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

SINGLE-PACK RUM.

CARDS. The full pack of fifty-two cards is used, ranking from the K Q J down to the ace, the suits having no rank. The ace may also be used in sequence with the king as the top of a sequence.

PLAYERS. Any number from two to six may play, but four or five makes the best game.

CUTTING. The cards are spread and drawn for choice of seats and first deal. The lowest cut has first choice, the next lowest sitting on his left and so on round the table.

DEALING. When two play, ten cards are given to each. When three play, seven to each. When four play, six to each. The cards are dealt one at a time until all are helped and the next card is turned face up on the table as a starter for the discard pile. The stock is left beside this card, face down.

OBJECT OF THE GAME. The aim of the players is to get rid of the cards dealt them and those they draw from the stock by laying face upward on the table any combinations of three of a kind, or three in sequence and suit.

METHOD OF PLAYING. The player to the left of the dealer begins by taking into his hand the card that is face up, if it suits him, or the top card of the stock. If he takes the top of the stock, he puts it into his hand without showing it. He may then lay out any combination of three cards that he holds, but he is not obliged to do so. Whether he lays out anything or not, he must discard a card, face up, to take the place of the one drawn. This discard is always placed beside the stock, and of course covers up any card already there.

LAYING OUT. After drawing from the stock and before discarding, a player may lay out any three cards, but no more than three at one time. Or he may add one card from his hand to any combination already laid out by another player, but he cannot add more than one card in this way. He may add a card to a combination laid out by himself if he wishes to.

CALLING OUT. Each player in turn to the left draws, lays out and discards in this manner until some player gets rid of his last card, when he calls out, and the game comes to an end. The last card in a player’s hand may be got rid of by laying it out in combination, or by discarding it if it is the only card left.

SCORING. As soon as any player calls out it is too late for any other player to lay down any combinations he may hold. Each player in turn to the left shows his hand and the winner gets credit for the pip value of his cards, jacks being worth 11, queens 12, kings 13.

It sometimes happens that the stock is exhausted before any player calls out. In this case the discards are turned face down without shuffling them and the pile drawn from as if it were the stock.

SPLASHES. The game is sometimes played with the condition that if any player chooses to risk holding his hand until he can lay it all down at once, or lay down all but the one which he is allowed to discard, he wins double from each of the others. This prompts a player with a good hand to hold it up for a round or two on the chance of getting down a splash, but the player who sees there is no chance for him should get rid of as many cards as he can before the splash comes, and in many cases some player will get rid of all his cards in two or three rounds, and win without a splash.