announces the number of hearts he has taken in, and pays into the pool
one counter for each. All thirteen hearts having been paid for, any
player having taken no hearts wins the entire pool; two having taken
none, divide it. If all the players have taken hearts, or if one player
has taken all thirteen, the pool remains, and forms a _=Jack=_. This
can be won only by a single player in some subsequent deal taking no
hearts, all the others having taken at least one. These jack pools are
of course increased thirteen counters every deal until some player wins
the whole amount. Some clubs make it a Jack after two players have
divided a pool, using the odd counter as a starter. It will be found
that natural Jacks occur quite frequently enough without resorting to
this expedient.
_=HOWELL’S SETTLING.=_ The great objection to the method of settling
at Sweepstake Hearts is that it makes the game almost entirely one of
chance. No matter how good a player one may be, good luck alone will
bring success. In a four-handed game it is possible for one player
to take in only 58 hearts in 60 deals, and still to be 46 counters
behind; while another player may take in 500 hearts in 60 deals and
be 46 counters ahead. It may be claimed that the player who has 46
counters ahead at the end was the better player, because he won; but
most persons will agree that a player who takes in only 58 hearts in 60
deals is a much better player than one who has taken in 500 hearts in
the same time.
It was to remedy this defect, and to give skill its proper percentage
of value, that Mr. E. C. Howell of Boston proposed the manner of
contributing to and dividing the pools which is now known as Howell’s
Settling.
Each player begins with an equal number of counters, usually 100. At
the end of the hand, after the hearts have been counted and announced,
each player pays into the pool, for every heart he holds, as many
counters as there are players besides himself. For instance: A, B, C
and D play. A takes three hearts; B and C five each, and D none. There
being three players besides himself, A puts up three times three, or 9
counters. B and C put up 15 each, and D none; so that there are 39 in
the pool. Each player then takes out of the pool 1 counter for every
heart he did _=not=_ hold when the hearts were announced. D, having
taken no hearts, gets 13 counters. A, having taken three hearts only,
is entitled to 10 counters for the 10 hearts he did not hold, while B
and C get 8 each. This exhausts the pool. There are no Jacks in this
way of settling.
Matters may be facilitated by having counters of different colours,
the white being the unit, and the red representing the number which it
will be necessary to pay for one heart. Practice will make the players
so familiar with the amount of the various profits or losses that they
simply pay or take what is due to them.
The first time this is played it looks like a pretty severe game for a
player who takes in a large number of hearts on one deal; but it will
be found that he rapidly recovers. During a sitting of any length the
player who takes in the smallest number of hearts must be the winner.
In the case mentioned in connection with Sweepstake Hearts, in which
one player lost 46 counters while another won 46, in 60 deals, the
result at Howell’s Settling would have been that the player who took in
only 58 hearts would be 548 counters ahead instead of losing 46; while
the one who took in 500 hearts would lose 1220 counters, instead of
winning 46.
_=METHODS OF CHEATING.=_ Under the rule for dealing the cards one at a
time, the greek must be very skilful to secure any advantage at Hearts.
But when it is the practice to deal the cards three at a time, and
four on the last round, it is an easy matter to get four small hearts
together on the bottom of the pack. Any person who is observed to hold
three or four small hearts every time he deals, should be carefully
watched, and it will usually be found that he gathers the small hearts
from the hands of the other players while the pool is being divided.
Marked cards are of little use to the greek at hearts, because so much
depends on what a player holds, and so little on his play.
VARIETIES OF HEARTS.
Before proceeding to suggestions for good play, it will be better to
describe some of the variations of the game in common use, because what
would be good play in one variation would not be in another.
_=TWO-HANDED HEARTS.=_ The two players having cut for the deal,
thirteen cards are given to each, one at a time, and the remainder
of the pack is left on the table, face down. The dealer’s adversary,
usually called the pone, begins by leading any card he pleases, and the
dealer must follow suit if he can, as in the ordinary game. The winner
of the trick takes it in, but before leading for the next trick he
draws one card from the top of the pack lying on the table, restoring
the number of his cards to thirteen. His adversary then draws the next
card, and the cards are played and drawn in this manner until the pack
is exhausted. The thirteen cards remaining in the hands of the two
adversaries are then played, and after the last trick has been won,
each turns over his cards and counts the number of hearts he has taken
in. The object of the game is to take fewer hearts than your opponent,
and the method of settling is either for the greater number to pay the
lesser the difference; or, for the first six hearts taken by the loser
to count nothing, but all above six to be paid for. The most popular
way is to peg up the difference on a cribbage board, and to settle at
the end of the sitting.
