often be decided by inferences from the fall of the cards. It is
frequently an easy matter to locate the cards in the various suits, if
it is borne in mind that adversaries who play after the caller get rid
of their highest cards. For instance: Right leads the 9; caller plays
the 5; left the 10; and the last player finds he holds K Q J 6 of the
suit. He should know that the caller has nothing between the 5 and the
9, and must have the Ace; so his cards were probably A 5 4 3 2. While
it is manifestly impossible to catch him on that suit, it may still be
led three times, in order to give the partners discards, as both of
them must be short. If this estimate of the caller’s cards is wrong
in anything, it is not with regard to the Ace, so there is not the
slightest danger in continuing the suit.
As a general rule, the suit first led by an adversary should be
returned, unless the player winning the trick has a singleton in
another suit, when he should lead that.
The suit led by the caller, if he was eldest hand, should not be
returned.
Some judgment of character must be used in playing on a caller’s own
lead. An adventurous player will sometimes call a misère on a hand
which contains a singleton 5 or 6, and will lead it at once; trusting
that second hand will imagine it to be safe, and cover it. Players
should be aware of this trap, and never cover a misère player’s own
lead if they can help it, unless the card led is below a 4.
_=ABUNDANCE.=_ Very few persons will risk calling an abundance which
they are not pretty certain of; but a player may be forced to the call
on a doubtful hand, especially if he is over-called on his original
proposal to play a solo. The lead is a great advantage, because trumps
can be exhausted immediately, and the suits protected. If the caller
has not the lead he must calculate in advance for trumping in, and if
his plain suits are not quite established, he will require more trumps
than would otherwise be necessary. The greatest danger to an abundance
player who has not the original lead, is that his best suit will be
led through him, and trumped, either on the first or second round. The
caller is often trapped into unnecessarily high trumping when suits are
led through him a second or third time.
_=The Adversaries=_ have little chance to defeat an abundance unless
they can over-trump the caller, or ruff his good cards before he can
exhaust the trumps. It is best for the Right to lead his longest suit,
and for the Left to lead his shortest. A guarded King suit should
not be led under any circumstances; nor a short suit Ace high. If an
adversary has a single trump of medium size, such as a J or 10, it is
often good play to trump a partner’s winning cards, so as to be sure of
preventing the caller from making a small trump. If an adversary has
trumped or over-trumped, it is very important to lead that suit to him
again as soon as possible.
The rules for discarding that are given in connection with Whist should
be carefully observed; especially in the matter of showing command of
suits.
_=SPREADS.=_ These should not be called except with hands in which
every suit contains the deuce, and all the cards are low enough to
insure the player that nothing short of extraordinary circumstances
will defeat him. Open sequences, or Dutch straights, as they are
sometimes called, in which the cards are all odd or all even, such as 2
4 6 8 10, are quite as safe as ordinary sequences, provided the deuce
is among the cards.
The player calling a spread must remember that it will be impossible
for him to get any discards after the first trick without the consent
of the adversaries; for they will not lead a suit of which they see
he is void. In order to reduce the caller’s chances of a discard on
the opening lead, before his cards are exposed, the adversaries should
select their shortest suits, unless they have a bottom sequence to the
deuce.
_=THE SLAM.=_ This feature of Solo Whist is even rarer than the _grand
coup_ at Whist. It is not very marvellous for an abundance player to
make twelve or thirteen tricks; but to announce thirteen tricks before
a card is played is something phenomenal. All the adversaries can do
against such a call is to show each other, by their discards, in which
of the suits they have a possible trick. It is very annoying to have
a player succeed in making a slam just because two of his adversaries
keep the same suit.
SOLO WHIST FOR THREE PLAYERS.
The best arrangement is to play with a pack of forty cards, deleting
the 2, 3, and 4 of each suit. The last card is turned up to determine
the trump, but it is not used in play.
