This is a splendid round game, in which almost any number of players may take part, though, perhaps, to play the game well with real comfort, the number should not exceed eight or nine.
No great skill is required by the players, indeed success depends so much upon chance, that perhaps the fact of this being so accounts for all the fun and excitement that are usually extracted from the game.
There are two kinds of Loo, viz., Limited and Unlimited. The former being the most popular, it shall receive our first attention.
LIMITED LOO.
This is played with a full pack of fifty-two cards, of which the ace is highest, then king, queen, knave, &c., as in Whist. The person to whom the deal falls must place three counters into the pool. The other players each put in a certain number of counters agreed upon, a number that should properly be divisible by three.
The cards having been shuffled and cut, the dealer proceeds to give three cards to each player, one at a time, beginning with the player on his left. In addition to this, he also deals an extra hand, which is called a dumby, or miss, and is placed in the middle of the table.
After this the card next turned up is the trump. Before looking at his own cards, the dealer asks each player, beginning at the elder hand, and going round to the left, what he intends to do in that round—play his own hand, take the dumby, or throw up his hand.
Should the elder hand decline dumby, the next player has the choice, and so on; but whoever takes it must play it; no one may retract after having declared his intention.
When all have declared their intentions (dealer included), the elder hand of the players left who have not thrown up their hands plays his highest trump, or, if he have no trumps, his highest card, each succeeding player heading the trick. The winner of the trick leads next by playing his highest trump, and in this way the game goes on until all the three tricks are taken.
The pool is then divided into three equal parts, and a part given to the winner of each trick; therefore, any player that should have taken three tricks would be entitled to the whole pool. Those who are unfortunate enough to take no trick at all are looed, and their share is deposited by the dealer towards the next pool.