_=THREE-HANDED HEARTS.=_ The deuce of spades is discarded, and
seventeen cards are dealt to each player, one at a time, after which
the game proceeds in the usual way. There are several methods of
settling. Howell’s method is undoubtedly the best, but Sweepstakes is
very common. An excellent way is for the player who takes the largest
number of hearts to pay the two others as many counters as he has
hearts in excess of theirs. If two have an equal number, both pay the
low man. There are no Jacks.
_=AUCTION HEARTS.=_ This is usually played by four persons, although
five or six may form a table. After the cards have been dealt in the
usual way, the player to the left of the dealer examines his cards,
and determines which suit he would prefer to play to get clear of. It
may be that if the game were to get rid of clubs instead of hearts,
his hand would be a very good one, whereas if the suit were to remain
hearts it would be a very bad hand. As the pool will contain thirteen
counters to a certainty, he can afford to pay something for the better
chance he will have to win it if he is allowed to make clubs the suit
to be avoided, instead of hearts. He bids whatever amount he is willing
to pay for the privilege of changing the suit, without naming the suit
he prefers. The next player then has a bid, and so on in turn, the
dealer bidding last. There are no second bids.
The player making the highest bid pays into the pool the amount he
has bid. He then names the suit to be avoided, and leads for the
first trick, regardless of his position with respect to the deal. The
dealer’s position is a great advantage, on account of its having the
last bid.
After the hand is played, those who have taken in any cards of the suit
announced to be avoided, pay one counter to the pool for each of them.
If any one player gets clear, each of the others having at least one
of the tabooed suit, he takes the entire pool. If two get clear, they
divide the pool, leaving any odd counter to form the basis of a Jack,
as at Sweepstakes. If one player takes all thirteen, it is a Jack; but
instead of the next choice being sold to the highest bidder, the one
who named the suit on the hand that made the pool a Jack has the choice
of suits again for the next deal, and he must select some suit without
paying anything further for it, until some player wins what he paid for
the choice in the first place. That is, the pool must be won before the
choice can be sold again.
The general principle of the game is for the players to combine against
the successful bidder, and to spare no effort to prevent him from
winning the pool.
_=SPOT HEARTS.=_ In this variation, when the hearts are announced at
the end of the hand, the spots on them are the units of value, the
Jack being worth 11, the Queen 12, the King 13, and the Ace 14. This
adds nothing to the interest or skill of the game; but rather tends to
create confusion and delay, owing to the numerous disputes as to the
correctness of the count.
The total to be accounted for in each deal is 104. In settling, the
player with the smallest number collects from each of the others the
amount they have in excess of his. If two or more players have an equal
number, or none at all, they divide the amount collected from each of
the others. For instance: Four play, A has 8 points, B 24, C 18, and D
54. As 8 points is the lowest, B pays A 16, C pays him 10, and D pays
him 46. If A and B had 8 each, C 32, and D 56, C would pay 24, and D
48; and A-B would divide the amount between them.
The chief variation in play arises from the fact that one who must win
a heart trick cannot always afford to play his highest heart as in the
ordinary game.
_=JOKER HEARTS.=_ In this variation, the heart deuce is discarded, and
the Joker takes its place. The Joker occupies a position between the
Jack and the Ten in value, with the added peculiarity that it cannot
be discarded on a plain suit; for if it is, it wins the trick unless
there is a higher heart in the same trick. If a player has the Joker
dealt to him, his only chance to get rid of it is to play it on a trick
in which hearts are led, or to discard it on a plain suit on which some
other player has already discarded a higher heart than the Ten. Under
such circumstances, the holder of the Joker is allowed to discard it,
even if he has one of the suit led, and the Joker being in the trick
compels the player who discarded the higher heart to take it in.
