order to avoid the possibility of being made schneider, abandon his
game as lost before playing to the second trick. The adversaries are
then bound to score it as a “game” lost, even if they could have made
the player schneider.
45. No matter who is the single player, Vorhand shall always lead for
the first trick. The winner of one trick leads for the next, and so on,
and each player in turn must follow suit if he can.
46. If, during the play of the hand, any player is found to have a
wrong number of cards, the others having their right number, only those
who have their right number can win the game. If it is the player who
has a wrong number, his game is lost. If it is one of his adversaries,
the player’s game is won.
47. If the single player leads out of turn, the cards must be taken
back if the trick is not complete and the adversary who has not played
demands it. If both adversaries have played to the false lead, the
trick stands. If an adversary has played to his false lead, the player
cannot take it back unless the other adversary permit it.
48. If an adversary of the player leads out of turn, and the player
calls attention to it, the player may immediately claim his game as
won and abandon the hand; or he may insist that the play proceed with
a view to making the adversaries schneider or schwarz. Whether he
proceeds or not his game is won, and he may either let the false lead
stand, or insist on a lead from the proper hand.
49. If, during the progress of the hand, the player lays his cards on
the table, face up, and announces that he has won his game by reaching
61 or 91, whichever may be necessary to make good his bid, and it is
proved that he is mistaken, he loses his game, even if he could have
taken up his cards again and won it.
50. If an adversary lays his cards on the table, face up, and claims
to have already defeated the player’s game, all that adversary’s cards
shall be taken by the player and counted with the tricks already taken
in by the player. If the adversary be found to be in error, the player
shall score his game as won, even if he would have lost it had it been
continued.
51. If the single player gives up his game as lost, and lays his cards
on the table, the adversaries shall take all such cards and add them
to their own, and count their cards to see if they have also made the
player schneider.
THE REVOKE.
52. Should the single player revoke, and not discover the error before
the trick is turned and quitted, he loses his game. If he discovers the
error and corrects it in time, there is no penalty; but any adversary
who plays after him may amend his play.
53. If either adversary of the player revokes, the player may claim his
game as won; but he may insist on playing the hand out to see if he can
make schneider or schwarz. Even if the single player has overbid his
hand, he wins his game if either adversary revokes.
LOOKING BACK.
54. Any active player may see the last trick turned and quitted,
provided no card has been led for the next trick. Should a player look
back at any other trick, or count his cards, he loses the game; but
either of the others may insist on playing on to see if they can make
schneider.
55. If an adversary of the player tell his partner how many points
they have taken in, or ask him to fatten a trick which is his, or call
attention in any way to the fact that the partner’s play should be thus
or so, the single player may at once claim his game as won, and abandon
his hand.
SCORING.
56. The single player wins his game if he reaches 61 points. He wins
schneider if he makes 91. He wins schwarz if he gets every trick.
57. If the adversaries reach 30, they are out of schneider. If they
reach 60, they defeat the player. If they get to 90, they make him
schneider; and if they win every trick they make him schwarz.
58. The value of the game having been calculated according to Law No.
2, the amount won or lost shall be entered on the score pad under the
name of the individual player, and each following item shall be added
to or deducted from the previous total, so that the last entry shall at
all times show the exact state of the player’s score.
59. At the end of the sitting each player wins from or loses to each of
the others at the table the full amount of his score.
60. In every case in which a player loses his game, he loses what he
would have won if he had been successful, regardless of the amount he
may have bid; but,
61. If the player fails to win a game equal to the amount he has bid,
he loses the value of the next higher game which would have made his
bid good; because in no case can a player lose less than he bid, and in
every case must he lose some multiple of the game which he declared to
play.
FROG.
This is a very popular game in Mexico, and seems to be an elementary
form of Skat, which it resembles in many ways. Even the name may be a
corruption of the simple game in Skat, which is called “frage.” The
chief differences are that there are four cards added to the pack for
frog, and that the players win or lose according to the number of
points they get above or below 61, instead of computing the value of
the game by matadores.
_=Players.=_ Three, four, or five can play; but only three are active
in each deal. If four play, the dealer takes no cards. If five play, he
gives cards to the two on his left and one on his right.
