Cassell's Book of In-door Amusements, Card Games, and Fireside Fun

by Various

ROYAL STAR.

The materials for this game are a large star with eight long rays, each one of which is painted some different colour; and eight wooden balls painted to correspond with the colours of the rays of the star. The rays of the star are not fixtures, but their bases are merely slipped into grooves in the body of the star, so that they can be easily knocked out with the balls.

To play the game, each player alternately takes all the eight balls, and standing away from the star at a certain specified distance throws the balls at the star, endeavouring by that means to knock out the rays. If a player should succeed in striking out a ray of the same colour as the ball, two points are scored, but if the ball and the ray knocked out are not of the same colour, one point only is scored. If in any throw the star is altogether missed, three points are to be deducted. When the first player has thrown the eight balls, such rays as may have been knocked out are replaced, and the next player takes the balls and commences the game, and so on until all have had a chance. It is well that a curtain or screen should be arranged behind the star to stop the balls.

SCHIMMEL.

The game of Schimmel, or, as it is generally known, of Bell and Hammer, is a most amusing round game of German origin. The materials for playing the game are comparatively inexpensive, and as some of them can be prepared by any ordinarily clever lad—and all lads are clever—there is no reason why this game should not, were it but better known, attain much more popularity than it seems to be favoured with.

The materials required are—

1.—Five small cards, on each of which are drawn or painted one of the following figures: On one card a white horse, on another an inn, on the third a bell, on the fourth a hammer, on the fifth a bell and a hammer.

2.—Eight wood, bone, or ivory cubes of the size of dice, marked on one side only, six of which are numbered respectively with the numerals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6; the other two cubes being marked, the one with a bell, and the other with a hammer.

3.—A dice box with which to throw the cubes.

4.—A hammer for knocking down the cards to their respective purchasers, which are disposed of by auction, as set forth hereafter.

5.—A bag of counters.

The game may be played by an unlimited number of players, the more the better, it being especially advisable that at least seven should join in the game. The mode of procedure is as follows:—One of the players is to be selected as cashier, and to him has to be entrusted the bag of counters. A considerable number of these should be equally divided among all the players, and if it is desired they may be taken to represent value. Nuts make good substitutes for counters, as to those players not yet troubled with indigestion they possess in themselves a certain value, especially if it be understood that all winnings may be retained (or eaten).

The Materials for Schimmel.

A pool has to be formed, into which each player pays twelve counters. It is then the duty of the cashier to sell by auction to the highest bidders the five cards, the produce of which also is paid into the pool. Each player is at liberty to purchase as many of the cards as he may be inclined, and, moreover, he is not bound to pay for all, but is at liberty to take credit for a certain portion of his purchases if they exceed the number of counters originally dealt out to him; only payment of the debt so incurred must be considered as a first charge on subsequent winnings. The cards will, by experience at the game, be found to be of various values; but the number of counters to be paid for each is determined by the speculative natures of the players, and it, indeed, often happens that those players who invest in no cards at all are at the end of the game the richest in the matter of wealth as reckoned by counters. The respective values of the cards are as follows:—The white horse ranks first, and immediately after him comes the inn, the cards representing respectively the bell and the hammer are of about equal value, and come next, while that representing both the bell and the hammer is lowest in the scale, and is worth just half that at which either of the two cards on which are painted the single figures is valued.

The cubes are then to be thrown by the players alternately, their order having been previously arranged, it being always allowed, however, that the possessors of cards take precedence over the other players, and over each other, according to the relative values of their cards. It should be stated rather that each player alternately is entitled to a throw of the cubes or dice, for any player is at liberty to sell his throw to any other player inclined to speculate therein. When the cubes are thrown and show uppermost all blanks, all the players have to pay one counter each to the holder of the white horse, and he again pays one to the holder of the inn. If the cubes turn up with the bell or the hammer, or with the bell and the hammer, the holder or holders of these cards pay one counter to the white horse. When the bell, hammer, or bell and hammer are thrown accompanied with numbers, the amount of the numbers thrown has to be paid in counters to the holder or holders of the cards out of the pool; if numbers are thrown unaccompanied with either bell or hammer, or bell and hammer, the thrower of the cubes receives from pool the number of counters indicated by the cubes.

It is when the pool is becoming exhausted that advantages accrue to the holder of the inn, and this indeed is usually found to be a very speculative holding. If any player in his throw shows numbers combined greater than the number of counters remaining in the pool, he receives nothing from pool, but pays to the holder of the inn the difference between the number of counters remaining and the number indicated by the cubes; for example, if five counters are remaining in pool, and seven are shown uppermost on the thrown cubes, the player who threw the cubes pays two counters to the holder of the inn, and leaves the five counters in the pool. So on the play proceeds, until some figure is thrown which, clearing the pool, concludes the game.

After the holder of the inn card begins to receive payment, should all blanks be thrown, the players throwing the cubes pay nothing; but instead, the holder of the white horse pays one counter to the holder of the inn; should the bell or hammer, or bell and hammer be thrown with the blanks, the holder or holders of the card or cards indicated each pays one to the holder of the inn. If numbers are thrown accompanying the bell, &c., the holder of that card pays to the inn the number thrown in excess of the number of counters remaining in the pool.