ROUGE-ET-NOIR, OR, TRENTE ET QUARANTE.
This game is played, like roulette, on a table covered with green cloth.
DIAGRAM OF ROUGE-ET-NOIR.
The tailleur (“cutter of the cards,” banker or dealer) seats himself at the centre of the table, while opposite him, and at each end, are croupiers (rakers-in), to see that no mistakes are made, to aid bettors in placing stakes, and to draw or push money lost or won with long wooden rakes.
On one side of the table is a piece of red cloth, diamond shaped, and, opposite it, a piece of black cloth of the same shape.
The bettors who believe that red will win, put their money on the red side, and those who believe in black, lay their wagers on the black side.
The dealer continually calls out, “Faites votre jeu” (Make your play), and when he sees that all the stakes are down on the table, he adds, “Le jeu est fait” (The game is made), closing, as he begins to deal out the cards, “Rien ne va plus” (no more stakes can be received).
All bets are then rejected, and all stakes pushed back.
Mode of playing.—The game is played with six packs of cards, the court cards counting ten each, and all the others according to the number of spots upon their faces. They are shuffled and held face down, and laid on the cloth face up in two rows or series. The dealer continues dealing out, and counting in a loud voice, until the added numbers reach thirty-one, but they must not be beyond forty. The first row counts for black, and the second for red. Supposing that the first row or series of black came thus: