Card game

“ Skill in the game consists in remembering the line following the one read and rapidly finding the card on which it is written. Especially must each one watch his own and pick it up before it is seized by another. If an opponent is nimble he snatches the card from the careless player, giving several from his own hand, and the one who is first able to match and discard all of his cards wins the game. The players usually range themselves on opposite lines and play against each other. ”

“ Each plays, and, after one card all round is played, its place is supplied by a new deal of one card to each. Every card of the trump-suit takes any card of the other suits. Each player takes as many counting-cards as he can, and, at the end of the game, he who counts the most wins,—the account being made according to the value of the cards, as stated above. ”

“ The cards are then played, each card, excepting a nine or an inferior one, counting one.
The elder hand having played the first card, the dealer before answering the card must count his own game, point, sequence, quatorze, or carte-blanche, if he has it, and, after reckoning them altogether, he takes the first trick if he can with the same suit; if he cannot do so his opponent has the trick.
When the tricks are equal they do not count. The winner of the last trick counts two. ”

“ The first important business requiring attention is the dressing of the board; and the fifteen counters necessary for this performance are either supplied by the dealer alone or are contributed by the company, according to arrangement. Six are given to pope, two to matrimony, two to intrigue, and [140] one each to ace, king, queen, knave, and game. The eight of diamonds being taken from the pack of cards, the rest are dealt out equally to all the players, face downwards, the last card deciding for trumps. ”

“ The deal is decided and the cards are distributed in the same way as in the more modern game, but here an additional hand, of three cards, is dealt, and placed face upwards in the middle of the table. There is no trading with the dealer or any of the players, the operations of commerce being confined to the three cards exposed on the table. The player to the left of the dealer has the first turn, and he must either stand, pass, or exchange a card. ”

“ The cards are shuffled and dealt round, four each, and the game is for each player to complete a set of four. You do not, as in [Pg 80] "Old Maid," select one from the cards that are offered, face downward, but each player hands whatever card he likes to the next player, who is bound to accept it. Directly a player has a set of four complete he lays the cards on the table, either very stealthily or with a bang, whichever he likes. ”

“ Always choose, in preference, cards from the herring-bone or bars, as on the removal of the herring-bone the success of the game mainly depends, and if a bar is removed, the available card on the herring-bone replaces it, thus releasing the next. (Rules II and III.)
Having played and refilled all spaces, proceed to deal out the entire pack, playing all suitable cards, and refilling spaces; the unsuitable cards forming the talon. In forming the foundations, one card at a time may be exchanged from the ascending to the descending sequence, and vice versâ. ”

“ No matter how often the game is played (provided the cards are re-shuffled) the unexpected always happens, and it is usually so absurd as to be quite too much for a room all ready for laughter. The number of blanks in the story should be equal to the number of cards, and in order that the story may run on smoothly it is well for the next player always to glance at his top card just before his turn, so as to bring it out readily and naturally. The following story, which makes provision for nearly fifty cards, should be found serviceable until a better and more personal one is written. ”

“ Attend to the game, and play as though your hand consisted of twenty-six instead of thirteen cards. In the second round of a suit, win the trick when you can, and lead out for your partner's high cards as soon as possible. Touch only the card you intend to play. Retain a high trump as long as you can, to bring back your strong suit. With a weak hand, always try to secure the seventh or odd trick to save the game. Attend to the score, and play as if the whole fortune of the game depended on yourself. ”

“ Take as many small pieces of card-board as there are players, and number them 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and so on. Then place them all on the table and shuffle them together. Let each player draw a card. The one who draws the highest number is the manager of the game.
The manager lays the plaque before him on the table, and directs all the players to stand with their faces to the wall. He then takes the pieces of card bearing the numbers, and places one upon each picture—one on the Black Knight in the centre, one on the White Cat, one on the Skylark, and so on. Each player must now choose a number. ”

“ If you watch every card and keep your mind concentrated on the game and you have luck, it comes out. If you start wool-gathering in the earlier stages you'll just miss putting up the right card, and you'll be stuck with the deuce of hearts that should have gone up, lying snug and useless at the bottom of the pack. ”

“ Still, in cases where unclaimed stakes are left on from one round to another it is quite a common thing to terminate the game by dealing round the cards, face upwards, and giving to the holders of the various cards or combinations the pools corresponding to them, thus making a clear board. ”

“ The cards are dealt, face downwards, equally to as many as wish to join in the game. The first player begins by putting down the first card. If it be a one, two, three, or anything but a court card, he continues putting down one after another, until at last he turns up a court card. If this turn-up be a king, his neighbour must pay to him three cards, if a queen two cards, and if a knave one card. When the payment is made, the first player takes up the whole of the cards that have been laid down, and puts them underneath those in his hand. ”

“ Whilst, if you confine your attention to the use of the information given by the marks, trusting to your wits rather than to the deftness of your fingers, you will not only win but 'last.'
Working with shaded cards, in which the shading occupies the greater portion of the card, many of your opponents' cards can be read as they hold them in their hands; especially where they are held spread out, as is so often the case in England.
Whatever may be the game, marked cards will often enable you to win where you otherwise would lose, so [58] long as due care and judgment are exercised. ”

“ The dealer is to give three cards at once to every player turning up, all round, the last card belonging to each player, and the best card reckoning from ace downwards amongst those so turned up, wins the first stake; if two or more superior cards of a sort be turned up, the eldest hand, of course, has the preference, except in case of the ace of diamonds, which at this part of the game takes place of every other. ”

