PAGE
NAP ... 3
LOO ... 16
POKER ... 31
VINGT-UN ... 59
COMMERCE ... 70
SPECULATION ... 77
POPE JOAN ... 80
SPIN ... 87
NEWMARKET ... 89
SNIP-SNAP-SNORUM ... 90
JIG ... 95
CASSINO ... 97
MY BIRD SINGS ... 101
SPOIL FIVE ... 103
LOTO ... 108
[3]
"NAP," OR "NAPOLEON."
The game of Napoleon, or as it is more generally and popularly called
"Nap," was introduced into this country from the United States, it is
believed, about 1865, although it is recorded that the game had previously
been played for high stakes at some of the more notorious gambling clubs.
It is named after the great Napoleon, as the principal player in the game
becomes, for the time being, an Ishmaelite, whose "hand" is against every
man's, and every man's against his, as was the case with the "Grand
Adventurer" in 1804-15 (_see_ Variations)--whence we have the terms
Wellington, Blücher, etc.
It is an admirable game for three, four, or five persons, and is also
available for two and six, though four is the ideal number, and it is
played with an ordinary pack of fifty-two cards. (For Nap with thirty-two
card pack, _see_ page 14). With six persons taking part in the game the
dealer stands out of the play, not dealing any cards to himself, though he
receives and pays for the tricks like the others, and the same system is
sometimes adopted when there are five players; as, if all the players took
active part in the game, it would become most difficult to make the tricks,
because more cards would be in use.
The popularity of the game is no doubt owing to the short time necessary
for playing the hands, and to the fact [4] that it can be terminated at
any moment, for no game or deal need exceed two or three minutes, except
when a pool or "kitty" is introduced (_see_ Variations). In this case
provision has to be made for the distribution of the amount of the kitty.
While care in playing is necessary, no great amount of skill is required to
render the game diverting as an amusement, while it also affords ample
scope for the exercise of speculation and the other elements of excitement.
_DESCRIPTION_.
The main idea of the play, as already stated, is for one of the competitors
to stand against the united efforts of the others, who, in turn, use their
powers to prevent his securing the object for which he is striving--in this
case to win the whole or a certain number of tricks. The number of the
tricks to be won is variable, and it depends on the value of the cards
in each player's hand to decide what number he will endeavour to secure.
The greatest possible achievement is to win the whole of the tricks (which
are five in number), and the player who succeeds in doing this scores a
"Nap," and receives double stakes from each of his companions; if however,
after declaring his intention to try for Nap he fails, he only pays a
single, _i.e._, for five tricks; and, as will be shown later on, this
condition attaching to a Nap becomes an important feature in deciding
on the number of tricks to be played for, when a good hand is secured.
The only safe and perfect Nap is ace, king, queen, knave, and ten of the
same suit, but as this combination of cards does not often occur in actual
practice, it remains for the player to speculate on his chances with the
cards he holds.
[5]
It is this speculation of possibilities which forms the principal feature
of the game, and it is the ability of a competitor to make an immediate
decision on this point that governs his success or failure in its practice.
Very much, however, depends on the temperament of the player. A bold,
enterprising person will risk much in the hope of winning much, and one
player will declare for Nap on the same cards which another would consider
only safe for three tricks, and, in like manner, one will declare for three
tricks where his neighbour would hesitate to risk two.
Another important matter for consideration is the number of players
engaged, and the consequent proportion of cards in use. Each player
receives five cards, so that it follows, with three players engaged,
that fifteen are in use, and thirty-seven remain in the pack unexposed;
whereas if five are playing there are twenty-five cards in use, and only
twenty-seven remaining unexposed. The calculation necessary is, therefore,
as to the probability of certain superior cards being in the hands of the
opponents, or remaining in the undealt surplus of the pack.
_TACTICS_.
