suit led, he can trump with the joker if he likes. When the joker is led in a no-trump hand, the leader must name the suit that he wishes played to it.

Five hundred is supposed to be a game for three players, but sometimes two play against two as partners.

The dealer gives ten cards to each player, three and then two at a time as in the ordinary game of euchre; but after dealing the first three cards to each he lays off three cards face down for a widow. This widow is taken in hand by the successful bidder, who discards three cards in its place.

The players bid for the privilege of naming the trump suit, or of playing without any trump but the joker. The number of tricks bid must not be less than six, and the suit must be named at the same time. The player having the most valuable game, regardless of the number of tricks or the suit, is the successful bidder, because a bid of seven in hearts, for instance, is worth more in points than a bid of eight in clubs, as will be seen from the following table.

+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------- If trumps are: |6 tricks.|7 tricks.|8 tricks.|9 tricks.|10 tricks. ---------------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------- Spades | 40 | 80 | 120 | 160 | 200 Clubs | 60 | 120 | 180 | 240 | 300 Diamonds | 80 | 160 | 240 | 320 | 400 Hearts | 100 | 200 | 300 | 400 | 500 No-trumps | 120 | 240 | 360 | 480 | 600 ---------------+---------+---------+---------+---------+----------

The successful bidder always leads for the first trick, after he has taken the widow and discarded, and after the hand is played, he has the first count. If he has made as many as he bid, he scores it; but he cannot score more than he bid unless he succeeds in winning every trick. In that case he scores 250 if his bid was less than 250; but if his bid was more than 250, he gets nothing extra for winning every trick.

Any player but the bidder winning a trick scores ten points for it, so it is necessary for each player to keep separate the tricks he individually wins.

If the bidder fails, he loses, or is set back, as many points as he bid, and he scores nothing for the tricks he takes, but he may play the hand out to prevent the others from scoring, as his adversaries still get ten points for each trick they win.

Five hundred points is game, and as the bidder has the first count he may go out first, even if an adversary has won tricks enough to reach 500 also.

EUCHRE LAWS.

_=1.=_ _=SCORING.=_ A game consists of five points. If the players making the trump win all five tricks, they count _=two=_ points towards game; if they win three or four tricks, they count _=one=_ point; if they fail to win three tricks, their adversaries count _=two=_ points.

_=2.=_ If the player making the trump plays _=alone=_, and makes five tricks, he counts as many points as there are players in the game: Two, if two play; three if three play; four if four play, etc. If he wins three or four tricks only, he counts one; if he fails to win three tricks, his adversaries count two.

_=3.=_ _=The Rubber=_ is the best of three games. If the first two are won by the same players, the third game is not played. The winners gain a _=triple=_, or three points, if their adversaries have not scored; a _=double=_, or two points, if their adversaries are less than three scored; a _=single=_, or one point, if their adversaries have scored three or four. The winners of the rubber add two points to the value of their games, and deduct the points made by the losers, if any; the remainder being the value of the rubber.

_=4.=_ _=FORMING THE TABLE.=_ A Euchre table is complete with six players. If more than four assemble, they cut for the preference, the four lowest playing the first rubber. Partners and deal are then cut for, the two lowest pairing against the two highest. The lowest deals, and has the choice of seats and cards.

_=5.=_ _=Ties.=_ Players cutting cards of equal value cut again, but the new cut decides nothing but the tie.

_=6.=_ _=Cutting Out.=_ At the end of a rubber the players cut to decide which shall give way to those awaiting their turn to play. After the second rubber, those who have played the greatest number of consecutive games give way; ties being decided by cutting.

_=7.=_ _=Cutting.=_ In cutting, the ace is low, the other cards ranking, K Q J 10 9 8 7, the King being the highest. A player exposing more than one card, or cutting the Joker, must cut again.

_=8.=_ _=SHUFFLING.=_ Every player has a right to shuffle the cards, the dealer last.

_=9.=_ _=DEALING.=_ The dealer must present the pack to the pone to be cut. At least four cards must be left in each packet. If a card is exposed in cutting, the pack must be reshuffled, and cut again. If the dealer reshuffles the pack after it has been properly cut, he loses his deal.

_=10.=_ Beginning on his left, the dealer must give to each player in rotation _=two=_ cards on the first round, and _=three=_ on the second; or three to each on the first round, and two on the second. Five cards having been given to each player in this manner, the next card is turned up for the trump. The deal passes to the left.

_=11.=_ There must be a new deal by the same dealer if any card but the trump is found faced in the pack, or if the pack is proved incorrect or imperfect; but any previous scores made with the imperfect pack stand good.

_=12.=_ The adversaries may demand a new deal if any card but the trump is exposed during the deal, provided they have not touched a card. If an adversary exposes a card, the dealer may elect to deal again. If a new deal is not demanded, cards exposed in dealing cannot be called.

_=13.=_ The adversaries may stop a player dealing out of turn, or with the wrong pack, provided they do so before the trump card is turned, after which the deal stands good.

_=14.=_ _=MISDEALING.=_ A misdeal loses the deal. It is a misdeal: If the cards have not been properly cut; if the dealer gives two cards to one player and three to another in the same round; if he gives too many or too few cards to any player; if he counts the cards on the table, or those remaining in the pack; or if he deals a card incorrectly, and fails to correct the error before dealing another. If the dealer is interrupted in any manner by an adversary, he does not lose his deal.