There is no proposal and acceptance, solo being the lowest call. If all
three players pass, the trump card is turned down, and each player in
turn has the option of calling a six-trick abundance, naming his own
trump suit. In some places it is the custom to allow the players to
over-call each other, after the trump is turned down, each increasing
the number of tricks he proposes to take. A misère over-calls eight
tricks.
_=Kimberly Solo=_ is for four players, without any proposal and
acceptance, solo being the lowest call. If all pass, a six-trick solo
with a different trump is allowed.
TEXT BOOKS.
Solo Whist, by R.F. Green.
How to Play Solo Whist, by Wilks & Pardon.
For the Laws of Solo Whist, see Whist Family Laws.
ILLUSTRATIVE SOLO WHIST HANDS.
The dealer, Z, turns up the heart 3 in both hands, and A leads. The
underlined card wins the trick, and the card under it is the next one
led.
| T|
_=A Solo.=_ | R| _=A Misère.=_
| I|
--------------------------------+ C+-------------------------------
A Y B Z | K| A Y B Z
+-------+-------+-------+-------+--+-------+-------+-------+------+
| 10♢ | 8♢ | Q♢ | _K♢_ | 1| _K♠_ | 7♠ | J♠ | 10♠ |
| 3♢ | 9♢ | _A♢_ | 2♢ | 2| _Q♠_ | 5♠ | 9♠ | 8♠ |
| ♡6 | ♡2 | _♡A_ | ♡3 | 3| Q♢ | 5♢ | _A♢_ | J♢ |
| ♣8 | ♡4 | ♡Q | _♡K_ | 4| 9♢ | 4♢ | _K♢_ | 10♢ |
| ♣9 | _♣A_ | ♣4 | ♣7 | 5| ♡6 | 3♠ | _6♠_ | 8♢ |
| _A♠_ | 9♠ | K♠ | 4♠ | 6| ♡7 | 2♠ | _4♠_ | ♣A |
| _♣K_ | ♣2 | ♣6 | ♣5 | 7| ♣10 | ♣8 | ♣7 | _♣K_ |
| 7♠ | 2♠ | _Q♠_ | 6♠ | 8| ♣9 | ♣6 | 7♢ | _♣Q_ |
| 5♢ | ♣3 | ♣Q | _♡8_ | 9| ♣5 | ♣4 | 6♢ | _♣J_ |
| 6♢ | 3♠ | _♡5_ | J♢ |10| ♡8 | ♣2 | ♡K | _♣3_ |
| 7♢ | ♡10 | ♡9 | _♡J_ |11| _♡A_ | ♡2 | ♡Q | ♡3 |
| 8♠ | 5♠ | _♡7_ | 4♢ |12| 2♢ | _3♢_ | ♡9 | ♡4 |
| J♠ | ♣J | ♣10 | 10♠ |13| ♡J | _A♠_ | ♡10 | ♡5 |
+-------+-------+-------+-------+ +-------+-------+-------+------+
_Solo player wins._ _Misère player loses._
In the first example, A and Y pass, and B calls Solo. A follows the
modern practice of leading the top of his long weak suit, as a card of
warning and support for his partners. Z knows Y must have 9 or Ace of
diamonds, or no more, and he avoids the error of opening another suit,
especially a weak one. B continues with the trump Queen, hoping to drop
King and Jack together. At trick 5, Z cannot give up the command of
trumps, and as A’s lead and discard indicate that he wants spades led
up to him, Z’s best chance is that Y has some clubs. Y leads to A. At
trick 9, Z knows B cannot have 10 and 9 of trumps, or he would have led
one of them to prevent the J and 8 both making, so Y must have one of
those trumps. At trick 11, if B leads the club, he loses his call. He
must again take the chance of bringing the trumps down together.
In the second example A proposes, or calls Solo, and Y over-calls him
with Misère. The great point in playing against Misère is to continue
leading suits in which he is known to be long, so as to give your
partners discards. This B does with the two long spades, the caller
being marked with the ace and others on the second trick. Then Z allows
B to discard his high diamonds on the clubs.
