ADDITIONAL PRIVILEGES FOR A NATURAL.
It is sometimes agreed that the holder of a natural Vingt-un, providing the dealer has not also received a natural, shall be entitled to an amount equal to, or double that of his own stake from each of the other players, unless there be other Vingt-uns, the holders of which are exempted from payment. This is the old fashioned method of playing the game, and in many quarters the rule had been abolished, because, as the deal formerly passed to the holder of the natural Vingt-un, who threw the dealer out, that was considered sufficient reward for holding the two cards. Now, however, that the deal merely passes to the next in order, it is desirable that some further reward should follow from the best possible hand, and the payment of a stake or a double from each player appears to be the fairest method, especially as the declaration of a natural brings the deal nearer to all. The same result may be achieved by agreeing that the contents of a pool, for which provision has already been made, shall go to the player declaring the natural. [70]
COMMERCE.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE GAME.
Ninety years ago the game of Commerce was recognised as being played in two distinct ways, the new and the old mode, so that it may justly be termed one of the oldest round games now practised. Although it is not so popular as some of the others treated of in this volume, it will be found to be a good game; exciting, entertaining, and well deserving of more extended popularity than it has lately enjoyed.
Commerce is usually played with the full pack of fifty-two cards, but if the number of players does not exceed seven the smaller pack of thirty-two may be used, the game being available for any number of players within the range of the pack, say seven with the thirty-two cards, and twelve with the fifty-two.
The cards count in the usual way, except that in reckoning the number of pips upon them, which is sometimes necessary in the course of play, the ace counts for eleven, and the court cards for ten each. There is no particular suit or trumps recognised in the game, the object of the players being to secure special combinations of the cards, technically termed (a) Tricon, (b) Sequence, (c) Flush, (d) Pair, (e) Point, which range in value in the order given. The holder of the best combination in each [71] round is the winner, and he takes the pool or whatever other stake may have been decided upon.
The five combinations just mentioned consist of the following:—