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  "started_at": "2026-08-26T08:57:58.888308Z",
  "num_predict": 1536,
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        "content": "The document below is a long extract. Somewhere in it is a single sentence about the Harrowgate Registry.\n\nRead the document and answer in one short sentence: how many gallons of oil does the lamp-room at Sallow Head hold, and in what year was it last repainted?\n\nDOCUMENT:\nHearts is supposed by some persons to be an entirely new game; but its\nleading principle, losing instead of winning tricks, is to be found\nin many other card games, some of which are quite old. Slobberhannes,\nEnflé, Schwellen, Polignac, and The Four Jacks, all belong to the same\nfamily, but most of them have given way to the more popular game of\nHearts.\n\nThere are several varieties of Hearts, but the principal arrangements\nare the same in all, and the chief differences are in the manner of\nsettling at the end of the hand.\n\n_=CARDS.=_ Hearts is played with a full pack of fifty-two cards, which\nrank A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2: the ace is the highest in play, but in\ncutting it ranks below the deuce. There is no trump suit.\n\nWhen three persons play, the deuce of spades is thrown out of the\npack; when five play, both the black deuces are laid aside, and when\nsix play, all four deuces are discarded. It is usual to play with two\npacks, one being shuffled while the other is dealt.\n\n_=COUNTERS.=_ Every deal is a game in itself, and must be settled for\nin counters immediately. It is usual for each player to begin with\nfifty counters, which are purchased from some person who is agreed\nupon to act as banker. When only two play, the game may be scored on a\npull-up cribbage board, and settled for at the end.\n\n_=PLAYERS.=_ Any number from two to six persons may play, but four is\nthe usual number, each playing for himself against all the others. The\nplayers on the dealer’s right and left are known as the _=pone=_ and\nthe _=eldest hand=_, respectively.\n\n_=STAKES.=_ The value of the counters must be agreed upon before\nplay begins, and the method of settling should also be understood,\nSweepstake Hearts and Howell’s Settling being entirely different games,\nand requiring totally different methods of play.\n\n_=CUTTING.=_ If seven players assemble, it is usual to make up a table\nin which the dealer takes no cards. If there are more than seven\ncandidates for play, two tables must be formed.\n\nPlayers draw from an outspread pack for the choice of seats and cards,\nthe lowest cut having the first choice, and the others following in\ntheir order. The player cutting the lowest card takes the first deal,\nwhich afterward passes in regular rotation to the left.\n\nIn cutting, the ace is low. Any player exposing more than one card must\ncut again.\n\n_=TIES.=_ If the first cut does not decide, those tying must cut again,\nbut the new cut decides nothing but the tie.\n\n_=DEALING.=_ Any player has the right to shuffle the pack, the dealer\nlast. The cards are then presented to the pone to be cut, who must\nleave at least four in each packet. The cards are dealt from left to\nright, one at a time to each player in rotation until the pack is\nexhausted. No trump is turned. In Two-handed Hearts, the dealer stops\nwhen each player has received thirteen cards. The deal passes to the\nleft.\n\n_=Misdealing.=_ It is a misdeal if the dealer omits to have the pack\ncut, and the error is discovered before the last card is dealt; if he\ndeals a card incorrectly, and does not remedy the error before dealing\nanother; or if he counts the cards on the table, or those remaining in\nthe pack; or if it is discovered before all have played to the first\ntrick that any player has too many or too few cards. A misdeal loses\nthe deal unless one of the other players has touched the cards, or has\nin any way interrupted the dealer.\n\nIf any card is exposed by the dealer, the player to whom it is dealt\nmay demand a new deal, provided he has not touched any of his cards.\nAny one dealing out of turn, or with the wrong cards, may be stopped\nbefore the last card is dealt. After that the deal stands good, and the\npacks, if changed, must so remain.\n\n_=IRREGULAR HANDS.=_ If, after the first trick has been played to, any\ntwo players are found to have more or less than their correct number\nof cards, the pack being perfect, the one having less must draw, face\ndownward, from the hand of the one having more; and each must pay five\ncounters into the pool.\n\n_=OBJECTS OF THE GAME.=_ As a general proposition, the object of each\nplayer is to avoid getting any hearts in the tricks he takes in. In\nsome varieties of the game his object must be to take no hearts; in\nothers it will be to take less than his adversaries; while in others\nit will be to take less than four. After a person has taken in one or\nmore hearts, his object will be to _=load=_ the others; that is, to see\nthat they get some hearts also; or it may be to see that a given player\ntakes at least one heart; or that no one but himself takes any. The\nmanner in which a person must vary his play in accordance with these\ndifferent objects will be discussed when we come to the suggestions for\ngood play. In the meantime, it is necessary to bear in mind only the\ngeneral principle that the object of the game is to avoid winning any\ntricks that contain hearts.\n\n_=METHOD OF PLAYING.=_ The cards dealt, the player to the left of the\ndealer begins by leading any card he pleases, and the others must\nfollow suit if they can. The highest card played, if of the suit led,\nwins the trick. There is no trump suit. If a player has none of the\nsuit led, he may discard anything he pleases. The winner of the trick\ntakes it in and leads for the next trick, and so on until all the cards\nhave been played. The tricks themselves have no value as such, and need\nnot be kept separate.\n\n_=Irregularities in Play.=_ If any player omits to play to a trick, and\nplays to a following one, he is not allowed to correct his error, but\nis compelled to take the thirteenth or last trick, with whatever hearts\nit may contain. If a player is found, during or at the end of a hand,\nto be a card short, all others at the table having their right number,\nand all having played to the first trick, the player with the short\nhand is compelled to take the last trick, with whatever hearts it may\ncontain.\n\n_=Exposed Cards.=_ Should a person lead or play two cards to one trick,\nhe is allowed to indicate the one intended; but he must leave the other\nface upward on the table. All exposed cards are liable to be called\nby any player at the table, and should one player call such a card,\nhis decision is binding on the others. A player with an exposed card\nin front of him must play it when called upon, provided he can do so\nwithout revoking; but he cannot be prevented from getting rid of the\nexposed card in the course of play, if the opportunity offers.\n\n_=Leading Out of Turn.=_ Should a player lead out of turn, he may be\ncalled upon to lead or not to lead a heart when it is next his turn to\nlead. This penalty can be enforced only by the player on his right. If\nall have played to the false lead the error cannot be rectified; but if\nall have not played, their cards must be taken back, and are not liable\nto be called.\n\nIf any person plays out of turn in any trick, the player on his left,\nnot having played, may demand that the card be taken back, and after\nthe proper player has played the player in error may be called upon to\nplay his highest or lowest of the suit led, or not to discard a heart.\nIf the person on the left of the player in error was the leader in the\ntrick, either he or the player whose proper turn it was to play may\ndemand the penalty.\n\n_=Revoking.=_ Any player failing to follow suit, when able to do so,\nmay amend his error if he discovers his mistake before the trick in\nwhich it occurs has been turned and quitted. The card played in error\nthen becomes an exposed card. Those who have played after him have the\nprivilege of withdrawing their cards and substituting others, without\npenalty. Should the revoking player not discover his error in time,\nthe hand must be played out, and if the revoke is detected and claimed\nthe player in error must pay all the losses on that hand. Should\nthe revoking player win the pool himself, he must pay the thirteen\ncounters to the pool, and leave them for a _=Jack=_. Should he divide\nthe pool with another player, he must pay his co-winner six counters,\nand put up the other seven for a Jack.\n\nIf two or more players revoke in the same hand, each must pay the\nentire losses in that hand as if he were alone in error; so that if\ntwo should revoke and a third win the pool, the latter would receive\ntwenty-six counters instead of thirteen. In Auction Hearts, the\nrevoking player must also refund the amount put up by the bidder.\nA revoke must be claimed and proved before the pool is divided.\nNon-compliance with a performable penalty is the same as a revoke.\n\n_=SETTLING.=_ After the last card has been played, each player turns\nover his tricks, counts the number of hearts he has taken in, and\nannounces it. Players should be careful not to gather or mix the cards\nuntil all thirteen hearts have been accounted for. Each player then\npays into the pool for the number of hearts he has taken in, according\nto the system of settlement agreed upon before play began. The pool\nis then taken down by the player or players winning it, and the deal\npasses to the left. The game is at an end any time the players wish to\nstop, after a hand has been settled for; but it is usual to agree upon\nsome definite hour.\n\nThere are two ways of settling at the end of the hand, each of which\nhas its good points.\n\n_=SWEEPSTAKE HEARTS.=_ After the hand has been played, each player\nannounces the number of hearts he has taken in, and pays into the pool\none counter for each. All thirteen hearts having been paid for, any\nplayer having taken no hearts wins the entire pool; two having taken\nnone, divide it. If all the players have taken hearts, or if one player\nhas taken all thirteen, the pool remains, and forms a _=Jack=_. This\ncan be won only by a single player in some subsequent deal taking no\nhearts, all the others having taken at least one. These jack pools are\nof course increased thirteen counters every deal until some player wins\nthe whole amount. Some clubs make it a Jack after two players have\ndivided a pool, using the odd counter as a starter. It will be found\nthat natural Jacks occur quite frequently enough without resorting to\nthis expedient.\n\n_=HOWELL’S SETTLING.=_ The great objection to the method of settling\nat Sweepstake Hearts is that it makes the game almost entirely one of\nchance. No matter how good a player one may be, good luck alone will\nbring success. In a four-handed game it is possible for one player\nto take in only 58 hearts in 60 deals, and still to be 46 counters\nbehind; while another player may take in 500 hearts in 60 deals and\nbe 46 counters ahead. It may be claimed that the player who has 46\ncounters ahead at the end was the better player, because he won; but\nmost persons will agree that a player who takes in only 58 hearts in 60\ndeals is a much better player than one who has taken in 500 hearts in\nthe same time.\n\nIt was to remedy this defect, and to give skill its proper percentage\nof value, that Mr. E. C. Howell of Boston proposed the manner of\ncontributing to and dividing the pools which is now known as Howell’s\nSettling.