Part 3

16.--If, after playing a card, a player who has declared carte blanche draw a card other than king, queen or knave, he is entitled to declare another carte blanche on showing the card drawn to his adversary; and so on after every card drawn, until he draws a king, queen or knave.

PLAYING.

17.--If a player play with more than nine cards he is rubiconed; but the amount to be added to his adversary's score is not to exceed nine hundred, exclusive of the thirteen hundred for a rubicon game.

18.--If both players play with more than nine cards, the game is null and void.

19.--If a player play with less than nine cards, the error cannot be rectified. He is liable to no penalty; his adversary wins the last trick.

20.--If both players play with less than nine cards, the deal stands good, and the winner of the last trick scores it.

21.--If one player play with more than nine cards, and the other with less than nine, the deal stands good. The player with more than nine cards is rubiconed (as provided in Law 17), and neither player scores the last trick.

22.--If a faced card be found in the stock after the play of the hand has begun, it must be turned {25} face downward, without altering its place in the stock.

23.--A card led in turn may not be taken up after it has been played to. A card played to a trick may not be taken up after the trick has been turned, or after another card has been drawn from the stock; but if two or more cards be played together, all but one may be taken up; and cards accidentally dropped may be taken up.

24.--A card led out of turn must be taken up, unless it has been played to. After it has been played to, it is too late to rectify the error.

25.--A player who wins a trick containing a brisque should at once take up all the played cards on the table, and turn them face downward near himself. If he fail to do so, his adversary is entitled, as soon as he has won a trick, to take up all the played cards on the table. Tricks turned may not be looked at (except as provided in Law 27).

26.--The stock may be counted, face downwards, at any time during the play. A player counting the stock should be careful not to disturb the order of the cards.

27.--A player may not count the brisques in his tricks so long as more than twelve cards remain in the stock.

DRAWING.

28.--If the winner of a trick see two cards when drawing from the stock, he must show the top card to his adversary.

29.--If the loser of a trick draw the top card of the stock and see it, he must restore the card drawn in error, and must show the next card to his adversary; but, if the loser of a trick draw the top card, {26} and the winner draw the next card and see it, it is too late to rectify the error, and the players retain the cards erroneously drawn.

30.--If the loser of a trick, after the winner has drawn, see two cards when drawing from the stock, his adversary has choice of the two cards of the following draw, and is entitled to look at both before choosing. If he choose the second card, he need not show it.

31.--If a player see several cards when drawing from the stock, his adversary has choice of the two cards of the following draw, and then of the cards of the next draw; and so on, as long as any card which has been seen remains undrawn; and he is entitled to look at the cards before choosing.

32.--If there be an odd number of cards in the stock, the last card is not drawn.

DECLARING.

33.--Declared cards must be placed face upward on the table separate from the tricks, and (except in the case of carte blanche) must remain there until played, or until the stock is exhausted.

34.--If a declared card be played, and a card which restores any scoring combination or combinations be substituted, these combinations may be declared again.

35.--If a player declare more than one marriage in the same suit, he may declare a fresh marriage whenever he plays one of the declared cards, so long as a king and queen remain on the table.

36.--A player who has declared marriage may afterwards add the ace, ten, and knave of the same suit as the marriage, and declare sequence; or he {27} may declare sequence without first declaring the marriage.

37.--A king or queen, once declared in sequence, cannot be afterwards used to form part of a marriage; but a player, having declared sequence, may declare marriage with a fresh king and queen of the same suit.

38.--Bézique combinations may be declared separately, and may be afterwards united to form a superior combination; or single, double, or triple bézique may be added to any already declared combination, to form a superior one; or, double, triple, or quadruple bézique may be at once declared, without having been previously declared separately. Bézique cards once declared in a superior bézique combination cannot be afterwards used to form part of an inferior one; but they may be used to form part of equal or superior combinations with a substituted card, or with added cards, or with both.

39.--A player who has cards on the table with which he might form a scoring combination, is not bound to declare it.

SCORING.

40.--A player declaring--

Carte Blanche scores 50 Marriage in trumps " 40 Marriage in plain suits " 20 Sequence in trumps " 250 Sequence in plain suits " 150 Bézique " 40 Double Bézique " 500 Triple Bézique " 1500 Quadruple Bézique " 4500 Four Aces " 100 {28} Four Kings " 80 Four Queens " 60 Four Knaves " 40

41.--The first marriage scored makes the trump suit. If no marriage his been scored, the first sequence scored makes the trump suit.

42.--A player can only score a declaration on winning a trick and before drawing, except in the case of carte blanche, which is scored before playing, and independently of winning a trick.