_=Cards.=_ There are thirty-six cards in the pack, which rank: A 10 K Q
J 9 8 7 6. Each Ace is worth 11, Tens are worth 10, Kings 4, Queens 3,
and Jacks 2. This gives us 120 points in the pack, and the object is to
get 61 or more.
_=Dealing.=_ Any one can deal the first hand, after which the deal
passes to the left. Three cards are given to each player the first
round, then three for the widow, and then two rounds of four cards each
to the players, so that there are three hands of eleven cards each, and
three in the widow.
_=THE GAMES.=_ Each player in turn, beginning on the dealer’s left,
can offer to play one of three games, and the highest offer must be
accepted. A player cannot increase his own bid unless he is overbid.
The highest bidder becomes the single player, opposed to the two others.
_=Frog.=_ In this, hearts must be trumps. The single player turns the
widow face up to show what it contained, and then takes the three cards
into his hand. He must then discard to reduce his playing hand to
eleven cards again. Any points in the cards he lays away will count for
him at the end of the play.
The player on the dealer’s left always leads for the first trick, any
card he pleases. The others must follow suit if they can, but they are
not obliged to head the trick. If a player cannot follow suit, he must
trump, and if the third player cannot follow suit either, he must play
a trump, but he is not obliged to over-trump unless he likes.
The eleven tricks played, each side turns over the cards taken in and
counts the points. For every point the single player gets over 60
he must be paid a counter by each of the others who held cards. But
if he does not get 60, he must pay each of the others at the table,
including those who held no cards, if any, a counter for every point
his adversaries get over 60.
_=Chico=_ outbids Frog. The player offering this game can name any suit
for the trump except hearts, but he must not touch the widow, although
the points in it will count for him at the end. Each point under or
over 60 is worth two counters in Chico.
_=Grand=_ outbids Chico, and is the highest bid possible. Hearts must
be trumps, and the player offering this game must not touch the widow
until the play is finished. Every point under or over 60 in a Grand is
worth four counters.
The bidder must play the game he names. He cannot bid Frog and play
Chico, or bid Chico and play Grand. The settling up of the scores at
the end, if the payments are not made at once in counters, is the same
as in Skat.
CRIBBAGE.
Cribbage is not only one of the oldest of the games upon the cards, but
enjoys the distinction of being quite unlike any other game, both in
the manner of playing it, and in the system of reckoning the points. It
is also peculiar from the fact that it is one of the very few really
good games which require no effort of the memory; judgment and finesse
being the qualities chiefly requisite for success.
There are two principal varieties of the game; _=Five=_ and
_=Six-card=_ Cribbage; and these again are divided according to the
number of players. The old writers agree in speaking of the five-card
game as the more scientific; but the modern verdict is in favour of
the six-card game, which is certainly the more common and popular.
The skill in Five-card Cribbage is limited to laying out for the crib
and securing the “go”; but in Six-card Cribbage, while the scientific
principles applicable to the crib remain the same as in the five-card
game, there is abundant room for the display of skill all through,
the hand being as important as the crib, and the play sometimes more
important than either. The six-card game will be first described.
_=CARDS.=_ Cribbage is played with a full pack of fifty-two cards,
which have no rank except the order of their sequence; K Q J 10 9 8
7 6 5 4 3 2 A, the Ace being always the lowest, either in cutting or
in play. The cards have also a counting or pip value, the three court
cards, K Q J, and the 10 being worth ten points each. All other cards,
including the Ace, retain their face value. There are no trumps, and
the four suits are therefore equal in value at all times.
_=MARKERS.=_ The game is 61 points, and is scored or “pegged” on a
cribbage board, which has a double row of 30 holes on each side, and a
game-hole at each end. The players are each provided with two pegs, and
they score the points as they accrue by advancing their pegs from left
to right according to the number of points they make. For instance: One
player makes 6 for his first count. He places one of his pegs in the
sixth hole from the left-hand end of the board. Then he makes 4, and
places the second peg four holes in advance of the first, which will
show that his total score is ten points. The third time he makes 2,
which he scores by lifting out the back peg and putting it two holes
in advance of the first one. This system of pegging not only shows the
total number of points made by either player, but enables the adversary
to check the count, as a glance at the distance between the two pegs
will show the number of points pegged last time.