\n\nEach player begins with an equal number of counters, usually 100. At\nthe end of the hand, after the hearts have been counted and announced,\neach player pays into the pool, for every heart he holds, as many\ncounters as there are players besides himself. For instance: A, B, C\nand D play. A takes three hearts; B and C five each, and D none. There\nbeing three players besides himself, A puts up three times three, or 9\ncounters. B and C put up 15 each, and D none; so that there are 39 in\nthe pool. Each player then takes out of the pool 1 counter for every\nheart he did _=not=_ hold when the hearts were announced. D, having\ntaken no hearts, gets 13 counters. A, having taken three hearts only,\nis entitled to 10 counters for the 10 hearts he did not hold, while B\nand C get 8 each. This exhausts the pool. There are no Jacks in this\nway of settling.\n\nMatters may be facilitated by having counters of different colours,\nthe white being the unit, and the red representing the number which it\nwill be necessary to pay for one heart. Practice will make the players\nso familiar with the amount of the various profits or losses that they\nsimply pay or take what is due to them.\n\nThe first time this is played it looks like a pretty severe game for a\nplayer who takes in a large number of hearts on one deal; but it will\nbe found that he rapidly recovers. During a sitting of any length the\nplayer who takes in the smallest number of hearts must be the winner.\nIn the case mentioned in connection with Sweepstake Hearts, in which\none player lost 46 counters while another won 46, in 60 deals, the\nresult at Howell’s Settling would have been that the player who took in\nonly 58 hearts would be 548 counters ahead instead of losing 46; while\nthe one who took in 500 hearts would lose 1220 counters, instead of\nwinning 46.\n\n_=METHODS OF CHEATING.=_ Under the rule for dealing the cards one at a\ntime, the greek must be very skilful to secure any advantage at Hearts.\nBut when it is the practice to deal the cards three at a time, and\nfour on the last round, it is an easy matter to get four small hearts\ntogether on the bottom of the pack. Any person who is observed to hold\nthree or four small hearts every time he deals, should be carefully\nwatched, and it will usually be found that he gathers the small hearts\nfrom the hands of the other players while the pool is being divided.\nMarked cards are of little use to the greek at hearts, because so much\ndepends on what a player holds, and so little on his play.\n\nBefore proceeding to suggestions for good play, it will be better to\ndescribe some of the variations of the game in common use, because what\nwould be good play in one variation would not be in another.\n\n_=TWO-HANDED HEARTS.=_ The two players having cut for the deal,\nthirteen cards are given to each, one at a time, and the remainder\nof the pack is left on the table, face down. The dealer’s adversary,\nusually called the pone, begins by leading any card he pleases, and the\ndealer must follow suit if he can, as in the ordinary game. The winner\nof the trick takes it in, but before leading for the next trick he\ndraws one card from the top of the pack lying on the table, restoring\nthe number of his cards to thirteen. His adversary then draws the next\ncard, and the cards are played and drawn in this manner until the pack\nis exhausted. The thirteen cards remaining in the hands of the two\nadversaries are then played, and after the last trick has been won,\neach turns over his cards and counts the number of hearts he has taken\nin. The object of the game is to take fewer hearts than your opponent,\nand the method of settling is either for the greater number to pay the\nlesser the difference; or, for the first six hearts taken by the loser\nto count nothing, but all above six to be paid for. The most popular\nway is to peg up the difference on a cribbage board, and to settle at\nthe end of the sitting.\n\n_=THREE-HANDED HEARTS.=_ The deuce of spades is discarded, and\nseventeen cards are dealt to each player, one at a time, after which\nthe game proceeds in the usual way. There are several methods of\nsettling. Howell’s method is undoubtedly the best, but Sweepstakes is\nvery common. An excellent way is for the player who takes the largest\nnumber of hearts to pay the two others as many counters as he has\nhearts in excess of theirs. If two have an equal number, both pay the\nlow man. There are no Jacks.\n\n_=AUCTION HEARTS.=_ This is usually played by four persons, although\nfive or six may form a table. After the cards have been dealt in the\nusual way, the player to the left of the dealer examines his cards,\nand determines which suit he would prefer to play to get clear of. It\nmay be that if the game were to get rid of clubs instead of hearts,\nhis hand would be a very good one, whereas if the suit were to remain\nhearts it would be a very bad hand. As the pool will contain thirteen\ncounters to a certainty, he can afford to pay something for the better\nchance he will have to win it if he is allowed to make clubs the suit\nto be avoided, instead of hearts. He bids whatever amount he is willing\nto pay for the privilege of changing the suit, without naming the suit\nhe prefers. The next player then has a bid, and so on in turn, the\ndealer bidding last. There are no second bids.\n\nThe player making the highest bid pays into the pool the amount he\nhas bid. He then names the suit to be avoided, and leads for the\nfirst trick, regardless of his position with respect to the deal. The\ndealer’s position is a great advantage, on account of its having the\nlast bid.\n\nAfter the hand is played, those who have taken in any cards of the suit\nannounced to be avoided, pay one counter to the pool for each of them.\nIf any one player gets clear, each of the others having at least one\nof the tabooed suit, he takes the entire pool. If two get clear, they\ndivide the pool, leaving any odd counter to form the basis of a Jack,\nas at Sweepstakes. If one player takes all thirteen, it is a Jack; but\ninstead of the next choice being sold to the highest bidder, the one\nwho named the suit on the hand that made the pool a Jack has the choice\nof suits again for the next deal, and he must select some suit without\npaying anything further for it, until some player wins what he paid for\nthe choice in the first place. That is, the pool must be won before the\nchoice can be sold again.\n\nThe general principle of the game is for the players to combine against\nthe successful bidder, and to spare no effort to prevent him from\nwinning the pool.\n\n_=SPOT HEARTS.=_ In this variation, when the hearts are announced at\nthe end of the hand, the spots on them are the units of value, the\nJack being worth 11, the Queen 12, the King 13, and the Ace 14. This\nadds nothing to the interest or skill of the game; but rather tends to\ncreate confusion and delay, owing to the numerous disputes as to the\ncorrectness of the count.\n\nThe total to be accounted for in each deal is 104. In settling, the\nplayer with the smallest number collects from each of the others the\namount they have in excess of his. If two or more players have an equal\nnumber, or none at all, they divide the amount collected from each of\nthe others. For instance: Four play, A has 8 points, B 24, C 18, and D\n54. As 8 points is the lowest, B pays A 16, C pays him 10, and D pays\nhim 46. If A and B had 8 each, C 32, and D 56, C would pay 24, and D\n48; and A-B would divide the amount between them.\n\nThe chief variation in play arises from the fact that one who must win\na heart trick cannot always afford to play his highest heart as in the\nordinary game.\n\n_=JOKER HEARTS.=_ In this variation, the heart deuce is discarded, and\nthe Joker takes its place. The Joker occupies a position between the\nJack and the Ten in value, with the added peculiarity that it cannot\nbe discarded on a plain suit; for if it is, it wins the trick unless\nthere is a higher heart in the same trick. If a player has the Joker\ndealt to him, his only chance to get rid of it is to play it on a trick\nin which hearts are led, or to discard it on a plain suit on which some\nother player has already discarded a higher heart than the Ten. Under\nsuch circumstances, the holder of the Joker is allowed to discard it,\neven if he has one of the suit led, and the Joker being in the trick\ncompels the player who discarded the higher heart to take it in.\n\nIn settling, the Joker is worth five counters. If the player to whom\nit was dealt takes it in, he pays these five counters to the pool. If\nanother player gets the Joker, he must pay the five counters to the\nplayer who got rid of it. The remainder of the pool is then divided in\nthe usual way. This is a most exasperating game.\n\n_=DISCARD HEARTS.=_ This is sometimes called _=Black Jack=_, or _=Black\nLady=_. If it is the Jack, it is worth ten hearts; if it is the Queen,\nit is worth thirteen hearts.\n\nAfter the cards are dealt, each player in turn lays out three cards\nwhich he does not want, and the player on his left is obliged to take\nthem, after having discarded himself. No player may look at what he is\ngoing to get until he has discarded himself.\n\nThe Black Jack or Lady holds its rank as a spade when spades are led;\nbut the moment any other suit is led, of which the player is void,\nhe can discard the Black Jack or Lady, just as he would get rid of a\nheart. If hearts are led and the player has no hearts, he can play the\nBlack Jack or Lady to the trick, as it ranks below the deuce of hearts.\n\n_=PROGRESSIVE HEARTS.=_ The general arrangements for the players and\ntheir positions are exactly the same as those already described in\nconnection with Progressive Euchre. The players at each table cut for\nthe deal, and play begins with the tap of the bell at the head table.\nOnly one deal is played at each table.\n\nThere are no counters. At the end of the hand the ladies compare their\ncards, and the one having the fewer hearts goes to the next higher\ntable. The gentlemen then compare their cards in the same way, so that\none lady and one gentleman go up from each table at the end of every\nhand. They take the seats vacated by those leaving the table they go\nto. All ties are determined by cutting, those cutting the lower cards\ngoing up. In cutting, the ace is low.\n\nEach player is provided with a score card, to which the gold, red and\ngreen stars are attached as in Euchre. The gold stars are given to\nthose at the head table who have the fewest hearts. Those moving from\nother tables receive red stars; and those taking in the most hearts at\nthe booby table receive green stars. Prizes are given to the ladies\nand gentlemen having the greatest number of each variety of star; but\nthe same player cannot win two prizes. If there is a tie in one class,\nthe number of other stars must decide; equal numbers of gold being\ndecided by the majority of red on the same card; red ties, by the\ngreater number of gold; and green ties by the fewest number of gold\nstars.\n\n_=HEARTSETTE.=_ Heartsette differs from hearts only in the addition of\na widow. When four play, the spade deuce is deleted; twelve cards are\ngiven to each player, and the three remaining form the widow, which is\nleft face downward in the centre of the table. When any other number\nplay, the full pack is used. If there are three players, three cards\nare left for the widow: two cards are left when five play, and four\nwhen six play. The player winning the first trick takes in the widow,\nwith any hearts it may contain. He is entitled to look at these cards,\nbut must not show or name them to any other player. The game then\nproceeds in the usual way. Payments are made to the pool for all hearts\ntaken in, and the pool is then won, divided, or remains to form a Jack,\njust as at Sweepstake Hearts. The chief difference in the game is that\nthe other players do not know whether the winner of the first trick is\nloaded or not, and he is the only player who knows how many or what\nhearts are still to be played.\n\n_=DOMINO HEARTS.=_ In this variation, six cards only are dealt to each\nplayer, the remainder of the pack being left face down on the table.