As a perfect Nap is of such rarity we must content ourselves with
substitutes, and in this respect we may regard the following combinations
as good ordinary hands on which to declare for the full number of tricks:
a flush of fairly high cards, _i.e._, the five all of one suit; four
of one suit (headed with ace or king), and one high card of another suit;
or three high cards of one suit, with two high cards of a second suit.
It is dangerous to risk a Nap on a hand of three suits, unless it consists
of three high cards of one suit with two other aces; then it is often
possible to [6] win the five tricks, by first exhausting the trumps, and
then playing the aces, which must win; but if one of the opponents starts
with four trumps, no matter how small, success is, of course, impossible.
If a player does not consider his cards good enough to permit of his
declaring for Nap--and it is fair to suppose that not once in a hundred
they will be absolutely safe--he has to decide what they are worth, and
declare accordingly. It is not often that four tricks are called, because
a hand good enough for four is usually regarded as sufficiently good
for Nap, on account of the additional stakes received by the player who
succeeds in making the whole of the tricks, which amount to a difference
of six points from each competitor, as for four tricks he receives four,
while for Nap he receives ten, paying only five, however, if he loses.
On the same principle as already shown in regard to a "perfect" Nap,
it will be understood that ace, king, queen, is the only certain
combination with which to secure three tricks, but these cards, again,
are seldom met with in a hand, and speculation is once more the principal
matter for consideration. Ace, knave, and ten of a suit is generally
good for three tricks, as the only possibility against such a combination
is that one of the other players holds king or queen of the same suit,
with a smaller trump to throw away when the ace is led. Three tricks are,
however, often called on much lower cards than ace, knave, ten, especially
when the other cards in the hand are of one suit, or are sufficiently high
to admit of the possibility of one of them securing a trick. The same line
of reasoning holds good in regard to a declaration of two tricks, the only
certainty in that case being ace and king.
It must not be considered, after these comments on the game, that there is
any great difficulty to surmount in acquiring [7] a knowledge of Napoleon.
As we said at the commencement of our remarks no great skill is essential,
but considerable care is necessary to secure anything like success at the
game, the chief factor in which is so-called luck. It is impossible to
make tricks, or even declare an intention to try for them, unless one
receives a certain number of high cards. One may even go further, and
say that luck goes far beyond the actual cards dealt to each player, for
the best of hands often fail, and poor cards frequently achieve success;
whilst it happens, in numerous cases, that the playing of the cards
demonstrates that really weak hands would have secured success if the
holder had had the pluck, or impudence, we may term it, to declare more
than the value of the cards seemed to justify. On the other hand it
is often astonishing to find the number of high cards of a given suit
included among the fifteen, twenty, or twenty-five in the hands of the
players engaged in the game.
Taking all matters into consideration, it must be regarded as virtually
impossible to give any precise rules for deciding the number of tricks
to declare, and it is equally difficult to lay down any definite plan for
playing the cards to the tricks. We can only generalize for the information
of our readers, who must decide for themselves whether they will play an
adventurous game, with its greater risks, and greater possibilities of
success; or whether they will adopt a quieter and less speculative course,
standing to win or lose less on their own declarations.
It must always be borne in mind, however, that whichever course is pursued
it is only his own actions that can be governed by each player. One
may adopt a quiet, safe game, and risk little, while some or all of the
opponents may adopt the opposite extreme, and force all the competitors,
[8] in a manner of speaking, to share in their risky speculations.
If the bold player wins, and we think the chances are in his favour,
the quieter ones, no matter how safe their own declarations may be,
must necessarily lose, and _vice versâ_ so that we have, not only the
numberless possible combinations of the cards to consider, but also the
temperament and position of those engaged in each game.
Care should be taken to remember, as far as possible, the cards thrown away
by the other players, when they cannot follow suit to any particular lead,
and it will be found in practice that much information can be derived
as to the character of the remaining cards from a careful study of the
hands during the progress of the play, and this knowledge is particularly
valuable when a player is left with two cards of equal, or nearly equal
value, and his chance of success depends upon his winning a trick with
one of them.
