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

WHIST FAMILY LAWS.

While the code of laws drawn up by the American Whist League, and finally approved and adopted at the Third Congress, [in Chicago, June 20th to 24th, 1893,] refers exclusively to the parent game of Whist, its general provisions equally apply to all members of the whist family of games. The author believes it will save much repetition and confusion to interlineate the exceptions which are necessary in order to cover the special features of such important variations as Boston, Cayenne, and Solo Whist. Where no exceptions are made, the law applies equally to these games and to Whist. The unnumbered paragraphs show the inserted laws.

It is a common practice for the framers of laws to insert rules which are simply descriptive of the manner of play. The author believes in adhering to the proper definition of a law, which is a rule carrying with it some penalty for its infraction, or defining the rights of individual players. Such a statement as that the Dummy player may not overlook his adversary’s hand is not a law, because there is no penalty if he does so.

The author is not responsible for the peculiar grammar employed in both the American and English Laws.

THE GAME.

1. A game consists of seven points, each trick above six counting one. The value of the game is determined by deducting the losers’ score from seven.

In Boston, the game is finished in twelve deals.

In Cayenne, a game consists of ten points, each trick above six counting towards game according to the table of values. Honours and Slams also count towards game. Every hand must be played out, and all points made in excess of the ten required to win the game are counted on the next game; so that it is possible to win two or three games in one hand. In Nullo, every trick over the book is counted by the adversaries. Players cannot count out by honours alone; they must win the odd trick or stop at the score of nine. If one side goes out by cards, the other cannot score honours. The rubber is won by the side that first wins four games of ten points each. The value of the rubber is determined by adding 8 points to the winners’ score for tricks, honours, and slams, and then deducting the score of the losers.

In Solo Whist, the game is complete in one deal, and the value of it is determined by the player’s success or failure in his undertaking, and must be settled for at the end of the hand, according to the table of payments.

FORMING THE TABLE.

2. Those first in the room have the preference. If, by reason of two or more arriving at the same time, more than four assemble, the preference among the last comers is determined by cutting, a lower cut giving the preference over all cutting higher. A complete table consists of six; the four having the preference play. Partners are determined by cutting; the highest two play against the lowest two; the lowest deals and has the choice of seats and cards.

In Boston and in Solo Whist, a table is complete with four players. In cutting for positions at the table, the lowest has the choice of seats and cards, and the two highest sit opposite each other.

3. If two players cut intermediate cards of equal value, they cut again; the lower of the new cut plays with the original lowest.

4. If three players cut cards of equal value, they cut again. If the fourth has cut the highest card, the two lowest of the new cut are partners, and the lowest deals. If the fourth has cut the lowest card, he deals, and the two highest of the new cut are partners.

5. At the end of a game, if there are more than four belonging to the table, a sufficient number of the players retire to admit those awaiting their turn to play. In determining which players remain in, those who have played a less number of consecutive games have the preference over all who have played a greater number; between two or more who have played an equal number, the preference is determined by cutting, a lower cut giving the preference over all cutting higher.

In Boston, Cayenne, and Solo Whist, at the end of a game a new table must be formed, those already in having no preference over fresh candidates.

6. To entitle one to enter a table, he must declare his intention to do so before any one of the players has cut for the purpose of commencing a new game or of cutting out.

In Boston, Cayenne, and Solo Whist, this rule does not apply.

CUTTING.

7. In cutting, the ace is the lowest card. All must cut from the same pack. If a player exposes more than one card, he must cut again. Drawing cards from the outspread pack may be resorted to in place of cutting.

SHUFFLING.

8. Before every deal, the cards must be shuffled. When two packs are used, the dealer’s partner must collect and shuffle the cards for the ensuing deal and place them at his right hand. In all cases the dealer may shuffle last.

In Boston and in Cayenne, two packs must be used; and in Boston there must be no shuffling of either pack after the first deal.

9. A pack must not be shuffled during the play of a hand, nor so as to expose the face of any card.

CUTTING TO THE DEALER.

