The eight rounds of which the game consists are all played differently; the first one resembles the Ordinary Vingt-un. The second round is called Imaginary Tens, and also resembles Vingt-un, excepting that each player, whatever cards have been dealt to him, counts them as ten more than they really are. As in Vingt-un, one card is given to each player, and before receiving it he must make his stake. To this card the imaginary ten is added, and then the players either take more cards or stand, in order as near as possible to make twenty-one. Third round, or Blind Vingt-un, comes next, in which each player, after making his stake, has two cards dealt to him. On these two cards he may either stand or draw more, but whatever decision he makes, it must be arrived at without looking at his cards. In the fourth round, which is known as Sympathy or Antipathy, every one makes his stake, and then announces upon which of the two he will stake, Sympathy or Antipathy, the former being expressed by two cards of the same colour, the latter by two cards different in colour. He then receives from the dealer two cards, which, if corresponding with his choice, makes him winner of the stake; if the contrary, he must pay the dealer. Fifth round, or Rouge et Noir, closely resembles the preceding round, excepting that, instead of two cards, one card only is given to each player, whose stake has reference to nothing more than the colour of the card. In some circles three cards instead of one are dealt. When this plan is adopted the colour is decided by two out of three. In the sixth round, called Self and Company, two cards are put down by the dealer, one of which he names self, and the other company. A stake consisting of a certain number of counters is then placed upon the table by each player, and if the two cards that have been dealt prove to be pairs the dealer wins, but if otherwise he must go on dealing until a card is turned up that pairs with either self or company, the card thus paired being the winner; the dealer receiving or paying, as the case may be. In the seventh round, or Pips, as it is called, there is no staking whatever. The dealer simply gives two cards all round, including himself. He then compares his own with those of each of the company, and every one whose cards are less in value than the dealer's gives him as many counters as will make the difference, while, on the other hand, the dealer has to pay in the same way those whose cards are higher than his. Ties cancel each other, and the ace reckons as one, not as eleven. The last and eighth round is called the Clock. A certain stake being agreed upon, each player lays his counters in front of him. The dealer then begins to deal face upwards, at the same time counting up to thirteen, or rather up to ten, when he says "knave, queen, king." During the counting, should he happen to turn up a card corresponding with the number he is at the time calling out, he wins all the stakes, but if he counts as far as king, that is thirteen, and every card has been different to the numbers he has called, he pays all round the amount that has been staked by each player.
As may be imagined, these eight rounds cannot be played in a very short space of time. When they are completed the deal is transferred to the left of the last dealer, who begins again with the first round.
BEGGAR MY NEIGHBOUR.
This game, although requiring no amount of intellectual power, has been, and no doubt still will be, a source of great amusement. The cards are dealt, face downwards, equally to as many as wish to join in the game. The first player begins by putting down the first card. If it be a one, two, three, or anything but a court card, he continues putting down one after another, until at last he turns up a court card. If this turn-up be a king, his neighbour must pay to him three cards, if a queen two cards, and if a knave one card. When the payment is made, the first player takes up the whole of the cards that have been laid down, and puts them underneath those in his hand.
If, however, among the cards that were paid to the first player the second player should have played a court card, he receives payment in the same way from the third player; and if when the third player is playing he puts down a court card, he receives payment from the fourth player, and so on, the cards being taken up each time by the person who receives his due in ordinary cards.
CATCH THE TEN.
In this game, which in many circles is known as Scottish Whist, the aim of every player is to catch the ten of trumps, or to prevent its falling into the hands of an opponent. Two, three, four, five, or six persons may play, the arrangement of the party depending, of course, upon the number of the players engaged. A party, consisting of four, divide into couples as at Whist. When there are two, three, or five players, each plays upon his own account. When six play, A, C, and E are against B, D, and F, or A, and D, B, and E, C, and F in three partnerships; the partners sitting opposite to each other with an adversary between each two. Out of a full pack of cards, the twos, threes, fours, and fives are thrown out, and, if necessary, for an equal division of the cards, one or more of the sixes. With the exception of the trump suit the cards value the same as at Whist, and the method of playing is also the same. Trumps count as follows: The knave, which is the best, reckons eleven; the ten for ten; ace, four; king, three; and queen, two. The trump suit is reckoned, not as in Whist, by the original possessors of the cards, but to those who may be fortunate enough to take them during the game. The players must of course follow suit, and the penalty for a revoke is the loss of the game. Forty-one is game, the points of which are made by counting the cards in the tricks taken and the honours of trumps. The surest way of saving the ten is to play it in a round of trumps, when one of your partners has played the best trump; or, if you happen to be last player, and have none of the suit led, trump with your ten, if it will take the trick, or if your partner has already taken it. Should the leader happen to have knave and king, or ace and king, he would do wisely to play two rounds of trumps, so that he may have the chance of catching the ten in the second round.