_=15.=_ _=THE TRUMP CARD.=_ After the trump card is turned, each player in turn, beginning with the eldest hand, has the privilege of passing, assisting, or ordering up the trump. Should a player pass, and afterward correct himself by ordering up or assisting, both he and his partner may be prevented by the adversaries from exercising their privilege. If a player calls his partner’s attention to the fact that they are at the bridge, both lose their right to order up the trump.

_=16.=_ The dealer may leave the trump card on the pack until it is got rid of in the course of play. If the trump card has been taken up or played, any player may ask, and must be informed by the dealer, what the trump suit is; but any player naming the trump card may be called upon by an adversary to play his highest or lowest trump.

_=17.=_ If the dealer takes up, or is ordered up, he must _=discard=_ a card from his own hand, placing it under the remainder of the pack. Having quitted such discard, it cannot be taken back. If the dealer has not discarded until he has played to the first trick, he and his partner cannot score any points for that hand.

_=18.=_ If the eldest hand leads before the dealer has quitted his discard, the dealer may amend his discard, but the eldest hand cannot take back the card led.

_=19.=_ If the dealer takes up the trump to play alone, he must pass his discard across the table to his partner. If he fails to do so, the adversaries may insist that his partner play with him, preventing the lone hand.

_=20.=_ _=MAKING THE TRUMP.=_ If the dealer does not take up the trump, he must place it under the remainder of the pack, face upward, so that it can be distinctly seen. Each player in turn, beginning on the dealer’s left, then has the privilege of naming a new trump suit.

_=21.=_ If any player names the suit already turned down, he loses his right to name a suit; and if he corrects himself, and names another, neither he nor his partner is allowed to make that suit the trump. If a player names a new trump suit out of his proper turn, both he and his partner are forbidden to make that suit the trump.

_=22.=_ If no one will name a new trump, the deal is void, and passes to the next player on the dealer’s left.

_=23.=_ _=IRREGULARITIES IN THE HANDS.=_ If any player is found not to have his correct number of cards, it is a misdeal; but if he has played to the first trick the deal stands good, and he cannot score anything that hand.

_=24.=_ _=EXPOSED CARDS.=_ The following are exposed cards, and must be left face up on the table, and are liable to be called by the adversaries:

I. Every card faced upon the table otherwise than in the regular course of play.

II. Two or more cards played to a trick. The adversaries may elect which shall be played.

III. Any card named by the player holding it.

_=25.=_ If an adversary of a person playing alone exposes a card, the lone player may abandon the hand, and score the points. Should the partner of the lone player expose a card, the adversaries may prevent the lone hand by compelling the player in error to play with his partner, leaving the exposed card on the table.

_=26.=_ _=CALLING EXPOSED CARDS.=_ The adversary on the right of an exposed card must call it before he plays himself. If it will be the turn of the player holding the exposed card to lead for the next trick, the card, if wanted, must be called before the current trick is turned and quitted. Should a player having an exposed card and the lead, play from his hand before the previous trick is turned and quitted, the card so led may also be claimed as exposed.

_=27.=_ _=LEADING AND PLAYING OUT OF TURN.=_ If a player leads when it was his partner’s turn, a suit may be called from his partner. The demand must be made by the last player to the trick in which the suit is called. If it was the turn of neither to lead, the card played in error is exposed. If all have played to the false lead, the error cannot be rectified. If all have not followed, the cards erroneously played must be taken back, but are not liable to be called.

_=28.=_ If an adversary of a lone player leads out of turn, the lone player may abandon the hand, and score the points.

_=29.=_ If the third hand plays before the second, the fourth hand may play before his partner, either of his own volition, or at the direction of the second hand, who may say: “Play, partner.” If the fourth hand plays before the second, the third hand may call upon the second hand to play his highest or lowest of the suit led, or to trump or not to trump the trick.

_=30.=_ _=REVOKING.=_ A revoke is a renounce in error, not corrected in time; or non-compliance with a performable penalty. If a revoke is claimed and proved, the hand in which it occurs is immediately abandoned. The adversaries of the revoking player then have the option of adding two points to their own score, or deducting two points from his score. If both sides revoke, the deal is void. If one person is playing alone, the penalty for a revoke is as many points as would have been scored if the lone hand had succeeded.

_=31.=_ A revoke may be corrected by the player making it before the trick in which it occurs has been turned and quitted, unless the revoking player or his partner, whether in his right turn or otherwise, has led or played to the following trick.

_=32.=_ If a player corrects his mistake in time to save a revoke, the card played in error is exposed; but any cards subsequently played by others may be taken back without penalty.

_=33.=_ _=PLAYING ALONE.=_ No one but the individual maker of the trump can play alone.

_=34.=_ The dealer must announce his intention to play alone by passing his discard over to his partner. Any other player intending to play alone must use the expression “alone” in connection with his ordering up or making the trump; as, “I order it, alone;” or “I make it hearts, alone.”

_=35.=_ The partner of a player who has announced to play alone must lay his cards on the table, face down. Should he expose any of his cards, the adversaries may prevent the lone hand, and compel him to play with his partner, the exposed card being left on the table and liable to be called.

_=36.=_ The lone player is not liable to any penalty for exposed cards, nor for a lead out of turn.

_=37.=_ Should either adversary lead or play out of turn, the lone player may abandon the hand, and score the points.