staking, according to the nature of his hand, either the maximum or the minimum, never an intermediate amount. The reason of this is obvious. With certain cards,[[45]] say, eight, nine, ten (or a tenth card), or ace, the holder has the chances in his favour, as a tenth card, of which there are sixteen, will give him a good hand. With any other as his first card, the chances are against him, and he should therefore risk as little as possible.
The dealer also looks at his card, and, if he thinks fit, says, "I double you," or simply "Double," the effect of his so doing being that he will receive or pay, as the case may be, double the stakes offered by the punters. In deciding whether to double or not, he has two points to consider, viz. (1) the fact of himself holding an exceptionally good card, and (2) the absence or rarity of high stakes among the punters, indicating that their cards are not such as they feel safe in backing freely. It must, however, be remembered that the dealer has the important advantage of receiving from ties, also from all players who overdraw. These two points make a considerable percentage in his favour. With an ace, tenth card, nine, or eight, he should always double; and the weighty authority of "Cavendish" is in favour of his doubling with a seven, or even a lower card. In these latter cases, however, we think the amounts of the stakes should be taken into consideration, as affording some gauge of the probable strength of the enemy.
All court cards at this game count ten; an "ace," eleven or one, at the option of the holder; all other
cards according to the number of their pips. Differences of suit are not recognized.
The object of the game is, as we have said, to make twenty-one, and this may be made either by the conjunction of an ace and a court or other tenth card, called a "natural," or by three or more cards, say a five, six and ten; ace, five, seven, eight; or ace, seven, three.
The ace is, as will readily be perceived, the most valuable card; not merely from the fact that there are sixteen cards out of the fifty-two that will form a "natural" with it, but from the fact that (counting as eleven or one at pleasure), it gives the holder a double chance of making a winning number.
The stakes having been made, and the dealer having decided whether to "double" or not (in the latter case, silence is a sufficient negative), he deals a second round of cards, still face downwards.
Each player again looks at his cards. If those of the dealer form a "natural," he turns them up, and receives from each player double the amount of his stake, or, if he has "doubled," quadruple.[[46]] (The proportionate increase in the latter case will henceforth be taken for granted.) What cards the other players may hold is, in this case immaterial, save in the event of some one of them holding a second "natural," in which case the two cancel, neither paying nor receiving.
We will now take the case of the dealer finding that his two cards do not constitute a "natural."
If there be any such among the punters, the holder turns up his cards, and receives double the amount of his stake. To all other players, beginning with the elder hand, the dealer is bound to offer cards. This he does by the interrogative, "Do you stand?" or "Card?" The elder hand looks at his cards. If he has sixteen points or more, he will usually decide not to draw, conveying his decision by the word, "Stand," or "Content."[[47]] If he has less than sixteen, which is generally accepted as the average limit, he will probably draw a card, intimating his desire to do so, by replying, "Card," "Please," or "Yes." He may now be in three different positions. The card given him (as where, holding a six and an eight, he has received a ten), may make his total more than twenty-one. In such case he is "over," and at once hands his stake to the dealer, and throws his cards, face downwards, in the middle of the table, where they are collected by the player to the right of the dealer, known as the pone.[[48]]