Slams. If one side reaches five points before the other has scored, it is a slam, and counts two games.
When laps and slams are played, it is sometimes agreed that if a person plays alone without taking his partner’s best card, or the dealer plays alone without taking up the trump or asking for his partners best, and such a player succeeds in winning all five tricks with a pat hand, it counts five points. If he fails to win all five tricks, the adversaries count one. If he is euchred, they count three; but they are not permitted to play alone against him.
Jambone. Any person playing a lone hand may announce Jambone, and expose his cards face up on the table. The adversaries then have me right to call any card they please, either for the lead, or in following suit; but they cannot make the player revoke, nor can they consult, or in any way expose their hands. If a lead is required, it must be called by the person on the jambone player’s left. If a card is called on a trick, it must be called by the person on the jambone player’s right. If in spite of these difficulties the jambone player succeeds in winning five tricks, he scores eight points. If he wins three or four only, he counts one point. If he is euchred he loses two. It is not allowable to play alone against a jambone.
Jamboree. This is the combination of the five highest trumps in one hand, and need only be announced and shown to entitle the holder to score sixteen points. If held by the dealer, it may be made with the assistance of the turn-up trump; and any player may make it with the assistance of his partners best; but it does not count unless the holder of it has made the trump. If a player with a pat Jamboree is ordered up, all he can score is a euchre.
As in other forms of Euchre, no one but the maker of the trump can play alone, or announce Jambone or Jamboree. Lone hands are very common in Railroad Euchre, and ordering up to prevent lone hands is commoner still.
SEVEN-HANDED EUCHRE.
Cards. Seven-handed Euchre is played with a full pack of fifty-three cards, including the Joker. The cards in plain suits rank as at Whist; but the Joker is always the best trump, the right and left bowers being the second and third-best respectively.
Counters. One white and four red counters are necessary. The white counter is passed to the left from player to player in turn, to indicate the position of the next deal. The red counters are placed in front of the maker of the trump and his partners, to distinguish them from their opponents. Markers are not used, the score being kept on a sheet of paper. The score is usually kept by a person who is not playing, in order that none of those in the game may know how the various scores stand. Should an outsider not be available for scoring, there are two methods: One is for one player to keep the score for the whole table, who must inform any player of the state of the score if asked to do so. The other is to have a dish of counters on the table, each player being given the number he wins from time to time. These should be placed in some covered receptacle, so that they cannot be counted by their owner, and no other player will know how many he has. As it is very seldom that a successful bid is less than five, and never less than four, counters marked as being worth 4, 5, 6 and 7 each will answer every purpose, and will pay every bid made.
Cutting. The players draw cards from an outspread pack for the choice of seats, those cutting the lowest cards having the first choice. The lowest cut of all deals the first hand, passing the white counter to the player on his left, whose turn it will be to deal next. Ties are decided in the usual way.