Page:Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (IA journalofstrait451906roya).pdf/118

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third card, want a seven or an eight, I am said to minta isi, or minta penoh. Many players make a clicking sound like one encouraging a horse, if they want a kuda or court card.

Main trop. The following are some terms in connection with this game which I have failed to find either in Skeat or in Wilkinson's Dictionary.

In main trup, when a player leads a trump card, his action is described by the words sudi or jaru. Diamonds are sometimes called batu Malacca or dobin (or jubin: Jav.=square flag-stones) spades, payong. Bibi is used of the Queen. If I and my partner have already got seven tricks between us, I ask him kiler-kah atau kot-kah should he hold no more cards of value in his hand, he says kiler and the game is over; should he hold high cards and thinks we can take all the tricks, he says kot and we play on in the hope that our opponents may kena kot, not score a single trick; but, if any of our tricks are lost, the tables are turned and we ourselves kena kot balik. Mita sus is to ask for special cards from one's partner. Tbere are numerous masonic signs accounted by Malay gamblers proper and elever, but which we should call cheating. Thus, to open one's hand of cards fanshape like opening an umbrella is to call for payong, spades: brush the edge of your cards along the table and you ask for diamonds, because thus the batu Malacca is cut: lift your cards quickly and you ask for the card with the flying animal, klawer: want hearts and you describe on the table a circular movement with your band of cards. Of course, you and your partner must be accomplices and your sleights pat and deft.

Main daun cheki. The following is a complete list of the names of these cards as given me:—iyu merah besar, iyu merah sa'krat, iyu kuching, iyu kosut, iyu budak, iyu panjang: kau merah, kau jalan, kau kurop: sah waji, sah burong, sah halus: si lebai, si trubu, si pinggung: chek bier, chek burong, chek halus; lah tali, lah krong, lah halus: peh pichak kapala, peh krang, peh pinggang (or tali): go babi, go tongkang, go pending: ji gendang, ji pentil, ji bengkok or burong. Cho it and chochot are names of two species of main cheki.