Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XVI.djvu/623

 WHIST 599 and the consoler of age," justly oppose the in- troduction of any system of signals, by which the general or particular value of a hand or suit can be made known to a partner. No game of cards can be compared with whist for amusement, or for that permanent training of the mind which is considered by many able thinkers to be the chief if not the only result obtained, in a great majority of cases, from the study of the higher classics and mathematics. The following are the modern rules of the game (short whist), as originally published under the sanction of the London clubs, and now generally adopted in this country : Tfie rubber. 1. The rubber is the best of three games. If the first two games be won by the same players, the third game is not played. Scoring. 2. A game consists of five points. Each trick above six counts one point. 8. Honors, i.e., ace, king, queen, and knave of trumps, are thus reck- oned : If a player and his partner, either separately or con- jointly hold the four honors, they score four points; any three honors, two points; only two honors, they do not score. 4. Those players who, at the commencement of a deal, are at the score of four, cannot score honors. 5. The penalty for a re- voke takes precedence of all other scores. Tricks score next; honors last. 6. Honors, unless claimed before the trump card of the following 1 deal is turned up, cannot be scored. T. To score honors is not sufficient; they must be called at the end of the hand : if so called, they may be scored at any time du- ring the game. 8. The winners gain : a, a treble, or game of three points, when their adversaries have not scored; b, a dou- ble, or game of two points, when their adversaries have scored less than three; c, a single, or game of one point, when their adversaries have scored three or four. 9. The winners of the rubber gain two points (commonly called the rubber points) in addition to the value of their games. 10. Should the rub- ber have consisted of three games, the value of the losers' game is deducted from the gross number of points gained by their opponents. 11. If an erroneous score be proved, such mistake can be corrected prior to the conclusion of the game in which it occurred, and such game is not concluded until the trump card of the following deal has been turned up. 12. If an erroneous score, affecting the amount of the rubber, be proved, such mistake can be rectified at any time during the rubber. Cutting. 18. The ace is the lowest card. 14. In all cases, every one must cut from the same pack. 15. Should a player expose more than one card, he must cut again. For- mation of table. 16. If there are more than four candidates, the players are selected by cutting, those first in the room having the preference. The four who cut the lowest cards play first, and again cut to decide on partners; the two low- est play against the two highest : the lowest is the dealer, who has choice of cards and seats, and, having once made his selection, must abide by it. 17. When there are more than six candidates, those who cut the two next lowest cards be- long to the table, which is complete with six players; on the retirement of one of those six players, the candidate who cut the next lowest card has a prior right to any aftercomer to en- ter the table. Cutting cards of equal value. 18. Two players cutting cards of equal value, unless such cards are the two highest, cut again; should they be the two lowest, a fresh cut is necessary to decide which of those two deals. 19. Three players cutting cards of equal value cut again; should the fourth (or remaining) card be the highest, the two lowest of the new cut are partners, the lower of those two the dealer; should the fourth card be the lowest, the two highest are partners, the original lowest the dealer. Cutting out. 20. At the end of a rubber, should admission be claimed by any one, or by two candidates, he who has or they who have played a greater number of consecutive rubbers than the oth- ers is or are out; but when all have played the same num- ber, they must cut to decide upon the out-goers; the highest are out. Entry and reentry. 21. A candidate wishing to enter a table must declare such intention prior to any of the players having cut a card, either for the purpose of com- mencing a fresh rubber, or of cutting out. 22. In the forma- tion of fresh tables, those candidates who have neither be- longed to nor played at any other table have the prior right of entry; the others decide their right of admission by cut- ting. 23. Any one quitting a table prior to the conclusion of a rubber may, with consent of the other three players, ap- point a substitute in his absence during that rubber. 24. A E layer cutting into one table, while belonging to another, loses is right of reentry into the latter, and takes his chance of cutting in, as if he were a fresh candidate. 25. If any one break up a table, the remaining players have the prior right to him of entry into any other; and should there not be suffl- ?t h, at t v", ch other table to a<1mlt H those ndl- dates, they settle their precedence by cutting. aSffg - L!"? BCk WUSt nolt r r K ' 8hulfl< - (1 M " ""' table no? M that the ia<* of any card be seen. _;. Th,- park must i,,,t I shuffled during die piny of the hand. 2* A park ha vine been played with, must neither be shuffled by dealing It In packets nor across the table. 29. Karl, ,,| av Vr ha* a right o shuttle once only, except as provide.! |,v n,l, *>. prior to a deal, after a false cut, or when a new deal has occurred. 80 The dea er's partner must collect the cards for the ensuine deal, and has the first right to shuffle that pa.*. 81 Ka"h player after shuffling must place the rardc properly eolle.-te,! and face downward to the left of the plover about t-, deal.' 82. The dealer has always the right to shuffle last; but should a card or cards be seen during his shuffling, or while giving the pack to be cut, he may be compelled to reshuffle The (teal.JS. Each player deals in his turn; the right of ch-aling goes to ihe left. 84. The player on the dealer's right cuts, the pack, and, in dividing it, must not leave fewer than four cards in either packet; if in cutting, or in replacing one of the two packets on the other, a card be exposed, or if there be any contusion of the cards, or a doubt as to the exact place in which the pack was divided, there must be a fresh cut 85 hen a player whose duty it is to cut has once separated the pack, he cannot alter his intention; he can neither reshuffle nor rectit the cards. 86. When the pack Is cnt, should the dealer shuffle the cards, he loses his deal. A new deal. 87. There must be a new deal if, during a deal, or during the play of a hand, the pack be proved incorrect or imperfect; or if any card, excepting the last, be faced in the pack. 88. It, while dealing, a card be exposed by the dealer or his partner,' should neither of the adversaries h'ave touched the cards the latter can claim a new deal; a card exposed by either adver- sary gives that claim to the dealer, provided that his partner has not touched a card; if a new deal does not take place, the exposed card cannot be called. 89. If, during dealing, a player touch any of his cards, the adversaries may do the same, without losing their privilege of claiming a new deal, should chance give them such option. 40. If. in dealing, one of the last cards be exposed, and the dealer turn up the trump before there is reasonable time for his adversaries to decide as to a fresh deal, they do not thereby lose their privilege. 41. If a E layer, while dealing, look at the trump card, his adversaries ave a right to see it, and may exact a new deal. 42. If a player take into the hand dealt to him a card belonging to the other pack, the adversaries, on discovery of the error, may decide whether they will have a fresh deal or not. A mi- deal.4'i. A misdeal loses the deal. 44. It is a misdeal: a, unless the cards are dealt into four packets, one at a time in regular rotation, beginning with the player to the dealer's left; b, should the dealer place the last (i. f., the trump) card, face downward, on his own or any other packet; c, should the trump card not come in its regular order to the denier, but he does not lose his deal if the flock be proved imperfect; rf. should a player have fourteen cards, and either of the other three less than thirteen; e, should the dealer, under an im- pression that he has made a mistake, either count the cards on the table, or the remainder of the pack; /, should the dealer deal two cards at once, or two cards to the same hand, and then deal a third; but if. prior to dealing that third card, the dealer can, by altering the position of one card only, rec- IUMI UOCS UUC 1UBC illC inrttl 11. utuuug luu viiuiiuf.. viuvi v the adversaries touch the cards prior to the dealer's part- ner having done so; but should the latter have first interfered the adversary's cards, may be stopped out of turn, or witn the adversary s cams, in: before the trump card is turned up. after which the game leaier wniie urimni:. eiuror ij ifim v rting that it is not his deal, and fail to establish such claim, ould a misdeal occur, he may deal again. M. Should a