When two or more players happen to hold similar cards, as king and queen, king and knave, &c., the stake is gained by the elder hand, but if any chance be not won, it is left over until the next deal; and on any unclaimed point the stakes may, if thought desirable, be increased. The chances rank, it must be understood, as follows:—
Ace of diamonds (best).
King and queen (matrimony).
King and knave (confederacy).
And any pair (the highest).
ALL FOURS.
The name by which this game is known was, no doubt, given to it because of the four chances, or points, of which it consists—namely, High, which is the name given to the best trump; Low, the smallest trump in the round; Jack, the name of the trump suit; and Game.
The game may be played by either two or four players, but the same rules apply to each.
It would, perhaps, be as well first of all to describe the technical terms used in All Fours, as the game cannot be understood without a knowledge of them.