129. Four-Handed Bezique.

i. Four-handed Bezique may be played by partners decided either by choice or cutting. Partners sit opposite each other, one collecting the tricks of both, and the other keeping the score, or each may keep his own score, which is preferable.

ii. A player may make a declaration immediately after his partner has taken a trick, and may inquire of his partner if he has anything to declare, before drawing.

iii. Declarations must be made by each player separately, as in two-handed bezique.

iv. The above descriptions will serve to sufficiently acquaint the reader with the rules and modes of play adopted in this excellent game. Bezique is said to be of Swedish origin, and to have been introduced to English players through the medium of some Indian officers who had learned it of a Scandinavian comrade. Variations in the play occur in different companies. These, however, having been indicated above, need not be more particularly noted.

130. Napoleon.

This popular game is played by four, five, or six persons with a full pack of cards, which take the same value as in Whist. The object of the game is to make tricks, which are paid to or received from the dealer at a fixed rate, a penny or more a trick, as previously arranged. The deal being decided in the usual way, the pack is cut and five cards are dealt one at a time to each player, beginning at the left. After every round the deal pa.s.ses. Each player looks at his cards, the one to the left of the dealer being the first to declare.

When he thinks he can make two or three tricks he says, "I go two," or "I go three." The next may perhaps think he can make four tricks; and if the fourth believes he can do better he declares Napoleon, and undertakes to win the whole five tricks. The players declare or pa.s.s in the order in which they sit; and a declaration once made cannot be recalled. The game then, proceeds. The first card played is the trump suit; and to win the trick, a higher card than that led in each suit must be played. The winner of the first trick leads for the second, and so on till each of the five tricks are played out. Each player must follow suit, but he is not bound to head the trick or to trump.

Each card as played remains face upwards on the table. Supposing the stake to be a penny a trick, the declarer, if he win all the tricks he declared, receives from each of his adversaries a penny for each of the declared tricks; but if he fail to win the required number, he pays to each of them a penny a trick. For Napoleon he receives double stakes from each player; but failing to win the five tricks, he pays them single stakes. The game, though simple, requires good judgment and memory to play it well. In some companies it is varied by the introduction of a Wellington, which is a superior call after the Napoleon, and takes triple stakes; or a Sedan, in which the player undertakes to lose all his tricks. This declaration takes precedence of all the others. Each player may Pa.s.s, or decline to make a declaration; and when all the players pa.s.s, the deal is void.

Occasionally a pool or kitty is made by each dealer paying a half stake; or the players may purchase new cards from the pack. In either case, the pool is taken by the winner of the first Napoleon, or divided according to arrangement at the close of the play. The best play in Napoleon is not to win tricks, but to co-operate in defeating the declaring hand.

131. Picquet.

A game for two players, once very fashionable in France and of some repute in England; but now quite obsolete. Like Quadrille, it is enc.u.mbered with a vast number of rules and maxims, technical terms and calculations; all too long and tiresome for modern card-players.

132. Poker, or Draw Poker,

a gambling game common in the United States. An elaboration of the old English game of Brag, which, like Blind Hookey and Baccarat, is purely one of chance, generally played by two or three sharpers opposed to three or four greenhorns. And, for these reasons, is unworthy a place in this volume.