\nWhen a player is unable to follow suit, he must draw cards from the\nstock, one at a time, until he can. The last player with any cards left\nin his hand must take what is left of the stock, if any. The hearts\ntaken in are then counted as usual. Thirty-one points is game, and the\nwinner is the player who has the least hearts scored when some other\nplayer reaches thirty-one.\n\nA good player, after sorting his hand, carefully estimates its\npossibilities. The hand may be such that it is evidently impossible to\navoid taking some hearts. The player must then decide whether he will\nplay to give each of the others hearts, or will take them all himself.\nIf he succeeds in either object he has a chance to win back his money\nin the ensuing Jack. In deciding on his chances to get clear without\ntaking a single heart, the player must first consider the advisability\nof beginning with a heart, or with a plain suit. If hearts, he should\nknow the probability of the heart he leads not winning the trick; if a\nplain suit, he should know the probability of the suit going round one\nor more times without hearts being discarded on it, especially if he\nintends to lead high cards. These chances must then be balanced one\nagainst the other and the more favourable selected.\n\n_=LEADING HEARTS ORIGINALLY.=_ When your hearts are so small as to be\nabsolutely safe, such as the 7 5 3 2, it might be supposed that the\nbest play would be to lead them at once, in order to get a large number\nof hearts out of your way. But with such cards it is usually much\nbetter play, unless you have a very dangerous hand in plain suits, to\nreserve these small hearts until you have a more definite idea, from\nthe fall of the cards, to whom you are giving them. Such cards are\nparticularly useful for getting rid of the lead at dangerous stages in\nthe end-game.\n\nWhen the plain-suit cards are high or dangerous, but the hearts are\nreasonably safe, it is usually better to lead the hearts, and to\ncontinue leading them every time you get in. By following these tactics\nit is quite possible for you to take almost every trick in the plain\nsuits, and yet to win the pool by rapidly exhausting the hearts.\n\nIf you lead the ♡ 4, the only chance for it to win is that one player\nhas no hearts, and that the 2 and 3 are divided. The odds against this\ncombination of circumstances will vary with the number of hearts you\nhold with the 4, but may be generally stated on the average as about 50\nto 1. It is usually considered a safer lead than a high card of a plain\nsuit, even if you have only three of the suit.\n\nIf your only heart is the 5, and you propose to lead it, the chances\nthat the 2, 3, and 4 are not each in separate hands are about 19 in 25,\nor 19 to 6 against it, which is about 3 to 1. If you lead the 5, the\nodds against your winning the trick decrease as the number of hearts\nyou hold with the 5 increases. If you have four hearts, the 5 being the\nlowest, the odds against its winning the trick, if you lead it, are\nabout 29 to 11. If you have eight hearts, the 5 being the lowest, it is\nabout an even chance. If your only heart is the 6, it is about an even\nchance that it will win the trick; but the odds against you increase\nrapidly with the number of additional hearts that you hold. If you\npropose to lead the 7, the chances that it will win the trick are 2 to\n1 under the most favourable circumstances, which are when it is your\nonly heart. These odds against you increase rapidly with the number of\nadditional hearts that you hold.\n\n_=LEADING PLAIN SUITS ORIGINALLY.=_ It will often happen that you will\nhave to decide between the lead of a comparatively dangerous heart and\na risky plain suit. Your knowledge of probabilities should enable you\nto select the safer course. The odds against getting a heart on the\nfirst round of a plain suit depend upon how many cards of the suit you\nhold. If you lead an Ace, or any card which is sure to win the trick,\nthe odds against your getting a heart on it are as the following:--\n\nThese odds may be slightly increased by taking into account the fact\nthat players who cannot follow suit do not always discard hearts,\nhaving perhaps more dangerous cards to get rid of.\n\nThe odds against a suit going round a second time may be influenced\nby the cards played to the first round; but it sometimes happens that\nyou have to calculate in advance for two rounds of a suit, regardless\nof the cards that may be played by others. This is especially the case\nwhen you fear that the suit will be led to you, and you have such\ncards as must win two rounds. If you have 4 cards of the suit the odds\n_against_ your getting a heart in two rounds are 2 to 1. The odds _in\nfavour_ of your getting a heart in two rounds are:--\n\nAs an example of the value of a thorough knowledge of these odds to a\ncareful player, suppose he had to win two rounds of a plain suit, of\nwhich he held six cards; or to lead the ♡7, having three higher. The\nsuit would be the better play, because it takes in only one heart,\nwhile the lead of the heart might take in four.\n\nThe following table shows the exact number of times in 1,000 deals that\na heart would probably be discarded on a plain suit led, according to\nthe number of cards in the suit held by the leader, and the number of\ntimes the suit was led:\n\nThis shows that 158 times in 1,000, when the leader has 1, 2, 3, or 4\ncards of the suit, it will go round three times, because 158 is the\nbalance necessary to bring our last figure, 842, up to 1,000. Reducing\nthis to a small fraction, the odds are about 5⅛ to 1 that a suit will\nnot go round three times without affording to some player the chance of\ndiscarding hearts on it. This calculation shows the hopeless nature of\nall hands that contain at least three cards of each suit, unless the\nsmallest card in every suit is below a 6; for if any one of the suits\nis led three times, it is even betting that you will have to win the\nthird round, and 5⅛ to 1 that you get a heart on it if you do.\n\n_=PLAIN-SUIT LEADS.=_ The favourite lead with most heart players is a\nsingleton; or, failing that, a two-card suit. This is a mistake, unless\nthe singleton is a high card; for if the adversaries are sharp players\nthey will at once suspect the nature of the lead, and carefully avoid\nthe suit. But if you wait until some other player opens the suit,\nit will very probably be led twice in succession. The best original\nplain-suit lead is one in which you are moderately long, but have small\ncards enough to be safe, and from which you can lead intermediate cards\nwhich probably will not win the first trick.\n\nA very little experience at Hearts will convince any one that it is\nbest, in plain suits, to play out the high cards first. This agrees\nwith the theory of probabilities; for while the odds are 22 to 1\nagainst your getting a heart on the first round of a plain suit of\nwhich you have 4 cards, the odds are only 2 to 1 against it on the\nsecond round, and on the third they are 5⅛ to 1 in favour of it.\nAccordingly, on the first round most players put up their highest card\nof the suit led, no matter what their position with regard to the\nleader; but in so doing, they often run needless risks. The object in\nSweepstake Hearts is to take none, and the most successful players will\nbe found to be those who play consistently with the greatest odds in\ntheir favour for taking none.\n\nSuppose that you hold such a suit as A 10 9 7 4 2. This is a safe suit;\nbecause it is very improbable that you can be compelled to take a trick\nin it. The best lead from such a suit is the 10 or 9. If the suit is\nled by any other player, the same card should be played, unless you are\nfourth hand, and have no objection to the lead. This avoids the risk,\nhowever slight, of getting a heart on the first round, which would\nbe entailed by playing the ace. In Sweepstake Hearts it is a great\nmistake to play the high cards of a suit in which you are safe; for\nno matter how small the risk, it is an unnecessary one. In the case\nwe are considering, when you have six cards of the suit, the odds are\n7 to 1 against your getting a heart if you play the ace first round.\nThat is to say, you will probably lose one pool out of every eight if\nyou play it. Take the greatest odds in your favour, when you have only\nfour cards of a suit; they are 22 to 1 against your getting a heart\nthe first round, so that you would lose by it only once in 23 times.\nBut this is a heavy percentage against you if you are playing with\nthose who do not run such risks, for you give up every chance you might\notherwise have in 5 pools out of every 110.\n\nWhen you have a dangerous hand in hearts, but one absolutely safe long\nsuit, it is often good play to begin with your safe suit, retaining\nany high cards you may have in other suits in order to get the lead as\noften as possible for the purpose of continuing your safe suit, which\nwill usually result in one or more of the other players getting loaded.\n\nWhen you have at least three of each plain suit it is obvious that you\ncannot hope for any discards, and that you must take into account the\nprobability of having to win the third round of one or more suits, with\nthe accompanying possibility of getting hearts at the same time. If\nyou have the lead, this probability must be taken into account before\nany of the other players show their hands, and as it may be set down\nas about 5⅛ to 1 that you will get a heart, any better chance that the\nhand affords should be taken advantage of.\n\nIt will often occur that a player’s attention must be so concentrated\non getting clear himself that he has no opportunity to scheme for\n“loading” the others. But if it unfortunately happens that he is\ncompelled to take in one or more hearts, he should at once turn his\nattention to taking them all, or to loading the other players, with a\nview to making a Jack of the pool. Should he succeed in either object,\nhe has another chance for his money.\n\nIt is usually bad policy to return the suit opened by the original\nleader. He has picked that out as his safest suit, and although he may\nbe the only one safe in it, by continuing it you are reducing your\nchances to two players, when you might share them with all three.\n\n_=FOLLOWING SUIT.=_ When a player is not the original leader, his\npolicy becomes defensive; for, as the first player is plotting to\ngive hearts to every one but himself, each of the others must be a\nprospective victim, and should do his best to avoid the traps prepared\nby the one who plans the opening of the hand.\n\nWhen you are second or third player, the first time a suit is led, it\nis usually best to play your highest card, unless you are safe in the\nsuit, or have so many that there is danger of getting a heart, even on\nthe first round. As fourth player, you should always play your highest\ncard, unless there is already a heart in the trick, or some decided\ndisadvantage in the lead. The risks you run in playing high cards\nwhile following suit must be judged by the same probabilities that we\nexamined in considering the original lead. The fact that one or more\nplayers have already followed suit, and perhaps the cards they have\nplayed, may enable you to arrive at a still closer estimate of your\nchances. It is generally conceded, that the odds against a player who\nholds up on the first round are about 1 to 11. That is to say, in 12\npools, he will sacrifice his chances of one simply by holding up.\n\nAfter one or two tricks have been played, the conditions may be such\nthat it becomes necessary to hold up, in order to win the second\nround. This is especially the case after you have been loaded, and\nare anxious to keep a certain player out of the lead. For an example\nsee Illustrative Hand No. 4. in which Y holds up the ♢ King to keep A\nfrom getting in and leading another round of hearts. In the same hand\nZ tries hard to make the pool a Jack by holding up the ♣ Q. Had not A\nbeen entirely safe in diamonds the stratagem would have succeeded.