A SLOTHFUL MAN IS A BEGGAR'S BROTHER. the person who sits on his left hand, until he comes to the last card, which he turns up, being the trump, and leaves on the table till the first trick is played. iii. FIRST PLAY.-The person on the left hand side of the dealer is called the elder, and plays first; whoever wins the trick becomes elder hand, and plays again; and so on, till all the cards are played out. iv. MISTAKES.-No intimations, or signs of any kind, during the play of the cards, are permitted between the partners. The mistake of one party is the game of the adversary, except in a revoke, when the partners may inquire if he has any of the suit in his hand. V. COLLECTING TRICKS.-The tricks belonging to each party should be turned and collected by the respective partners of whoever wins the first trick in every hand. All above six tricks reckon towards the game. vi. HONOURS.-The ace, king, queen, and knave of trumps are called honours; and when either of the partners have three separately, or between them, they count two points towards the game; and in case they have four honours, they count four points. vii. GAME.-The game consists of ten points. 27 many as are gained by tricks or honours, so many points are set up to the score of the game. Quart, is four successive cards in any suit. Quart Major, is a sequence of ace, king, queen, and knave. Quint, is five successive cards in any suit. Quint Major, is a sequence of ace, king, queen, knave, and ten. Sce-saw, is when each partner turns a suit, and when they play those suits to each other for that purpose. Score, is the number of points set up. The following is the most approved method of scoring: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 00 000 0000 00 000 0 0 0 Slam, is when either party win every trick. Tenace, is possessing the first and third best cards, and being the last player; you consequently catch the adversary when that suit is played: as, for instance, in case you have ace and queen of any suit, and your adversary leads that suit, you must win two tricks, by having the best and third best of the suit played, and being the last player. Tierce, is three successive cards in any suit. Tierce Major, is a sequence of ace, king, and queen. 60. TERMS USED IN WHIST. -Finessing, is the attempt to gain an advantage; thus:- If you have the best and third best card of the suit led, you put on the third best, and run the risk of your adversary having thei. second best; if he has it not, which is two to one against him, you are then certain of gaining a trick. Forcing, is playing the suit of which your partner or adversary has not any, and which he must trump, in order to win. Long Trump, means the having one or more trumps in your hand when all the rest are out. Loose Card, means a card in hand of no value, and the most proper to throw away. Points. Ten make the game; as 61. RULES FOR PLAYING WHIST. Lead from your strong suit, and be cautious how you change suits; and keep a commanding card to bring it in again. ii. Lead through the strong suit and up to the weak; but not in trumps, unless very strong in them. iii. Lead the highest of a sequence; but if you have a quart or cinque to a king, lead the lowest. iv. Lead through an honour, particularly if the game is much against you. v. Lead your best trump, if the adversaries be eight, and you have no honour; but not if you have four trumps, unless you have a sequence. vi. Lead a trump if you have four or five, or a strong hand; but not if weak. vii. Having ace, king, and two or three small cards, lead ace and king if weak in trumps, but a small one if strong in them. viii. If you have the last trump, with some winning cards, and one losing card only, lead the losing card. ix. Return your partner's lead, not the adversaries'; and if you have only three originally, play the best; but you need not return it immediately, when you win with a king, queen, or knave, and have only small ones, or when you hold a good sequence, have a strong suit, or have five trumps. x. Do not lead from ace queen, or ace knave. xi. Do not lead an ace, unless you have a king. xii. Do not lead a thirteenth card, unless trumps be out. xiii. Do not trump a thirteenth card, unless you be last player, or want the lead. xiv. Keep a small card to return your partner's lead. xv. Be cautious in trumping a card when strong in trumps, particularly if you have a strong suit. xvi. Having only a few small trumps, make them when you can. xvii. If your partner refuses to trump a suit, of which he knows you have not the best, lead your best trump. xviii. When you hold all the remaining trumps, play one, and then try to put the lead in your partner's hand. xix. Remember how many of each suit are out, and what is the best card left in each hand. xx. Never force your partner if you are weak in trumps, unless you have a renounce, or want the odd trick. xxi. When playing for the odd trick, be cautious of trumping out, especially if your partner be likely to trump a suit; and make all the tricks you can early, and avoid finessing. xxii. If you take a trick, and have a sequence, win it with the lowest. 62. LAWS OF WHIST.-DEALING.-i. If a card be turned up in dealing, the adverse party may call a new deal, unless they have been the cause; then the dealer has the option. ii. If a card be faced in the deal, the dealer must deal again, unless it be the last deal. iii. If any one play with twelve cards, and the rest have thirteen, the deal to stand good, and the player to be punished for each revoke; but if any have fourteen cards, the deal is lost. iv. The dealer to leave the trump card on the table till his turn to play; after which none may ask what card was turned up, only what is trumps. V. No person may take up the cards while dealing; if the dealer in that case should miss the deal, to deal again, unless his partner's fault; and if a card be turned up in dealing, no new deal, unless the partner's fault. vi. If the dealer put the trump card on the rest, with face downwards, he is to lose the deal. 63. PLAYING OUT OF TURN.