The only solo bids allowed are those for six, eight, or nine tricks, which outrank one another. A player cannot bid seven to over-call six; he must go to eight; and a player cannot bid five tricks without a partner, although, as we have just seen, he may be forced to play in that manner.
When six, eight, or nine tricks are bid, the suits outrank one another for equal numbers of tricks; but as the suit called need not be the bidder’s true intention, nor the same as the card laid on the table, the proposer must be careful that his play will be as good as his bid. For instance: He intends nine tricks in spades, but proposes eight in diamonds. He cannot bid nine in diamonds, for that would be a better bid than he intends to play; but the ruse may succeed in inducing a player not to bid against him, hoping diamonds is the true suit. It is a common artifice to bid the true suit, because few will believe it to be such.
If clubs are belle, and diamonds petite, and a player who “demands” is over-called by a demand in belle, or a call of six tricks, the first caller cannot advance his bid to six tricks except in the suit which he has already laid on the table; but he may accept the player over-calling him, instead of bidding against him. After a player has once accepted or passed, he cannot bid misère.
If no one makes a proposition of any kind, the hands are thrown up; the next dealer contributes to the pool, and a fresh hand is dealt.
METHOD OF PLAYING. As in Boston, the eldest hand has the first lead, and the others must follow suit if they can, except in the misère des quatre as. When this is played, the bidder may renounce at pleasure for the first ten tricks.
GATHERING TRICKS. When a partnership is formed, each gathers the tricks he takes. If the partnership loses, the one who has not his complement of tricks must pay the adversaries and double the pool. If the demander has not five, and the acceptor has three, the demander pays. If the proposer has five, and the acceptor has not three, the acceptor pays; but they both win if they have eight tricks between them, no matter in what proportion. If neither has taken his proper share, they must both pay. When they are successful, they divide the pool.
SLAMS. If a player has demanded, and not been accepted, and has been forced to play alone for five tricks, but wins eight, it is called a slam. But as he did not wish to play alone, his only payment, besides the pool, is 24 counters from each player if he played in petite; 48 if in belle; double those amounts if the deal was one of the last eight in the game.
If two partners make a slam, thirteen tricks, they take the pool, and receive from each adversary 24 counters if they played in petite; 48 if in belle; double if in one of the last eight hands in the game.
EXPOSED CARDS. The laws governing these are almost identical with those in Boston, with the additional rule that a player allowing a card to fall upon the table face up before play begins, can be forced to play independence in that suit.
REVOKES. The individual player who is detected in a revoke must double the pool, and pay both adversaries.