Foster's Complete Hoyle: An Encyclopedia of Games / Including all indoor games played to-day. With suggestions for good play, illustrative hands, and all official laws to date

by R. F. Foster

RAMS, OR RAMMES

This game seems to be the connecting link between the more strongly marked members of the Euchre family and Division Loo.

CARDS. Rams is played with the euchre pack, thirty-two cards, which rank as at Écarté, K Q J A 10 9 8 7. It has lately become the fashion, however, to adopt the rank of the cards in the piquet pack, A K Q J 10 9 8 7.

PLAYERS. Any number from three to six may play; but when six play the dealer takes no cards. The general arrangements for the players, first deal, counters, etc., are exactly the same as at Spoil Five.

THE POOL. Each successive dealer puts up five counters, to form or to augment the pool.

DEALING. The cards having been properly shuffled and cut, five are given to each player; two the first round and three the next, or three the first round and two the next. An extra hand, known as the widow, is dealt face downward in the centre of the table. The dealer gives cards to the widow just before dealing to himself in each round. When all are helped, the next card is turned up for the trump. Irregularities in the deal are governed by the same rules as in Spoil Five.

DECLARING TO PLAY. Each player in turn, beginning with the eldest hand, may either play or pass. If he passes, he lays his cards face downward in front of him, and takes no further part in that deal unless a general rams is announced. If he plays, he engages himself to take at least one trick, or forfeit five counters to the pool. He may play with the hand originally dealt him, or he may risk getting a better by taking the widow in exchange. If he exchanges, his original hand is dead, and must not be seen by any player. If any player takes the widow, those following him must play the hand dealt them or pass out. In some clubs the eldest hand is obliged to play, either with his own hand or with the widow.

If all pass except the pone, he must play against the dealer, either with the cards dealt him, or with the widow. If he declines to play, he must pay the dealer five counters, and the pool remains. The dealer must play if he is opposed by only one player; but if two others have announced to play, the dealer may play or pass as he pleases. If he plays, he may discard and take up the trump card. No other player may rob the trump.

METHOD OF PLAYING. The eldest hand of those who have declared to play begins by leading any card he pleases. Each player in turn must head the trick; that is, play a higher card if he can. If he has two higher, he may play either. If he has none of the suit led, he must trump if he can, even if the trick is already trumped by another player. For instance: Hearts are trumps, and A leads a club. B follows suit, but neither C nor D has a club. Suppose C trumps with the King, and that the only trump D has is the Queen, he must play it on the trick, losing it to C’s King. When a player can neither follow suit nor trump, he may discard any card he pleases. The winner of the trick leads for the next trick, and so on until all five tricks have been played.

PENALTIES. There is only one penalty in Rams; to win nothing on the deal, and to forfeit five counters to the next pool. This is inflicted for playing with more or less than five cards; for exposing any card; for leading or playing out of turn; for renouncing; and for refusing to head or trump a trick when able to do so.

DIVIDING THE POOL. Pools may be simple or double. The usual custom is to compel every one to play when the pool is a simple, containing nothing but the five counters put up by the dealer. When there are more than five counters in the pool they must be some multiple of five, and the pool is called a double. In double pools the players may play or pass as they please. No matter how many counters are already in the pool, the dealer must add five.

Each player gathers in the tricks he wins, and at the end of the hand he is entitled to take one-fifth of the contents of the pool for every trick he has won. If he has played his hand, and failed to get a trick, he is ramsed, and forfeits five counters to form the next pool, in addition to those which will be put up by the next dealer. If two or more players fail to win a trick, they must each pay five counters, and if the player whose turn it will be to deal next is ramsed, he will have to put up ten; five for his deal, and five for the rams.

GENERAL RAMS. If any player thinks he can win all five tricks, with the advantage of the first lead, he may announce a general rams, when it comes to his turn to pass or play. This announcement may be made either before or after taking the widow. When a general rams is announced, all at the table must play, and those who have passed and laid down their hands, must take them up again. If the widow has not been taken, any player who has not already refused it may take it. The player who announced general rams has the first lead. If he succeeds in getting all five tricks, he not only gets the pool but receives five counters in addition from each player. If he fails, he must double the amount then in the pool, and pay five counters to each of his adversaries. Any player taking a trick that spoils a general rams gets nothing from the pool, and it is usual to abandon the hands the moment the announcing player loses a trick.