-vii. If any person play out of his turn, the adversary may call the card played at any time, if he do not make him revoke; or if either of the adverse party be to lead, may desire his partner to name the suit, which must bo played. viii. If a person supposes he has won the trick, and leads again before his partner has played, the adversary may oblige his partner to win it, if he can. ix. If a person lead, and his partner play before his turn, the adversary's partner may do the same. x. If the ace, or any other card of a suit, be led, and any person play out of turn, whether his partner have any of the suit led or not, he is neither to trump it nor win it, provided he do not revoke. 64. REVOKING.-xi. If a revoke happen to be made, the adversary may add three to their score, or take three tricks from them, or take down three from USE WEALTH GENEROUSLY; their score; and, if up, must remain at nine. xii. If any person revoke, and, before the cards be turned, discover it, the adversary may cause the highest or lowest of the suit led, or call the card then played at any time, if it do not cause a revoke. xiii. No revoke to be claimed till the trick be turned and quitted, or the party who revoked, or his partner, have played again. xiv. If any person claim a revoke, the adverse party are not to mix their cards, upon forfeiting the revoke. XV. No revoke can be claimed after the cards are cut for a new deal. CALLING HONOURS-xvi. If any person call, except at the point of eight, the adverse party may consult, and have a new deal. xvii. After the trump card is turned up, no person may remind his partner to call, on penalty of losing one point. xviii. If the trump card be turned up, no honours can be set up unless before claimed; and scoring honours, not having them, to be scored against them. xix. If any person call at eight, and be answered, and the opposite parties have thrown down their cards, and it appear they have not their honours, they may consult, and have a new deal or not. xx. If any person answer without an honour, the adversaries may consult, and stand the deal or not. xxi. If any person call at eight, after he has played, the adversaries may call a new deal. 65. SEPARATING AND SHOWING THE CARDS.-Xxii. If any person separate a card from the rest, the adverse party may call it if he name it; but if he call a wrong card, he or his partner are liable, for once, to have the highest or lowest card called in any suit led during that deal. xxiii. If any person throw his cards on the table, supposing the game lost, he may not take them up, and the 29 adversaries may call them, provided he do not revoke. xxiv. If any person be sure of winning every trick in his hand, he may show his cards, but is liable to have them called. OMITTING TO PLAY TO A TRICK.xxv. If any person omit to play to a trick, and it appear he has one card more than the rest, it shall be at the option of the adversary to have a new deal. RESPECTING WHO PLAYED A PARTICULAR CARD.-Xxvi. Each person ought to lay his card before him; and if either of the adversaries mix their cards with his, his partner may demand each person to lay his card before him, but not to inquire who played any particular card. These laws are agreed to by the best judges. 66. MAXIMS FOR WHIST.LEADER.-i. Begin with the suit of which you have most in number; for, when the trumps are out, you will probably make several tricks by it. ii. If you hold equal numbers in different suits, begin with the strongest, because it is the least liable to injure your partner. iii. Sequences are always eligible leads, as supporting your partner without injuring your own hand. iv. Lead from a king or queen, rather than from an ace; for, since the adversaries will lead from those suits which you do not, your ace will do them most harm. v. Lead from a king rather than a queen, and from a queen rather than from a knave; for the stronger the suit, the less is your partner endangered. vi. Lead not from ace queen, or ace knave, till necessary; for, if that suit be led by the adversaries, you have a good chance of making two tricks in it. vii. In all sequences to a queen, knave, or ten, begin with the highest, because it will frequently distress your left-hand adversary. viii. Having ace, king, and knave, 30 GOVERN WEALTH DISCREETLY. lead the king; for, if strong in trumps, you may wait the return of this suit, and finesse the knave. ix. Having ace, queen, and one small card, lead the small one; for, by this lead, your partner has a chance to make the knave. x. Having ace, king, and two or three small cards, play ace and king if weak, but a small card if strong in trumps: you may give your partner the chance of making the first trick. xi. Having king, queen, and one small card, play the small one; for your partner has an equal chance to win, and you need not fear to make king or queen. xii. Having king, queen, and two or three small cards, lead a small card if strong, and the king if weak in trumps; for strength in trumps entitles you to play a backward game, and give your partner a chance of winning the first trick; but if weak in trumps, lead the king or queen, to secure a trick in that suit. xiii. Having an ace, with four small cards, and no other good suit, play a small card if strong in trumps, and the ace if weak; for strength in trumps may enable you to make one or two of the small cards, although your partner cannot support the lead. xiv. Having king, knave, and ten, lead the ten; for, if your partner hold the ace, you have a good chance to make three tricks, whether he pass the ten or not. xv. Having king, queen, and ten, lead the king; for, if it fail, by putting on the ten, upon the return of that suit from your partner, you have a chance of making two tricks. xvi. Having queen, knave, and nine, lead the queen; for, upon the return of that suit from your partner, by putting on the nine, you will, probably, make the knave. 