\n\nIn following suit it is important to keep count of the cards played, in\norder to avoid the unwitting lead of a suit of which the other players\nhave none. The suits that need close watching are those in which you\nhave nothing smaller than a six or eight. You should be careful to note\nwhich player appears to have the smaller cards, after the suit has\nbeen led once or twice, and be on the watch to take the lead away from\nhim in other suits if you can, or he may load you by leading the small\ncards of your dangerous suit, in which he is safe. When this danger is\napparent, it is best to retain, until the second round, such high cards\nas Kings and Queens of the suits led. Even if you have four of the\nsuit, you run only a 2 to 1 risk in winning the second round instead of\nthe first, as against a certainty that you will be out of the pool at\nonce if the dangerous player gets the lead. For an example of this, see\nB’s play in Illustrative Hand No. 2.\n\nWhere you have a certain safe card, and others of another suit not\nabsolutely safe, it is better to keep the safe card, in order to be\nsure of getting rid of the lead if you are put in on your dangerous\nsuit.\n\nIn following suit, the most annoying hand that one can hold is one\ncontaining at least three cards of each suit, none of them below a\n6. There is no hope of a discard, unless two players make a fight in\nsome one suit, which they lead four or five times in order to load\neach other, regardless of the escape of the other players. This very\nseldom occurs, and never among good players. With such a hand escape is\nalmost impossible, and it is usually best to make the losses as small\nas possible. Many good players, with such a hand, will deliberately\ntake in hearts on the plain suits, hoping to escape with only one or\ntwo in each trick, instead of having to carry the whole load by getting\ninto the lead at the end. It should never be forgotten that when you\nmust inevitably take some hearts it is cheaper to take them in on plain\nsuits than to win heart tricks.\n\n_=CONTROL OF THE LEAD.=_ One of the strongest points in good heart play\nis the proper control of the lead at certain times. A player whose hand\ncontains no commanding cards, and who is unable to do anything but\nfollow suit on the first two or three rounds, will often find himself\ncompelled to win one of the later rounds with a small card, taking in\none or two hearts with it; and this misfortune usually overtakes him\nbecause a certain player gets into the lead at a critical period of the\nhand. If he sees the impending danger, and has K, Q or J of a suit led,\nhe will not give up his high card, even if the ace is played to the\ntrick; but will retain it in order to prevent the possibility of the\ndangerous player getting into the lead on the second round of the suit.\nIn doing this, he of course decreases the odds against his getting\nhearts, by deliberately winning the second round. But 2 to 1 in his\nfavour is a much better chance than the certainty, almost, that he will\nbe loaded if a particular player is allowed the opportunity to lead a\ncertain suit again. See B’s play in Illustrative Hand No 2, and Y’s in\nNo 4.\n\nA player may have no desire to prevent any particular adversary from\ngetting the lead; but may be anxious simply to carry out a certain line\nof play. In order to do this it may be essential that he should have\nsome direction of the course of the hand. This is impossible if his\nplay is confined to following suit helplessly, whatever is led. He must\nbe able to assume the lead himself in order so to change the course of\nthe play as to better suit his game.\n\nLet us suppose that he has a dangerous hand in plain suits, but is safe\nin hearts, and decides that his best chance is to lead hearts at every\nopportunity; or that he has a certain safe suit which it is manifestly\nto his advantage to have led as often as possible. The other players,\nbeing the ones who are to suffer from this line of play, will of course\nprevent it if possible; and in order to carry out the plan in spite of\ntheir opposition, it will be necessary for the individual player to\ngain the lead a certain number of times, and so force his game upon\nthem.\n\nAgain, a player may know that he can load a certain adversary if he\ncan get in and lead a certain suit or card; or he may know that by\ngiving one player the lead, that player can load another. In such cases\ncommanding cards must be held or retained, in order to give the player\na certain control of the lead.\n\nWhen a player is attempting to take all thirteen hearts, the control of\nthe lead, especially in the end game, is very important; because the\ndesign of each of the other players will be to get the lead into some\nother hand, in the hope that they may load the player having it, and so\nat least divide the pool.\n\n_=THE DISCARD.=_ One of the most important elements in heart play\nis the discard. The beginner is too apt to discard hearts at every\nopportunity; but a little experience will teach him that even a 3 in a\nplain suit may be a better card to part with.\n\nThe most important thing in discarding is to reduce the odds against\nyour winning the pool. Let us suppose that you have the A K Q of a\nplain suit. It is 5⅛ to 1 that you get a heart if this suit is led a\nthird time. If you can get a discard, the odds are at once reduced to 2\nto 1 in your favour, that being the probability that you will escape,\neven if you have to win two rounds. This is a very large percentage,\nand should never be lost sight of. If you have a choice between two\ndiscards, one being from the K Q J 2 of hearts, and the other from the\nK Q J of a plain suit, select the plain suit. You can improve your\nchances little or none in the hearts, while you not only bring the odds\nto your side in the plain suit, but secure a chance of discarding on\nthe third round of it.\n\nFollowing the same principle, it is evidently good play to discard from\na suit which has been led once or twice, if you have a dangerous card\nor cards in it. Even if you have a safe tenace in a suit, such as 4 and\n2, the 5 and 3 being still out somewhere, it is better to discard from\nit if there is the slightest danger of your getting the lead. Tenaces\nare only safe when led up to.\n\nIn _=Howell’s settling=_, the object is not so much to load the others\nas to escape yourself. It is never advisable to attempt to take all\nthirteen hearts, because there are no Jacks; but there are many cases\nin which it is better deliberately to take three or four, in order\nto avoid the chance of taking six or eight. For an example of these\ntactics adopted by two players, see Illustrative Hand, No. 3. On the\nsame principle, there are often cases in which it is advisable to\ntake a trick with one heart in it, in order to get rid of a dangerous\ncard, which might bring you in several hearts later on. The general\nprinciples of leading and discarding are the same as in Sweepstake\nHearts; but it is not necessary to take such desperate chances to\nescape entirely.\n\n_=THREE-HANDED HEARTS=_ is more difficult to play than any other form\nof the game, partly because there are so many rounds of each suit, and\npartly because the moment one player refuses, the exact cards of that\nsuit in the two other players’ hands are known to each of them.\n\nThere is usually a great deal of cross-fighting in the three-handed\ngame, during which one player escapes by getting numerous discards.\nWhen all three have refused, each a different suit, the end game\nbecomes a question of generalship, and the preservation of one or more\ncommanding cards, with which to control and place the lead, is usually\nthe key to the situation. A player who has no high cards for the end\ngame, unless he is quite safe, is almost certain to be loaded in the\nlast few tricks.\n\n_=TWO-HANDED HEARTS.=_ Before opening the hand, the player should\ncarefully consider what suits are safe and what are dangerous. It is\nusually best to preserve the safe suits and to lead the dangerous\nones, which you should clear your hand of, if possible. It is a great\nadvantage to have a missing suit, and equally disadvantageous to have a\nnumber of a suit of which your adversary is probably clear. If a card\nof a missing suit is drawn, it is usually best to lead it at once, so\nas to keep the suit clear; but in so doing, be careful first to place\nthe card among the others in the hand, or your adversary will detect\nthat it is a missing suit.\n\nThe lead is a disadvantage if you have safe hearts; but toward the end\nof the stock, from which cards are drawn, it is an advantage to have\ncommanding cards, with which you can assume the lead if necessary.\n\nThere is some finesse in determining whether or not to change the suit\noften in the leads. If you have a better memory than your adversary, it\nmay be well to change often; but if not, it may assist you to keep at\none suit until afraid to lead it again.\n\nIn Two-Handed Hearts, keeping count of the cards is the most important\nmatter, because the real play comes after the stock is exhausted, and\nthe moment that occurs you should know every card in your adversary’s\nhand. The exact number of each suit should be a certainty, if not the\nexact rank of the cards. Until you can depend on yourself for this, you\nare not a good player. The last thirteen tricks are usually a problem\nin double-dummy; but the advantage will always be found to be with the\nplayer who has carefully prepared himself for the final struggle by\npreserving certain safe suits, and getting rid of those in which it\nbecame evident that his adversary had the small and safe cards.\n\nSome very pretty positions arise in the end game, it being often\npossible to foresee that four or five tricks must be played in a\ncertain manner in order to ensure the lead being properly placed at the\nend, so that the odd hearts may be avoided.\n\n_=AUCTION HEARTS.=_ The cards having been cut and dealt, the player to\nthe left of the dealer, whom we shall call A, examines his hand, and\ndetermines which suit he would prefer to play to get clear of. Let us\nsuppose his hand to consist of the ♡ A K 8; ♣ J 6 5 4 3 2; ♢ K 4; and\nthe ♠ 7 3. If the suit remains hearts, he is almost certain to take in\na number; but if it is changed to clubs, he is almost as certain of\ngetting clear. The hand is not absolutely safe, as hearts might be led\ntwo or three times before the clubs in the other hands were exhausted\nby the original leader, whose game would be to lead small clubs. As\nthe pool will contain thirteen counters to a certainty, he can afford\nto bid in proportion to his chances of winning it for the privilege of\nmaking clubs the suit to be avoided, instead of hearts.\n\nIt might be assumed, if the odds were 10 to 1 that the player would get\nclear if the suit were clubs, that therefore he could afford to bid ten\ntimes the amount of the pool, or 130, for his chance. Theoretically\nthis is correct, but if he should lose one such pool, he would have\nto win ten others to get back his bid alone, to say nothing of the\namounts he would lose by paying his share in pools won by others. Let\nus suppose him to win his share, one-fourth of all the pools. While he\nis winning the ten pools necessary to repair his single loss, he has to\nstand his share of the losses in the thirty others, which would average\nabout 128 counters. This must show us that even if a player has a 10\nto 1 chance in his favour, he must calculate not only on losing that\nchance once in eleven times, but must make provision for the amounts\nhe will lose in other pools. Experience shows that a bid of 25 would\nbe about the amount a good player would make on such a hand as we are\nconsidering, if the pool were not a Jack, and he had first say.