SCOTCH WHIST, OR CATCH THE TEN.
_=CARDS.=_ Scotch Whist is played with a pack of 36 cards, which rank
in plain suits, A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6; the Ace being highest both in play
and in cutting. In the trump suit the Jack is the best card, the order
being, J A K Q 10 9 8 7 6.
_=MARKERS.=_ There are no suitable counters for Scotch Whist, and the
score is usually kept on a sheet of paper.
_=PLAYERS.=_ Any number from two to eight may play. When there are five
or seven players, the spade 6 must be removed from the pack. In some
places this is not done; the thirty-fifth card being turned up for the
trump, the thirty-sixth shown to the table, and then laid aside.
_=CUTTING.=_ Whatever the number of persons offering for play, the
table is formed by cutting from the outspread pack for partners, seats,
and deal.
When two play, the one cutting the lowest card has the choice of seats
and cards, (if there are two packs).
When three play, the lowest deals, and chooses his seat and cards. The
next lowest has the next choice of seats.
When four play, partners are cut for; the two lowest pairing against
the two highest; the lowest of the four is the dealer, and has the
choice of seats and cards.
When five play, each for himself, the lowest cut deals, and has the
first choice of seats and cards. The next lowest has the next choice of
seats, and so on.
When six play, they cut for partners, the two lowest pairing together;
the two highest together; and the two intermediates together. The
player cutting the lowest card of the six has the choice of seats and
cards, and deals the first hand. If the six play, three on a side, the
three lowest play against the three highest; the lowest cut of the six
taking the deal, and choice of seats and cards.
When seven play, each for himself, the lowest deals, and has the choice
of seats and cards; the others choosing their seats in the order of
their cuts.
When eight play, they may form two sets of four each, or four sets of
two each. In either case the partnerships are decided by cutting, and
the lowest cut of the eight has the deal, with choice of seats and
cards.
_=TIES=_ are decided in the manner already described in connection with
Whist.
_=POSITION OF THE PLAYERS.=_ Two players sit opposite each other.
Three, five or seven sit according to their choice. Four sit as
at Whist, the partners facing each other. Six, playing in two
partnerships, sit alternately, so that no two partners shall be next
each other. Six, playing in three partnerships of two each, sit so
that two adversaries shall be between each pair of partners. Eight,
playing in two sets of four each, or as four pairs of partners, arrange
themselves alternately. If we distinguish the partners by the letters
A, B, C, D, the diagram will show the arrangement of the tables.
[Illustration:
B C A B A B
+------+ +------+ +------+
| | D| |C B| |A
A| |A | | | |
| | C| |D A| |B
+------+ +------+ +------+
C B B A B A
THREE PAIRS. FOUR PAIRS. TWO FOURS.
]
The player to the left of the dealer is the original leader.
_=DEALING.=_ The method of dealing varies with the number of players
engaged. When only one pack is used, any player may shuffle, the dealer
last. The pack must be presented to the pone to be cut, and the entire
pack is then dealt out, one card at a time.
When two play, the dealer gives each six cards, one at a time. These
two hands are kept separate, and two more are dealt in the same manner,
and then a third two, the last card being turned up for the trump.
When the deal is complete, there will be six hands on the table, three
belonging to each player.
[Illustration:
+-----+ +-----+ +-----+
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
+-----+ +-----+ +-----+
1ST HANDS. 2ND HANDS. 3RD HANDS.
+-----+ +-----+ +-----+
| | | | | | +------+
| | | | | | |Trump.|
| | | | | | +------+
+-----+ +-----+ +-----+
]
When three play, the cards are dealt in much the same manner; two
separate hands of six cards being given to each player.
When four, five, six, seven, or eight play, the cards are dealt in
rotation from left to right until the pack is exhausted, the last card
being turned up for the trump. When five or seven play, either the
spade 6 must be thrown out of the pack, or the thirty-sixth card must
be shown, after the dealer has turned the thirty-fifth for the trump.
When eight play, all four sixes are deleted.
