PLAYERS. Any number from two to six can play; but four is the best game. If five or six play it is usual for the dealer to give himself no cards.
CUTTING. The players draw from an outspread pack to form the table, and for choice of seats. A lower cut gives preference over all higher; the lowest cut has the first choice of seats, and deals the first hand. Ties cut again, but the new cut decides nothing but the tie.
In some places the players take their seats at random, and a card is then dealt to each face upward; the lowest card or the first Jack taking the deal.
DEALING. Any player has a right to shuffle the cards, the dealer last. They are then presented to the pone to be cut, and at least four cards must be left in each packet. Beginning at his left, the dealer gives each player in rotation two cards on the first round, and three on the next; or three on the first and two on the next. No trump is turned. In some places the cards are distributed one at a time until each player has five; but the plan is not popular, as the hands run better and the bidding is livelier when the cards are dealt in twos and threes. The deal passes to the left, each player dealing in turn.
MISDEALING. A misdeal does not lose the deal in Napoleon, because the deal is a disadvantage. For this reason, if any player begins to deal out of turn, he must finish, and the deal stands good. If any card is found faced in the pack, or is exposed by the dealer; or if too many or too few cards are given to any player; or if the dealer does not give the same number of cards to each player in the same round; or if he fails to have the pack cut, it is a misdeal, and the misdealer must deal again with the same pack.
BIDDING. Beginning on the dealer’s left, each player in turn bids for the privilege of naming the trump suit, stating the number of tricks he proposes to win, playing single-handed against the three other players, and leading a trump for the first trick. In bidding, the trump suit is not named, only the number of tricks. If a player proposes to win all five tricks he bids nap, which is the highest bid possible, and precludes any further bidding, except in some of the variations which will be described later on. If a player will not make a bid, he says “I pass,” A bid having been made, any following player must either increase it or pass. If all pass until it comes to the dealer, he is bound to bid at least one trick, and either play or pay. The hands are never abandoned except in case of a misdeal.
In some places a misère bid is allowed, which outranks a bid of three tricks, and is beaten by one of four. There is no trump suit in misère, but the bidder, if successful, must lead for the first trick.
Any bid once made can neither be amended nor recalled, and there is no second bid.
METHOD OF PLAYING. The player bidding the highest number of tricks has the first lead, and the first card he plays must be one of the trump suit. The players must follow suit if able, but need not win the trick unless they choose to do so. The highest card played of the suit led wins the trick, and trumps win all other suits. The winner of the trick leads again for the next trick, and so on, until all five tricks have been played. After the first trick any suit may be led.
The bidder gathers all tricks he wins, stacking them so that they may be readily counted by any player at the table. One of the other side should gather all tricks won by the adversaries of the bidder. A trick once turned and quitted cannot again be seen. In some places they have a very bad habit of gathering tricks with the cards face up, turning down one card only. This always results in numerous misdeals, on account of cards being continually found faced in the pack.