In settling, the Joker is worth five counters. If the player to whom
it was dealt takes it in, he pays these five counters to the pool. If
another player gets the Joker, he must pay the five counters to the
player who got rid of it. The remainder of the pool is then divided in
the usual way. This is a most exasperating game.
_=DISCARD HEARTS.=_ This is sometimes called _=Black Jack=_, or _=Black
Lady=_. If it is the Jack, it is worth ten hearts; if it is the Queen,
it is worth thirteen hearts.
After the cards are dealt, each player in turn lays out three cards
which he does not want, and the player on his left is obliged to take
them, after having discarded himself. No player may look at what he is
going to get until he has discarded himself.
The Black Jack or Lady holds its rank as a spade when spades are led;
but the moment any other suit is led, of which the player is void,
he can discard the Black Jack or Lady, just as he would get rid of a
heart. If hearts are led and the player has no hearts, he can play the
Black Jack or Lady to the trick, as it ranks below the deuce of hearts.
_=PROGRESSIVE HEARTS.=_ The general arrangements for the players and
their positions are exactly the same as those already described in
connection with Progressive Euchre. The players at each table cut for
the deal, and play begins with the tap of the bell at the head table.
Only one deal is played at each table.
There are no counters. At the end of the hand the ladies compare their
cards, and the one having the fewer hearts goes to the next higher
table. The gentlemen then compare their cards in the same way, so that
one lady and one gentleman go up from each table at the end of every
hand. They take the seats vacated by those leaving the table they go
to. All ties are determined by cutting, those cutting the lower cards
going up. In cutting, the ace is low.
Each player is provided with a score card, to which the gold, red and
green stars are attached as in Euchre. The gold stars are given to
those at the head table who have the fewest hearts. Those moving from
other tables receive red stars; and those taking in the most hearts at
the booby table receive green stars. Prizes are given to the ladies
and gentlemen having the greatest number of each variety of star; but
the same player cannot win two prizes. If there is a tie in one class,
the number of other stars must decide; equal numbers of gold being
decided by the majority of red on the same card; red ties, by the
greater number of gold; and green ties by the fewest number of gold
stars.
_=HEARTSETTE.=_ Heartsette differs from hearts only in the addition of
a widow. When four play, the spade deuce is deleted; twelve cards are
given to each player, and the three remaining form the widow, which is
left face downward in the centre of the table. When any other number
play, the full pack is used. If there are three players, three cards
are left for the widow: two cards are left when five play, and four
when six play. The player winning the first trick takes in the widow,
with any hearts it may contain. He is entitled to look at these cards,
but must not show or name them to any other player. The game then
proceeds in the usual way. Payments are made to the pool for all hearts
taken in, and the pool is then won, divided, or remains to form a Jack,
just as at Sweepstake Hearts. The chief difference in the game is that
the other players do not know whether the winner of the first trick is
loaded or not, and he is the only player who knows how many or what
hearts are still to be played.
_=DOMINO HEARTS.=_ In this variation, six cards only are dealt to each
player, the remainder of the pack being left face down on the table.
When a player is unable to follow suit, he must draw cards from the
stock, one at a time, until he can. The last player with any cards left
in his hand must take what is left of the stock, if any. The hearts
taken in are then counted as usual. Thirty-one points is game, and the
winner is the player who has the least hearts scored when some other
player reaches thirty-one.
SUGGESTIONS FOR GOOD PLAY.
A good player, after sorting his hand, carefully estimates its
possibilities. The hand may be such that it is evidently impossible to
avoid taking some hearts. The player must then decide whether he will
play to give each of the others hearts, or will take them all himself.
If he succeeds in either object he has a chance to win back his money
in the ensuing Jack. In deciding on his chances to get clear without
taking a single heart, the player must first consider the advisability
of beginning with a heart, or with a plain suit. If hearts, he should
know the probability of the heart he leads not winning the trick; if a
plain suit, he should know the probability of the suit going round one
or more times without hearts being discarded on it, especially if he
intends to lead high cards. These chances must then be balanced one
against the other and the more favourable selected.