67. SECOND HAND.-i. Having ace, king, and small ones, play a small card if strong in trumps, but the king if weak in them; for, otherwise, your ace or king might be trumped in the latter case, and no hazards should be run with few trumps but in critical_cases. ii. Having ace, queen, and small cards, play a small one, for, upon the return of that suit, you will, probably, make two tricks. iii. Having ace, knave, and small cards, play a small one, for, upon the return of the suit, you will, perhaps, make two tricks. iv. Having ace, ten, or nine, with small cards, play a small one, for, by this method, you have a chance of making two tricks in the suit. v. Having king, queen, ten, and small cards, play the queen; for, by playing the ten upon the return of the suit, you will, probably, make two tricks in it. vi. Having king, queen, and small cards, play a small card if strong in trumps, but the queen if weak in them; for strength in trumps warrants playing a backward game, and it is always advantageous to keep back your adversaries' suit. vii. If you hold a sequence to your highest card in the suit, play the lowest of it, for, by this means, your partner will be informed of your strength. viii. Having queen, knave, and small ones, play the knave, because you will, probably, secure a trick. ix. Having queen, ten, and small ones, play a small one, for your partner has an equal chance to win. x. Having cither ace, king, queen, or knave, with small cards, play a small one, for your partner has an equal chance to win the trick. xi. Having either ace, king, queen, or knave, with one small card only, play the small one, for, otherwise, your adversary will finesse upon you. xii. If a queen be led, and you hold the king, put that on, for if your partner hold the ace, you do no harm; and, if the king be taken, the adversaries have played two honours to one. xiii. If a king be led, and you hold ace, knave, and small ones, play the ace, for it cannot do the adversary a greater injury. CHILDREN AND CHICKENS MUST ALWAYS BE PICKING. 1 68. THIRD HAND.-i. Having ace and king, play the ace and return the king, because you should not keep the command of your partner's strong suit. ii. Having ace and queen, play the acc, and return the queen; for, although it may prove better in some cases to put on the queen, yet, in general, your partner is best supported by this method. iii. Having ace and knave, play the ace and return the knave, in order to strengthen your partner's hand. iv. Having king and knave, play the 'king; and, if it win, return the knave, for the reason in No. iii. v. Always play the best when your partner plays a small card, as it best supports your partner. vi. If you hold the ace and one small card only, and your partner lead the king, put on the ace, and return the small one; for, otherwise, your ace will be an obstruction to his suit. vii. If you hold the king and one small card only, and your partner lead the ace, if the trumps be out, play the king; for, by putting on the king, there will be no obstruction to the suit. 69. FOURTH HAND.-i. If a king be 'led, and you hold ace, knave, and a small card, play the small one; for, supposing the queen to follow, you probably make both ace and knave. ii. When the third hand is weak in his partner's lead, you may often return that suit to great advantage; but this rule must not be applied to trumps, unless you are very strong indeed. 70. CASES IN WHICH YOU SHOULD RETURN YOUR PARTNER'S LEAD IMMEDIATELY.-i. When you win with the ace and can return an honour, for that will greatly strengthen his hand. ii. When he leads a trump, in which case return the best remaining in your hand (unless you held four originally), except the lead be through an honour. iii. When your partner has trumped out; for then it is evident he wants to make his great suit. 31 iv. When you have no good card in any other suit; for then you entirely depend on your partner. 71. CASES IN WHICH YOU SHOULD NOT RETURN YOUR PARTNER'S LEAD IMMEDIATELY.-i. If you win with the king, queen, or knave, and have only small cards left; for the return of a small card will more distress than strengthen your partner. ii. If you hold a good sequence; for then you may show a strong suit, and not injure his hand. iii. If you have a strong suit; because leading from a strong suit directs your partner, and cannot injure him. iv. If you have a good hand; for, in this case, you ought to consult your own hand. v. If you hold five trumps; for then you are warranted to play trumps, if you think it right. 72. LEADING TRUMPS.-i. Lead trumps from a strong hand, but never from a weak one, by which means you will secure your good cards from being trumped. ii. Trump not out with a bad hand, although you hold five small trumps; for, since your cards are bad, it is only trumping for the adversaries' good ones. iii. Having ace, king, knave, and three small trumps, play ace and king; for the probability of the queen's falling is in your favour. iv. Having ace, king, knave, and one or two small trumps, play the king, and wait the return from your partner to put on the knave, in order to win the queen; but, if you particularly wish the trumps out, play two rounds, and then your strong suit. v. Having ace, king, and two or three small trumps, lead a small one; this is to let your partner win the first trick; but if you have good reason for getting out the trumps, play three rounds, or play ace and king, and then proceed with your strong suit. vi. If your adversaries be eight, and you do not hold an honour, throw off your best trump, for, if your partner has not two honours, you have lost the |