The deal passes to the left, each player dealing in turn until the game
is finished.
The general rules with regard to irregularities in the deal are the
same as at Whist.
_=STAKES.=_ When stakes are played for, they are for so much a game.
Rubbers are not played. It is usual to form a pool, each player
depositing the stake agreed upon, and the winner taking all. In
partnership games, each losing player pays the successful adversary who
sits to his right. If three pairs were engaged, and A-A won, C and B
would each pay the A sitting next him. Before play begins, it should be
understood who pays for revokes; the side or the player.
_=METHOD OF PLAYING.=_ The player on the dealer’s left begins by
leading any card he chooses, and the others must all follow suit if
they can. Failure to follow suit when able is a revoke, the penalty for
which, if detected and claimed by the adversaries, is the immediate
loss of the game. When there are more than two players or two sets
of partners, the revoking player or side must pay the two or more
adversaries as if each had won the game. In some places the individual
is made to pay, not the side. This should be understood before play
begins. If seven are playing, and one is detected in a revoke, his
loss is equal to six games. Any player having none of the suit led may
either trump or discard. The dealer should take up the trump card when
it is his turn to play to his first trick; after which it must not
be named, although a player may be informed what the trump suit is.
If all follow suit, the highest card played of the suit led wins the
trick, trumps win all other suits. The winner of the trick may lead any
card he chooses for the next; and so on, until all the cards have been
played.
It is not necessary to keep the tricks separate, as at Whist; but one
player should gather for his side.
When two or three play, the hands must be played in the order in which
they were dealt. For instance: If these are the hands:--
[Illustration:
+-----+ +-----+ +-----+
| | | | | |
Adversary’s:--| 1 | | 3 | | 5 |
| | | | | |
+-----+ +-----+ +-----+
1ST SET. 2ND SET. 3RD SET.
+-----+ +-----+ +-----+
| | | | | | +------+
Dealer’s:-- | 2 | | 4 | | 6 | |Trump.|
| | | | | | +------+
+-----+ +-----+ +-----+
]
The players first take up hands Nos. 1 and 2; a card is led from No.
1, the dealer follows suit from No. 2, or trumps, or discards, and the
play continues until these two hands are exhausted. The second set
are then taken up and played in the same manner; the player who won
the last trick in one set having the first lead in the next. Finally,
the third set are played in the same manner; all the cards taken by
each side being gathered into one pile by the player who has won them.
The trump card must remain on the table until the dealer takes up the
last hand. When three play, the set of hands first dealt must be first
played, and then the second set taken up.
The rules for cards played in error, leading out of turn, etc., are the
same as at Whist.
_=OBJECTS OF THE GAME.=_ The side first scoring 41 points wins the
game; and the chief object is to secure tricks containing cards to
which a certain value is attached. These all belong to the trump suit,
and are the following:--
The Jack of trumps counts 11
The Ace of trumps counts 4
The King of trumps counts 3
The Queen of trumps counts 2
The Ten of trumps counts 10
The other trumps, and the plain suit-cards, have no counting value.
The Jack of trumps, being the best, must be taken in by the player to
whom it is dealt; but any court card in trumps will win the Ten, so
that one of the principal objects in Scotch Whist is to _=catch the
ten=_.
At the end of each hand the players count the number of cards they have
taken in tricks, and they are entitled to score one point for each
above the number originally dealt to them. For instance: If four play,
nine cards were originally dealt to each, so each pair of partners held
eighteen. If at the end of the hand they have taken in eight tricks, or
thirty-two cards, they score 14 points toward game, in addition to any
score they may have made by winning honours in trumps, or catching the
Ten. If five play, beginning with seven cards each, and at the end of
the hand one player has taken in fifteen, and another ten; they score 8
and 3 respectively, for cards.
_=SCORING.=_ At the end of each hand, each player or side should claim
all honours won, and cards taken in. One player should keep the score,
and announce it distinctly, in order that it may be known how many
points each player or side requires to win the game.