When a player reaches the extreme right of the board, 30 points, he
crosses over to the inner row of holes, and goes down from right to
left. On reaching the end of the second row he has still one more to go
to get into the game-hole, which is in the middle of the board.
When one player reaches his game-hole before the other turns the
corner, it is called a _=lurch=_, and counts two games.
The pegs are so often lose or mislaid that it is much more convenient
to use a _=pull-up=_ cribbage board, in which every hole is provided
with its own peg, which may be raised to indicate the count. The back
pegs can be either left standing or pushed down again.
[Illustration]
The board is always placed midway between the players.
If three persons play, a triangular board is necessary. This is
provided with three sets of holes and three game holes.
When a cribbage board is not at hand, the game may be kept by ruling a
sheet of paper into ten divisions, and marking them with the figures 1
to 0 on each side:
+---------------------------------------+
| 0 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
+---------------------------------------+
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 |
+---------------------------------------+
Each player being provided with two coins, one silver and one copper,
(or different sizes,) the copper coin can be advanced from point to
point to count units, and the silver coin will mark the tens.
_=PLAYERS.=_ Cribbage is distinctly a game for two players, although
three may play, each for himself, or four, two being partners against
the other two. When two play, one is known as the _=dealer=_, and the
other as the non-dealer, or the _=pone=_.
_=CUTTING.=_ The players cut for the choice of seats, and for the first
deal. The lowest cut has the choice, and deals the first hand. The Ace
is low. If a player exposes more than one card he must cut again. Ties
are also decided by cutting again.
_=STAKES.=_ Cribbage is played for so much a game, lurches counting
double. Players may either settle at the end of each game, or score
on a sheet of paper. In the pull-up cribbage boards there are nine
extra pegs for counting games won. These are placed in a line with the
player’s game hole at each end.
_=DEALING.=_ The cards are shuffled and presented to the pone to be
cut, and he must leave at least six cards in each packet. Six cards are
dealt to each player, one at a time in rotation, beginning with the
player on the dealer’s left if there are more than two. No trump is
turned, and the remainder of the pack is placed face downward at the
end of the cribbage board on the dealer’s left.
_=Irregularities.=_ It is a misdeal if any card is found faced in the
pack, or if the pack is found to be imperfect, and there must be a
fresh deal by the same dealer. Any previous cuts or scores made with
the imperfect pack stand good. A player dealing out of turn may be
stopped before the non-dealer lifts his cards from the table. The
penalty for dealing out of turn is two points, if the error is detected
in time; otherwise the deal stands good.
If the dealer neglects to have the pack cut, exposes a card in
dealing, gives too many or too few cards to any player, deals a card
incorrectly, and fails to remedy the error before dealing another,
or exposes one of his adversary’s cards, the non-dealer scores two
points by way of penalty. He also has the option of demanding a fresh
deal by the same dealer, or of letting the deal stand. If the error is
simply an irregularity in the manner of dealing, or an exposed card,
the pone must decide without looking at his cards. If either player
has too many or too few cards, the pone may look at the hand dealt him
before deciding whether or not to have a fresh deal; but if it is the
pone himself that has too many or too few cards, he must discover and
announce the error before lifting his cards from the table, or he will
not be entitled to the option of letting the deal stand. If the pone
has too many cards he may return the surplus to the top of the pack,
without showing or naming them. If the dealer has too many, the pone
may draw from his hand face downward, returning the surplus to the top
of the pack; but the pone may not look at the cards so drawn unless the
dealer has seen them. If there are too few cards, and the pone elects
to have the deal stand, the deficiency must be supplied from the top of
the pack.
_=THE CRIB.=_ The cards dealt, each player takes up his six cards and
examines them with a view to laying out two cards, face downward, for
the crib; leaving himself four cards with which to play. The four cards
which form the crib, two from each hand, always belong to the dealer,
and it is usual for each player, in discarding for the crib, to slip
his two cards under the end of the cribbage board opposite to that
occupied by the remainder of the pack.
