Part 11

There are two varieties of the game that must be just mentioned before dismissing the subject. These are Solo Whist for five players, and Solo Whist for three players.

Where the table consists of five, one man stands out every round, the person chosen being he who sits to the dealer's right. The person standing out neither pays nor receives on that round.

Solo Whist for three players is not quite so simple. There is in this no proposal and acceptance, the solo being the lowest call. There are two very good ways of playing, the best being to throw out the twos, threes, and fours from the various suits, and to turn up the fortieth card as trump, but not regarding that card as belonging to any individual. The tricks, of course, consist of three cards each. The other plan is to play with three suits only, leaving the fourth suit out altogether. The former method, however, makes the more scientific game.[43]

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{157}

VINGT-UN.

Vingt-Un derives its name from the fact that each player aims at making, by the cards he holds, "twenty-one." Any number may play. The full pack of fifty-two cards is used. After they have been duly shuffled and cut, the dealer[44] distributes one card, face downwards, to each of the other players (whom we will call the punters), and one to himself. The punters look at their cards, and each places on, or beside his card, the coin (or counters representing coin) he proposes to stake. A _maximum_ and _minimum_ stake are usually fixed beforehand, and a prudent player will make a practice of always {158} staking, according to the nature of his hand, either the _maximum_ or the _minimum_, never an intermediate amount. The reason of this is obvious. With certain cards,[45] say, eight, nine, ten (or a tenth card), or ace, the holder has the chances in his favour, as a tenth card, of which there are sixteen, will give him a good hand. With any other as his first card, the chances are against him, and he should therefore risk as little as possible.

The dealer also looks at his card, and, if he thinks fit, says, "I double you," or simply "Double," the effect of his so doing being that he will receive or pay, as the case may be, _double_ the stakes offered by the punters. In deciding whether to double or not, he has two points to consider, viz. (1) the fact of himself holding an exceptionally good card, and (2) the absence or rarity of high stakes among the punters, indicating that their cards are not such as they feel safe in backing freely. It must, however, be remembered that the dealer has the important advantage of receiving from ties, also from all players who overdraw. These two points make a considerable percentage in his favour. With an ace, tenth card, nine, or eight, he should _always_ double; and the weighty authority of "Cavendish" is in favour of his doubling with a seven, or even a lower card. In these latter cases, however, we think the amounts of the stakes should be taken into consideration, as affording some gauge of the probable strength of the enemy.

All court cards at this game count ten; an "ace," eleven or one, at the option of the holder; all other {159} cards according to the number of their pips. Differences of suit are not recognized.

The object of the game is, as we have said, to make twenty-one, and this may be made either by the conjunction of an ace and a court or other tenth card, called a "natural," or by three or more cards, say a five, six and ten; ace, five, seven, eight; or ace, seven, three.

The ace is, as will readily be perceived, the most valuable card; not merely from the fact that there are sixteen cards out of the fifty-two that will form a "natural" with it, but from the fact that (counting as eleven or one at pleasure), it gives the holder a double chance of making a winning number.

The stakes having been made, and the dealer having decided whether to "double" or not (in the latter case, silence is a sufficient negative), he deals a second round of cards, still face downwards.

Each player again looks at his cards. If those of the dealer form a "natural," he turns them up, and receives from each player double the amount of his stake, or, if he has "doubled," quadruple.[46] (The proportionate increase in the latter case will henceforth be taken for granted.) What cards the other players may hold is, in this case immaterial, save in the event of some one of them holding a second "natural," in which case the two cancel, neither paying nor receiving.

We will now take the case of the dealer finding that his two cards do _not_ constitute a "natural." {160} If there be any such among the punters, the holder turns up his cards, and receives double the amount of his stake. To all other players, beginning with the elder hand, the dealer is bound to offer cards. This he does by the interrogative, "Do you stand?" or "Card?" The elder hand looks at his cards. If he has sixteen points or more, he will usually decide not to draw, conveying his decision by the word, "Stand," or "Content."[47] If he has less than sixteen, which is generally accepted as the average limit, he will probably draw a card, intimating his desire to do so, by replying, "Card," "Please," or "Yes." He may now be in three different positions. The card given him (as where, holding a six and an eight, he has received a ten), may make his total more than twenty-one. In such case he is "over," and at once hands his stake to the dealer, and throws his cards, face downwards, in the middle of the table, where they are collected by the player to the right of the dealer, known as the _pone_.[48]

The dealer then asks the same question of the next player. We will suppose that his hand consists of an ace and a two.

This, according to the value put upon the ace, will represent either three or thirteen. Thirteen is not good enough to stand upon, and the player accordingly draws a card. (This third card, and all following, are dealt face upwards.) He receives, say, a second "two," making him fifteen. Not {161} caring to stand on this amount, he draws another card, and receives a "seven," making him twenty-two, or twelve. With twenty-two he would be over, and with twelve he is worse off than when he started. Again he says, "Card," and receives, say, a "three," making him still only fifteen. He draws again, and this time receives, we will suppose, a "five," when he of course "stands."