In the case of ties, the Ten counts out first; then cards; then A K Q
of trumps in their order, and the Jack last. A revoke, if detected and
claimed before the cards are cut for the next deal, immediately ends
the game.
_=METHODS OF CHEATING.=_ When only one pack is used, the greek can
often succeed in dealing himself the Jack of trumps, and usually loses
no time in marking the Ten, so that he can at least distinguish the
player to whom it is dealt. A player should be carefully watched who
keeps his eyes on the pack while shuffling, or who rivets his attention
on the backs of the cards as he deals. Two packs should be used in all
round games of cards.
_=SUGGESTIONS FOR GOOD PLAY.=_ The chief counting elements that are
affected by the play being the trump Ten and the cards, it is usual to
devote particular attention to winning them. With J A of trumps, or A
K, it is best to lead two rounds immediately; but with a tenace, such
as J K, or A Q it is better to place the lead on your left if possible.
The high cards in the plain suits are capable of being very skilfully
managed in this matter of placing the lead. It sometimes happens that a
player with the Ten may be fourth hand on a suit of which he has none;
or he may catch the Ten with a small honour if it is used in trumping
in. The partnership games offer many fine opportunities for playing the
Ten into the partner’s hand, especially when it is probable that he has
the best trump, or a better trump than the player on the left.
In calculating the probabilities of saving the Ten by trumping in, it
must be remembered that the greater the number of players, the less
chance there is that a suit will go round more than once, because there
are only nine cards of each suit in play.
Many players, in their anxiety to catch the Ten, overlook the
possibilities of their hands in making cards, the count for which often
runs into high figures.
Close attention should be paid to the score. For instance: A wants
4 points to win; B wants 10; and C wants 16. If A can see his way
to win the game by cards or small honours, he should take the first
opportunity of giving C the Ten; or allowing him to make it in
preference to B. As the Ten counts first, cards and honours next, B may
be shut out, even if he has the Jack.
_=LAWS.=_ There are no special laws for Scotch Whist. The whist laws
are usually enforced for all such irregularities as exposed cards,
leading out of turn, etc. The most important matter is the revoke, and
it should be clearly understood before play begins whether the revoke
penalty is to be paid by the individual in fault, or by the side to
which he belongs. Some players think there should be some regulation
for penalties in such cases as that of a player taking up the wrong
hand, when two or more are dealt to each player; but as no advantage
can be gained by the exchange, it is hard to see what right the
adversary would have to impose a penalty.
ILLUSTRATIVE SCOTCH WHIST HAND.
We give a simple example hand, as an illustration of the manner of
playing with four persons; two being partners against the other two.
_Z deals and turns heart 8_
+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| A Y B Z |
+-------+-------+-------+-------+
1 | Q♢ | _K♢_ | 8♢ | 9♢ |
2 | _♣A_ | ♣K | ♣J | ♣8 |
3 | ♣7 | _♣9_ | ♣6 | 6♠ |
4 | 8♠ | J♠ | K♠ | _A♠_ |
5 | J♢ | 9♠ | A♢ | _Q♠_ |
6 | 7♢ | _10♠_ | ♣Q | 7♠ |
7 | _♡A_ | 10♢ | 6♢ | ♡Q |
8 | ♡9 | ♡6 | _♡K_ | ♡7 |
9 | ♣10 | ♡10 | _♡J_ | ♡8 |
+-------+-------+-------+-------+
_A-B win 30 by honours._
_Y-Z win 2 by cards._
_=Trick 1.=_ _=Y=_ plays King second hand, hoping it will be taken by
the Ace, so that he may become third or fourth player, and perhaps save
his Ten. _=B=_, with the minor tenace in trumps, plays to avoid the
lead as long as possible.
_=Trick 2.=_ _=Y=_ gets rid of another winning card; _=B=_ keeping a
small card to avoid the lead.
_=Trick 3.=_ _=A=_ returns the Club, reading _=B=_ for the Q or no
more. _=B=_ still avoids the lead, and _=Z=_ is marked as not having
the trump Ten, or he would have saved it.