133. Lansquenet.

This is a game for a large company, much played in France, where it is the custom to mix three, four, or more packs of cards together. In England it is played with one pack, after the following plan:--The dealer, who has rather an advantage, begins by shuffling the cards, and having them cut by any of the party. He then deals two cards on his left hand, turning them up; then one for himself, and a fourth, which he places in the middle of the table for the company, called the _rejouissance_. Upon this card any or all of the company, except the dealer, may stake their counter or money, either a limited or unlimited sum, as may be agreed on, which the dealer is obliged to answer, by staking a sum equal to the whole put upon it by different players. He continues dealing, and turning the cards upwards, one by one, till two of a sort appear: for instance, two aces, two deuces, &c., which, in order to separate, and that no person may mistake for single cards, he places on each side of his own card; and as often as two, three, or the fourth card of a sort comes up, he always places them, as before, on each side of his own. Any single card the company have a right to take and put their money upon, unless the dealer's own card happens to be double, which often occurs by this card being the same as one of the two cards which the dealer first of all dealt out on his left-hand. Thus he continues dealing till he brings either their cards, or his own. As long as his own card remains undrawn he wins; and whichever card comes up first, loses. If he draw or deal out the two cards on his left, which are called the hand-cards, before his own, he is ent.i.tled to deal again; the advantage of which is no other than being exempted from losing when he draws a similar card to his own, immediately after he has turned up one for himself. This game is often played more simply without the _rejouissance_ card, giving every person round the table a card to put his money on. Sometimes it is played by dealing only two cards, one for the dealer, and another for the company.--Generally Lansquenet is played with counters instead of money. With counters at (say) a penny a dozen, it is a lively and amusing game.

[A LADY IN AMERICA MADE A QUILT IN 55,555 PIECES.]

134. Quinze or Fifteen

is played by two persons. The cards are shuffled by both players, and when they have cut for deal (which falls to the lot of him who cuts the lowest), the dealer has the liberty to shuffle them again. When this is done, the adversary cuts them; after which, the dealer gives one card to his opponent, and one to himself. Should the dealer's adversary not approve of his card, he is ent.i.tled to have as many cards given to him, one after the other, as will make fifteen, or come nearest to that number; which are usually given from the top of the, pack: for example--if he should have a deuce, and draw a five, which amounts to seven, he must continue going on, in expectation of coming nearer to fifteen. If he draw an eight, which will make just fifteen, he, as being eldest hand, is sure of winning the game. But if he overdraw himself, and make more than fifteen, he loses, unless the dealer should happen to do the same; which circ.u.mstance const.i.tutes a drawn game; and the stakes are consequently doubled. In this manner they persevere, until one of them has won the game, by standing and being nearest to fifteen. At the end of each game the cards are packed and shuffled, and the players again cut for deal. The advantage is invariably or the side of the elder hand.

135. Solitaire

This is a game for one person, played on a board pierced with thirty-seven holes, in each one of which is placed a marble or peg.

The art or motive of the game is to remove one marble and then to shift the rest about, so as to bring the last marble to the hole whence the first was removed. One marble or man takes any other over which it can leap into a vacant hole beyond; or any number of men in succession, so long as there is a hole into which it can go. An example of a game played will better explain the method, than any amount of verbal instruction.

Remove the marble from the centre hole; then bring the marble from 1 in the upper limb of the diagram, to the centre, jumping over and taking the piece between. By following the direction of the figures, it will be found that the last place arrived at will be the centre from which you started. With practice and patience the Solitaire player will be able to start from and return to any hole on the board.

5 O-----O-----O 35

1

14 O-----O-----O 4

17 16 18 17

15 16

18 3

5 18 2 15 O-----O-----O-----O-----O-----O-----O 9

2

14

21 19

20 4

6 22

O-----O-----O-----O-----O-----O-----O

12 1

22

21 19

10

18 11

13 18

8 7

9 8

18 7

17 O-----O-----O-----O-----O-----O-----O 9

10

18

20

6

12 O-----O-----O

13

13

11 O-----O-----O THE CENTRE-HOLE GAME.

Many variations of the game will suggest themselves as you proceed; but the above will suffice to show the plan and system of Solitaire.

136. Backgammon.

A game of mingled chance and skill, played on a board marked with points, and generally to be found inside the box draughtboard. The board has twenty-four points, coloured alternately red and blue; the implements of play are fifteen draught-men on each side, and the movements of the men are determined by the throw of two dice; each player being provided with a dice box and dies. It is an elaborate game to explain on paper, and would occupy too much s.p.a.ce to be given in detail in this work. Those, however, who desire to be fully informed as to its various intricacies, may consult "Bohn's Handbook of Games," or the cheaper and more concise treatise by Captain Crawley.

