MARKERS. As the scores are not put down until the end of the hand or play the game is usually kept on a sheet of paper, or it may be marked on a cribbage board.
PLAYERS. Piquet is played by two persons, who sit opposite each other. They are known as the dealer, and the elder hand or pone.
CUTTING. They cut for seats and cards, the lower cut having the choice, and dealing the first hand. If a player exposes more than one card the lowest of those exposed must be taken as his cut. Ties are decided by cutting a second time.
STAKES. Piquet is played for so much a game of 100 points; but if the loser has not reached 50 points he is lurched, and loses a double game.
DEALING. The cards shuffled, they are presented to the pone to be cut, and at least two cards must be left in each packet. Twelve cards are dealt to each player, either two or three at a time; but whichever method is first selected must be maintained throughout the game. In England the cards are always dealt by twos. No trump is turned. The remaining eight cards are placed face downward on the table, the five top cards being laid crosswise on the three at the bottom. These eight cards are called the talon or stock. Each player deals in turn.
Irregularities in Dealing. If the pack is proved to be imperfect the deal is void, but all previous scores or cuts made with that pack stand good. A misdeal does not lose the deal under any circumstances. If a card is found faced in the pack there must be a fresh deal with the same cards. If a player deals out of turn, and detects the error himself before he sees any of his cards, he may insist on his adversary’s dealing, even if the adversary has seen his cards. As the deal is a disadvantage the adversary is not bound to correct the player in error.
If the dealer gives too many or too few cards to either player a new deal is at the option of the adversary. The error will of course be detected when it is found that there are only seven cards in the talon. If the non-dealer elects to have the deal stand, the error in the player’s hand must be remedied in the discard, as will presently be described, and the stock must be divided 4-3 or 5-2, according to which player has too many cards.
Carte Blanche. The cards dealt, each player takes up his twelve cards and sorts them into suits. If the pone finds himself without a K Q or J, he should immediately claim 10 points for carte blanche. If the dealer holds carte blanche, he does not declare it until the pone has discarded.
DISCARDING. The five cards on the top of the talon belong to the pone, and he may discard from his hand any number of cards from one to five, and replace them by an equal number from the top of the stock. He must take at least one card, and he must take from the talon in the natural order of the cards. If he has elected to let a deal stand in which he has been given thirteen cards, he is entitled to four cards only from the talon, and must in all cases leave himself with twelve cards after his discard and draw are completed. If he does not take all five cards, he must announce distinctly how many he leaves, for if he fails to do so the dealer is not liable for having too many cards.