Cards once laid out for the crib, and the hand removed from them,
cannot be taken up again. A penalty of two points may be scored by the
adversary for each card so taken up again, whether it is returned to
the player’s hand or not. If either player confuses his cards in any
manner with those of the crib, his adversary scores two points, and may
also claim a fresh deal.
If it is not discovered until he comes to lay out for the crib, that
a player has too many cards, the same rules apply that are given for
misdealing; but if he has too few cards there is no remedy, as he has
lifted his hand. He must lay out two cards for the crib and play with
what remain, his adversary scoring two points penalty at the same time.
_=THE STARTER.=_ Both players having discarded for the crib, the
non-dealer cuts the remainder of the pack, and the dealer lifts the top
card from the portion left on the table, turning it face up. The two
portions being again united, the turned card is placed face up on the
pack, and is known as the starter, because it forms the starting-point
in the count for every hand and crib. At least four cards must be left
in each packet in cutting for the starter. If the starter is found face
up, there must be a new deal.
If the starter is a Jack, the dealer immediately pegs two points _=for
his heels=_. If he does not peg these two holes before he plays a card
the score is lost. If the Jack of the same suit as the starter is found
in the hand or crib of any player, it is called _=his nobs=_, and when
the hand is reckoned up after the play is over, one point may be scored
for it.
If the dealer exposes more than one card after the pack has been
properly cut, his adversary may choose which of the exposed cards shall
be the starter.
In order to understand the motives which govern the players in
discarding, and the influences which the starter has upon the value of
the hands and crib, it will be necessary to describe the objects of the
game, before giving the method of play.
_=OBJECTS OF THE GAME.=_ The chief object in Cribbage is to form and to
preserve various counting combinations. As these combinations occur in
the course of play, or are shown in the hand or crib after the play is
over, their value in points is pegged on the cribbage board, and the
player who first pegs a sufficient number of these combinations to
reach a total of 61 points, wins the game.
There are five principal varieties of these counting combinations:
Pairs, Triplets, Fours, Sequences, and Fifteens; besides some minor
counts which will be spoken of in their proper place.
The various counting combinations in Cribbage may arise in two ways.
They may be formed by combining the cards played by one person with
those played by his adversary; or they may be found in the individual
hand or crib after the play is over. In the latter case the starter is
considered as part of each hand and crib, increasing each of them to
five available counting cards.
_=Pairs.=_ A pair is any two cards of the same denomination, such as
two Fives or two Queens, and its counting value is always the same, 2
points. _=Triplets=_, usually called Pairs Royal, Proils, or Prials,
are any three cards of the same denomination, such as three Nines.
Their value is the number of separate pairs that can be formed with the
three cards, which is three, and the combination is therefore always
worth 6 points. The different pairs that can be formed with three
Nines, for instance, would be as follows:--
[Illustration:
🂹 🃙 🂹 🂩 🃙 🂩
]
_=Fours=_, sometimes called Double Pairs Royal, or Deproils, are any
four cards of the same denomination, such as four Fours, and their
counting value is the number of separate pairs that can be formed with
the four cards, which is six. The combination is therefore always worth
12 points. The different combinations of four cards, arranged in pairs,
is as follows:--
[Illustration:
🂴 🃔 🂴 🂤 🂴 🃄
🃔 🂤 🃔 🃄 🂤 🃄
]
Whether the foregoing combinations are formed during the play of the
hand, or found in the hand or crib after the play is over, their
counting value is exactly the same.
_=Sequences.=_ Any three or more cards, following one another in
numerical order, will form a sequence. A sequence may also run into
the court cards, such as 9 10 J, 10 J Q, or J Q K; but Q K A is not a
sequence in Cribbage. The counting value of a sequence is one point
for each card in it. Sequences formed in the course of play must always
be single, although the cards forming them need not fall in regular
order. Those found in the hand or crib may be double, and those formed
with the aid of the starter may be treble or quadruple.
The method of computing the value of double and treble sequences
should be thoroughly understood, in order that such combinations may
be counted at sight. A few examples will show that each combination
belongs to a certain class, to which the same counting value is always
attached. These classes are distinguished by the number of duplicates
of the sequence cards.
