Page:Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (IA journalofstrait451906roya).pdf/116

 and not yet got nor exceeded thirty-one (or twenty-one) pips, be is said to masok daun and wins even over a player who has masok mata. Of those who masok daun, the one with the smaller number of pips would win: but for two players to hold such a hand hardly ever occurs. The player who gets more than thirty-one (or twenty-one) points is said to be "dead" mati, or "blind" bola, or "to go to pot" masok pering, literally enter the plate,' alluding to the plate in the centre of the players into which he will fling his hand. When a player has drawn cards, till he has a total of twenty-six, twenty-seven or twenty-eight (or sixteen, seventeen, eighteen) points in his hand and is afraid to draw another card for fear of exceeding thirty-one (or twenty-one), he is said to be "in a small coil," blit kechil, and "passes," if this happens, when he has twenty nine or thirty pips, it is blit besar.

"When two players have the same number of pips. e.g., nine and nine or eight and eight—," writes Mr. Skeat, "the coincidence is described in the words, Jumpa di-jalan, diadu kalah, dichabut mati." This is not very intelligible. I believe, it should be explained as follows. If I have passed with twenty- nine or twenty-eight pips in my hand and another player after me does the same, it is a rule of the game that I (who first had twenty-nine pips in my hand) win before him. So, the phrase applies to the loser. If he had drawn another card, he would probably have become mati, holding more than thirty-one points: reluctant to draw another, he cannot adu or compete with the man who was blit first with the same number of pips as he.

Kena runjau, translated by Mr. Skeat "to be bluffed," I take to be the same as kena das. (Singapore) and to apply to a player who inadvertently or foolishly shows his hand, buka daun, before the rest of the players are all blit or mati or masok mata, and so has to pay up all round by way of penalty.

II. Daun tiga lei or pakau. Three cards are dealt to each player. The best hands are called daun trus. In Perak and Selangor, the very best hand is three aces; the next best in Perak is three court cards, in Selangor three threes. Then