And so the game proceeds, all who overdraw paying and throwing up their cards forthwith. Last comes the turn of the dealer himself. If his cards are eighteen or upwards, he will "stand." At seventeen, he should usually stand. At fifteen, or sixteen, it is an open question, to be decided partly by the number of punters who may be still standing (and who, if numerous, will probably have some low hands amongst them), partly by his knowledge of the idiosyncrasies of his opponents, and partly by the nature of the cards which have been "drawn" by the other players. Should he go "over," he pays all, with the exception of those who, having overdrawn, have already paid up their stakes. If otherwise, he pays or receives as the cards of the punter, or his own, are nearest to the critical "twenty-one." Should the cards of any punter amount to exactly twenty-one, he will receive double the amount of his stake. In like manner, should the dealer's cards make exactly twenty-one points, each of the punters pays double the amount of his stake. In the event of "ties" (twenty-ones included), the punter pays the dealer. It must, however, be remembered that a natural vingt-un always takes precedence over one made by drawing. {162}

Should a punter, on receiving his second card, find that both are alike, _e.g._ two aces, two kings, or two queens, he may, if he pleases, go on both. In such case, he places the second card parallel to the first, at a few inches' distance, and on it a separate stake, of the same amount as staked on the first card. When it becomes his turn to draw, he says, "I go on both," and the dealer then gives him another card, face downwards, on each. The player then draws as he pleases to complete each hand, but must finish the drawing on one, before beginning on the other. Should the third card dealt be the same as the first two, _i.e._ a third ace, king, or queen, he can go on all three in like manner. Likewise on a fourth, should the first four be alike. Each hand pays or receives on its own merits, as though belonging to an independent punter.

Where the two first cards are aces, it is a matter of course to go on both. With a pair of tenth cards, it is more prudent to stand. Two nines, or two eights (from the probability of a tenth card being dealt to one or both of them) are favourable cards whereon to go double.

The occurrence of a natural in any hand but the dealer's usually terminates the deal. By way of a sort of grace, however, it does not have this effect in the first round of a deal. Sometimes, by agreement, the deal is made to consist of a given number of rounds; say, till all the pack is exhausted, or till two packs are exhausted, the two being shuffled together. Where the first mentioned rule prevails, the pone collects the cards thrown up at the end of each hand, and shuffles them in readiness for the {163} use of the dealer, but does not hand them to him till the first supply is exhausted. Should the dealer have gone right through the pack without the occurrence of a natural, he throws the last card, face upwards, on the table, and, receiving the remade cards from the pone, gives them a final shuffle, offers them to be cut, and proceeds as before.

In some circles the deal does not pass in rotation, but the holder of a natural (other than in the first round of a deal) becomes thereby entitled to the next deal. The practice, however, is a bad one, for the deal being an advantage, it is but fair that each should enjoy such advantage in turn.

There is no authoritative Code of Laws for Vingt-Un. A Code which covers, we believe, all points as to which any difficulty is likely to arise will be found in _The Book of Card and Table Games_. A slightly different Code, which has received the approval of the Editors of the _Field_ and _Bell's Life_, will be found in _Round Games at Cards_, by "Cavendish" (De la Rue and Co.).

FRENCH VINGT-UN.

The game which goes by the above name is a variation of ordinary Vingt-Un. The differences are as follow.

The deal lasts during eight rounds, each played in a different way, as under:

1.--As ordinary Vingt-Un.

2.--(Known as _Imaginary Tens_.) Each player stakes before receiving his card. Whatever the value of such card, _ten points are added to it_, and {164} the holder then decides, according to the total thereby made, whether to draw or otherwise. The holder of an ace is considered to have a "natural," the holder of a tenth card to have "twenty," and so on.

3.--(Known as _Blind Vingt-Un_.) Each player, having made his stake, receives two cards, but is not entitled to look at them. He may, if he pleases, draw one or more cards, but does so at haphazard.

4.--(Known as _Sympathy and Antipathy_) Each player, having made his stake, is called upon to elect for Sympathy or Antipathy. Having made his election, two cards are dealt to him. If they are of the same colour, Sympathy is the winner; if of different colours, Antipathy; and the player receives or pays as he has chosen correctly or otherwise.

5.--_Rouge et Noir._ The player, having made his stake, declares for black or red, at his option. The dealer gives him a card. If it is of the colour named, the player wins; if otherwise, he loses. (In some circles the dealer gives _three_ cards to the punter, two out of three deciding the winning colour).

