DEALING. Ten cards are always given to each player, no matter how many are in the game. If there are more than three at the table, the double pack must be used, so as to leave cards enough for the stock.
OBJECT OF THE GAME. The aim of the player is to draw cards from the stock or discard pile until the pip value of the unmatched cards in his hand amounts to 15 or less. Sequences may run to any length, and four, five, or six of a kind is in order. The cards in hand that do not fit any combination of three or more are deadwood, and the object is to reduce this deadwood to less than fifteen.
METHOD OF PLAYING. Each player in turn to the left of the dealer draws a card from the stock or the discard pile and discards one in its place, face up. No player is allowed to lay down anything until he can show his whole hand, and then only when his deadwood is fifteen or less, and he is not obliged to lay down even then if he prefers to wait until he can reduce his deadwood still further.
THE SHOW-DOWN. As soon as any player can show down his hand, the game is at an end. He lays out his combinations and pushes them aside. Then he announces the pip value of his deadwood, after discarding a card in place of the one drawn. Suppose he draws the seven of hearts, and lays down the 6 7 8 9 of that suit; J Q K of clubs; discards the king of spades and leaves two deuces and a five for his deadwood. That is nine points.
Each of the other players in turn to the left then lays down his hand and pushes aside all combinations held. If the pip value of his deadwood is more than that of the player calling for the show-down, he pays the difference. If any player has less than the caller, then he is the winner, and each one at the table pays him, the caller paying him double as a penalty. In case of ties for low, they divide the losses of the others.
POKER GIN.
This is a variety of poker rum in which the deadwood must not exceed ten points and each player is allowed not only to put aside his own combinations after the call for a show-down comes, but may add any of his odd cards to the combinations laid out by the one who calls for a show-down.
Suppose that in the example given for poker rum, the caller showing 6 7 8 9 of hearts, J Q K of clubs, and nine in his deadwood, another player has in his ten cards the 7 8 9 of diamonds; 6 7 8 of spades, two fours and the tens of clubs and hearts.
When the show-down is called for, he has twenty-eight points in his deadwood; but by adding his club ten to the caller’s sequence of J Q K, and the heart ten to the caller’s 6 7 8 9 in that suit, he reduces his deadwood to eight points, the pair of fours, and beats the caller out by a point.
PENALTIES. If any player turns out to have less in his deadwood than the caller, as in the example just given, the caller forfeits ten points to him, in addition to having to pay for the difference. Should a player call for a show-down when he has more than ten in his deadwood, he loses five points to each of the others at the table and takes up his cards again.