43.--Only one declaration can be scored at a time; but if a player declare a carte blanche which contains four aces, he may also score four aces if he win the trick, notwithstanding that he has already scored carte blanche.

44.--If the winner of a trick have two or more declarations to score, he may choose which he will first score. On winning another trick, he may similarly choose which of the remaining declarations he will score, or he may make and score a fresh declaration, and leave any unscored declarations still to score on winning another trick.

45.--A player who has a declaration to score should repeat after every trick what he has to score. He may score it at any time on winning a trick, and before drawing.

46.--If a player who has a declaration to score play a card of the combination before scoring it, he loses the score.

47.--If a player have a marriage to score, and, on winning a trick, add to the marriage the ace, ten, and knave of the suit, and score sequence, he loses the score for the marriage.

48.--If a player have an inferior bézique {29} combination to score, and, on winning a trick, add to the bézique combination cards which form a superior bézique combination, and score the superior combination, he loses the score for the inferior one.

49.--A player who has a declaration to score is not bound to score it.

50.--If a player erroneously score a declaration which does not constitute a scoring combination, and the error be not discovered before a card of the next trick has been played, the score marked stands good; and so on for all subsequent scores similarly marked before the discovery of the error.

51.--If an error in marking the score be proved, it may be corrected at any time during the game.

52.--No declaration can be scored after the stock is exhausted.

THE LAST NINE TRICKS.

53.--The winner of the last trick adds fifty to the score.

54.--The winner of the last trick is bound to score it (except as provided in Law 21).

55.--If, during the play of the last nine tricks, a player fail to follow suit when able, or fail to win the card led when able--on detection of the error, the card erroneously played, and all cards subsequently played, must be taken up and replayed. {30}

COMPUTING THE GAME.

56.--The brisques (aces and tens) score ten each to the player having them in his tricks; but the brisques are only taken into account as provided in Laws 60 and 61.

57.--The winner of the game deducts the score of the loser from his own (excluding fractions of a hundred), and the difference, with five hundred added for the game, is the number of points won. If the difference between the scores be less than a hundred, the winner adds a hundred to the score of five hundred for the game.

58.--If the loser fail to score a thousand, he is rubiconed. The winner, whether his score reach a thousand or not, adds the score of the loser to his own (excluding fractions of a hundred) and the sum, with thirteen hundred added for the game, is the number of points won.

59.--If a player who is rubiconed has scored less than a hundred, the winner adds a hundred to his score, in addition to the score of thirteen hundred for the game.

60.--If the loser of a game fail to score a thousand, but have in his tricks a sufficient number of brisques to bring his total score to a thousand, he is not rubiconed. Each player adds his brisques to his score, and the game is computed as provided in Law 57.

61.--If the scores be so nearly equal that the brisques must be taken into account in order to decide who wins the game, and the loser be not rubiconed, each player adds his brisques to the score, and the game is then computed as provided in {31} Law 57; but if the loser be rubiconed, the brisques, though taken into account in order to decide who wins the game, are not added to the scores, and the game is computed as provided in Law 58. In the case of a tie after adding the brisques, the game is null and void.

INCORRECT PACKS.

62.--If a pack be discovered to be incorrect, redundant, or imperfect, the deal in which the discovery is made is void. All preceding deals stand good.

63.--If a card or cards which complete the pack be found on the floor, the deal stands good.

CHANGING CARDS.

64.--Before the pack is cut to the dealer, a player may call for fresh cards at his own expense. He must call for four fresh packs.

65.--Torn or marked cards must be replaced, or fresh packs called for at the expense of the two players.

BYSTANDERS.

66.--If a bystander call attention to any error or oversight, and thereby affect the score, he may be called on to pay all stakes and bets of the player whose interest he has prejudicially affected.

* * * * *

{32}

BLIND HOOKEY.

The players, of whom there may be any number, cut for deal, the lowest having the preference. The pack is then shuffled by the player on the dealer's right hand, and afterwards, if he so please, by the dealer himself, after which it is cut by the right-hand player. The two halves are then re-united, and the pack is passed to the player on the left of the dealer, who cuts from the top a small quantity of cards (not less than four, nor more than his due proportion of the pack). The pack is then passed to the next player, who cuts a similar portion, and so on round the circle, the cards left belonging to the dealer. No one looks at his cards, but makes his stake on pure speculation; hence the name "blind" hookey. The dealer then turns up his cards, and shows the bottom one; the other players do the same. Each player holding a higher card than that of the dealer receives the amount of his stake; all below or equal pay the dealer. This is repeated until a hand occurs in which the dealer is a loser all round, when the deal is at an end, and the next player deals.

