Page:Collier's Cyclopedia of Commercial and Social Information.djvu/458

428 that he holds heavy numbers while you hold light ones, block up the game as speedily as you can, and proceed to count. To understand your opponent’s hand is a most important matter, and we do not think we have insisted on it too much. Good players will tell you that they have won many games by watching closely the opponent's moves, and drawing therefrom inferences respecting the dominoes he holds in hand. We need not add, the greatest caution must be used in forming these inferences.

The same number of dominoes are used, and the lead is drawn for in the same manner in this as in the previously described games.

The difference is that when a player cannot go, he must draw a domino from the pack. If he cannot then go, he must draw another, and so on until he is able to continue the game.

He who plays out first, or, in case the game becomes blocked, he who holds the smallest number of pips, wins.

The French have a different way of playing this game. The player who holds the highest double, or, in the event of there being no double, the highest domino, has the pose or lead. The second player, should he be unable to go, may draw all the remaining dominoes except two, which must remain untaken. If he leave more than two, the first player, should he require them in order to continue the game, may appropriate the surplus, still leaving two on the table.

If a player cannot go, it is compulsory that he draw till he gets hold of a domino that will enable him to continue the game.

Each player may take the pose alternately, or the winner in the first instance may retain it, as agreed upon.

The French method of counting is also different. When a player has played out, he counts the pips in his opponent's hand, and scores them to his own account. In case the game should become blocked, the player holding the fewest pips scores the number of pips in his adversary's hand to his own account, each pip counting one. A game consists of from 20 to 100 points,‘ according to agreement.

With respect to the English method of playing this game, the general instructions and maxims given on the other games apply equally to this. But a few words must be added with regard to the French play. He who has the highest double is compelled to play first, and cannot draw any more dominoes until it is his turn to play again, but his opponent may draw all but two, which two must remain untaken during that game. But the second player should not draw more than half the dominoes, unless really compelled by the badness of his hand, as by this means it will leave a chance of his opponent having as many to draw. A good player at times might be justified in taking all but two, for by the calculation and judgment obtained by having them, he might be enabled to play them all before his opponent could play his five or six dominoes, as the case may be. Should the second player hold a good hand, comprising dominoes of every denomination, he should not draw until compelled, If he should happen to draw high doubles, he ought to continue to draw until he holds several of that number.

It is not always the player holding the greatest number gets out first, because as he has some of almost every den nation, his adversary will keep playing to him, and the odds are that he (the adversary) will be able to play out first. Still in many games, the one holding the largest number of dominoes possesses this advantage, that he has the power to keep both ends open to himself but closed to his opponent, and he may thus run out.

In order to be able to play out first with the largest number (supposing that only two dominoes remain untaken), you should by all means, and in the first place, endeavor to ascertain what those two are. You may arrive at this in two Suppose you hold so many of a particular number that those already played they make six out of the seven of that denomination, you must by all means keep playing them.

As an illustration, we will suppose you hold in your hand four threes, and that two other threes have already been played, Now, if you play your threes, and your adversary, not being able to play to them, becomes blocked, it is quit clear that one of the dominoes on the table is a three. Then, if those you hold in your hand are—$3⁄2$, $4⁄3$, $2⁄6$, and $3⁄3$, and you find among the dominoes played $3⁄0$ and $3⁄1$, it is, of course, quite safe to conclude that the domino which is left is the $3⁄6$.

The second plan is this. If during the course of the game you have given your opponent opportunities of playing a certain double which you do not yourself hold, you may be certain that it is one of the left dominoes.

A little experiment, in order to test the nature of your adversary's hand, so as, however, not materially to injure your own, would often be found more expedient than groping all the while, as it were, in the dark.

By carefully looking over your own hand, you may judge pretty correctly as to whether your adversary's is light or heavy.

It is only by taking into account all these and other nice points that a player can possibly be successful.

Having formed an idea of your opponent's hand, you should make it an object to "run out," or play so that he may blocked, or that he may be obliged to leave both ends open for you to play out.

Having given some instructions to the player who holds larger number of dominoes, we must now proceed to give a few hints to the lesser hand.

If, holding the lesser hand, you can contrive to play a few moves at first without being blocked, you ought to be pretty sure of winning; because, by that time, your hand will have become so disproportionately small, that your opponent will have some difficulty in preventing you from playing out out blocking himself. This, therefore, must be one of your main objects.

If the game goes pretty equal, bring out your strong suits. Wherever you are short of a particular suit, if you find that many of that number have already been played, you need not fear that your adversary will be able to block you in regard to it, for you will, of course, infer that they are as scarce in his hand as in your own. Endeavor to bring these rules to bear, reserving to your discretion as to whether you should in any wise depart from them, or use such modifications as the contingencies of the moment require.