We shall now proceed to consider the various parts of the game, and the
variations that have been introduced into the method of playing it.
_STAKES_.
The stakes may consist of any amount previously arranged, and whatever is
decided upon, whether it be counters or money, is recognised as the limit
per trick, only changed when a player having declared for Nap, succeeds
in making it, in which case each player pays double, or as though he had
lost ten tricks. In other cases the players win or lose one stake for each
trick that the senior hand has declared for. Say, for example, he declared
to win three tricks, and succeeded, then each of the other players would
pay him three times the amount of the stake; if the senior hand did not
succeed, he would have to pay a similar amount to each of the others.
[9]
_DEALING_.
The deal is decided by the cards being turned face upwards before each
player, until the first knave is exposed. The player to whom the knave
falls then becomes the first dealer. It is better to play with two
separate packs of cards, as considerable time is saved in collecting and
shuffling, which operations are to be performed by the player on the next
dealer's left hand side. When shuffled the cards are to be placed on the
right hand side of the dealer, where they are to be left until the player
on his right cuts them. The dealer distributes five cards to each player,
going from left to might, and dealing the cards one at a time.
As the deal is a disadvantage, inasmuch as the dealer has the last call,
there is no penalty attaching to a misdeal, unless the game is being played
with the addition of a pool or kitty (_see_ page 11), in which case the
player making a misdeal pays a penalty to the pool equal to the stake of
one trick. In the event of a misdeal, or accidental exposure of a card,
the whole pack must be collected, shuffled and re-cut, as before, after
which the cards are to be re-dealt by the same player who made the mistake.
The players must not interfere with the cards during the deal, under a
similar penalty, nor touch the remainder of the pack when once it has
left the dealer's hands.
_CALLING_.
The deal having been completed the players are entitled to look at their
cards, and then declare, in turn, whether they will "stand" or "pass," the
player on the dealer's left having the first call. If he decide to stand
he declares the number of tricks he will stand for, while if he elects to
pass [10] he simply states his intention of so doing, but it is understood
that the first caller must stand for one trick, should all the others
decide to pass, except in the case where the Double Header is agreed to
(_see_ page 13). The next player then announces his intention. If he
cannot stand for more tricks than have already been called he must pass,
and the same holds good all round, until the dealer is reached. No player
may make a second declaration, or alter one once made.
_PLAYING THE HANDS_.
The player who has called the highest number of tricks now becomes
senior hand, and his object is to make the tricks he has declared,
in opposition to the united efforts of the other players, who combine
--without consultation or arrangement of any kind--to defeat his purpose.
The senior hand may make trumps of any suit he chooses, and this he
signifies by leading one of the suit he selects. It will thus be seen
that the first card played in each deal decides the trumps for that deal.
The player on the left of the leader then follows. If he has a card of the
suit led he must play it, but if not he may throw off any card he chooses.
If he has more than one card of the suit he can play either, as he is not
forced to head the trick even if he has a card higher than that led but in
practice it is seldom desirable to pass a trick in the first round, when
headed by the senior hand, except under exceptional circumstances, such for
instance as holding ace and a small one, with knave or a lower card led.
Provided no player has headed the trick, _i.e._, played a higher card
of the same suit as the one led, the trick is scored by the senior hand,
and he leads for the second [11] round. If, however, one of the players
has taken the trick, then the lead passes to the winner of that trick,
and the same occurs after the second, third and fourth tricks.
In the second and subsequent rounds the leader may play whatever card he
chooses, just as in the first, the trumps remaining unaltered. A player
having one of the suit led in either round must play it, but if he has none
of the suit he may either discard one of the others, or head the trick by
playing a trump. This continues throughout the five rounds, unless the
senior hand shall have previously won the number of tricks he declared,
or shall have lost such a number as to render his success impossible,
in either of which cases the cards are collected for the next deal.