26. A player who cuts into one table while belonging to another, shall forfeit his prior right of re-entry into the latter, unless by doing so he enables three candidates to form a fresh table. In this event he may signify his intention of returning to his original table, and his place at the new one can be filled.
27. Should any player quit the table during the progress of a rubber, he may, with the consent of the other three players, appoint a substitute during his absence; but such appointment shall become void with the conclusion of the rubber, and shall not in any way affect the substitute’s rights.
28. If anyone break up a table, the remaining players have a prior right to play at other tables.
SHUFFLING
29. The pack must neither be shuffled below the table nor so the face of any card be seen.
30. The dealer’s partner must collect the cards for the ensuing deal and he has the first right to shuffle the cards. Each player has the right to shuffle subsequently. The dealer has the right to shuffle last, but should a card or cards be seen during his shuffling, or whilst giving the pack to be cut, he must re-shuffle.
31. Each player, after shuffling, must place the cards properly collected and face downward to the left of the player next to deal.
THE DEAL
32. Each player deals in his turn; the order of dealing goes to the left.
33. The player on the dealer’s right cuts the pack, and in dividing it he must not leave fewer than four cards in either packet; if in cutting or in replacing one of the two packets a card be exposed, or if there be any confusion of the cards or a doubt as to the exact place in which the pack was divided, there must be a fresh cut.