TIES. Players cutting cards of equal value cut again; but the new cut decides nothing but the tie.
PLAYER’S POSITIONS. The eldest hand, or age, sits on the left of the dealer, and the pone sits on the dealer’s right. There are no distinctive names for the other positions.
When two play, they sit opposite each other. When three play, each for himself, the game is known as Cut Throat, and the position of the players is immaterial. When four play, the partners sit opposite each other. When five or seven play, the maker of the trump in each deal selects his partners, and they play against the others without any change in their positions at the table. When six play, three are partners against the other three, and the opposing players sit alternately round the table.
STAKES. If there is any stake upon the game, its amount must be settled before play begins. When rubbers are played, it is usual to make the stake so much a rubber point. If the winners of the game are five points to their adversaries’ nothing, they win a treble, and count three rubber points. If the losers have scored one or two points only, the winners mark two points for a double. If the losers have reached three or four, the winners mark one for a single. The side winning the rubber adds two points to its score for so doing; so that the largest rubber possible is one of eight points;—two triples to nothing, and two added for the rubber. The smallest possible is one point;—two singles and the rubber, against a triple. If the first two games are won by the same partners, the third is not played.
DEALING. Any player has the right to shuffle the cards, the dealer last. The pack must be presented to the pone to be cut, and he must leave at least four cards in each packet. Beginning on his left, the dealer distributes the cards either two at a time and then three, or three and then two to each player in rotation, until all have five cards. Whichever number, two or three, the dealer begins with, he must continue giving the same number to every player, including himself, for the first round. After the cards are dealt, the next card is turned face up on the remainder of the pack, except in five and seven-handed Euchre, in which no trump is turned. Each player deals in turn to the left, until the conclusion of the game or rubber.
Irregularities in the Deal. If any card is found faced in the pack, the dealer must deal again. Should the dealer expose any card but the trump while dealing, the adversaries may demand a new deal by the same dealer. Should any adversary of the dealer expose a card, the dealer may elect to deal again. A player dealing out of turn may be stopped before the trump card is turned; but after that the deal must stand, afterward passing to the left in regular order. On the completion of the deal, if any player has more or less than five cards, it is a misdeal, and the deal passes to the player on the misdealer’s left.
The dealer loses his deal if he neglects to have the pack cut; if he deals a card incorrectly, and fails to remedy the error before dealing another; if he counts the cards on the table, or those remaining in the pack; or if he deals two cards to one player and three to another in the same round.
If the pack is found to be imperfect, the deal in which the error is discovered is void; but all previous scores stand good.
MAKING THE TRUMP. Although a card is turned up at the end of the deal, the suit to which it belongs is not necessarily the trump for that hand. Each player in turn, beginning on the dealer’s left, whether he be an adversary or a partner of the dealer’s, may insist on the turn-up suit remaining the trump; or he may declare that he is indifferent as to which suit is the trump, the one turned up or some other. But should one player in his proper turn decide in favour of the turn-up, no player after him can alter the decision. When it comes to the dealer’s turn, if no other player has decided to retain the suit turned up, he must either let the trump remain as it is, or insist on its being changed.