[Illustration:
🂲 🃓 🂴 🂤
]
If you hold three cards which form a sequence, and have also a
duplicate of any one of them, no matter which, it is evident that by
substituting the card of equal value you can form another sequence.
Such combinations are therefore always worth 8 points, 6 for the
_=double run=_, as it is called, and 2 for the pair, no matter what the
cards are that form the combination.
[Illustration:
🂢 🂲 🃒 🃃 🃔
]
If the five cards in the hand and starter together contain a run of
three with two duplicates, it is evident that three separate sequences
can be formed by using each of the duplicates alternately. Such
combinations are always worth 15 points; 9 for the triple run of three,
and 6 for the pair royal.
[Illustration:
🃑 🃁 🃒 🂳 🃓
]
If the duplicates are of two different cards, no matter which, it will
be found that four different sequences of three cards each can be
formed by changing the Aces and Threes alternately. Such combinations
are therefore always worth 16 points: four runs of three, worth 12, and
4 points for the two separate pairs.
[Illustration:
🂡 🂢 🂳 🃔 🃄
]
If the five cards contain one sequence of four, and one duplicate, the
combination will always be worth 10 points; 8 for the double run of
four, and 2 for the pair.
The foregoing should be thoroughly familiar to every player, so that
he may know the exact value of the combination the moment he sees the
length of the sequence and the number of duplicates.
_=Two-card Fifteens.=_ Any combination of two or more cards, the total
face value of which is exactly 15, is called _=fifteen-two=_, because
each fifteen so formed is worth two points in the pegging. There are
only three combinations of two cards which will form fifteen; a Five
with any court card or Ten; a Nine and a Six; an Eight and a Seven.
The manner of counting duplicates is the same as that employed for the
pairs and sequences, and the player should be equally familiar with
each variety of combination. The fifteens formed by _=two cards=_ only
are the simplest, and should be studied first.
[Illustration:
🂮 🂻 🂥
]
It is obvious that if there is in the hand or the starter a duplicate
of either of the cards forming the fifteen, no matter which, another
fifteen can be formed, and the combination will therefore always be
worth 6 points; 4 for the two fifteens, and 2 for the pair. It must not
be forgotten that in the case of _=tenth cards=_, as they are called,
the duplicates may not form pairs, as for instance with K J 5. The
fifteen is duplicated, but there is no pair.
[Illustration:
🂩 🃉 🃙 🂦
]
If there are two duplicates of either card, the combination will always
be worth 12 points; 6 for the three fifteens, and 6 more for the pair
royal.
[Illustration:
🂹 🃙 🃆 🂶
]
If the duplicates are of two different cards, the combination is still
worth 12, because four different fifteens can be formed by combining
each Nine with each Six separately, and there are two single pairs.
[Illustration:
🃙 🃆 🂶 🃖 🂦
🂹 🂩 🃉 🃖 🂦
]
The same is true of any combinations of two-card fifteens in which
all five cards are of value; they are both of the same pegging value,
20 points. If there are three duplicates of one card in the original
fifteen, the four separate fifteens will be worth 8, and the double
pair royal 12. If there are two duplicates of one card, and one of the
other, six separate fifteens can be formed by combining each Nine with
each Six, pegging 12; and the pair royal of one card with the single
pair of the other will add 8 more.
_=Three-card Fifteens=_ may be formed in fifteen different ways,
ranging from 10 4 A, to 5 5 5. If you hold any of these combinations,
and have a fourth card which is a duplicate of any of the three forming
the fifteen, the value of the combination will depend on how many
cards you can replace with the duplicate card.
[Illustration:
🂾 🃞 🃔 🂡
]
If you have an extra tenth card, you can replace the other tenth card
once only, and the total value of the combination is therefore 6
points, which is expressed by the formula; “Fifteen-two, fifteen-four,
and a pair.”
[Illustration:
🃙 🂳 🃓 🂣
]
If your combination was 9 3 3, and you had another 9, the same thing
would be true; but if your duplicate is a Three, there are two cards
which can be replaced, and the combination is therefore worth 12; 6 for
the three fifteens, and 6 more for the pair royal.
[Illustration:
🂵 🃕 🃅 🂥
]