Coupled with the present practice of throwing out all hands in which there is found to be a suit of more than six cards, and dealing it over again, Foster’s system for two pairs is the best so far suggested.
Eight Individuals. This form of contest is seldom used, because players dislike the continual changing of position, and the delay in arriving at the results of the score. It would require seven sets to exhaust the combinations; and at each table two hands should be dealt, played, and exchanged with the other table in the set, before the players change positions. This would require 28 hands to complete the match.
Safford’s System for arranging the players is to have indicator cards on the tables:—
The players take their seats in any order for the first set; after which they go to the next higher number; 8 keeping his seat, and 7 going to 1.
Scoring. Each individual must keep his own score, adding up the total tricks taken in each set of four hands. These totals must then be compared with those of the player occupying the same position, N, S, E, or W, at the other table in the set; and it will save time in the end if these are tabulated at once, on a sheet prepared for the purpose. For instance: Let this be the arrangement of eight players in the first set:—
| b | Hands 1 to 4. | f | ||||
| a | 1 | c | e | 2 | g | |
| d | h |
If a and c take 34 tricks E & W; e and g taking only 30 with the same cards, either a and c must have gained them, or e and g must have lost them. It is a waste of time to put down both losses and gains, and all that is necessary is to call the top score zero, and charge all players with the loss of as many tricks as their total is short of the top score. In this case we charge e and g with a loss of 4 each. It must be obvious that f and h have also made 4 more tricks than b and d; and that the latter must be charged with a loss of 4 on the same hands that e and g lose on.
We give as an illustration a sheet balanced in this way, showing the losses of the various players. The totals at the end of the match show that c is the winner, losing less tricks than any other player.
