Various

“ A player needs to be always on the alert; without casting any sly glances at the cards held in the hands of the others, he may, by his own observation and diligence, know exactly the strength or weakness of each player.
"My son," once said a keen, shrewd business man, "don't attempt to play cards unless you have four eyes;" and certainly the player who cannot with his mind's eye see what cards the other players have, as well as those in his own hand, will never be much more than an indifferent player.
No silly trifling conversation should be carried on during the game. ”

“ The person deputed to pronounce judgment on those of his friends who have had to pay the forfeits may either invent something on the spur of the moment, or make use of what he has seen in a book or may have stored in his memory. Originality in such cases is often the best, simply because the sentence is made to suit, or rather not to suit, the victim; and the object of course of all these forfeit penances is to make the performers of them look absurd. ”

“ She even wished that Whist were more simple than it is, and saw no reason for the deciding of the trump by the turn of the card. Why not one suit always trumps?
In square games (she meant Whist) , all that is possible to be allowed in card playing is accomplished.
No inducement could ever prevail upon her to play for nothing. She could not conceive a game wanting the spritely infusion of chance, the handsome excuses of good fortune. Man is a gaming animal, and his passion can scarcely be more safely expended than upon a game at cards, with only a few shillings for the stake. ”

“ Sometimes a dealer takes advantage of his right to insist upon all the players doubling their stakes, and especially does he assert his claim to take this step when his first card is an ace or a tenth card, or when he considers the stakes offered are not as high as they should be. Another privilege belonging to the dealer is what is termed the brulet, which consists of the top and bottom cards of the pack, after it has been cut and shuffled. Before beginning to deal, the dealer may take these two cards, and should they united constitute a natural, every player must pay him double stakes. ”

“ This simple game has been a puzzler to young people many and many a time. With a stick in the left hand the player thumps on the floor, at the same time saying, "He can do little who can't do this." Then, passing the stick into the right hand, he gives it to the next person, who, if unacquainted with the game, will, no doubt, thump with the right hand. Of course, it is most natural to use the right hand for everything, consequently few people suspect that the secret of the game lies in simply taking the stick with your right hand when it is passed to you, but knocking with your left. ”

“ The Cup and Ball has long been a favourite toy. It consists of a stem of ivory or some hard wood, one end of which is pointed, while to the other is fixed a small shallow cup. To the stem an ivory or hard wood ball is attached by means of a piece of string, and in one side of the ball a hole is drilled into which the pointed end of the stem fits. The game is, when the ball is loosely attached to the stem, to throw it up so as to catch it either within the cup at the one end of the stem, or on the point at the other end, the latter feat being by far the most difficult. ”

“ If the person discarding has been playing a strong game, or leading trumps, you may be sure that the discard was from a weak suit; while, on the other hand, any one discarding who has not shown strength most likely does it to conceal weakness. The best use that can be made of trumps is a matter that is by no means learnt all at once. The advantage generally acknowledged to be the greatest in the possession of a hand strong in trumps is to draw the adversaries' trumps for the bringing in of your own or your partner's long suit. ”

“ As far as we are concerned, the toddy sipping may be with safety dispensed with, but not the earnestness; for with cards, almost more than any other amusement, it is utterly useless to play in a half-hearted sort of manner.
Everything, for the time, must be forgotten but the game, and into that the whole energy must be thrown. As all good players know, triflers are to be dreaded far more than inexperienced players. ”

“ The game thus goes on until all the players are out but one, who is declared the winner.
If a player's card be demanded by his right-hand neighbour, whose card is higher than the one he gave in exchange, he stands, or, in other words, refuses to change with his left-hand neighbour, knowing that he is safe for that round, because at any rate one card lower than his own is out. If two players have cards of the same value, and these cards are lowest, the player who turned his up last has to lose a life. ”

“ The person who now is requested to show his hand is the player seated next to him who last saw the raise, though if such player should not have a good hand to show, he may, if he likes, go out without showing his cards.
Perhaps to a greater extent in Poker than in any other card game, the great aim of a good player is to conceal his system of playing; therefore, although a player going out relinquishes all hold upon his stakes, he would rather do that than show an inferior hand. ”

