Napoleon is better played without a pool, because then players call the
strength of their hands and no more, and are not tempted into extravagance.
There is, however, not much practical harm in playing with a small pool or
"kitty." The simplest way to make up a pool is for every dealer to put in a
penny. If this will not satisfy the players, there are two ways of making a
pool mount up more rapidly. They are, that every dealer shall put in 3d.
and every player 1d. every time, or that every player of a knave or a five
of any other suit than trumps shall contribute 1d. to the pool. The pool
remains and accumulates until somebody succeeds in the call of Napoleon--or
Wellington, where that higher call is allowed. The player who calls Nap and
fails, does not usually have to double or even increase the pool. At some
tables, however, the caller of Nap who fails to make it has to pay into the
pool the same amount as is already there. This point should be agreed upon
before beginning the game. In Peep or Purchase Nap the pools are made by
the {99} payments for "peeping" and "purchasing" respectively, and other
methods of contributing to the kitty are dispensed with. The successful
caller of Napoleon always takes the pool.