It will be observed that A has four cards, six, seven, eight, nine, in sequence, of which either the six and nine or the seven and eight will form a fifteen. His fifth card, the queen, does not and cannot score with either of the others. Obviously the queen should form one card of his lay-out. Of the four remaining, he will naturally keep three in sequence. Which shall he throw out, the six or the nine? The six in one respect is preferable, inasmuch as it cannot be brought into sequence with the queen, whereas the nine might possibly be so. On the other hand, the six is of the same suit as the queen, and might help towards a flush. He decides, therefore, to throw out queen, nine, retaining the six, seven, and eight.
B's proper course is clearly to throw out the ace of hearts and four of diamonds, retaining the two tens and the five, which are good for six points, viz. fifteen four and a pair, and with a five or ten start would be worth twelve. On the other hand, should there be one or more tenth cards in the crib, the four and ace will give them a scoring value.
The cards are cut, and B turns up the queen of clubs.
A leads the seven of spades, saying, "seven." This is his best lead. If B should play an eight, making fifteen, A will be enabled to continue with the six, and so score a run of three.[[19]] But B cannot make a fifteen, and it is therefore his best policy to
go beyond that point. He plays the ten of hearts, saying, "Seventeen," or more shortly, "'-teen." A has no card which will score, and he therefore plays his highest, as the nearer he gets to thirty-one the fewer chances does he leave his opponent of getting closer to that number. He plays the eight of diamonds, saying, "Twenty-five." B plays the five of spades—"Thirty." "Go," says A. B scores one for last card, and the play of the hand is at an end.
The cards are turned up, and A counts his hand. The start has left him "no better." He scores fifteen two for the seven and eight, and three points for the run—five in all.
B is rather better off. With the start he has fifteen six and a pair—eight in all. In crib the start has helped him considerably. Without it he had fifteen two only—the ace and four combining with the queen of hearts; with the start he has six—fifteen four and a pair. The nine is useless.
A having taken his three points as non-dealer, the score stands eight to fifteen. It is now A's turn to deal, and the cards fall as follows: B has king and eight of hearts, seven of spades, eight of diamonds and three of clubs. And A (dealer) five and nine of diamonds, three of spades, ten of hearts and six of clubs.
B throws out the king of hearts and three of clubs; A, the six of clubs and nine of diamonds. The cards are cut, and the six of diamonds is turned up.
B leads the eight of hearts. This is a safe lead, for, if A scores fifteen, B can pair him; if A pairs, B can make a pair-royal. A, not being able to do