10. The dealer must present the pack to his right hand adversary to be cut; the adversary must take a portion from the top of the pack and place it toward the dealer; at least four cards must be left in each packet; the dealer must reunite the packets by placing the one not removed in cutting upon the other.

11. If, in cutting or reuniting the separate packets, a card is exposed, the pack must be reshuffled by the dealer, and cut again; if there is any confusion of the cards, or doubt as to the place where the pack was separated, there must be a new cut.

In Boston, the pack must be cut again; but not shuffled.

12. If the dealer reshuffles the pack after it has been properly cut, he loses his deal.

In Boston, Cayenne, and Solo Whist, the misdealer must deal again.

DEALING.

13. When the pack has been properly cut and reunited, the dealer must distribute the cards, one at a time, to each player in regular rotation, beginning at his left. The last, which is the trump card, must be turned up before the dealer. At the end of the hand, or when the deal is lost, the deal passes to the player next to the dealer on his left, and so on to each in turn.

In Solo Whist, the cards are distributed three at a time until only four remain in the pack. These are dealt one at a time, and the last turned up for trump.

In Boston and in Cayenne, the cards are dealt four at a time for two rounds, and then five at a time. No trump is turned. After the cards have been dealt the player opposite the dealer presents the still pack to be cut by the player on the dealer’s left, and the top card of the portion left on the table is turned up.

In Boston, Cayenne, or Solo Whist, the deal is never lost. The same dealer deals again with the same pack.

14. There must be a new deal by the same dealer:—

I. If any card except the last is faced in the pack.

II. If, during the deal or during the play of the hand, the pack is proved incorrect or imperfect; but any prior score made with that pack shall stand.

15. If, during the deal, a card is exposed, the side not in fault may demand a new deal, provided neither of that side has touched a card. If a new deal does not take place, the exposed card is not liable to be called.

16. Any one dealing out of turn, or with his adversaries’ pack, may be stopped before the trump card is turned, after which the deal is valid, and the packs, if changed, so remain.

In Boston and Cayenne, the dealer must be stopped before the last card is dealt.

MISDEALING.

17. It is a misdeal:—

I. If the dealer omits to have the pack cut, and his adversaries discover the error before the trump card is turned, and before looking at any of their cards.

II. If he deals a card incorrectly, and fails to correct the error before dealing another.

III. If he counts the cards on the table or in the remainder of the pack.

IV. If, having a perfect pack, he does not deal to each player the proper number of cards, and the error is discovered before all have played to the first trick.

V. If he looks at the trump card before the deal is completed.

VI. If he places the trump card face downward upon his own or any other player’s cards.

A misdeal loses the deal, unless, during the deal, either of the adversaries touches a card or in any other manner interrupts the dealer.

In Boston, Cayenne, and Solo Whist, the misdealer deals again with the same cards. In Boston he forfeits a red counter to the pool for his error.

THE TRUMP CARD.

18. The dealer must leave the trump card face upward on the table until it is his turn to play to the first trick; if it is left on the table until after the second trick has been turned and quitted, it is liable to be called. After it has been lawfully taken up, it must not be named, and any player naming it is liable to have his highest or his lowest trump called by either adversary. A player may, however, ask what the trump suit is.

This law does not apply to Boston, or Cayenne.

In Boston and in Cayenne, no trump is turned, but a card is cut from the still pack to determine the rank of the suits. See Law 13.

In Cayenne, the trump suit must be named by the dealer or his partner after they have examined their cards. The dealer has the first say, and he may select any of the four suits, or he may announce “grand,” playing for the tricks without any trump suit. In Cayenne, he may announce “nullo,” playing to take as few tricks as possible, there being no trump suit. If the dealer makes his choice, his partner must abide by it; but if the dealer has not a hand to justify him in deciding, he may leave the choice to his partner, who must decide. A declaration once made cannot be changed.

IRREGULARITIES IN THE HANDS.