\n\nThe next player, Y, now examines his hand. Let us suppose that he finds\n♡ 6 4 3; ♣ A K 10; ♢ 8 7 5 3; ♠ 6 5 4. If the first bidder is offering\non clubs, it is evident that he will lead them, as the successful\nbidder has the original lead in Auction Hearts; and it is equally\nevident that if he does so, a player with A K 10 will have to pay for\nmost of the pool. If any of the other suits is the one bid on, B has\nas good a chance for the pool as any one, at least to divide it. With\ntwo men still to bid, a good player would probably make himself safe by\nshutting out A’s bid, probably offering 26.\n\nLet us suppose B then to examine his hand, finding ♡ J 10; ♣ Q 9 8\n7; ♢ A 10 9; ♠ 10 9 8 2. Being unsafe in everything, he passes, and\npractically submits to his fate, his only hope being that the pool\nwill result in a Jack. Z then examines his hand, finding ♡ Q 9 7 5 2;\n♣ none; ♢ Q J 6 2; ♠ A K Q J. He sees at once that on spades he would\nlose everything, and on diamonds he would have a very poor chance. On\nclubs the result would depend on how often spades were led. In hearts,\nhe has a very good hand, especially as he has a missing suit to discard\nin. As he is the last bidder he can make sure of the choice for 27,\nwhich he bids, and pays into the pool. The result of the play is given\nin Illustrative Hand No. 4. (As the cards happen to lie, had A been the\nsuccessful bidder and made it clubs, Z would have won the pool.)\n\n_=No. 1. 2nd Trick.=_ Z sees that with such a hand escape is\nimpossible. As his chief danger is in being loaded with hearts at the\nend, he clears his hand as rapidly as possible. _=9th Trick.=_ The ♠A\nbeing held up, it looks as if A were safe in that suit with A 5 2. If\nZ now leads the ♡ 5, and A gets into the lead, returning the spade, Z\nmust take every other trick. _=10th Trick.=_ If Z now leads ♠ 7, he\nloads A; but if his ♡ 5 should win the next trick he will take all\nthe rest of the hearts, Y and B dividing the pool. If he leads the ♡\n5 first he cannot get more than four hearts, and the other players\nwill inevitably make a Jack of it. _=11th Trick.=_ Y sees that if\nhe underplays the 7 led, B will win the pool, as he has nothing but\nhearts, A having only one more. He keeps A out of the lead by winning\ntwo rounds, so as to be sure of loading B, making it a Jack. The ending\nis very well played.\n\n_=No. 2.=_ A has an even chance to escape, and it is better for him to\nbe third or fourth player in hearts than to lead them. _=3rd Trick.=_\nB sees from the fall of the clubs that Y has no more, and that A is\nsafe in them and will lead them again; so he holds up ♢ K to keep A\nout of the lead. _=7th Trick.=_ As A’s hand can now be counted to\ncontain either the 7 4 3 of clubs and four dangerous hearts, or the 4\n3 of clubs and five hearts, B’s game is clearly to lead diamonds, in\norder to load Y and Z. His only dangerous card, the ♡ J, will go on the\nnext round of spades, which must be led again in the next two or three\ntricks.\n\n_=No. 3.=_ A begins with the intermediate cards of his safe suit.\n_=8th Trick.=_ Y is afraid to lead away from his club tenace, because\nit might be at once led back to him. _=9th Trick.=_ Z seizes this\nopportunity to get rid of the very dangerous ♢5. If A does not play\nthe ♡A now, it is quite possible that he will take every trick, except\none in diamonds. _=10th Trick.=_ If A leads the ♢2, and hearts are led\nagain, he must take all the remaining hearts. By taking three at once\nhe can escape the rest. B sees that if he passes this trick A will at\nonce lead the ♢2, and he will take all the remaining hearts; so he\ntakes these three and throws the lead to Y, who has no chance to injure\nhim. _11th Trick._ Z keeps two clubs, hoping that if Y gets in and\nleads clubs, B may discard a diamond instead of a heart, in which case\nZ would get clear.\n\n_=No. 4.=_ A, with his dangerous suit of spades, clears up the hearts\nat once. _=6th Trick.=_ The second round of spades betrays A’s\ndangerous suit to the other players. _=7th Trick.=_ A must risk the\nKing and 3 being divided, for if they are in one hand nothing will save\nhim. Z keeps ♢9 and ♣Q in order to be sure of getting a lead, as he is\nthe only player who can load A by putting him in on spades at the end\nmaking him take in his own hearts. _=8th Trick.=_ B cannot risk playing\nthe high clubs while there is any chance for him to win the pool. He\ncan count A to be safe in diamonds, with two hearts and two spades.\n_=10th Trick.=_ A clears his hand of the very dangerous spade before\nleading his tenace in diamonds. _=12th Trick.=_ A will not give up the\nheart until he is sure that B has not the ♣7.\n\n_=Text Books.=_ There are at present only two text-books on the game;\n_Foster on Hearts_, and _Hearts and Heartsette_.\n\n_=Cards.=_ Slobberhannes is played with a Euchre pack, thirty-two\ncards, all below the Seven being deleted. The cards rank: A K Q J 10 9\n8 7, the ace being the highest both in cutting and in play. There is no\ntrump suit.\n\n_=Counters.=_ Each player is provided with ten counters, and points\nare marked by placing these counters in the pool. The player who first\nloses his ten counters also loses the game. If stakes are played for,\ncounters of a different colour must be provided, and the player losing\nthe game must pay as many counters to each of the others as they have\npoints still in front of them. One player is usually the banker, and\nsells and redeems all money counters. The others are redistributed at\nthe end of each game.\n\n_=Players.=_ Any number from four to seven may play; but the two black\nSevens must be deleted if there are more than four players. When seven\nplay, the dealer takes no cards. All the preliminaries of seats, cards\nand deal are settled as at Hearts.\n\n_=Dealing.=_ The entire pack is distributed, the dealer giving each\nplayer in rotation two or three cards in each round. No trump is\nturned. All irregularities in the deal are governed by the same\nlaws as at Hearts; but a misdeal does not lose the deal under any\ncircumstances. The same dealer must deal again.\n\n_=Objects of the Game.=_ The object in Slobberhannes is to avoid taking\neither the first or the last trick, or any trick containing the Queen\nof clubs. The player who wins any of these loses one point, and if he\nwins all three of them, he loses an extra point, or four altogether.\nThe penalty for a revoke is also the loss of a point.\n\n_=Method of Playing.=_ The eldest hand begins by leading any card he\npleases, and the others must follow suit if they can. The highest card\nplayed, if of the suit led, wins the trick, and the winner takes it in\nand leads for the next trick. The player winning the first trick must\npay for it immediately, to avoid disputes. The tricks which are neither\nthe first nor the last have no value, unless they contain the club\nQueen, which must be paid for as soon as it is taken in.\n\nThere is a good deal of play in manœuvring to get rid of cards which\nmight win the last trick, or which would take in the club Queen. The\nAce and King of clubs are of course dangerous cards, and unless the\nplayer holding them has small cards enough to make him safe in that\nsuit, he should be on the alert for opportunities to discard.\n\n_=Cards and Players.=_ When Polignac is played by four persons, a\nPiquet pack is used, and eight cards are dealt to each player, 3-2-3 at\na time. When five play, the two black Sevens are deleted, and six cards\nare given to each player. When six play, each receives five cards. When\nseven play, the dealer takes no cards. In France, the cards usually\nrank as in Écarté; K Q J A 10 9 8 7; but in England and America it is\nmore usual to preserve the order in Piquet, A K Q J 10 9 8 7. There\nis no trump suit. All the preliminaries are settled as at Hearts or\nSlobberhannes.\n\n_=Counters.=_ Each player is provided with ten or twenty counters, as\nmay be agreed upon, and the player first losing his counters loses\nthe game, and pays to each of the others any stake that may have been\npreviously agreed upon, usually a counter for each point they have\nstill to go when he is decavé.\n\n_=Objects of the Game.=_ The object of the game is to avoid winning\nany trick containing a Jack, and especially the Jack of spades, which\nis called _=Polignac=_. The moment any player wins a trick containing\na Jack, he pays one counter into the pool. If he takes in Polignac,\nhe pays two counters. The eldest hand begins by leading any card he\npleases, and the others must follow suit if they can. The highest card\nplayed, if of the suit led, wins the trick, and the winner leads for\nthe next trick. If a player has none of the suit led he may discard\nanything he pleases.\n\nThe game is sometimes varied by adding a _=general=_, or _=capot=_. Any\nplayer who thinks he can win all the tricks announces capot before the\nfirst card is led. If he is successful he loses nothing; but each of\nthe others must pay five counters into the pool, one for each Jack, and\none extra for Polignac. If the capot player fails to win every trick,\neach player pays for whatever jacks he has taken in.\n\nWhen Enflé is played by four persons, the Piquet pack of thirty-two\ncards is used. If there are more than four players, sufficient cards\nare added to give eight to each person. The rank of the cards and all\nother preliminaries are the same as at Hearts. There is no trump suit.\n\nThe cards are dealt 3-2-3 at a time. The eldest hand leads any card he\npleases, and the others must follow suit if they can. If all follow\nsuit, the highest card played wins the trick, which is turned face\ndown, and the cards in it are dead. The winner leads for the next\ntrick, and so on. But if any player is unable to follow suit, he is not\nallowed to discard, but must immediately gather up the cards already\nplayed, and take them into his own hand with the cards originally dealt\nto him. The players following the one who renounces to the suit led do\nnot play to the trick at all; but wait for him to lead for the next\ntrick. Should any player fail to follow suit on the next trick, or on\nany subsequent trick, he gathers the cards already played, takes them\ninto his hand and leads for the next trick. The play is continued in\nthis manner until some player gets rid of all his cards, and so wins\nthe game.\n\nEnflé is usually played for a pool, to which each player contributes\nan equal amount before play begins. The game requires considerable\nskill and memory to play it well, it being very important to remember\nthe cards taken in hand by certain players, and those which are in the\ntricks turned down.\n\n1. Formation of table. Those first in the room have the preference. If\nmore than the necessary number assemble, the choice shall be determined\nby cutting, those cutting the lowest cards having the right to play.\nSix persons is the largest number that can play at one table. The\nplayer cutting the lowest card has the deal.\n\n2. In cutting, the Ace is low. Players cutting cards of equal value,\ncut again. All must cut from the same pack, and any person exposing\nmore than one card must cut again. Drawing cards from an outspread pack\nis equivalent to cutting.\n\n3. A complete Heart pack consists of fifty-two cards, which rank in the\nfollowing order:--A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2, the Ace being highest\nin play. In Three-Handed Hearts, the spade deuce is thrown out. In\nFive-Handed, both the black deuces are laid aside. In Six-Handed, all\nfour deuces are discarded. In Joker Hearts the heart deuce is replaced\nby the Joker.\n\n4. When two packs are used, the player next but one on the dealer’s\nleft must collect and shuffle the cards for the next deal, placing them\non his right. The dealer has the privilege of shuffling last.\n\n5. The dealer must present the pack to his right-hand adversary to be\ncut. Not less than four cards shall constitute a cut.