The first suit given in each instance is the trump.
| No Proposal. | Dealer Wins. | Player Wins. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | 6,034 | 36,974 | 22,772 | |
| 23 | 9,826 | 38,469 | 17,485 | |
| 24 | 8,736 | 41,699 | 15,345 | |
| 25 | 9,256 | 40,524 | 16,000 | |
| 26 | 10,336 | 37,484 | 17,960 | |
| 27 | 9,776 | 37,439 | 18,565 | |
| 28 | 9,776 | 36,909 | 19,095 | |
| 29 | 9,776 | 36,733 | 19,271 |
In giving cards, some judgment of human nature is necessary. Some players habitually propose on strong hands, and it is best to give to such pretty freely.
DISCARDING. The general principle of discarding is to keep trumps and Kings, and let everything else go. If you hold the trump King you may discard freely in order to strengthen your hand for a possible vole. If you have proposed once, and hold the King, and feel pretty sure of the point, you may propose again on the chance of getting strength enough to make the vole.
When only two cards can be discarded, it is a safe rule to stand on the hand; either to play without proposing, or to refuse cards; unless you hold the King.
There are no authoritative laws for Écarté, and the various French and English codes do not agree. The code adopted by the English clubs is not in accord with the best usage, and fails to provide for many contingencies. All that is essential in the laws will be found embodied in the foregoing description of the game.
TEXT BOOKS. The best works on the subject of Écarté are usually to be found in conjunction with other games. The student will find the following useful:—
- The Westminster Papers, Vols. IV to XI, inclusive.
- Bohn’s Handbook of Games; any edition.
- Écarté and Euchre, by Berkeley, 1890.
- Cavendish on Écarté, 1886.
- Jeux de Cartes, (Fr.), by Jean Boussac.
- Règles de Tous les Jeux, (Fr.), M. Dreyfous, Edit.
- Académie des Jeux, (Fr.), by Van Tenac.
- Académie des Jeux, (Fr.), by Richard.
- Short Whist, by Major A. (Écarté Laws in appendix.)
POOL ÉCARTÉ.
Pool Écarté is played by three persons, each of whom contributes an agreed sum, which is called a stake, to form a pool. They then cut to decide which shall play the first game, the lowest écarté card going out. The players then cut for the first deal, choice of seats and cards, etc., exactly as in the ordinary game.