Player

“ Player.—This is not strictly a technical term, but the tyro should note that the persons seated at the table are not necessarily all players. One or more may retire from the game, and on doing so forfeit all their interest, and cease to be players in that game. ”

“ If either player abandon the game by quitting the table in anger, or in an otherwise offensive manner; or by momentarily resigning the game; or refuses to abide by the decision of the Umpire, the game must be scored against him. ”

“ For I must tell you, in this Game, is required much Cunning, and subtle Contrivance, as in any Recreation whatever, and therefore when you are to Play with an Expert Player, you must muster up all the forces of your Ingenuity and Wit, for the vanquishing of your Opponent. ”

“ How true it is that in one play, or in a practice game, or in a contest against an opposing college, a player has found himself. Do you players of football remember the day you made the team, the day your chance came and you took [Pg 36] advantage of it? At such a time a player shows great possibilities. He is told by the captain to report at the training house for the Varsity signals. ”

“ If constant play in tournaments and for medals against strong and numerous competitors, on every sort of links, is good for a player, and tends to improve his game—which I think it must—the modern player is in this respect at a great advantage. ”

“ The partner of the player who served in the first game shall serve in the third, and the partner of the player who served in the second game shall serve in the fourth, and the same order is to be observed in all the succeeding games of the set. ”

“ Behind the two players are onlookers, equally intent. One player is resting his chin upon his hand, the other holds a piece apparently making a move. The artist has arbitrarily placed the men and board close to the eye of the player making the move. ”

“ It neither requires speed, nor agility, nor wit. The game is played by one boy resting his head against a wall and making a back, upon which the other jumps, who, when seated, holds up as many of his fingers as he pleases, and cries, "Buck, Buck, how many horns do I hold up?" The player who is leaped upon, now makes a guess; if he guesses correctly, it is his turn to leap, if not, the leaper leaps again. ”

“ Each and every game that has been played has been an improvement on the style of game that preceded it and each and every style of game has had its own special votaries, some players excelling at one style of billiards and some at another, the players who excelled at all being few and far between. ”

“ The men belonging to each player are not set together as at draughts, but mingled with each other. The one who has the first move may always have the game, which is won by getting the three men on a line.—Mactaggart’s Gallovidian Encyclopædia. ”

“ mine was the game where the player cannot lose and may win. ”

“ Every important play is seen by the assembled thousands, and the player who makes it is at once announced to all, and is likely to be honored by his multitudinous college mates in a special cheer, ending in his name. ”

“ And men and women merely players.”
The profession of the player is one of the oldest recognized and in its growth and achievement stands foremost of all the arts.
In its crudest form little is known, but as a profession it may properly date from the Chinese and Grecian periods, when players were chosen from among the infant slaves and trained to the art by masters, not unlike the painter and the bard. ”

“ No player will be allowed to take part in the game who has played ball for the last twenty years, while age or early service will be no handicap to a player taking part in the mighty contest. In fact, the more ancient, the more honor and glory for the individual. ”

“ Another great piece of luck is for a ball-player to rub a colored kid’s head. I’ve walked along the street with ball-players and seen them stop a young negro and take off his hat and run their hands through his kinky hair. Then I’ve seen the same ball-player go out and get two or three hits that afternoon and play the game of his life. ”

“ Each player in turn holds the stick and repeats the verses, those that laugh or smile having, when it is over, to pay a forfeit.
The Ditto Game
This is another game in which laughter is forbidden. The players sit close together in a silent circle. Whatever the leader does the others have to do, but without smile or sound. Perhaps the leader will begin by pulling the next player's hair, and pass on to pat her cheek, or prod her sides, or pinch her nose. ”

“ FOLLOW OUR LEADER The leader walks before a line of players and performs ridiculous acts which all must imitate. If any player fails to do this, he or she is out of the game. The leader may make the players perform feats like jumping over high places, turning somersaults, climbing, etc., if the players are boys. If among the players there are girls, the feats, of necessity, must not be too hard. ”

“ The player who is out is given five trials in which to guess; if he does not succeed, he must go out again, but if he has listened attentively to one or two, and has guessed correctly, the player whose shouting gave away the proverb is then sent out and the game continues as before. ”

“ Each player, it will be observed, has eight superior Pieces or officers, and eight minor ones which are called Pawns; and, for the purpose of distinction, the Pieces and Pawns of one party are of a different color from those of the other. ”

“ None but the player feels the absolute necessity of obeying orders, of cooperation, of vigilance, of instant decision and prompt action. A novice at the game subordinates the care of the ball to the care of himself ”

“ Should the player fail to name an animal, or name the wrong one, or speak when he ought to be silent, he must drop out of the game, and the player who threw the handkerchief at him, may take and throw it at some one else. ”

“ The players seat themselves in a row and the leader of the game takes his place behind them, beginning at the top of the row. He makes some absurd gesture and then asks the person behind whom [Pg 61] he is standing "What am I doing?" If the player replies incorrectly, and he generally does, he is doomed to stand up and imitate in silence the gesture he could not guess, until he has leave to sit down. ”

“ To realize the necessity of a book that explains rules and the intricacies of the play of our glorious sport, one has but to travel to some town where the game is just developing from its infancy, where the players are scarcely able to appreciate its scientific points, and he will readily perceive that it is a long-felt want. ”