A second method is as under: The cards having {33} been shuffled and cut, the dealer cuts them into three portions. Two of these are for the company, the third for himself. The other players place their stakes on whichever two packets they please, the rejected packet being taken by the dealer.[13] The stakes having been made, the cards are turned up, and the players receive or pay as the bottom cards of their packets prove to be higher or lower than that of the dealer.

* * * * *

{34}

CRIBBAGE.

Cribbage is primarily a game for two players, though it may also be played by three, or even four persons; in the latter case, two playing against two, as at Whist. Of the two-handed game there are three varieties, known, from the number of cards dealt to each player, as "five-card," "six-card," and "seven-card" cribbage. The number of points to be made in the first case is 61; in the second, 121; and in the third, 181. If the loser has made less than half the specified number of points, he is "lurched," and pays double the agreed stake.

The score is marked by means of pegs of ivory or bone, on a special board, as depicted above. It will be observed that there is on either side of the board a double row of holes, thirty in each, divided, for convenience in counting, into sets of five. The board is placed cross-wise between the players, and {35} both start from the same end (which should be that to the left of the first dealer), each travelling up the outer and down the inner row (once round in the "five-card," twice in the "six-card," and thrice in the "seven-card" game), terminating with the "game-hole" at the end from which they started. In scoring, the hinder peg for the time being is advanced the requisite number of points beyond the foremost.

We will commence with the five-card game.

The pack of fifty-two cards is used, and the players cut for deal, the lowest dealing. For this and for "sequence" purposes, the cards rank in regular order from ace (lowest) up to king (highest), but in counting court cards count as tens.

The pack having been shuffled, the non-dealer cuts, and his opponent deals, one at a time, five cards to each player. Meanwhile the non-dealer scores three holes, known as "three for last," and regarded as a set-off for the advantage of first deal. The undealt portion of the pack is placed face downwards between the players. Each player now "lays out" two of his cards (placed face downwards to the right hand of the dealer) to form what is called the "crib." The principles which govern the "lay out" will be discussed later.

The crib having been laid out, the non-dealer cuts, by lifting off the upper half of the pack. The dealer turns up the card left uppermost and places it on the top of the pack. This card is known as the "start." Should it chance to be a knave, the dealer is entitled to "two for his heels," and scores two points.

The score depends partly upon the course of play, {36} and partly upon the player's holding certain combinations of cards. These latter are scored at the close of the hand.

The scores which may be made in course of play are as under:--

PAIRS.--A player playing a similar card to the card last played by his adversary (as a king to a king, or a seven to a seven) is entitled to score _two_ for a _pair_.[14]

PAIRS-ROYAL.--If the first player in the case last supposed can follow with a third card of the same description, he scores _six_ for a _pair-royal_.

DOUBLE PAIRS-ROYAL.--If the second player replies with a fourth card of the same description, he scores _twelve_ for a _double pair-royal_.

SEQUENCES, OR RUNS.--Three or more cards of any suit but forming a regular numerical succession (as two, three, four; knave, ten, nine), count one for each card to the last player. The sequence need not be played in regular order, so long as the cards exposed for the time being form an unbroken series. Thus, suppose that A plays a five, and B a four. If A now plays either a six or a three, he is entitled to score a run of three (three points). We will suppose that he plays a three. If B can play either a six or a two, he will be entitled to score _four_; and if A can then add another card at either end, he will score _five_. Suppose, again, that A has played a five and a three, and B a two and a six. If A now plays a four, he is entitled to score five for the complete sequence. The highest number that can be scored {37} for a sequence is _seven_, for ace, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Ace, king, queen, do not count as a sequence.

FIFTEEN or THIRTY-ONE.--A player whose card makes, with those already exposed, the number _fifteen_, scores two. If either player makes _thirty-one_, he scores two in like manner. If, when the cards on the table approach thirty-one, the player whose turn it is can go no further without passing that number, he says, "Go." His opponent then plays any other card or cards up to that limit. If they make thirty-one exactly, he scores two; if not, he scores one for "last card," _i.e._ the last card played. This (at five-card cribbage) terminates the hand.

The hand being over, the players, beginning with the non-dealer, proceed to "show," _i.e._ turn up their cards, and reckon how many points they may contain conjointly with the turn-up card, which is regarded as belonging, for this purpose, to the hand of each player, as also to the "crib" of the dealer. The first point noted is the _fifteens_ they may contain, _two_ points being reckoned for each, and the cards being combined in every possible way to make that number. Thus three fives and a ten or court card make (apart from their value under other aspects) four fifteens (technically spoken of as "fifteen eight"[15]), each of the fives forming one fifteen with the ten, and the three fives united forming another.

The next thing to be noted is the presence of any pairs, pair-royal, or double pair-royal. Thus, in the {38} case supposed, the player, after claiming "fifteen eight," would go on to say "and six for a pair-royal, fourteen."