“ Proud of their numbers, and insolent with pride, one army rises from a night spent in counting chickens which have ne'er been hatched, and throwing dice for rich lands not yet secured. Anon they chide the cripple, tardy-gaited night, which limps so tediously away. They wait the morn, expectant and exulting. The poor wretches whom they have already, in imagination, condemned, like sacrifices, by their watch fires, sit patiently, and inly ruminate the morning's danger. ”

“ As in Pope Joan, an extra hand is placed by the dealer in the middle of the table to make the stops, and no one must refer to them but the dealer. After dealing and forming the pools, the game begins, all vieing with each other who can first get rid of their cards.
The player of spin can demand, before any other card is played, the payment of three counters from every player; the player of the king of diamonds two counters from each player; and the players of matrimony and intrigue receive each the pools that have been specially prepared for them. ”

“ With regard to tricks, the player should make every effort possible to secure the knave trick, which scores twenty, and the ace trick and the five trick, which score fifteen each. The person entitled to score the tricks is the one who plays the last or fifth card of the same value; by doing so he gains five. It is only possible to make a king or queen trick when an assembly of one of them has been declared; the others then being played in the same way as the cards lower in value, the trick scores fifty. ”

“ Supposing the first player to have chosen Guy Fawkes, he would be asked in what year he was born, in whose reign, to what country he belonged, what he did to make himself remarkable, what great men were his contemporaries, and anything else that might occur to the judge. No one, of course, with a superficial knowledge of history should accept the position of judge, nor yet that of juryman. ”

“ Seated round the room, one of the company holds in his hand a ball, round which should be fastened a string, so that it may be easily drawn back again. Sometimes a ball of worsted is used, when a yard or two is left unwound. The possessor of the ball then throws it first to one person then to another, naming at the time one of the elements; and each player as the ball touches him must, before ten can be counted, mention an inhabitant of that element. Should any one speak when fire is mentioned he must pay a forfeit. ”

“ Should the elder hand decline dumby, the next player has the choice, and so on; but whoever takes it must play it; no one may retract after having declared his intention.
When all have declared their intentions (dealer included) , the elder hand of the players left who have not thrown up their hands plays his highest trump, or, if he have no trumps, his highest card, each succeeding player heading the trick. The winner of the trick leads next by playing his highest trump, and in this way the game goes on until all the three tricks are taken. ”

“ Another method (besides that already described) of making a giant is to fasten a hat to the top of a broom or a long stick, and then a little below the hat to fix a small hoop to form the shoulders. A very long mantle of some description must then be firmly fastened on as gracefully as possible, under which a gentleman, the taller the better, must take his post, holding in his hand the stick. As may be imagined, the result is exceedingly ridiculous, owing to the giant being able to make himself tall or short, as it may suit his inclination. ”

“ Straight Poker, or Bluff, as it is often called, is played according to the same rules as Draw Poker, though there are one or two particulars in which it differs from that game.
Not only the dealer, but also every player, "antes" before the cards are cut for deal. The winner of the pool has the deal. Any player may pass, and come in again if he chooses to do so, provided that in the meantime no other player has raised. No one is allowed to discard or draw any cards. ”

“ Beginners frequently are quite discouraged by their repeated failures, which arise from no other cause than simply the forgetfulness of the player. No one, however, need be disheartened; a knowledge of the game will create in the player such a love for it that he will be anxious to cultivate any deficiency he may have as regards his memory in order that he may become a proficient Whist player, and thus his character as a whole will, no doubt, be benefited by the exercise, because in Whist one great maxim is that no allowances should be made for forgetfulness. ”

“ Now for a really stirring game, provided that in the party a few energetic lively young people are to be found. Many a hearty laugh has been heard from big people, as well as little ones, while the stage coach has rattled along through the rain and snow and sunshine round the drawing-room table. ”

“ The court cards, aces, and tens of an ordinary Whist pack are selected, and to each king a name is given. Spade the Gardener for one of their Majesties will do as well as any other; still, if any better name suggests itself to the mind of any one, there is no reason why such should not be adopted in preference. Supposing, however, this name to be the one chosen, we should have the king of spades for Spade the Gardener, the queen for his wife, the knave for his son, the ace for his servant, and the ten of spades for his dog, thus forming a complete family group. ”