“ Five cards of a suit, or four with pam, make a flush which sweeps the board, and yields only to a superior flush, or the elder hand. When the ace of trumps is led, it is usual to say, "Pam be civil;" the holder of which last-mentioned card must then let the ace pass. Any player with five cards of a suit (a flush) looes all the players who stand in the game. The rules in this game are the same as in Three Card Loo.
101. Put
The game of Put is played with an entire pack of cards, generally by two, but sometimes by four persons. ”

“ The dealer distributes three cards to each player, by one at a time; whoever cuts the lowest card has the deal, and five points make the game, except when both parties say, "
I put
"—for then the score is at an end, and the contest is determined in favour of the player who may win two tricks out of three. When it happens that each player has won a trick, and the third is a tie—that is, covered by a card of equal value—the whole goes for nothing, and the game must begin anew.
102. Two-Handed Put
The eldest hand plays a card ”

“ Probably it was at no very recent date in the history of card-playing that some genius first recognised the advantage which would accrue to a player who could devise some means of placing a distinctive mark on the back of each card, imperceptible to all but himself, to indicate its suit and value. Every card-player must at some time or other have exclaimed mentally, 'Oh, if I only knew what cards my opponents hold!' There one has, then, the origin of marked cards. The sharp, above all others, desires to know his opponent's cards. ”

“ The bet is, that, although you saw the cards, you cannot tell which is which as they lie back upwards. The rapidity with which the cards are moved renders certainty in naming the right card an impossibility. The gaming begins sometimes by the entrance of the man called the player, who has pocket-knives to sell, and offers them to the company. If nobody will purchase a knife, he offers to raffle one by the cards. If the kid and his flat decline to play, some other members of the company accept the challenge. ”

“ Spread the cards a little, and fling them into the air, clutching at them with the right hand as they descend, and at the same moment bring the chosen card to the tips of the fingers. The effect to the spectators will be as if you actually caught it among the falling cards.
This feat also may be performed without the aid of a long card, and without the necessity of forcing a card. In this case, as in the pocket-picking trick, you make the pass as soon as the card is returned to the pack, in order to bring it to the top, and palm it; then offer the pack to be shuffled. ”

“ The dealer's left-hand player begins by playing any card he likes, choosing one, if possible, that is one of a sequence, so that he may have the opportunity of ridding himself of, perhaps, several cards at once. Any other player having the next higher card in sequence plays it, then another, until either a king, a seven of diamonds, or some other stop card is played. ”

“ There are card players, or ‘card sharps,’ as they are called, who can shuffle cards so adroitly as to ‘put up a hand’ right before your eyes, and you not know it. Even a ‘bungler’ can shuffle so as to give himself a ‘pair,’ or at least to have knowledge of what cards are left on the top or bottom of the pack, which knowledge he can make useful in many ways. For instance, after the deal, he finds in looking at his hand that he has a pair that match the card he knows is on the bottom of the pack. ”

“ When you are playing with the pack, drop out the diamonds, from the ace to the ten, and contrive without being perceived, to get all the other cards with their heads in the same direction; then request a person to choose a card; do not force one, but let him choose whichever he pleases: while he has it in his hand and is looking at it, carelessly turn the pack in your hand, so that the position of the cards may be reversed; then bid him put the card he has chosen into the centre of the pack ”

“ The cards must be arranged in sets, as soon as they have been picked up off the table. If a player has only two cards of one set, he must hand an isolated card to the player on his right, who takes it, if it is of any service to him, and, in his turn, hands one of the cards in his hand to his neighbour on the right. ”

“ The pack of thirty-two selected cards, as in the foregoing method, is taken, shuffled and cut; then the four aces are taken out, the significator, or the person for whom the dealer is acting, and anything he wants to know about—such as money, then the ten of diamonds would be selected; if about a man, any king; if about a woman, any queen; if about business, the ten of clubs. These are shuffled after having been withdrawn, without cutting, and the nine of spades, which is the disappointment card, is also added to the aces, etc., in all seven cards, laying them face downwards on the table. ”

“ Holding ace, ten, and a small one, your partner leading the nine of the suit, pass it; for if he holds an honour you make two tricks, counting your ace for a certain trick.
With king, queen, or queen and knave, and another play one of the high cards in all cases when you are second hand. With an average remainder of trumps and good cards, having one certain loser, throw it away at your first opportunity; it may enable your partner to make his second best of the suit. When your partner does not trump a winning card you may be quite sure that he means you to play trumps. ”

“ The above delusive offer to show “how it’s done” can be equally well adapted to many other tricks, and never fails to create amusement.
A Card having been thought of, to make such Card Vanish from the Pack, and be Discovered wherever the Performer pleases.—This trick should be performed with twenty-seven cards only. You deal the cards, face upwards, in three packs, requesting one of the company to note a card, and to remember in which heap it is. ”

“ There are fifty cards in the pack, composed of five different suits; namely, Faces, Flags, Eagles, Stars, and Shields, “the honour cards being called the upper ten.”
The directions for dealing, cutting, etc. are given, and are exactly the same as those in common use among all card-players, be they bent on gambling or only on innocent amusement.
The publisher goes on to state that “many things will serve for counters, as kernels of corn, or coffee, or old cards cut up. For those who prefer something better the publisher of these cards has provided an ample supply at a small expense.” ”