6.--_Self and Company._ The stakes having been made, the dealer deals two cards, face upwards, one for himself, and one for the company. If they are alike, he wins. If not, he continues to deal, turning up the cards one by one, face upwards, before him, until a card appears which pairs one or the other of the two first exposed. If the card for "self" is first paired, the dealer wins; if that for "company," he loses.

7.--_Differences._ Two cards are dealt, face upwards, to each player, and two to the dealer, who pays all hands which are higher, and receives from {165} all which are lower than his own, at an agreed rate for each unit of difference. Ties cancel. An ace in this case counts as "one" only.

8.--_The Clock._ The full pack having been duly shuffled and cut, the dealer begins to deal the cards, face upwards, saying, as he deals the first, "One," as he deals the second, "Two," and so on up to king. If at any point the card turned up accords with the number named, _e.g._ if the fourth card is a four, or the tenth card a ten, he wins an agreed stake from each of the company. If he reaches thirteen without any card having responded to the call, he pays a like amount to each player.

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{166}

WHIST.

It is pretty safe to assume that every reader of these pages has some general knowledge of the game of Whist, though comparatively few may be conversant with the _minutiæ_ of Whist practice. Whist is governed by an elaborate and carefully considered code of laws, which is universally accepted by all English players. In this instance, therefore, contrary to our usual course of procedure, we shall begin by stating these laws, which should be carefully studied, as forming the best possible introduction to further instruction in the game.

THE LAWS OF WHIST.

(Reprinted, by permission, from the Revised Code, 1900.)

CARDS.

1.--Two packs of cards are used, one being used by each side.

2.--A card or cards torn or marked must be either replaced by agreement, or new cards called for at the expense of the table.

3.--Any player, before the pack is cut for the deal, may call for fresh cards on paying for them. He must call for two new packs, of which the dealer takes his choice. {167}

CUTTING OR DRAWING.

4.--The ace is the lowest card in cutting or drawing.

5.--In all cases, every one must cut or draw from the same pack.

6.--Should a player expose or draw more than one card, he must cut or draw again.

FORMATION OF TABLE.

7.--(_a_) The candidates first in the room have the preference. When there are more than six candidates, and there is a doubt or question as to the preference of two or more of them, they determine their preference by drawing. Those drawing the lower cards have the preference. The table is complete with six players. On the retirement of any of those six players, the candidates who, in the first draw, drew the lowest cards have the prior right to enter the table.

(_b_) If there are more than four players they all draw, and the four who draw the lowest cards play first.

(_c_) When two or more candidates or players draw cards of equal value they draw again, if necessary, to determine their precedence.

PARTNERS.

8.--The four who play first again draw to decide on partners. The two lowest play against the two highest. The lowest is the dealer and has choice of cards and seats, and, having once made his selection, must abide by it. {168}

9.--Two players drawing cards of equal value, which are not the two highest, draw again. If the equal cards are not the two lowest, the higher in the new draw plays with the highest in the original draw; if the equal cards are the two lowest, the new draw decides who is to deal.[49]

10.--Three players drawing cards of equal value draw again; should the fourth (or remaining) card be the highest in the original draw, the two lowest of the new draw are partners, the lower of those two the dealer; should the fourth card be the lowest, the two highest are partners, the original lowest the dealer.[50]

CUTTING OUT.

11.--At the end of a rubber, should admission be claimed by any one, or by two candidates, he who has, or they who have, played a greater number of consecutive rubbers than the others is, or are, out; but when two or more have played the same number, they must, when necessary, cut or draw to decide upon the outgoers; the highest are out.

{169}

ENTRY AND RE-ENTRY.

12.--A candidate wishing to enter a table must declare such intention prior to any of the players having drawn a card, either for the purpose of commencing a fresh rubber or of cutting out.

12a.--Any candidate may declare into any table that is not complete. If he do so he shall have priority over any candidate who has not previously declared in.

13.--In the formation of fresh tables, those candidates who have not played at any other table have the prior right of entry; the others decide their right of admission by drawing.

14.--Any one quitting a table prior to the conclusion of a rubber may, with consent of the other three players, appoint a substitute in his absence during that rubber.

15.--A player cutting into one table, whilst belonging to another, loses his prior right of re-entry into that latter, and takes his chance of cutting in, as if he were a fresh candidate, and last in the room.

16.--If any one break up a table, the remaining players have the prior right to him of entry into any other, and should there not be sufficient vacancies at such other table to admit all those candidates, they settle their precedence by drawing.

SHUFFLING.

17.--After the selection of cards for the first deal has been made, it is the duty of an adversary to shuffle the pack selected, and of the player who is about to deal, or of his partner, to shuffle the other pack. {170}

18.--The pack must neither be shuffled below the table, nor so that the face of any card be seen.

19.--The pack must not be shuffled during the play of the hand.

20.--A pack, having been played with, must not be shuffled by dealing it into packets.

