The players cut for deal, the highest card having the preference.[1] The
dealer gives six cards to each, turning up the thirteenth as trump. If the
elder hand is dissatisfied with his cards, he may say, "I beg," in which
case the dealer is bound either to allow him (by the phrase, "Take one") to
score one point, or to give each player three more cards from the pack,
turning up that next following by way of fresh trump card. If this should
be of the same suit as the original trump, the dealer is bound to give
three more cards to each, again turning up the seventh, until a new suit
does actually turn up. If the turn-up card be a knave, the dealer scores
one, this taking precedence of any other score. If, by reason of the elder
hand "begging," there is a further deal, and the dealer a second time turns
up a knave, he again scores one. The elder hand leads any card he pleases.
His antagonist must follow suit or trump, his right to do the latter not
being affected by his holding cards of the suit led. If, however, having a
card of the suit led, he neither follows suit nor trumps, he becomes liable
to the penalty of a revoke.
The player of the highest card of the suit led, or a trump, wins the trick,
which is turned down as at {3} Whist, and so on throughout the six tricks.
In scoring, the order of precedence is (1) High, (2) Low, (3) Jack, (4)
Game; subject, as we have seen, to the contingency of "Jack" having been
the turn-up card, the point for this being scored before the hand is
played.
The play is mainly directed to capturing the Jack, and such cards as may
score towards Game.
Some players score a point whenever the adversary does not follow suit or
trump. Some, again, make it the rule that each player must count his score
without looking at his tricks, under penalty of losing one or more points,
as may be agreed, in the event of a miscalculation.