Whilst this is being done he has his eyes bandaged with a handkerchief, which, however, does not prevent his seeing through the interstices caused by the projection of his nose.
He then takes back the pack, and whilst pretending to shuffle, he finds the marked cards, and places them where he wishes, as will be explained in the following part.
Some jugglers, instead of bending the cards, with the greatest sang froid, pass the twelve cards above alluded to, underneath the others, and then pretend to shuffle.
PART II.
THE "COUP DE PIQUET."
How the Greek is enabled to Repique and Capot his Adversary, although he has Shuffled the Cards.
As I am addressing those who are supposed to know piquet, I need enter into no details about that game.
In playing the first hand, the Greek must secure a sixième-major (or sequence of six cards from the ace downwards, which counts sixteen), a quatorze of aces (the four aces), and a quatorze of kings (the four kings), as seen by the table below:—
- 1. The ace of spades.
- 2. The king of spades.
- 3. The queen of spades.
- 4. The knave of spades.
- 5. The ten of spades.
- 6. The nine of spades.
- 7. The ace of hearts.
- 8. The ace of diamonds.
- 9. The ace of clubs.
- 10. The king of hearts.
- 11. The king of diamonds.
- 12. The king of clubs.
His adversary must be the dealer, as it is in playing the first hand, that the selection of these twelve cards is managed.