Hoyle's Games Modernized

by Professor Hoffmann; Edmond Hoyle

The dealer then asks the same question of the next player. We will suppose that his hand consists of an ace and a two.

This, according to the value put upon the ace, will represent either three or thirteen. Thirteen is not good enough to stand upon, and the player accordingly draws a card. (This third card, and all following, are dealt face upwards.) He receives, say, a second "two," making him fifteen. Not

caring to stand on this amount, he draws another card, and receives a "seven," making him twenty-two, or twelve. With twenty-two he would be over, and with twelve he is worse off than when he started. Again he says, "Card," and receives, say, a "three," making him still only fifteen. He draws again, and this time receives, we will suppose, a "five," when he of course "stands."

And so the game proceeds, all who overdraw paying and throwing up their cards forthwith. Last comes the turn of the dealer himself. If his cards are eighteen or upwards, he will "stand." At seventeen, he should usually stand. At fifteen, or sixteen, it is an open question, to be decided partly by the number of punters who may be still standing (and who, if numerous, will probably have some low hands amongst them), partly by his knowledge of the idiosyncrasies of his opponents, and partly by the nature of the cards which have been "drawn" by the other players. Should he go "over," he pays all, with the exception of those who, having overdrawn, have already paid up their stakes. If otherwise, he pays or receives as the cards of the punter, or his own, are nearest to the critical "twenty-one." Should the cards of any punter amount to exactly twenty-one, he will receive double the amount of his stake. In like manner, should the dealer's cards make exactly twenty-one points, each of the punters pays double the amount of his stake. In the event of "ties" (twenty-ones included), the punter pays the dealer. It must, however, be remembered that a natural vingt-un always takes precedence over one made by drawing.

Should a punter, on receiving his second card, find that both are alike, e.g. two aces, two kings, or two queens, he may, if he pleases, go on both. In such case, he places the second card parallel to the first, at a few inches' distance, and on it a separate stake, of the same amount as staked on the first card. When it becomes his turn to draw, he says, "I go on both," and the dealer then gives him another card, face downwards, on each. The player then draws as he pleases to complete each hand, but must finish the drawing on one, before beginning on the other. Should the third card dealt be the same as the first two, i.e. a third ace, king, or queen, he can go on all three in like manner. Likewise on a fourth, should the first four be alike. Each hand pays or receives on its own merits, as though belonging to an independent punter.

Where the two first cards are aces, it is a matter of course to go on both. With a pair of tenth cards, it is more prudent to stand. Two nines, or two eights (from the probability of a tenth card being dealt to one or both of them) are favourable cards whereon to go double.

The occurrence of a natural in any hand but the dealer's usually terminates the deal. By way of a sort of grace, however, it does not have this effect in the first round of a deal. Sometimes, by agreement, the deal is made to consist of a given number of rounds; say, till all the pack is exhausted, or till two packs are exhausted, the two being shuffled together. Where the first mentioned rule prevails, the pone collects the cards thrown up at the end of each hand, and shuffles them in readiness for the

use of the dealer, but does not hand them to him till the first supply is exhausted. Should the dealer have gone right through the pack without the occurrence of a natural, he throws the last card, face upwards, on the table, and, receiving the remade cards from the pone, gives them a final shuffle, offers them to be cut, and proceeds as before.

In some circles the deal does not pass in rotation, but the holder of a natural (other than in the first round of a deal) becomes thereby entitled to the next deal. The practice, however, is a bad one, for the deal being an advantage, it is but fair that each should enjoy such advantage in turn.