19. If, at any time after all have played to the first trick, the pack being perfect, a player is found to have either more or less than his correct number of cards and his adversaries have their right number, the latter, upon the discovery of such surplus or deficiency, may consult and shall have the choice:—

I. To have a new deal; or

II. To have the hand played out, in which case the surplus or missing card or cards are not taken into account.

If either of the adversaries also has more or less than his correct number, there must be a new deal.

If any player has a surplus card by reason of an omission to play to a trick, his adversaries can exercise the foregoing privilege only after he has played to the trick following the one in which such omission occurred.

In Boston, if at any time it is discovered that a player opposed to the bidder has less than his proper number of cards, whether through the fault of the dealer, or through having played more than one card to a trick, he and his partners must each pay the bidder for his bid and all over-tricks. If the bidder has less than his proper number of cards, he is put in for one trick at least, and his adversaries may demand the hand to be played out to put him in for over-tricks. In Misère Partout, any player having less than his proper number of cards forfeits five red counters to each of the other players, and the hands are abandoned. If any player has more than the proper number of cards, it is a misdeal, and the misdealer deals again, after forfeiting one red counter to the pool.

In Solo Whist, the deal stands good. Should the player with the incorrect number of cards be the caller or his partner, the hand must be played out. Should the caller make good his proposition, he neither receives nor pays on that hand. If he fails, he must pay. Should the player with the defective hand be the adversary of the caller, he and his partners must pay the stakes on that hand, which may then be abandoned. Should two players have an incorrect number of cards, one of them being the caller, there must be a new deal.

CARDS LIABLE TO BE CALLED.

20. The following cards are liable to be called by either adversary:—

I. Every card faced upon the table otherwise than in the regular course of play, but not including a card led out of turn.

II. Every card thrown with the one led or played to the current trick. The player must indicate the one led or played.

III. Every card so held by a player that his partner sees any portion of its face.

IV. All the cards in a hand lowered or shown by a player so that his partner sees more than one card of it.

V. Every card named by the player holding it.

In Boston and Solo Whist there are no penalties for cards exposed by the single player, because he has no partner to take advantage of the information.

21. All cards liable to be called must be placed and left face upwards on the table. A player must lead or play them when called, provided he can do so without revoking. The call may be repeated at each trick until the card is played. A player cannot be prevented from leading or playing a card liable to be called; if he can get rid of it in the course of play, no penalty remains.

In Boston and in Solo Whist, if the exposed card is a trump, the owner may be called upon by his adversary not to use it for ruffing. If the suit of the exposed card is led, whether trump or not, the adversary may demand that the card be played or not played; or that the highest or lowest of the suit be played. If the owner of the exposed card has no other of the suit, the penalty is paid.

Penalties must be exacted by players in their proper turn, or the right to exact them is lost. For instance: In Solo Whist, A is the proposer, B the acceptor, and B has an exposed card in front of him. When Y plays he should say whether or not he wishes to call the exposed card. If he says nothing, B must await Z’s decision.

22. If a player leads a card better than any his adversaries hold of the suit, and then leads one or more other cards without waiting for his partner to play, the latter may be called upon by either adversary to take the first trick, and the other cards thus improperly played are liable to be called; it makes no difference whether he plays them one after the other, or throws them all on the table together, after the first card is played, the others are liable to be called.

23. A player having a card liable to be called must not play another until the adversaries have stated whether or not they wish to call the card liable to the penalty. If he plays another card without awaiting the decision of the adversaries, such other card also is liable to be called.

LEADING OUT OF TURN.

24. If any player leads out of turn, a suit may be called from him or his partner, the first time it is the turn of either of them to lead. The penalty can be enforced only by the adversary on the right of the player from whom a suit can be lawfully called.

If a player, so called on to lead a suit, has none of it, or if all have played to the false lead, no penalty can be enforced. If all have not played to the trick, the cards erroneously played to such false lead are not liable to be called and must be taken back.

