MATRIMONY.
Any number of persons may play, and a full pack of fifty-two cards is used. Each player should be provided with an equal number of counters, to which a trifling value may be attached. A strip of paper is placed in the centre of the table, marked as follows:—
| Matrimony. | Intrigue. | Confederacy. | Pair. | Best. |
Any King and Queen is Matrimony; any Queen and Jack is Intrigue; any King and Jack is Confederacy; any two cards of the same denomination form a Pair, and the diamond ace is always Best.
The players draw, and the lowest card deals: ace is low. The dealer then takes any number of counters he chooses, and distributes them as he pleases on the various divisions of the layout. Each player then takes a number of counters one less than the dealer’s, and distributes them according to his fancy.
The cards are then cut, and the dealer gives one to each player, face down; and then another, face up. If any of the latter should be the diamond ace, the player to whom it is dealt takes everything on the layout, and the cards are gathered and shuffled again, the deal passing to the left, the new dealer beginning a fresh pool. If the diamond ace is not turned up, each player in turn, beginning with the eldest hand, exposes his down card. The first player to discover Matrimony in his two cards, takes all that has been staked on that division of the layout. The first to discover Intrigue or Confederacy, takes all on that, and the first player to expose a Pair takes that pool. The ace of diamonds is of no value except as one of a pair, if it is one of the cards that were dealt to the players face down. The pool for it remains until the card is dealt to some player face up. Any of the pools which are not won must remain until the following deal, and may be added to.