“ It is the Manner in which we perform, and not the Character, that makes the Player, and in this Sense what Man is not a Player? Here then is an Instance of one who has for many Years studied his Part, and now communicates his Discoveries freely. ”

“ The player who stands at the opposite end of the line, now elevates his hand, joined in that of the player next him, to form the needle's eye, and the other outside player approaches running, and the whole line follow him through, if possible, without breaking. ”

“ If he names the right player, the guesser retains his position until he fails to guess the voice of the one greeting him, one player after another being required to stand and give the greeting "Good morning!" ”

“ And every time we see c. f. on a snappy nine, playing right on his toes, turn and race after a liner that looks like a home run, and lunge into the air for it as it streaks over his shoulder, and stab it with one hand and the luck that seems to stick around waiting for a good try, and hold it, and perhaps save the game with a sensational catch—why, we’re that much better ball-players ourselves, for the rest of our lives. ”

“ Smart play it is, sometimes seventy, ay, a hundred Naps, on a game; and such players too!—fellows that sit for ten minutes with a card on their knee, studying your face, watching every line and lineament of your features, and reading you, by Jove,—reading you like a book. All the false air of ease and indifference, all the brag assurance you may get up to conceal a "bad hand," isn't worth sixpence. They laugh at your puerile efforts, and tell you "you are voled" before you've played a card. ”

“ I know that professed or habitual card-players declare that, however much may be played for, the losses and winnings of games are equalized by turn, and that after a year's play the player has, practically, neither won nor lost. ”

“ A young ball-player looks on his first spring training trip as a stage-struck young woman regards the theatre. ”

“ The game is played with spirit and enthusiasm, and is an exciting spectacle. The members of each phratry, from their opposite stations, watch the game with eagerness, and cheer their respective players at every successful turn of the game. ”

“ To decide which player is to begin, it is customary for them all to aim at the ring from the knuckling-down line, and whichever one places his taw nearest to the middle of the ring has the right to lead. ”

“ They proceed to try to read the names on the backs of twenty other players. The one first succeeding in getting the names of twenty birds wins the game. Each player endeavors to avoid having the slip on his own back read as he endeavors to read those on the backs of the others. ”

“ To appreciate the game one must thoroughly understand its thousand fine points. It absorbs the onlooker's interest as no other game can do. [Pg 217] Every player must be constantly on the alert and must act on his own judgment. The winning or losing of the match may at any moment lie with him. The game only lasts some two hours ”

“ If they invite you to go with them on a hike or picnic, refuse at your peril; and if you happen to be out on the ball ground when one side is short a player, do not be afraid of losing your dignity, but jump at the chance of taking a hand in the game. ”

“ Each of the players except one chooses a word, which should be the name of some object, and in answering any questions put to him in the game he must introduce this word which he has chosen into each answer. The odd player takes the place of questioner. ”

“ You are in the game to act. Hurry up and do as your coach and trainer advise you. If you know more about the game than they do, it is time for you to quit. Hurry up and always block your inside man if you are playing on the line of scrimmage. Hurry up and get versatile. Do not be a machine player in your individual position. ”

“ Some games have regular "innings," with alternate activity and rest for the players; or each player takes his turn at doing the hard work; or the players are constantly changing from one thing to another—for instance, throwing or striking the ball one minute ”

“ To borrow a simile from the football field, we believe that men must play fair, but that there must be no shirking, and that success can only come to the player who “hits the line hard.” ”

“ The point of the game is that the competing teams, each player of which is equipped with two great clubs for throwing, strive to be first in knocking a specified number of the block formations from each other's squares. ”

“ Yes, you educated fellows are always quick in making combinations. I like to play with a good player and learn his 'points.' I am always ready to lose to learn. What do you say for a little game with a light ante? ”

“ There are, however, some general rules which must be carried out strictly if the game is to be conducted in a spirit of true sport They are so obvious that it might appear superfluous in a work of this character to give them any prominence. Yet they are in the case of even experienced players, who ought to set a better example, very often overlooked, or, in the excitement of the moment, forgotten. ”

“ It is well that the work of each evening be systematized. The great benefit to be derived from what is advised in this chapter is that the players themselves are required to do much of the thinking. In thinking over the game with the idea of criticising it, the men will be much impressed and better prepared for the future. ”

“ If he chooses to be the first player, you will discard the queen and the nine of hearts, the knave and the seven of spades, and the ace of diamonds.
By this you will have, for your rentrée, the same quint major in clubs, a tierce from the nine in diamonds, three kings, and three tens, which will make twenty-nine points. In playing, you will only make sixty the game. ”

“ The sole instruments of play were the gamesters' fingers, of which the two persons playing suddenly and simultaneously uplifted as many, or as few as they pleased, each player alternately calling a number ”

“ The player who is blindfolded is placed in the middle and all the other players touch him. He counts out loud as rapidly as possible up to ten, during which time the players rush as far away from him as possible. ”

“ The players stand in two rows or groups facing each other. Each group has a leader, who stands in the center and represents a king leading his army.
The game or play is a simple one of imitation, in which the players perform in unison some action first indicated by one of the leaders. ”