If all the three cards in the hand are in sequence (independent of suit), three points are reckoned for this, or if the three form a sequence with the turn-up card, four.

If three of the cards are in sequence, and the fourth is a duplicate of one of them, such fourth card is regarded as making a fresh sequence with the other two, the "double run," as it is called, scoring six points. Besides this, the holder is entitled to two for his "pair" (the two duplicate cards), bringing the total value (irrespective of "fifteens") up to eight.

Where (as in crib at five-card, or hand or crib at six-card Cribbage) five cards have to be reckoned, it may happen that three are in sequence, and that the other two are duplicates of one of them. In this case they constitute a treble run of three (nine points) and a pair-royal (six points), total fifteen.

If the three cards of the hand are all of one suit, the player scores three points for a _flush_. If the turn-up is of the same suit, four points.

If the hand chance to contain a _knave of the same suit as the turn-up card_, the holder is entitled to score one point, "for his nob."

The non-dealer having scored his points, as above indicated, the dealer proceeds to score any points, first in his hand, and then in the crib, in like manner. There is only one distinction, viz., that, in counting crib, a flush is not reckoned unless the "start" is of the same suit as the rest. In this case the flush is worth five points (one for each card). {39}

The following table indicates the method of counting some of the more important combinations (including the start) of the hand at five-card Cribbage:--

Points.

Four fives (_Fifteen eight and a double pair-royal_) 20

Three fives and a ten (_Fifteen eight and a pair-royal_) 14

Two fives, a four, and a six } _Fifteen-four, pair, Two fours, a five, and a six } and double run of Two sixes, a four, and a five} three_ 12

Three threes and a nine } Three sixes and a nine } Three sixes and a three } Three sevens and an eight} _Fifteen six and a pair-royal_ 12 Three eights and a seven } Three nines and a six } Three sevens and an ace }

Two eights, a six (or nine), and a seven } _Fifteen four, Two sevens, a six, and an eight } pair, and double Six, five, and two fours } run of three_ 13

Two fives and two tens or court cards of like denomination (_Fifteen eight and two pairs_) 12

Two nines and two sixes (_Fifteen eight, and two pairs_) 12

Two fives, a ten, and a court card (_Fifteen eight and a pair_) 10

Two sixes, a seven, and an eight (_Fifteen two, pair, and double run of three_) 10

A five and any three court cards in sequence, or ten, knave, queen (_Fifteen six and run of three_) 9

A five and three court cards, or a ten and court cards, in sequence (_Fifteen six and run of three_) 9

Any sequence of three cards, with a duplicate of one of them, but no "fifteen" (_Pair and double run of three_) 8

Where the four cards of the hand (or all four of the crib, and the start) are of the same suit, the value of the flush (four or five, as the case may be) must be added. Where either includes a knave of {40} the same suit as the start, one "for his nob" will be scored in addition.

A study of the foregoing table should be a material aid to the player in discarding for "crib." If he is dealer, he desires the crib to be as productive as possible; if non-dealer, the reverse. On the other side, he desires to retain such cards as shall be likely to score best in his hand, and these two objects frequently clash. It is therefore, important to know which to prefer.

We will first examine the question from the dealer's point of view. Both hand and crib belong to him, but the hand consists (including the start), of _four_ cards only, while the crib has _five_. The possible combinations of five cards are so numerous that space will only permit us to give examples of a few leading hands. The highest possible score is twenty-nine, which is made by three fives and a knave, with a fourth five, of the same suit as the knave, turned up by way of start.[16]

The mode of reckoning is as follows: the four fives, in four combinations of three, score fifteen eight. Each of them again scores a fifteen in conjunction with the knave, making eight more. To these are added twelve for the double pair-royal, and "one for his nob," making twenty-nine.

Two fives, two fours, and a six } _Fifteen eight, two Two fives, two sixes, and a four } pairs, and a run Two fours, two sixes, and a five } of three four times Two sevens, two eights, and a } repeated_ 24 nine } {41}

Four threes and a nine (_Fifteen twelve and a double pair-royal_) 24

Three fives, a four, and a six (_Fifteen eight, a pair-royal, and run of three thrice repeated_) 23

Three fours, a five, and a six } Three sixes, a four, and a five } _Fifteen six, a Three sevens, an eight, and a } pair-royal, and nine } run of three Three eights, a seven, and a } thrice repeated_ 21 nine }

Four twos and a nine } _Fifteen eight and a double Four threes and a six } pair-royal_ 20

Two sixes, two sevens, and an } eight } _Fifteen four, two Two sevens, an eight, and two } pairs, and run nines } of three four Two eights, a seven, and two } times repeated_ 20 nines }