_=Trick 4.=_ _=Z=_ plays to win what cards he can.
_=Trick 5.=_ _=B=_ throws ♢A to avoid the lead, knowing _=Y=_ has the
trump Ten; for _=A=_ would have made it on the second round of Spades.
_=A=_ also marks it with _=Y=_, as _=B=_ does not save it.
_=Trick 6.=_ _=B=_ is not sure whether _=Y=_ has a Diamond or a Club
left, and discards the winning card.
_=Trick 7.=_ _=Z=_ plays Queen to shut out the Ten, if with _=A=_.
_=A=_ knows each player has two trumps left, and that as the turn-up is
still with _=Z=_, _=B=_ must have J or K; for if he held only 7 and 6
he would have trumped in to make cards.
_=Trick 8.=_ _=A=_ leads trumps. If _=Y=_ does not play the Ten, and
_=B=_ has not the Jack, _=B=_ must make four cards and the King by
passing. If _=B=_ has the Jack, he must catch the Ten, no matter how
_=Y=_ and _=Z=_ play.
* * * * *
_=FRENCH WHIST=_ is the name given to a variety of Scotch Whist in
which the Ten of Diamonds counts ten to those winning it, whether it is
a trump or not.
BOSTON.
_=CARDS.=_ Boston is played with two packs of fifty-two cards each,
which rank as at Whist, both for cutting and playing.
_=MARKERS=_ are not used in Boston, every hand being immediately
settled for in counters. These are usually of three colours; white,
red, and blue; representing cents, dimes, and dollars respectively. At
the beginning of the game each player should be provided with an equal
number, the general proportion being 20 white, 18 red, and 8 blue for
each. Some one player should be selected to act as the banker, selling
and redeeming all counters.
_=STAKES.=_ The stakes in Boston depend upon the value of the counters.
One cent for a white counter is considered a pretty stiff game; because
it is quite possible for a single player to win or lose a thousand
white counters on one hand, and the payments very seldom fall short of
fifty.
_=THE POOL.=_ In addition to the counters won and lost on each hand,
it is usual for the players to make up a pool at the beginning of
the game by each of them depositing one red counter in a small tray
provided for the purpose. This pool may be increased from time to time
by penalties; such as one red counter for a misdeal; four for a revoke,
or for not having the proper number of cards, etc. The whole amount in
the pool may be won or lost by the players, according to their success
or failure in certain undertakings, which will presently be described.
When empty, the pool is replenished by contributions from each player,
as at first.
The pool proper is usually limited to 25 red counters. When it exceeds
that amount, the 25 are set aside, and the surplus used to start a
fresh pool. Any player winning a pool is entitled to 25 red counters at
the most. It will often happen that several such pools will accumulate,
and each must be played for in its turn. At the end of the game any
counters remaining in the pool or pools must be divided among the
players.
_=PLAYERS.=_ Boston is played by four persons. If more than four
candidates offer for play, five or six may form a table; if there are
more than six, the selection of the table must be made by cutting, as
at Whist.
_=CUTTING.=_ The four persons who shall play the first game are
determined by cutting, and they again cut for the deal, with the
choice of seats and cards. The player drawing the lowest card deals,
and chooses his seat; the next lower card sits on his left, and so on,
until all are seated. Twelve deals is a game, at the end of which the
players cut to decide which shall go out, as at Whist.
It is usual to count the deals by opening the blade of a pocket-knife,
which is placed on the table by the player on the dealer’s right. When
it comes to his turn to deal, he partly opens one blade. When he deals
again he opens it entirely, and the third time he closes it; that being
the third round, and the last deal of the game.
[Illustration: FOURTH DEAL. EIGHTH DEAL.]
_=POSITION OF THE PLAYERS.=_ The four players at Boston are
distinguished by the letters A Y B Z.
[Illustration:
Y
+-------+
| |
A| |B
| |
+-------+
Z
]