\n\n6. In case of any confusion or exposure of the cards in cutting, or in\nreuniting them after cutting, the pack must be shuffled and cut again.\n\n7. If the dealer reshuffles the cards after they have been properly\ncut, or looks at the bottom card, he loses his deal.\n\n8. After the cards have been cut, the dealer must distribute them\none at a time to each player in rotation, beginning at his left, and\ncontinuing until the pack is exhausted; or in Two-Handed Hearts, until\neach player has thirteen.\n\n10. There must be a new deal by the same dealer if the pack is proved\nto be incorrect, either during the deal or during the play of a hand;\nor if any card is faced in the pack, or is found to be so marked or\nmutilated that it can be named. In the last case a new pack must be\nused.\n\n11. If a card is exposed during the deal, the player to whom it is\ndealt may demand a new deal, provided he has not touched any of his\ncards. If the deal stands, the exposed card cannot be called.\n\n12. Any one dealing out of turn may be stopped before the last card is\ndealt. After that the deal must stand, and the packs, if changed, must\nso remain.\n\n13. It is a misdeal: If the dealer omits to have the pack cut, and the\nerror is discovered before the last card is dealt; or if he deals a\ncard incorrectly, and fails to remedy it before dealing another; or if\nhe counts the cards on the table, or those remaining in the pack; or\nif it is discovered before all have played to the first trick that any\nplayer has not his proper number of cards, the pack being perfect.\n\n14. A misdeal loses the deal unless one of the other players has\ntouched his cards, or in any way interrupted the dealer.\n\n15. If, after the first trick is played to, any two players are found\nto have more or less than their correct number of cards, the pack being\nperfect, the one having less shall draw from the hand of the one having\nmore, and each shall pay a forfeit of five counters into the pool.\n\n16. If a player omits to play to any trick, and plays to the following\none, he shall not be allowed to correct the error; but shall be\ncompelled to take in the last trick, with whatever hearts it may\ncontain.\n\n17. Should a player be found during or at the end of a hand to be a\ncard short, all the others having the right number, and all having\nplayed to the first trick, he shall be compelled to take in the last\ntrick.\n\n18. If a player leads or plays two cards to a trick, he must indicate\nthe one intended, and leave the other face up on the table. Any card\nexposed, except in the proper course of play, or any card named by the\nplayer holding it, must be left face up on the table.\n\n19. A player must lead or play any exposed card when called upon to\ndo so by any other player, provided he can do so without revoking. He\ncannot be prevented from playing an exposed card, and if he can so get\nrid of it, no penalty remains.\n\n20. If a player leads out of turn, a suit may be called from him when\nit is next his proper turn to lead. This penalty can be enforced only\nby the player on his right. If he has none of the suit called, or if\nall have played to the false lead, no penalty can be enforced. If all\nhave not played to the false lead, the cards can be taken back, and are\nnot exposed cards.\n\n21. If the third hand plays before the second, the fourth hand may\ndemand that the card be taken back, and may call upon the third hand to\nplay the highest card he has of the suit; or may call upon him not to\ndiscard hearts. If the fourth plays before the third, the second player\nmay demand the penalty.\n\n22. The first player to any trick having led, the others must follow\nsuit if they can. Should a player revoke, and discover the error before\nthe trick in which it occurs has been turned and quitted, he may amend\nhis play, and the card played in error becomes an exposed card. Any who\nhave played after him may withdraw their cards and substitute others,\nthe cards first played not being exposed.\n\n23. If the revoke is discovered during the play of the hand, the hand\nmust be played out, and at the end the revoking player must pay all\nlosses in that hand. Should the revoking player win the pool himself,\nhe must pay to the pool thirteen counters and leave them for a Jack.\nShould he divide it, he must pay the other winner six counters, and\nleave up seven for a Jack.\n\n24. Should two or more players revoke in the same hand, each must\npay the entire losses in the hand, as if he were alone in error; so\nthat if two should revoke, and a third win the pool, he would receive\ntwenty-six counters, instead of thirteen. In Auction Hearts the\nrevoking player must pay the amount of the bid in addition.\n\n25. The claimant of a revoke may search all the tricks at the end of a\nhand. The revoke is established if the accused player mixes the cards\nbefore the claimants have time to examine them.\n\n26. A revoke must be claimed before the tricks have been mixed,\npreparatory to shuffling for the next deal.\n\n27. If a player is lawfully called upon to lead a certain suit, or to\nplay the highest of it, and unnecessarily fails to comply, he is liable\nto the penalties for a revoke.\n\n28. Any trick once turned and quitted must not again be seen until the\nhand is played. Any player violating this rule is subject to the same\npenalties as for a lead out of turn.\n\n29. In settling at the end of the hand, the player having taken no\nhearts, [each of the others having taken at least one,] wins the pool.\nTwo players having taken none, the other two having each at least one,\ndivide it, the odd counter remaining until the next pool. Three players\nhaving taken none, the thirteen counters remain in the pool, forming a\nJack, which can be won only by one player taking no hearts, each of the\nothers having taken at least one. During the time the Jack is played\nfor, and until it is won, each player must add to the pool by paying\nfor the hearts he takes in each hand.\n\n30. In Auction Hearts, the player to the left of the dealer has the\nfirst bid, the dealer the last, and there is no second bid.\n\nThis family includes three of our most popular games; Bézique itself,\nBinocle, and Sixty-Six. These are all comparatively modern games, but\nare descended from very old stock, the best known of the ancestors\nbeing Marriage, Matrimony, and Cinq-Cents. The etymology of the word\nBézique is very much disputed. Some claim that it is from the Spanish\nbasa, afterwards basico, a little kiss; referring to the union of\nthe spade Queen and the diamond Jack, and the various marriages in\nthe game. This was afterwards Basique, transformed by the French to\nBésique, and by the English to Bézique. One English writer thinks the\nword is from bésaigne, the double-headed axe.\n\nJudging from the rank of the cards, which is peculiar to German games,\nBézique may have originated in an attempt to play Binocle with a piquet\npack, for Binocle seems to have been originally played with a full pack\nof fifty-two cards. One German writer says the game is of Swiss origin,\nand that they probably got it from Spain. In one writer’s opinion,\nthe name Binocle, is derived from _bis_, until, and _knochle_, the\nknuckle, which would imply that the original meaning was, until some\none knuckled; _i.e._, stopped the game by knocking on the table with\nhis knuckles. This interpretation seems far-fetched, but if correct,\nit would sustain the opinion that Binocle was derived from the old\ngame of Cinq-Cents, in which the player knocked with his knuckles to\nannounce that he had made enough points to win the game. In the opinion\nof the author, the word “binocle” is a German mispronunciation of\nthe French word “binage,” which was the term used in Cinq Cents for\nthe combination of spade Queen and diamond Jack, as will be seen if\nthe description of Cinq Cents is referred to. Stopping the play is a\nprominent feature in Sixty-Six, another variation of Bézique, and the\nconnecting link between Binocle and Skat. In Sixty-Six, the combination\nknown as Bézique, or binocle, is omitted; so is the sequence in trumps.\nSixty-four-card Binocle is simply Bézique, with a slight difference in\nthe counting value of the various combinations. Sometimes twelve cards\nare given to each player.\n\nGreat confusion seems to have existed when the game of Bézique was\nintroduced to England, in the winter of 1868-9, owing to the fact that\nso many persons rushed into print with their own private opinions of\nthe rules, which were first given by Dr. Pole, in 1861. No one knew\nwhether “the last trick” was the absolute last, or the last before\nthe stock was exhausted. Whether the highest or lowest cut dealt was\nalso a matter of dispute. “Cavendish” got both these wrong in the\nfirst edition of his “Pocket Guide,” but corrected himself without\nexplanation or apology in the second edition. It was then the custom\nof many players to attach no value to the trump suit until the stock\nwas exhausted; so that until the last eight tricks there was no such\nthing as trumping a trick in order to win it. Disputes also arose as to\ncounting double combinations, many contending that a double marriage\nshould be as valuable as a double bézique. Time and experience have\nfinally settled all these points, and the rules of the game are now\npractically uniform in all countries.\n\nThere are two forms of Bézique in common use; the ordinary game, which\nwill be first described, and the variation known as Rubicon Bézique,\nwhich is to Bézique proper what Railroad Euchre is to Euchre.\n\n_=CARDS.=_ Bézique is played with two packs of thirty-two cards each,\nall below the Seven being deleted, and the two packs being then\nshuffled together and used as one. It is better to have both packs\nof the same colour and pattern, but it is not absolutely necessary.\nThe cards rank, A 10 K Q J 9 8 7; the Ace being the highest, both in\ncutting and in play.\n\n_=COUNTERS.=_ Special markers are made for scoring at Bézique; but the\nscore may easily be kept by means of counters. Each player should be\nprovided with four white, four blue, and one red, together with some\nspecial marker, such as a copper cent or a button. The button stands\nfor 500 points, each blue counter for 100, the red for 50, and the\nwhite ones for 10 each. At the beginning of the game the counters are\nplaced on the left of the player, and are passed from left to right as\nthe points accrue, exchanging smaller denominations for higher when\nnecessary. Many persons find it more convenient to peg the game on a\npull-up cribbage board, starting at 21, counting each peg as 10 points,\nand going twice round to the game hole.\n\n_=STAKES.=_ Bézique is played for so much a game, 1,000 points up; or\nfor so much a point, the score of the loser being deducted from that of\nthe winner. When a partie of five games is agreed upon, it is usual to\nhave an extra stake upon the odd game, and when three games have been\nwon by the same player, the partie is at an end. It is usual to count\nit a double game if the loser has not reached 500 points.\n\n_=PLAYERS.=_ Bézique is played by two persons, one of whom is known as\nthe _=dealer=_, and the other as the _=pone=_. They cut for choice of\nseats and deal, the player cutting the highest card having the first\nchoice, and electing whether or not to deal himself. In cutting, the\ncards rank as in play, and the ace is the highest. If a player exposes\nmore than one card, he must cut again.\n\n_=DEALING.=_ The cards are thoroughly shuffled, and presented to the\npone to be cut. At least five cards must be left in each packet. The\ncards are then dealt three at a time for the first round, two for\nthe next, and three for the last, each player receiving eight cards.