_=LEADING HEARTS ORIGINALLY.=_ When your hearts are so small as to be
absolutely safe, such as the 7 5 3 2, it might be supposed that the
best play would be to lead them at once, in order to get a large number
of hearts out of your way. But with such cards it is usually much
better play, unless you have a very dangerous hand in plain suits, to
reserve these small hearts until you have a more definite idea, from
the fall of the cards, to whom you are giving them. Such cards are
particularly useful for getting rid of the lead at dangerous stages in
the end-game.
When the plain-suit cards are high or dangerous, but the hearts are
reasonably safe, it is usually better to lead the hearts, and to
continue leading them every time you get in. By following these tactics
it is quite possible for you to take almost every trick in the plain
suits, and yet to win the pool by rapidly exhausting the hearts.
If you lead the ♡ 4, the only chance for it to win is that one player
has no hearts, and that the 2 and 3 are divided. The odds against this
combination of circumstances will vary with the number of hearts you
hold with the 4, but may be generally stated on the average as about 50
to 1. It is usually considered a safer lead than a high card of a plain
suit, even if you have only three of the suit.
If your only heart is the 5, and you propose to lead it, the chances
that the 2, 3, and 4 are not each in separate hands are about 19 in 25,
or 19 to 6 against it, which is about 3 to 1. If you lead the 5, the
odds against your winning the trick decrease as the number of hearts
you hold with the 5 increases. If you have four hearts, the 5 being the
lowest, the odds against its winning the trick, if you lead it, are
about 29 to 11. If you have eight hearts, the 5 being the lowest, it is
about an even chance. If your only heart is the 6, it is about an even
chance that it will win the trick; but the odds against you increase
rapidly with the number of additional hearts that you hold. If you
propose to lead the 7, the chances that it will win the trick are 2 to
1 under the most favourable circumstances, which are when it is your
only heart. These odds against you increase rapidly with the number of
additional hearts that you hold.
_=LEADING PLAIN SUITS ORIGINALLY.=_ It will often happen that you will
have to decide between the lead of a comparatively dangerous heart and
a risky plain suit. Your knowledge of probabilities should enable you
to select the safer course. The odds against getting a heart on the
first round of a plain suit depend upon how many cards of the suit you
hold. If you lead an Ace, or any card which is sure to win the trick,
the odds against your getting a heart on it are as the following:--
If you have 4 cards of the suit, 22 to 1.
” 5 ” 15 to 1.
” 6 ” 7 to 1.
” 7 ” 4 to 1.
” 8 ” 2 to 1.
These odds may be slightly increased by taking into account the fact
that players who cannot follow suit do not always discard hearts,
having perhaps more dangerous cards to get rid of.
The odds against a suit going round a second time may be influenced
by the cards played to the first round; but it sometimes happens that
you have to calculate in advance for two rounds of a suit, regardless
of the cards that may be played by others. This is especially the case
when you fear that the suit will be led to you, and you have such
cards as must win two rounds. If you have 4 cards of the suit the odds
_against_ your getting a heart in two rounds are 2 to 1. The odds _in
favour_ of your getting a heart in two rounds are:--
If you have 5 cards of the suit, 4 to 3.
” 6 ” 2 to 1.
” 7 ” 6 to 1.
As an example of the value of a thorough knowledge of these odds to a
careful player, suppose he had to win two rounds of a plain suit, of
which he held six cards; or to lead the ♡7, having three higher. The
suit would be the better play, because it takes in only one heart,
while the lead of the heart might take in four.
The following table shows the exact number of times in 1,000 deals that
a heart would probably be discarded on a plain suit led, according to
the number of cards in the suit held by the leader, and the number of
times the suit was led:
Cards held by the leader. | 1,2,3,4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8
----------------------------------+---------+------+------+------+-----
Times hearts will be discarded:-- | | | | |
On first round | 44 | 63 | 122 | 200 | 315
On second round | 358 | 430 | 659 | 857 | 1000
On third round | 842 | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 | 1000
This shows that 158 times in 1,000, when the leader has 1, 2, 3, or 4
cards of the suit, it will go round three times, because 158 is the
balance necessary to bring our last figure, 842, up to 1,000. Reducing
this to a small fraction, the odds are about 5⅛ to 1 that a suit will
not go round three times without affording to some player the chance of
discarding hearts on it. This calculation shows the hopeless nature of
all hands that contain at least three cards of each suit, unless the
smallest card in every suit is below a 6; for if any one of the suits
is led three times, it is even betting that you will have to win the
third round, and 5⅛ to 1 that you get a heart on it if you do.
