Solo Whist is not yet fortunate enough to possess an established code of
laws having universal authority. Probably the best and fullest rules for
the game are those given in _How to Play Solo Whist_, by Abraham S. Wilks
and Charles F. Pardon (Chatto and Windus). We append, however, an epitome
of their more important provisions.
The cards must be shuffled by the player on the dealer's left; the dealer
may then shuffle if he likes, and the pack is cut by the player to the
right of the dealer.
A fresh deal is necessary if a card is exposed or faced in the pack, or if
there is a misdeal. This new deal is by the same player, and there is no
penalty. {150}
The trump card must be left exposed on the table until after the first
trick is turned and quitted, but the dealer may play it to the first trick
if he can legally do so.
When the trump card has been taken up, it must not be named,
although--except when a misere is being played--any one may ask, and must
be told, what is the trump suit.
There is no penalty if the caller of a solo, misere, or abondance exposes
any or all of his cards, the exposure being in this case to his own
disadvantage. There are, however, penalties if any one playing _against_ a
single caller, or for or against a proposition, exposes any of his cards.
If a card is exposed by one of the adversaries of a misere or misere
ouverte, the misere-caller can immediately claim the stakes, and is
regarded as having won the declaration, the stakes being paid by the
offender for himself and his partners. The misere-caller can enforce the
same penalty if a card is led out of turn against him, or if a revoke is
made against him, or, indeed, if any one follows suit out of turn.
It should be said that an exposed card is a card that is placed face
upwards on the table, or the face of which can be seen by any of the
players except him to whom the card belongs. The aggrieved party can demand
that the card be played or not be played, _i.e._ he can say, "Follow suit
or play the ----" (naming the exposed card), and this demand can be
repeated as long as the exposed card remains unplayed. If the exposed card
is a trump, and trumps are not led, the adversary may say, "Follow suit or
pass the trick," when the holder of the {151} exposed card must not trump,
but must renounce a card of another suit if he cannot follow.
The offender cannot be prevented from throwing away an exposed card if he
has not a card of the led suit, or from leading it when it is his turn to
lead, except against a solo or abondance, when he may be repeatedly
prohibited from leading it. When the suit exposed is led by some one other
than the offender, the adversary may say to him who exposed the card,
"Play"--or "Don't--play that card;" or he can make him play either the
highest or lowest of his suit to the lead.
A suit cannot be called for exposing a card; the penalty known as calling a
suit is exacted when a man leads out of his turn.
If a player does lead out of his turn, the card may be treated as an
exposed card by the adversaries if they choose, or they may call a suit
from either the man who exposed the card or his partner when next either of
them has to lead; and any such demand must be complied with, under penalty
of a revoke.
In exacting any of these penalties, the partners against whom the offence
has been committed may decide which of them shall exact the penalty, but
must not consult, save in the case of a revoke, as to what that penalty
shall be.
Where a man follows suit out of turn, _i.e._ plays before one of his
partner who ought to have played before him, that partner can be compelled
to play his highest or lowest of the suit, or to trump or not to trump at
the adversaries' option.
If all the four men have played to the trick before any irregularity is
discovered, there is no {152} penalty. This, however, does not apply to a
revoke.
Now, as to revokes. No revoking player or partnership can win a
declaration.
The penalty for every revoke is the loss of three tricks from the score of
the revoking side.
A revoke is established when the trick containing it is turned and quitted,
_i.e._ is covered up and turned over, and the hand has left it. The
offender or his partner leading, or following the lead, to the succeeding
trick, also establishes a revoke.
If, after the three tricks for a revoke are taken from the score of the
offending side, he or they still have enough tricks to win the declaration,
then he simply loses the declaration--_i.e._ supposing a solo-caller
revokes, and he has made eight or nine tricks, he would, after the penalty
was paid, have made enough to win the solo. He then only pays 6d., at the
stakes which we have been explaining, to each of his opponents.
If, however, the forfeiture of the tricks brings the offender's number down
below the score required by the declaration, then for each trick short the
agreed-upon price of an under-trick must also be paid.
The actual offender pays the stakes in all cases of a revoke, except in the
instance of a proposer and acceptor, who, being voluntary partners, pay the
fine between them.
If a revoke is suspected, those who wish it may, at the close of the hand,
examine all the tricks for proof of their assertion; and if the other side
do not allow this examination to be properly made, the revoke is
established. {153}
It is essential, after a misere is defeated, that the opposing hands be
instantly exposed to prove that no revoke has been made.
In case of a revoke on both sides, the deal is void.
In order to prevent revokes as far as possible, the rule should be
stringently observed of calling a player's attention to the fact that he
renounces upon or trumps a led suit. The general question is, "You have no
spade, partner?" or whatever the suit may be to which he has not followed.
These remarks do not apply to a misere, because in the case of that
declaration an exposed card is as fatal as a revoke itself.
If one man proposes, and another man, not hearing or not noticing, also
says, "I propose," the second declaration cannot be amended to an
acceptance, but any other player may accept, or the original proposer may
amend his call to anything better.
In the same way, a player may call one thing when he intends something
else. If he correct himself instantly, it is courteous to let the change be
made; but he cannot claim this indulgence.
What we have said about improper calls applies with increased strength to
improper remarks or suggestions.
As a general rule, it may be said that any remark made conveying an unfair
intimation to partners entitles the other side to throw up the cards and
demand a fresh deal.
As at Whist, however, a player may ask for the cards on the table to be
"placed" when it is his turn to play, just as he may ask to see the last
trick, or to know what suit are trumps. This demand to {154} see the last
trick holds good at all declarations except a misere.
A trick once turned in a misere must not be looked at or referred to; but
in the other phases of the game, any player at the table, whether it is his
turn to play or not, may ask to see the last trick, and must be shown it,
but he can never see more than eight cards, and if there are no cards on
the table he can only see the last trick. He can never see two tricks that
have been turned.
Should the cards be improperly divided, the declaring hand or hands win the
stakes if their own cards are correct, and any person or partnership with
the incorrect number of cards must, whatever has happened, lose the stake,
unless the error is discovered before the first call is announced.