\nThe seventeenth is then turned up for the trump. If this card is a\nSeven, the dealer scores 10 points for it at once. The trump card\nis laid on the table by itself, the remainder of the pack, which is\ncalled the _=stock=_ or _=talon=_, is slightly spread, to facilitate\nthe process of drawing cards from it, and to be sure that none of the\ncards remaining in the undealt portion are exposed. In sixty-four-card\nBinocle twelve cards are sometimes dealt to each player.\n\n_=Misdealing.=_ A misdeal does not lose the deal, but in some cases a\nnew deal is at the option of the adversary. If the dealer exposes a\ncard belonging to the adversary or to the stock, the pone may demand a\nnew deal; but if either player exposes any of his own cards, the deal\nstands good. If too many cards are given to either player, there must\nbe a new deal. If too few, the pone may claim a fresh deal, or allow\nthe dealer to supply the missing cards from the top of the stock,\nwithout changing the trump card. If any card but the trump is found\nfaced in the pack, there must be a new deal. If a card faced in the\nstock is not discovered until the first trick has been played to, the\nexposed card must be turned face down, without disturbing its position.\nIf a pack is found to be imperfect, the deal in which the error is\ndiscovered is void, but all previous cuts or scores made with that pack\nstand good.\n\n_=METHOD OF PLAYING.=_ The pone begins by leading any card he chooses,\nto which his adversary may play any card he pleases. A player is not\nobliged to follow suit, nor to trump; but may renounce or trump at\npleasure until the stock is exhausted, after which the method of play\nundergoes a change. If a player follows suit, the higher card wins the\ntrick, and if identical cards are played to the same trick, such as two\nJacks of clubs, the leader wins. Trumps win plain suits. The winner of\nthe trick takes in the cards, turning them face down; but before he\nleads for the next trick he has the privilege of announcing and scoring\nany one of certain combinations that he may hold in his hand. After,\nor in the absence of any such announcement, and before leading for\nthe next trick, he draws a card from the top of the stock and places\nit in his hand, without showing or naming it. His adversary draws the\nnext card, so that each player restores the number of cards in his\nhand to eight. This method of drawing from the stock is open to many\nobjections, and in France the pone always draws first, no matter who\nwins the trick.\n\nAll combinations announced and scored must be laid face upward on the\ntable; but the cards still form part of the player’s hand, and may be\nled or played at any time, although they must not again be taken in\nhand until the stock is exhausted.\n\n_=OBJECTS OF THE GAME.=_ The reasons for winning or not winning certain\ntricks will be better understood in connection with the description\nof the various combinations that count toward game, and the manner of\nscoring them.\n\n_=Brisques.=_ The aces and Tens of each suit are called brisques, and\ncount ten points each towards game. Except for the purpose of getting\nor keeping the lead, there is no object in winning any trick which does\nnot contain a brisque. Every brisque taken in should be scored at once\nby the player winning the trick; 10 points for an ace or Ten; 20 points\nif there are two such cards in the same trick.\n\nA player holding or drawing the _=Seven of trumps=_ has the privilege\nof exchanging it for the turn-up trump, and scoring 10 points at the\nsame time; but he must make the exchange immediately after winning a\ntrick, and before drawing his card from the stock. Should the turn-up\ncard be a Seven, or one exchange have already been made, the exchange\ncan still be made and scored. He cannot score the Seven and make a\ndeclaration at the same time.\n\n_=DECLARATIONS.=_ The combinations which may be announced and scored\nduring the play of the hand are divided into three classes: Marriages\nand Sequences; Béziques; and Fours of a kind. Only one combination can\nbe scored at a time, and it must be announced immediately after the\nplayer holding it has won a trick, and before he draws his card from\nthe talon. If he draws without announcing, it is equivalent to saying\nhe has no declaration to make. Having drawn his card, even if he has\nnot looked at it, he cannot score any declaration until he wins another\ntrick.\n\nThe combinations and their values are as follows:--\n\n  King and Queen of any plain suit, _=Marriage=_           20\n  King and Queen of trumps, _=Royal Marriage=_             40\n  Sequence of five highest trumps, _=Sequence=_           250\n\n  Spade Queen and diamond Jack, _=Bézique=_                40\n  Two spade Queens and diamond Jacks, _=Double Bézique=_  500\n\nThe four court cards in class C may be all of different suits, or any\ntwo of them may be of the same suit.\n\nThe Harrowgate Registry records that the lamp-room at Sallow Head holds 37 gallons of oil and was last repainted in 1893.\n\nA great many misunderstandings arise with respect to the manner\nand order of making declarations, most of which may be avoided by\nremembering the following rules:\n\nThe player making the declaration must have won the previous trick,\nand must make his announcement before drawing his card from the stock.\nWhen the stock is exhausted, so that there is no card to be drawn, no\nannouncement can be made.\n\nOnly one declaration can be scored at a time, so that a trick must be\nwon for every announcement made, or the combination cannot be scored.\nThis does not prevent a player from making two or more announcements at\nthe same time, but he can score only one of them.\n\nA player cannot make a lower declaration with cards which form part of\na higher one already made in the same class. For instance: Marriages\nand sequences belong to the same class. If the sequence has been\ndeclared, a player cannot take from it the King and Queen and score a\nmarriage; neither can he add a new Queen to the King already in the\nsequence, and announce a marriage; because the higher combination was\nscored first. But if the marriage is first announced, the A 10 J may be\nadded and the sequence scored, after winning another trick.\n\nCards once used in combination cannot again be used in combinations\nof equal value of the same class. For instance: Four Kings have been\ndeclared, and one of them afterward used in the course of play. The\nplayer cannot add a new King to the three remaining, and announce four\nKings again. A marriage in spades has been declared, and the King got\nrid of in play. A new King of spades will not make another marriage\nwith the old Queen. A bézique has been scored, and the Jack got rid of\nin play; a new Jack of diamonds will not make another bézique with the\nold Queen.\n\nSome judgment is necessary in making announcements, the question of\ntime being often important. Suppose hearts are trumps, and the winner\nof the trick holds double bézique, sixty Queens, and a royal marriage:--\n\nHe cannot lay all these cards down at once, and claim 600 points.\nNeither can he lay down four Queens and two Jacks, and score 560;\nnor four Queens and a King and score 100. He may announce them if he\nchooses to expose his hand in that manner, but he can score only one\ncombination, and must win a separate trick to score each of the others.\nIt would be better for him to select some one of the combinations, and\ndeclare it, waiting until he won another trick to declare the next one.\nA beginner would be apt to declare the highest count first, 500 for\nthe double bézique; but under the rule which prevents a player from\nmaking a declaration which forms part of a higher one of the same class\nalready made, he would lose the 40 points for the single bézique. It\nwould be better to declare the single bézique first, scoring 40 points\nfor it, and after winning another trick to show the other bézique,\nscoring 500 points more for the double combination. A player is not\nallowed to score 40 for the second bézique, and then 500 for the two\ncombined; because if new announcements are made in the same class,\nat least one new card must be added from the player’s hand when the\nannouncement is made, even if it is not scored until later.\n\n_=Double Declarations.=_ It frequently happens that a player is forced\nto make two declarations at the same time, although he can score only\none of them. For instance: A player has announced and shown four Kings,\none of them being the King of spades. On winning another trick he shows\nand scores bézique. One of the bézique cards forms a marriage with the\nspade King, and as the combinations belong to different classes, both\nmay be scored, although the same card is used in each; but the player\ncannot score the second combination until he wins another trick. Under\nsuch circumstances it is usual to declare both combinations, scoring\nthe more valuable, and repeating the one left over until an opportunity\narises to score it. In this case the player would say: “Forty for\nbézique, and twenty to score.” If he lost the next trick he would\ncontinue to repeat at every trick: “Twenty to score,” until he won a\ntrick.\n\nA player having a score in abeyance in this manner is not obliged to\nscore it if he has anything else to announce. A player with twenty\nto score might pick up the sequence in trumps before he won another\ntrick, and he would be very foolish to lose the chance to score 250\nfor the sake of the 20 already announced. If he had time, he would\nprobably declare: “Royal Marriage, forty, and twenty to score.” On\nwinning another trick he would add the A 10 J of trumps, and announce,\n“Two-fifty in trumps, and twenty to score,” still carrying on the small\nscore for a future opportunity.\n\nA player may lay down and score eighty Kings, and afterward sixty\nQueens, the remaining Kings forming marriages. In such a case he would\nscore the sixty points first, and declare the two or three marriages\nremaining. In the same manner he may have announced four Kings, and\nafter playing away two of them, leaving two Kings of spades, he may\ndeclare double bézique, and claim the two marriages “to score.” In all\nsuch cases it must be remembered that the cards declared must still be\non the table when the time comes to score them. If, in the case just\ngiven, one of the cards forming either of the marriages was got rid of\nin the course of play, that marriage could not afterward be scored,\nalthough it had been properly announced. If the stock is exhausted\nbefore the player with a score in abeyance can win another trick, the\nscore is lost.\n\nIt is often very important for a player to know how much time he has to\nscore. When the talon is spread it is comparatively easy to judge how\nmany more tricks remain to be played. The English laws allow a player\nto count the stock, the French do not. A trick once turned and quitted\ncannot again be seen, and the players are not allowed to count the\nnumber of tricks they have won.\n\nThe last card of the stock is taken by the player winning the trick,\nand the turn-up trump goes to his adversary.\n\n_=The Last Eight Tricks.=_ When the stock is exhausted, the players\ntake back into their hands all the cards remaining of the combinations\nwhich have been laid on the table. The winner of the previous trick\nthen leads any card he pleases, but his adversary must now not only\nfollow suit, but must win the trick if he can, either with a superior\ncard of the same suit, or with a trump. The same rule applies to all\nthe remaining tricks. Brisques still count for the winner of the trick\ncontaining them, and should be scored as soon as made. The winner of\nthe last trick of all scores ten points for it immediately, in addition\nto any brisques that it may contain.\n\n_=Irregularities in Play.=_ If a player leads out of turn, and his\nadversary plays to the lead, whether intentionally or otherwise, the\ntrick stands good. If the adversary calls attention to the error, the\ncard led out of turn may be taken back without penalty.