In Boston, if the adversary of the bidder leads out of turn, and the bidder has not played to the trick, the latter may call a suit from the player whose proper turn it is to lead; or, if it is the bidder’s own lead, he may call a suit when next the adversaries obtain the lead; or he may claim the card played in error as an exposed card. If the bidder has played to the trick the error cannot be rectified. Should the bidder lead out of turn, and the player on his left follow the erroneous lead, the error cannot be corrected.

In Misères, a lead out of turn by the bidder’s adversary immediately loses the game, but there is no penalty for leading out of turn in Misère Partout.

PLAYING OUT OF TURN.

25. If the third hand plays before the second, the fourth hand also may play before the second.

26. If the third hand has not played, and the fourth hand plays before the second, the latter may be called upon by the third hand to play his highest or lowest card of the suit led or, if he has none, to trump or not to trump the trick.

In Boston, and in Solo Whist, should an adversary of the single player play out of turn, the bidder may call upon the adversary who has not played to play his highest or lowest of the suit led, or to win or not to win the trick. If the adversary of a Misère player leads or plays out of turn, the bidder may immediately claim the stakes. In Solo Whist, the individual player in fault must pay for himself and for his partners.

ABANDONED HANDS.

27. If all four players throw their cards on the table, face upwards, no further play of that hand is permitted. The result of the hand, as then claimed or admitted, is established, provided that, if a revoke is discovered, the revoke penalty attaches.

In Solo Whist, should the bidder abandon his hand, he and his partner, if any, must pay the stakes and settle for all over-tricks as if they had lost all the remaining tricks. If a player, not the bidder, abandons his hand, his partner or partners may demand the hand to be played out with the abandoned hand exposed, and liable to be called by the adversary. If they defeat the call they win nothing, but the player who abandoned his hand must pay the caller just as if he had been successful. If the partner or partners of the exposed hand lose, they must pay their share of the losses.

REVOKING.

28. A revoke is a renounce in error, not corrected in time. A player renounces in error, when, holding one or more cards of the suit led, he plays a card of a different suit.

A renounce in error may be corrected by the player making it, before the trick in which it occurs has been turned and quitted, unless either he or his partner, whether in his right turn or otherwise, has led or played to the following trick.

29. If a player corrects his mistake in time to save a revoke, the card improperly played by him is liable to be called; any player or players, who have played after him, may withdraw their cards and substitute others; the cards so withdrawn are not liable to be called.

In Boston, if the bidder revokes and corrects himself in time, there is no penalty unless an adversary has played after him, in which case the bidder’s card may be claimed as exposed. The player who followed him may then amend his play. If a player opposed to the bidder discovers and corrects a revoke made by himself or any of his partners, the bidder may either claim the card played in error as exposed, or may call on the revoking player for his highest or lowest of the suit led.

30. The penalty for revoking is the transfer of two tricks from the revoking side to their adversaries; it can be enforced for as many revokes as occur during the hand. The revoking side cannot win the game in that hand; if both sides revoke, neither can win the game in that hand.

In Cayenne and Solo Whist, as a penalty for a revoke, the adversaries of the revoking player may take from him three tricks; or may deduct the value of three tricks from his score; or may add the value of three tricks to their own score. The revoking players cannot score slams or game that hand. All slams must be made independently of the revoke penalty.

In Boston, the penalty for a revoke on the part of the bidder is that he is put in for one trick, and must pay four red counters into the next pool. Should an adversary of the bidder revoke, he must pay four red counters into the next pool, and he and his partners must pay the bidder as if he had been successful. On the discovery of a revoke in Boston the hands are usually abandoned; but the cards should be shown to the table, in order that each player may be satisfied that no other revoke has been made. A player revoking in Misère Partout pays five red counters to each of his adversaries and the hands are then abandoned.

31. The revoking player and his partner may require the hand in which the revoke has been made, to be played out, and score all points made by them up to the score of six.

In Boston, the hands are abandoned after the revoke is claimed and proved.

In Cayenne, the revoking players must stop at nine.

