Sweeping. If at any time a player is able to win everything on the table with one card, it is a sweep, and counts a point. For instance: He holds an 8, and there are upon the table four cards only:—5 3 6 and 2. By combining the 6 and 2, and the 5 and 3, two Eights will be formed, and the sweep is made. Sweeps are usually marked by leaving the cards with which they are made face upward at the bottom of the tricks taken in by the player. Sweeps made by opposite sides are sometimes turned down to cancel one another.
Trailing. When a player cannot pair, combine, or build anything, he must play a card. This is called trailing, because he is simply following along waiting for opportunities. In trailing it is usually the best policy to play the smaller cards, except Aces and Little Cassino, because as other players will probably trail small cards also, these may be combined and won with the larger cards kept in the player’s hand.
Last Cards. In the last round, all the cards remaining on the table are won by the player who takes the last trick, but it does not count as a sweep unless it would have been a sweep under any circumstances. The last trick is usually made by the dealer, who always keeps back a court card if he has one, to pair one already on the table.
Irregularities in Play. If any person plays out of his proper turn, the card so played is laid aside as exposed, until it comes to his turn, when it is simply placed on the table with the others. The player in error is not allowed to build or combine it, nor to win anything with it.
If a player gathers in a card which does not belong to the combination or build, he must not only return the card improperly taken up, but all others taken in with it, together with his own card, the latter, however, being laid out separately from the others. If the combination was his own build, it must be broken up; if an adversary’s, it must be restored, and left as it was.
If a player takes in a build with a wrong card, or takes in a wrong combination, or gathers cards to which he is not entitled, the error must be challenged and proved before the next trick is taken in by another player, because only the last trick gathered can be seen.
If a player makes a build without the proper card in his hand to win it, on discovery of the error, the combination must be broken up, and the adversaries may take back the cards they have played in following the erroneous build, and may amend their play. If, however, another player has won the erroneous build, there is no penalty, nor any remedy.
Showing. After the last card has been played, each player counts his cards face downward, and announces the number. The player having the majority scores the three points for cards. If it is a tie, neither scores. The cards are then turned face up, and the spades counted and claimed; and then all the points for Cassinos and Aces. It should be remembered that the total number of points to be made in each hand, exclusive of sweeps, is eleven, and the total of the claims made must agree with that number.
Scoring. There are several methods of scoring. The old way was to play 11 points up, deducting the lower score from the higher at the end of each deal. If one side reached 11 before the adversary reached 6, it was a lurch, and counted as a double game. The common method is to count every hand a game, and settle for it in counters.