_=PLAIN-SUIT LEADS.=_ The favourite lead with most heart players is a
singleton; or, failing that, a two-card suit. This is a mistake, unless
the singleton is a high card; for if the adversaries are sharp players
they will at once suspect the nature of the lead, and carefully avoid
the suit. But if you wait until some other player opens the suit,
it will very probably be led twice in succession. The best original
plain-suit lead is one in which you are moderately long, but have small
cards enough to be safe, and from which you can lead intermediate cards
which probably will not win the first trick.
A very little experience at Hearts will convince any one that it is
best, in plain suits, to play out the high cards first. This agrees
with the theory of probabilities; for while the odds are 22 to 1
against your getting a heart on the first round of a plain suit of
which you have 4 cards, the odds are only 2 to 1 against it on the
second round, and on the third they are 5⅛ to 1 in favour of it.
Accordingly, on the first round most players put up their highest card
of the suit led, no matter what their position with regard to the
leader; but in so doing, they often run needless risks. The object in
Sweepstake Hearts is to take none, and the most successful players will
be found to be those who play consistently with the greatest odds in
their favour for taking none.
Suppose that you hold such a suit as A 10 9 7 4 2. This is a safe suit;
because it is very improbable that you can be compelled to take a trick
in it. The best lead from such a suit is the 10 or 9. If the suit is
led by any other player, the same card should be played, unless you are
fourth hand, and have no objection to the lead. This avoids the risk,
however slight, of getting a heart on the first round, which would
be entailed by playing the ace. In Sweepstake Hearts it is a great
mistake to play the high cards of a suit in which you are safe; for
no matter how small the risk, it is an unnecessary one. In the case
we are considering, when you have six cards of the suit, the odds are
7 to 1 against your getting a heart if you play the ace first round.
That is to say, you will probably lose one pool out of every eight if
you play it. Take the greatest odds in your favour, when you have only
four cards of a suit; they are 22 to 1 against your getting a heart
the first round, so that you would lose by it only once in 23 times.
But this is a heavy percentage against you if you are playing with
those who do not run such risks, for you give up every chance you might
otherwise have in 5 pools out of every 110.
When you have a dangerous hand in hearts, but one absolutely safe long
suit, it is often good play to begin with your safe suit, retaining
any high cards you may have in other suits in order to get the lead as
often as possible for the purpose of continuing your safe suit, which
will usually result in one or more of the other players getting loaded.
When you have at least three of each plain suit it is obvious that you
cannot hope for any discards, and that you must take into account the
probability of having to win the third round of one or more suits, with
the accompanying possibility of getting hearts at the same time. If
you have the lead, this probability must be taken into account before
any of the other players show their hands, and as it may be set down
as about 5⅛ to 1 that you will get a heart, any better chance that the
hand affords should be taken advantage of.
It will often occur that a player’s attention must be so concentrated
on getting clear himself that he has no opportunity to scheme for
“loading” the others. But if it unfortunately happens that he is
compelled to take in one or more hearts, he should at once turn his
attention to taking them all, or to loading the other players, with a
view to making a Jack of the pool. Should he succeed in either object,
he has another chance for his money.
It is usually bad policy to return the suit opened by the original
leader. He has picked that out as his safest suit, and although he may
be the only one safe in it, by continuing it you are reducing your
chances to two players, when you might share them with all three.
_=FOLLOWING SUIT.=_ When a player is not the original leader, his
policy becomes defensive; for, as the first player is plotting to
give hearts to every one but himself, each of the others must be a
prospective victim, and should do his best to avoid the traps prepared
by the one who plans the opening of the hand.