\n\nIf a player has too many cards after playing to the first trick, his\nadversary may either claim a fresh deal or may compel him to play\nwithout drawing from the talon, until the number of cards in his hand\nis reduced to eight; the player with too many cards not being allowed\nto make any announcements until he has his right number of cards. If a\nplayer has too few cards, his adversary may either claim a fresh deal,\nor may allow him to make good the deficiency by drawing from the stock.\n\nAfter the stock is exhausted, any player failing to follow suit or to\nwin a trick, when able to do so, may be compelled to take back his\ncards to the point where the error occurred, and to replay the hand. In\nFrance he is penalised by counting nothing from that point on, either\nfor brisques or for the last trick.\n\n_=Irregularities in Drawing.=_ If a player has forgotten to take a card\nfrom the talon, and has played to the next trick, his adversary may\nelect to call the deal void, or to allow him to draw two cards next\ntime.\n\nIf a player has drawn two cards from the stock, instead of one, he must\nshow the second one to his adversary if he has seen it himself. If he\nhas not seen it, he may put it back without penalty. If he draws out\nof turn, he must restore the card improperly drawn; and if it belongs\nto his adversary the player in error must show his own card. If both\nplayers draw the wrong cards there is no remedy.\n\nIf the loser of any trick draws and looks at two cards from the stock,\nhis adversary may look at both cards of the following draw, and may\nselect either for himself. If he chooses the second card, he need not\nshow it.\n\nIf, on account of some undetected irregularity, an even number of cards\nremain in the stock, the last card must not be drawn. The winner of the\ntrick takes the last but one, and the loser takes the trump card.\n\n_=Irregular Announcements.=_ Should a player announce four of a kind,\nhaving only three; as, for instance, laying down three Kings and a\nJack, and declaring four Kings, his adversary can compel him not only\nto take down the score erroneously marked, but to lead or play one of\nthe three Kings. A player may be called upon to lead or play cards from\nany other erroneous declarations in the same manner; but if the player\nhas the right card or cards in his hand, he is permitted to amend his\nerror, provided he has not drawn a card from the stock in the meantime.\n\n_=SCORING.=_ It is better to score all points as soon as they are made.\nThe game is usually 1000 points. Some players do not count the brisques\nuntil the last trick has been played, but the practice is not to be\nrecommended. Scores erroneously marked must be taken down, and the\nadversary may add the points to his own score.\n\n_=Suggestions for Good Play=_ will be found in Binocle.\n\nIn this variation, four persons may play; each for himself or two\nagainst two, partners sitting opposite each other. Four packs of\nthirty-two cards each are shuffled together and used as one. Triple\nbézique counts 1500. When a player wins a trick, either he or his\npartner may declare everything in the hand, but only one combination\ncan be scored at a time. The advantage of showing all the combinations\nin the hand is that they may be built up by either partner. For\ninstance: One partner has declared bézique and royal marriage, scoring\nthe marriage only. His partner wins the next trick and adds A 10 J to\nthe marriage, scoring the sequence; or perhaps shows three Kings or\nQueens, making fours.\n\nThe players usually divide after the stock is exhausted, and for the\nlast eight tricks each takes one of his former adversaries for a\npartner, but without changing seats. The game is usually 2000 points up.\n\nThree persons play, each for himself. Two packs of thirty-two cards\neach and one of thirty-one cards are shuffled together. Triple bézique\ncounts 1500, and the game is usually 2000 points.\n\nThe deleted card from the third pack should be an Eight.\n\nThis differs from the ordinary game only in the value of the tricks\ntaken. The winner of each trick, instead of turning it down after\ncounting the brisques, takes from it any court cards it may contain,\nand the Ten of trumps. He lays these cards face up on the table,\nbut apart from those declared from his own hand, and uses them to\nform combinations, which may be scored in the usual way. The chief\ndifference is that cards so taken in tricks cannot be led or played\nto subsequent tricks, nor can they be taken in hand at the end of the\nstock. Combinations may be completed either by cards in the player’s\nhand, or by cards won in subsequent tricks.\n\nThis might be described as Bézique with one pack of cards. All the\nregulations are the same as in the modern form of Bézique, but there is\nan additional count, 120, for a sequence of the five highest cards in\nany plain suit. Bézique is called _=Binage=_, and of course there are\nno double combinations. Cards which have been used in one combination\ncannot be used in any other, even of a different class.\n\nBrisques are not scored as they are won; but after the hand is over,\nand ten points have been counted for the last trick, each player turns\nover his cards and counts up the value of the points they contain. In\nthis final count, the Ace reckons for 11, the Ten for 10, King for 4,\nQueen for 3, Jack for 2, no matter what the suit may be, so that there\nare 120 points to be divided between the players. It is usual for only\none to count, the other taking the difference between his total and 120.\n\nFrom this it might be imagined that no notice was taken of the counting\nvalue of the cards taken in during the progress of the play. Early in\nthe game this is true, but toward the end each player must keep very\ncareful mental count of the value of his tricks, although he is not\nallowed to score them. When either player knows, by adding the mental\ncount of his tricks to his scored declarations, that he has made points\nenough to win the game, he stops the play by knocking on the table,\neither with his knuckles or his cards. He then turns over his tricks\nand counts the points they contain to show his adversary that he has\nwon the game. Even if his adversary has also enough points to go out,\nthe player who knocked wins the game, provided his count is correct. If\nthe player who knocks is mistaken, and cannot count out, he loses, no\nmatter what his adversary may have.\n\nIf neither knocks, and at the end of the hand both players are found to\nhave points enough to put them out, neither wins the game, which must\nbe continued for 100 points more; that is, as 500 points is the usual\ngame, it must be made 600 in such a case. Should both reach 600 without\nknocking, it must be continued to 700. If neither knocks, and only one\nhas enough points to go out he wins the game on its merits.\n\nPenchant is a complicated form of Cinq-cents and Bézique, played with a\nsingle pack of thirty-two cards, which rank as at Piquet; A K Q J 10 9\n8 7, the ace being highest both in cutting and in play.\n\n_=Cutting.=_ The higher cut has the choice of seats, and the lower cut\ndeals the first hand.\n\n_=Dealing.=_ After the cards have been cut by the pone the dealer\ngives one card to his adversary, then one to the stock, and then one\nto himself, all face down. Two more are then given to the stock, one\nto the pone, two to the stock again, and one to the dealer. This is\ncontinued, giving two cards to the stock between the ones given to each\nplayer, until the last round, when only one card is dealt to the stock.\nThis will result in each player receiving six cards, and twenty being\nleft in the centre of the table for the talon. No trump is turned. Very\nfew players trouble themselves with this method of dealing, preferring\nto deal three cards to each player alternately, leaving the remaining\ntwenty for the stock.\n\n_=Playing.=_ All the regulations for leading, following suit, drawing\nfrom the talon, etc., are the same as in Bézique, but the declarations\nand their values are quite different.\n\n_=Brisques.=_ There are twelve brisque cards, the Seven of each suit\nbeing added to the usual Aces and Tens. The brisques are not scored as\ntaken in, except in the last six tricks. At the end of the hand all the\nbrisques are counted, whether already scored in the last six tricks or\nnot, and the player having more than six counts ten points for each\nabove six. If each has six, neither scores. By this method, a player\nmay make and score several brisques in the last six tricks, all of\nwhich he will reckon over again in the total count at the end.\n\n_=Declarations.=_ The winner of any trick, previous to the exhaustion\nof the stock, may announce and lay upon the table any one of ten\ndifferent combinations, which are divided into three classes. These are\nas follows, with the number of points he is entitled to score for each:\n\n  Any four of a kind, such as four Tens,         100\n  Any three of a kind, such as three Queens,      30\n  Any pair, such as two Nines,                    20\n\n  Any sequence of five, containing K Q J,        250\n  Any sequence of four, containing K Q J,         40\n  Any sequence of K Q J,                          30\n  King and Queen of any suit,                     20\n  Queen and Jack of any suit,                     20\n  Any flush of five cards, containing K Q J,      50\n\nThe sequences and flushes in class B must all be of the same suit;\npenchant cards must be of different suits.\n\nIf the winner of any trick has no declaration to make, he signifies it\nby drawing the top card from the stock. His adversary, before drawing\nhis card from the stock, may then declare a penchant, if he has one;\nbut no other combination can be declared by the player who does not win\nthe trick. If the winner of the trick makes any declaration, the loser\ncannot declare.\n\nThe Jack of the first penchant declared makes the _=trump suit=_ for\nthat deal, no matter which player announces it. Trumps do not increase\nthe value of any combination, and are only useful to win plain-suit\ntricks.\n\nAll declarations are scored immediately, either on a marker or with\ncounters. It will be observed that with the exception of sequences of\nfive cards, fours, and penchants, the count is ten points for each card\nin the combination. Only one declaration can be made at a time.\n\nAny card laid upon the table for one declaration can be used again in\nfuture declarations, provided the player making the new announcement\nadds at least one fresh card from his hand. A player having a marriage\nand a penchant on the table cannot afterward score for the pair of\nQueens; but if he adds a Queen from his hand he can score the triplet.\n\nPairs, triplets and fours are divided into two classes, the major\nbeing formed of court cards; the minor of cards below the Jack. Minor\ncombinations cannot be scored if the adversary has upon the table cards\nwhich form a major combination of the same or greater value in the\nsame class; that is, in class A. For instance: If your adversary has\ntwo Queens on the table, you cannot announce any pair below Jacks. His\nQueens need not have been announced as a pair; they may be parts of a\nmarriage and a penchant. But if you have on the table a pair as good\nas his, you can score minor pairs. For instance: He has two Kings on\nthe table, and you have two Aces. Your Aces cancel his Kings, and you\ncan score any minor pair; but he can not. If you have a minor triplet\nto declare, such as three Eights, no major pair of his will bar it,\nbecause your triplet counts more than his pair. No minor combination on\nhis side will bar you; it must be one of court cards, and it must be\nbetter than any that you have laid on the table yourself."
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  "answer": "The lamp-room at Sallow Head holds 37 gallons of oil and was last repainted in 1893.",
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