137. Dominoes.

This game is played by two or four persons, with twenty-eight pieces of oblong ivory, plain at the back, but on the face divided by a black line in the middle, and indented with spots, from one to a double-six, which pieces are a double-blank, ace-black, double-ace, deuce-blank, deuce-ace, double-deuce, trois-blank, trois-ace, trois-deuce, double-trois, four-blank, four-ace, four-deuce, four-trois, double-four, five-blank, five-ace, five-deuce, five-trois, five-four, double-five, six-blank, six-ace, six-deuce, six-trois, six-four, six-five, and double-six. Sometimes a double set is played with, of which double-nine is the highest.

138. Method of Play.

At the commencement of the game the dominoes are well mixed together, with their faces upon the table. Each player draws one, and if four play, those who choose the two highest are partners against these who take the two lowest. Drawing the latter also serves to determine who is to lay down the first piece--a great advantage. Afterwards each player takes seven pieces at random. The eldest hand having laid down one, the next must pair him at either end of the piece he may choose, according to the number of pips, or the blank in the compartment of the piece; but whenever any one cannot match the part, either of the domino last put down, or of that unpaired at the other end of the row, then he says, "_Go_;" and the next is at liberty to play. Thus they play alternately, either until one party has played all his pieces, and thereby won the game, or till the game be _blocked_; that is, when neither party can play, by matching the pieces where unpaired at either end; then that player wins who has the smallest number of pips on the pieces remaining in his hand. It is to the advantage of every player to dispossess himself as early as possible of the heavy pieces, such as a double-six, five, four, &c. Sometimes, when two persons play, they take each only three or five pieces, and agree to _play_ or _draw_, i.e., when one cannot come in, or pair the pieces upon the board at the end unmatched, he draws from the pieces in stock till he finds one to suit. There are various other ways of playing dominoes, but they are all dependent on the matching of the pips.

139. Quadrilles.

The First Set.

_First Figure, Le Pantalon_.--Right and left. Balancez to partners; turn partners. Ladies' chain. Half promenade; half right and left.

(Four times.)

_Second Figure, L'ete_.--Leading lady and opposite gentleman advance and retire; cha.s.sez to right and left; cross over to each other's places; cha.s.sez to right and left. Balancez and turn partners. (Four times.)

_Or Double L'ete_.--Both couples advance and retire at the same time; cross over; advance and retire again; cross to places.

Balancez and turn partners. (Four times.)

_Third Figure, La Poule_.--Leading lady and opposite gentleman cross over, giving right hands; recross, giving left hands, and fall in a line. Set four in a line; half promenade. Advance two, and retire (twice). Advance four, and retire; half right and left. (Four times.)

_Fourth Figure, Trenise_.--The first couple advance and retire twice, the lady remaining on the opposite side; the two ladies go round the first gentleman, who advances up the centre; balancez and turn hands. (Four times.)

_Fifth Figure, La Pastorale_.--The leading couple advance twice, leaving the lady opposite the second time. The three advance and retire twice. The leading gentleman advance and set. Hands four half round; half right and left. [1] (Four times)

_Sixth Figure, Galop Finale_.--Top and bottom couples galopade quite round each other. Advance and retire; four advance again, and change the gentlemen. Ladies' chain. Advance and retire four, and regain your partners in your places. The fourth time all galopade for an unlimited period. (Four times.)

_Or_, All galopade or promenade, eight bars. Advance four _en galopade oblique_, and retire, then half promenade, eight bars.

Advance four, retire, and return to places with the half promenade, eight bars. Ladies' chain, eight bars. Repeated by the side couples, then by the top and bottom, and lastly by the side couples, finishing with grand promenade.