Stakes. Before the cards are dealt, each player except the dealer places before him the amount he bets upon his chances for that deal. This amount may be either at the option of the player, within the betting limit, or it may be a fixed sum, such as one counter. In one variation each player is allowed to look at the first card dealt him before making his bet, and before receiving a second card. When it comes to the dealer’s turn, he does not stake anything upon his card, but he has the privilege of calling upon all the others to double the amount they have placed on theirs. Any player refusing to double must pass over to the dealer the stake already put up, and stand out of the game for that hand.
Another variation is to allow any player whose second card is of the same denomination as the first to separate them, and to place upon the second card a bet equal in amount to that upon his first card, afterward drawing to each separately, as if they were two different hands.
Dealing. The bets made, the cards are shuffled and presented to the pone to be cut; four must be left in each packet. Two cards are given to each player, including the dealer, one at a time in two rounds. If the dealer gives too many cards to any player, either in the first deal or in the draw, he must correct the error at once. If the player has seen the superfluous card he may keep any two he chooses of those dealt him. If the dealer gives himself too many he must keep them all. The last card in the pack must not be dealt. If there are not enough cards to supply the players, the discards must be gathered up, shuffled together, and cut.
Naturals. The cards all dealt, the dealer first examines his hand. If he has exactly 21, an Ace and a tenth card, which is called a natural, he shows it at once, and the players must pay him twice the amount they have staked in front of them, unless they also have a natural, when it is a stand-off. If the dealer has not a natural, each player in turn, beginning with the eldest hand, examines his two cards to see how nearly their total value approaches 21. If he has a natural, he exposes it immediately, and the dealer must pay him double the amount staked. It is sometimes the rule for the holder of a natural, the dealer having none, to take the stakes of all the other players; but this variation is not in favour.
Drawing. No natural being shown, each player in turn may draw another card, or stand on the two dealt him, which are not shown under any circumstances. If he is content, he says: “I stand.” If he wants a card he says: “One,” and the dealer gives it to him, face up. If the pips on the card drawn, added to those already in his hand, make his total greater than 21, he is créve, and passes over to the dealer his stake, throwing his cards in the centre of the table, still face down. If the total is not 21, he may draw another card, and so on until he is créve or stands. The first player disposed of in this manner, the dealer goes on to the next one, and so on until he comes to himself. He turns his two cards face upward, and draws or stands to suit himself. If he overdraws, all the other players expose their first two cards to show that they have 21 or less, and he then pays each of them the amount they have staked. If he stands, either before or after drawing, the others expose their cards in the same way, and those that have the same number are tied, and win or lose nothing. Those who have less than the dealer lose their stake; those that have more than the dealer, but still not more than 21, he must pay. When the result is a tie, it is called paying in cards.
The Banker. The banker for the next deal may be decided upon in various ways. The old rule was for one player to continue to act as banker and to deal the cards until one of his adversaries held a natural, the dealer having none to offset it. When this occurred, the player who held the natural took the bank and the deal until some one else held a natural. Another way was to agree upon a certain number of rounds for a banker, after which the privilege was drawn for again. Another was for one player to remain the banker until he had lost or won a certain amount, when the privilege was drawn for again. The modern practice is for each player to be the banker in turn, the deal passing in regular rotation to the left. When this is done there must be a penalty for dealing twice in succession, and it is usually fixed at having to pay ties, if the error is not discovered until one player has drawn cards. If before that, it is a misdeal.
Pools. Vingt-et-un is sometimes played with a pool. Each player contributes one counter at the start, and the pool is afterward fed by penalties. Every player who is créve puts in a counter; all ties with the dealer pay one, and the dealer pays one for any irregularity in dealing. The pool may be kept to pay for refreshments, like the kitty in Poker, or it may be won by the first natural shown, as may be agreed.
Probabilities. The only point in the game is for a player to know what hands to stand on, and what to draw to. The dealer is guided by the cards dealt to other players, and by what they ask for. The other players should stand on 17, but draw on 16. In practice it has been found that the odds are about 2 to 1 in favour of drawing at 16; 3 to 1 for drawing at 15. The rules for drawing, etc., are more fully described in connection with the very similar game of Baccara.