DISCARDING. If the pone proposes, and the dealer asks: “How many?” the elder hand discards any number of cards from one to five, placing them on his right. These discards, once quitted, must not again be looked at. A player looking at his own or his adversary’s discards can be called upon to play with his cards exposed face upward on the table, but not liable to be called. The number of cards discarded must be distinctly announced, and the trump is then laid aside, and the cards given from the top of the pack, without further shuffling. It is considered imperative that the player who has proposed should take at least one card, even if he proposed with five trumps in his hand. The pone helped, the dealer then announces how many cards he takes, placing his discards on his left. The dealer, if asked, must inform his adversary how many cards he took, provided the question is put before he plays a card.
After receiving his cards, the pone may either stand or propose again, and the dealer may either give or refuse; but such subsequent stands or refusals do not carry with them any penalty for failure to make three tricks. Should these repeated discards exhaust the pack, so that there are not enough cards left to supply the number asked for, the players must take back a sufficient number from their discards. If the dealer has accepted a proposal, and finds there are no cards left for himself, that is his own fault; he should have counted the pack before accepting. The trump card cannot be taken into the hand under any circumstances.
MISDEALING AFTER DISCARDING. If the dealer gives the pone more or less cards than he asks for, he loses the point and the right to mark the King, unless it was turned up.
If the dealer gives himself more cards than he wants, he loses the point and the right to mark the King, unless he turned it up. If he gives himself less cards than he wants, he may make the deficiency good without penalty; but if he does not discover the error until he has played a card, all tricks for which he has no card to play must be considered as won by his adversary.
If the pone asks for more cards than he wants, the dealer can play the hand or not, as he pleases. If he plays, he may draw the superfluous card or cards given to the pone, and look at them if the pone has seen them. If the dealer decides not to play, he marks the point. In either case the pone cannot mark the King, even if he holds it.
If the pone asks for less cards than he wants, he must play the hand as it is, and can mark the King if he holds it; but all tricks for which he has no card to play must be considered as won by his adversary.
If a player plays without discarding, or discards for the purpose of exchanging, without advising his adversary of the fact that he has too many or too few cards, he loses two points, and the right of marking the King, even if turned up.
If either player, after discarding and drawing, plays with more than five cards, he loses the point and the privilege of marking the King.
Should the dealer forget himself in dealing for the discard, and turn up another trump, he cannot refuse his adversary another discard, if he demands it, and the exposed card must be put aside with the discards.
If any cards are found faced in the pack when dealing for the discard, the deal stands good if they will fall to the dealer. But if the exposed card will go to the pone, he has the option of taking it, or claiming a fresh deal by the same dealer.