In Solo Whist, the revoking players must pay all the red counters involved in the call, whether they win or lose, but they may play the hand out to save over-tricks. If the caller or his partner revokes they must jointly pay the losses involved; but if an adversary of the caller revokes, he must individually pay the entire loss unless he can show that the callers would have won in spite of the revoke. Should he be able to do this, his partners must stand their share of the losses, but the revoking player must individually pay for the three tricks taken as the revoke penalty. If the single player revokes, either on solo or abundance, he loses the red counters involved in any case, but may play the hand out to save over-tricks. If the single player in a misère or a slam revokes, the hand is abandoned and he must pay the stakes. If an adversary of a misère or a slam revokes, he must individually pay the whole stakes.

32. At the end of a hand, the claimants of a revoke may search all the tricks. If the cards have been mixed, the claim may be urged and proved, if possible; but no proof is necessary and the revoke is established, if, after it has been claimed, the accused player or his partner mixes the cards before they have been examined to the satisfaction of the adversaries.

33. The revoke can be claimed at any time before the cards have been presented and cut for the following deal, but not thereafter.

MISCELLANEOUS.

34. Any one, during the play of a trick and before the cards have been touched for the purpose of gathering them together, may demand that the players draw their cards.

35. If any one, prior to his partner playing, calls attention in any manner to the trick or to the score, the adversary last to play to the trick may require the offender’s partner to play his highest or lowest of the suit led or, if he has none, to trump or not to trump the trick.

36. If any player says “I can win the rest,” “The rest are ours,” “We have the game,” or words to that effect, his partner’s cards must be laid upon the table and are liable to be called.

37. When a trick has been turned and quitted, it must not again be seen until after the hand has been played. A violation of this law subjects the offender’s side to the same penalty as in case of a lead out of turn.

In Boston, Cayenne, and Solo Whist, it is still the custom to permit looking at the last trick, except in Misères. The penalty in a misère game is the same as for a lead out of turn.

38. If a player is lawfully called upon to play the highest or lowest of a suit, or to trump or not to trump a trick, or to lead a suit, and unnecessarily fails to comply, he is liable to the same penalty as if he had revoked.

39. In all cases where a penalty has been incurred, the offender must await the decision of the adversaries. If either of them, with or without his partner’s consent, demands a penalty to which they are entitled, such decision is final. If the wrong adversary demands a penalty, or a wrong penalty is demanded, none can be enforced.

The following rules belong to the established code of Whist Etiquette. They are formulated with a view to discourage and repress certain improprieties of conduct, therein pointed out, which are not reached by the laws. The courtesy which marks the intercourse of gentlemen will regulate other more obvious cases.

1. No conversation should be indulged in during the play, except such as is allowed by the laws of the game.

2. No player should in any manner whatsoever give any intimation as to the state of his hand or of the game, or of approval or disapproval of a play.

3. No player should lead until the preceding trick is turned and quitted.

4. No player should, after having led a winning card, draw a card from his hand for another lead until his partner has played to the current trick.

5. No player should play a card in any manner so as to call particular attention to it, nor should he demand that the cards be placed in order to attract the attention of his partner.

6. No player should purposely incur a penalty because he is willing to pay it, nor should he make a second revoke in order to conceal one previously made.

7. No player should take advantage of information imparted by his partner through a breach of etiquette.

8. No player should object to referring a disputed question of fact to a bystander who professes himself uninterested in the result of the game, and able to decide the question.

9. Bystanders should not in any manner call attention to, or give any intimation concerning the play or the state of the game, during the play of a hand. They should not look over the hand of a player without his permission; nor should they walk round the table to look at the different hands.

ERRONEOUS SCORES.

Any error in the trick score may be corrected before the last card has been dealt in the following deal; or if the error occurs in the last hand of a game or rubber, it may be corrected before the score is agreed to. Errors in other scores may be corrected at any time before the final score of the game or rubber is agreed to.

BIDDING.

In Boston, or Solo Whist, any player making a bid must stand by it, and either play or pay. Should he make a bid in error and correct himself, he must stand by the first bid unless he is over-called, when he may either amend his bid or pass.