“ It is a much more common occurrence for five or six deals to be made before the winning of a game.
Although in playing Whist the beginner need know nothing more than the ordinary rules of the game to enable him to take a part, nothing but practice will make him a skilful player. It is only by experience he will learn how necessary it is for him to rigidly adhere to the rules of the game. Whist, like Chess, must be played properly, or not at all. ”

“ The person playing a stop always leads next.
At any time during the game, should an ace, king, queen, knave of trumps, pope, matrimony, or intrigue be played, the owner of any of these cards is entitled to receive all the counters in the corresponding compartments of the board. The player who first announces himself to be without cards is the winner of the game, receiving, therefore, all the stakes in that compartment of the board, and also from the rest of the players a counter for each card they may still have in hand. ”

“ To confuse the spectators, the packs, after the first dealing, may be picked up out of the proper order, so long as the performer bears in mind in what order the pack containing the selected card is picked up. This trick can hardly claim to rank as a conjuring trick; it is nothing but a combination of cards, but it may fairly be shown in an amateur entertainment of parlour magic. As one merit of such combinations is their variety, we proceed with others of a similar nature, again enforcing the hint that no trick or combination should be shown twice in succession. ”

“ Building up.—Suppose the dealer's four cards in hand to be a seven, ten, and two aces; his adversary plays a six—the dealer puts an ace upon it, and says, "Seven," with a view of taking them with his seven; the non-dealer throws a two upon them, and says, "Nine," hoping to take them with a nine then in his hand; the dealer again puts upon the heap his other ace, and cries "Ten," when, if his adversary has ten, he plays some other card, and the dealer takes them all with his ten. It will be observed that a player in announcing the denomination of a build always employs the singular number. ”

“ If by inadvertence the wrong card is allowed to be taken, the mistake may be remedied by forcing the desired one upon some other person. The card to be forced should not be held, while all the other cards should be tightly secured in one or other of the performer's hands. The readiness with which the forced card may be removed will imperceptibly act as an inducement to its removal. If, on the other hand, the wrong card should be taken—and from the nature of the trick it is unadvisable to force the right card upon a second person—let the card taken be again placed in the pack ”

“ The very first card played by the non-dealer is the trump card.
Any one playing the ace of trumps marks four points to himself; for king he marks three; for queen, two; for knave, one; for the five of trumps, five; and for the ten of trumps, ten. When the knave, ten, or five are taken by superior cards, the points belonging to them are scored by the winner.
In counting for game, the five of trumps is reckoned as five; all the other aces, kings, queens, knaves, and tens are counted the same as in All Fours.
POKER. The game of Poker is better known in the United States than in England. ”

“ The utmost vigilance is required to play the game at all successfully; every one must be on the strict look-out in order to let no opportunity pass that would entitle him to call Snap, because, as will very soon be discovered, those who do not call Snap frequently will very soon be out, and will only be able to sit by as spectators of the merriment. The quickest of players will, however, in course of time be obliged to retire from the scene of action; one by one they will find themselves destitute of cards, until at last the contest remains to be fought out by two players only. ”

“ Presuming that your partner, who may lead a small card, plays from his strong suit, meaning to get the winning cards of it out of his way, you therefore play your highest, remembering that you play the lowest of a sequence. ”

“ If it were not understood that joking of all kinds is considered lawful in most game playing, we might be inclined to think that in this game of the Farmyard a little unfairness existed in one person being made so completely the laughing-stock of all the rest. ”

“ To such players as are fond of the game, but do not possess a board, the game of Spinado will serve admirably as a substitute.
From a full pack of fifty-two cards all the twos are first extracted, and also the eight of diamonds. As in Pope Joan, the object aimed at by the players is to be first out. The lucky person who thus distinguishes himself is presented with a pool, and also with a counter from every player for every unplayed card they still hold in their hand. ”

“ The player most of all to be envied is the drawer of the last card on the table; for this reason, that as every one else must play their card first, he has the opportunity of retaining command of an imperial marriage or of any other good trick until the end of the game.
Although the declaration of two or three marriages is highly advantageous, still there is no danger in playing one of the cards of a marriage in one round, [148] and declaring the marriage in the next round, rather than play them both at once. ”