PIQUET NORMAND, FOR THREE PLAYERS.
In this form of the game the players cut for seats and deal. The cards are dealt by twos and threes until each has ten, two cards remaining for the talon. The dealer may lay out any two cards in exchange for these, but no other player is allowed to touch them, nor to see the discards.
The elder hand makes the first declarations. He makes repic and counts 90 if he can reach 20 without playing a card; and he makes pic, 60, if he can reach 20 in hand and play, under the same conditions as in the game for two players. The majority of tricks counts 10; if it is a tie, each counts 5. Capot counts 40 if all the tricks are taken by one player; but if two take them all between them, they count 20 each.
The game may be played for a pool, first man out to take all; or it may be agreed that after one has retired the others shall decide it between them by playing it out at the ordinary two-handed game.
PIQUET VOLEUR, FOR FOUR PLAYERS.
The players cut for partners, the two lowest pairing against the two highest, and the lowest cut taking the first deal. Partners sit opposite each other. All the cards are dealt out, two and three at a time, each receiving eight cards.
The elder hand declares first, but instead of announcing one thing at a time, and awaiting the reply of his adversaries, he declares everything, and then plays a card. Suppose the cards are distributed as follows, Z being the dealer:—
A announces 41 for his point, sequence of three to the Queen, four Aces, and says, “I play a club,” which is his lead for the first trick. If the second player admits all these to be good he says nothing, but plays a card. In this case, Y would announce four to the King, and four to the Jack, and would play a spade, having no club. B would then announce three Kings, which are good on account of his partner’s having four Aces; but both the sequences are shut out by Y’s better declarations. The dealer, Z, then declares four to the Ten and three to the Nine, both those sequences being made good by his partner’s holding the best sequence at the table.