W. H. Peel

“ It is impossible to make tricks, or even declare an intention to try for them, unless one receives a certain number of high cards. One may even go further, and say that luck goes far beyond the actual cards dealt to each player, for the best of hands often fail, and poor cards frequently achieve success; whilst it happens, in numerous cases, that the playing of the cards demonstrates that really weak hands would have secured success if the holder had had the pluck, or impudence, we may term it, to declare more than the value of the cards seemed to justify. ”

“ The man whose losses make him ill-tempered, must not play at all. He certainly cannot win, since loss of temper involves loss of judgment. A game like Poker, which it must be confessed is not calculated to rouse the finer feelings of humanity, is only tolerable when played under the severest self-imposed restraint. ”

“ It must be understood, however, that with several players engaged it may take a considerable time for the deal to pass round, unless it be further agreed that each player shall hold the deal for a limited period, another modification, and one possessing many advantages over the old system, which was, in reality, a mere question of chance, and often resulted in the privilege of dealing being very unevenly divided among those engaged in play. ”

“ It is sometimes agreed that when Intrigue or Matrimony is played by different hands, the amount staked on those chances shall be divided between the two-players concerned, and in each case the player of knave, queen, or king takes the stake on those chances in addition.
Play in the game is commenced by the elder hand, that is, the player on the left-hand side of the dealer, leading a card, to which the other players have to follow on in the same suit and in sequence, passing where they are unable to follow, until a stop occurs, when the competitor who plays the stop has the next lead. ”

“ Care should be taken to remember, as far as possible, the cards thrown away by the other players, when they cannot follow suit to any particular lead, and it will be found in practice that much information can be derived as to the character of the remaining cards from a careful study of the hands during the progress of the play, and this knowledge is particularly valuable when a player is left with two cards of equal, or nearly equal value, and his chance of success depends upon his winning a trick with one of them. ”

“ Taking all matters into consideration, it must be regarded as virtually impossible to give any precise rules for deciding the number of tricks to declare, and it is equally difficult to lay down any definite plan for playing the cards to the tricks. We can only generalize for the information of our readers, who must decide for themselves whether they will play an adventurous game, with its greater risks, and greater possibilities of success ”

“ It is this speculation of possibilities which forms the principal feature of the game, and it is the ability of a competitor to make an immediate decision on this point that governs his success or failure in its practice. Very much, however, depends on the temperament of the player. A bold, enterprising person will risk much in the hope of winning much, and one player will declare for Nap on the same cards which another would consider only safe for three tricks, and, in like manner, one will declare for three tricks where his neighbour would hesitate to risk two. ”

“ If he holds ace, or with ace turned up holds king, and fails to lead it, he is looed; similarly, with two or more trumps if he fails to lead the highest he is looed. Any player neglecting to follow the suit led, when he is able to do so; or omitting to trump a suit, when by so doing he can head the trick, is likewise looed; as also is any one playing out of turn, or exposing or mentioning the value of his own, or opponent’s unplayed cards, or of either of those in the miss, or among the undealt portion of the pack.
If the winner of the first trick remains with a trump, and fails to lead it ”

“ There is no miss, but each player has the liberty of changing, for others from the pack, all or any of the five cards dealt him, or of throwing up the hand altogether. If he decides to change any of his cards, the player, whose turn it is to declare, places the cards he wishes exchanged, face downwards, on the table, and the dealer gives him a like number from the top of the pack. No second exchange is allowable, nor can a card once put out be taken back into the hand; neither may a player who makes an exchange afterwards throw up his cards ”

“ All depends on what is termed luck, and nearly every Poker player recognises luck, whatever that may be, as an important factor in the game—­one they often allow to override calculable chances. Some players seem to have almost persistent good luck, and win with comparatively poor hands. Others are just as unlucky, losing with high cards. ”

“ If the bold player wins, and we think the chances are in his favour, the quieter ones, no matter how safe their own declarations may be, must necessarily lose, and vice versâ so that we have, not only the numberless possible combinations of the cards to consider, but also the temperament and position of those engaged in each game. ”

“ The maximum is understood to mean the highest amount that may be staked by a player on his card, and not the maximum that may be lost or won over any hand, for, by the rules of the game, the dealer is allowed to double the stakes, even if a player has staked the maximum. ”

“ The Joker is an additional card, sometimes included in the pack, and to which any value may be given by the player holding it. If for instance, a player hold king, queen, knave, and ten of hearts, and the joker, he may call the joker ace of hearts, and so claim a sequence flush. The joker is a higher card, moreover, than the actual card whose name it takes, i.e. a joker which is called the king of spades is better than the real king of spades.
TECHNICAL TERMS.
For convenience of reference we annex explanations of the few technical terms used in Poker. ”

“ Should the trump card prove to be the nine of diamonds—­Pope Joan,—­the dealer takes the amount staked for that card, and, in addition, receives from each player a stake for every card dealt. If there are but few players engaged in the game, it is best to agree that the payment for Pope Joan shall be limited to either four or six counters or coins, and it may be best to do so, no matter what number of players are engaged. ”

“ As soon as a number is declared, each player having that number on one or more of his cards, is to take up counters, sufficient to lay one upon that number every time it occurs, and so on until the ten knobs are drawn. When only part of the pack is taken, and a number drawn happens not to be upon any player’s card, then the players may put away that knob till some person takes a card on which it is printed. ”

“ The ordinary packs of fifty-two or thirty-two cards may be used, and the number of players who may take part in the game is practically unlimited within the range of the pack; but it will be found that not more than ten players are desirable with the fifty-two card pack, and not more than six with the thirty-two card one, as otherwise too great a proportion of the pack is brought into use each deal, and there is not much scope for speculation as to what remains in the undealt portion of the pack. ”

“ Each player, in turn, looks at his card, and stakes on it whatever amount he chooses—­which he usually does by placing coins or counters in front of him. In deciding on the amount of his stake, a player is guided by the chance he considers the card gives him of ultimately making twenty-one, or a near approach thereto. When it comes round to the dealer’s turn, he also looks at his card, but does not stake anything upon it ”

“ If a card is exposed by the dealer in the first round, other than those dealt for the exposed hand, then the deal is forfeited, but the exposure of a card at a subsequent period does not disqualify the dealer, the player being compelled to take the exposed card, although it is best to impose some penalty for the fault. ”

“ In the event of a misdeal, or accidental exposure of a card, the whole pack must be collected, shuffled and re-cut, as before, after which the cards are to be re-dealt by the same player who made the mistake. The players must not interfere with the cards during the deal, under a similar penalty, nor touch the remainder of the pack when once it has left the dealer’s hands. ”

“ If there be two or more flush hands shown, a flush hand being the best hand, a flush in hearts shall be held to be the best hand; and if there be no flush hand in hearts, the flush hand which contains the card highest in value, and which is not tied by a card of equal value in another flush hand, shall be the best hand. ”

“ An extra hand is dealt, which each player in turn has the option of adding to his own hand, selecting from the ten cards thus held five with which to play, but he must then stand for Nap, and, if there is a pool or kitty, he must put therein the value of two tricks if he fails to score, in addition to paying each of the players the ordinary stake on losing five tricks. ”

“ If the player has traded, either for ready money or barter, and has secured a hand strong enough, he at once stands, and exposes his cards; if not, the dealer passes or to the next player, and acts in a similar manner, going round and round the table until one of the players decides to stand, when the hands are exposed and the round settled. ”