21.--Each player has a right to shuffle once only, except as provided by Law 24, prior to a deal, after a false cut,[51] or prior to a new deal.[52]

22.--The dealer's partner must collect the cards for the ensuing deal, and has the first right to shuffle that pack.

23.--Each player, after shuffling, must place the cards, properly collected and face downwards, to the left of the player about to deal them.

24.--The dealer has always the right to shuffle last. Should a card or cards be seen during his shuffling or whilst giving the pack to be cut, he may be compelled to re-shuffle.

THE DEAL.

25.--The deal commences with the player who cut the original lowest card, the next deal falls to the player on his left, and so on until the rubber is finished.

26.--When the pack has been finally shuffled, the player about to deal shall present it to the adversary on his right, who shall cut it, and, in dividing it, must not leave fewer than four cards in either packet; if in cutting, or in replacing one of the two packets on the other, a card be exposed,[53] or if there be any confusion of the cards, or a doubt as to the exact {171} place in which the pack was divided, there must be a fresh cut.

27.--When the player whose duty it is to cut has once separated the pack, he cannot alter his intention; he can neither re-shuffle nor re-cut the cards.

28.--When the pack is cut, should the dealer shuffle the cards, he loses his deal.

29.--There must be a new deal by the same dealer[54]--

I. If, during a deal, or during the play of a hand, the pack be proved incorrect or imperfect.

II. If any card, excepting the last, be faced in the pack.

III. If a player takes up another player's hand.

30.--If, whilst dealing, a card be exposed on or below the table by the dealer or his partner, should neither of the adversaries have touched the cards, the latter can claim a new deal; a card exposed by either adversary gives that claim to the dealer, provided that his partner has not touched a card; if a new deal does not take place, the exposed card cannot be called.

31.--If, during dealing, a player touch any of his cards, the adversaries may do the same, without losing their privilege of claiming a new deal, should chance give them such option.

32.--If, in dealing, one of the cards be exposed, and the dealer turn up the trump before there is reasonable time for his adversaries to decide as to a fresh deal, they do not thereby lose their privilege.

33.--If a player, whilst dealing, look at the trump card, his adversaries have a right to see it, and either may exact a new deal.

34.--Any one dealing out of turn, or with the {172} adversary's cards, may be stopped before the trump card is turned up, after which the game must proceed as if no mistake had been made.

35.--A player can neither shuffle, cut, nor deal for his partner, without the permission of his opponents.

36.--If the adversaries interrupt a dealer whilst dealing, either by questioning the score or asserting that it is not his deal, and fail to establish such claim, should a misdeal occur, he may deal again.

A MISDEAL.

37.--It is a misdeal[55]--

I. Unless the cards are dealt into four packets, one at a time in regular rotation, beginning with the player to the dealer's left.

II. Should the dealer place the last (which is called the trump) card, face downwards, on his own or on any other packet.

III. Should the trump card not come in its regular order to the dealer; but he does not lose his deal if the pack be proved imperfect.

IV. Should a player have fourteen or more cards, and any of the other three less than thirteen;[56] unless the excess has arisen through the act of an adversary, in which case there must be a fresh deal.

V. Should the dealer touch, for the purpose of counting, the cards on the table or the remainder of the pack.

VI. Should the dealer deal two cards at once, or two cards to the same hand, and then deal a third; but if, prior to dealing that third card, the dealer can, by altering the position of one card only, rectify such error, he may do so, except as provided by the second paragraph of this Law. {173}

VII. Should the dealer omit to have the pack cut to him, and his adversaries discover the error, prior to the trump card being turned up, and before looking at their cards, but not after having done so.

38.--Should a player take his partner's deal, and misdeal, the latter is liable to the usual penalty, and the adversary next in rotation to the player who ought to have dealt then deals.

39.--A misdeal loses the deal;[57] unless, during the dealing, either of the adversaries touch the cards prior to the dealer's partner having done so; but should the latter have first interfered with the cards, notwithstanding either or both of the adversaries have subsequently done the same, the deal is lost.

40.--Should three players have their right number of cards--the fourth have less than thirteen, and not discover such deficiency until the first trick has been turned and quitted, the pack shall be assumed to be complete, and the deal stands good; and he will be answerable for any revoke he may have made, in the same way as if the missing card or cards had been in his hand.

41.--If a pack, during or after a rubber, be proved incorrect or imperfect, such proof does not alter any past score, game, or rubber; that hand in which the imperfection was detected is null and void (except in the case of such deficiency as is provided for by Law 40); the dealer deals again.

THE TRUMP CARD.

42.--The dealer, when it is his turn to play to the first trick, should take the trump card into his hand; if left on the table after the second trick be {174} turned and quitted, it is liable to be called.[58] His partner may at any time remind him of the liability.