BÉZIQUE.

Bézique is a game for two players. The piquet pack of thirty-two cards is used, but in duplicate, two such packs of like pattern being shuffled together.

The players cut for deal, the highest card having the preference. The rank of the cards in cutting (as also in play) is as under: ace, ten, king, queen, knave, nine, eight, seven. Eight cards are dealt (by three, two, and three) to each player; the seventeenth card being turned up by way of trump, and placed between the two players. The remaining cards, known as the "stock," are placed face downwards beside it. Should the turn-up card be a seven, the dealer scores ten.

The non-dealer leads and the dealer plays to such lead any card he pleases. If he play a higher card (according to the scale above given) of the same suit, or a trump, he wins the trick; but he is not bound to do either, or even to follow suit. Further, he is at liberty to trump, even though holding a card of the suit led. If the two cards played are the same (e.g. two nines of diamonds), the trick belongs to the leader.

The winner of one trick leads to the next, but before doing so he marks any points to which his hand may entitle him, leaving the cards so marked on the table, and draws one card from the top of the stock. His opponent draws a card in like manner, and so the game proceeds until the stock is exhausted.

The holder of the seven of trumps is entitled to exchange it for the turn-up card, at the same time scoring ten for it. The holder of the duplicate seven of trumps scores ten for it, but gains no further benefit thereby.

The game is usually 1000 up, but, as the score proceeds by tens or multiples of ten, this number is pretty quickly reached.

At the earlier stage of the game, the player scores for the cards he holds in his hand; certain cards or combinations of cards, duly "declared," entitling him to score so many points, as under:—

Points.
For the seven of trumps, turned up by the
dealer, or declared by either player		 10
For the second seven of trumps 10
For the last (i.e. thirty-second) trick 10
For a Common Marriage, i.e. king and
queen of any plain suit, declared together		 20
For a Royal Marriage, i.e. king and queen
of the trump suit, declared together		 40
For Single Bézique (queen of spades and
knave of diamonds)		 40
For Double Bézique—the same combination
again declared by same player with fresh
cards.(additional)		 500
For Four Knaves (of any suits, e.g. two
knaves of spades and two of hearts), duly
declared		 40
For Four Queens, duly declared 60
For Four Kings, duly declared 80
For Four Aces, duly declared 100
For Sequence of five best trumps—ace, ten,
king, queen, knave		 250
Brisques—aces or tens in the tricks won by
either player, each[[7]]		 10