Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 24.djvu/582

546 WHIST Play of second and third hands. Laws of whist. a low card, the penultimate card is selected. Instead of calling it the penultimate, call it the fourth best. So with a six-card suit ; but, instead of antepenultimate, say fourth best. And so on with suits of more than six cards : dis regard all the small cards and lead the fourth best. Secondly, with regard to a high card led, followed by a low card. When you open a strong suit with a high card and next lead a low card, lead your original fourth best. The former rule was to proceed with the lowest. Thus, from ace, knave, nine, eight, seven, two the leader was expected to open with the ace, and then to lead the two. An American leader would lead ace, then eight. Thirdly, with regard to a high card led, followed by a high card. When you remain with two high indifferent cards, lead the higher if you opened a suit of four, the lower if you opened a suit of five or more. Examples have already been given of the cases of ace, queen, knave, &c., and of queen, knave, ten, &c. On the promulgation of these general principles another pitched battle followed, which raged with great fury. The objections urged _ against American leads are much the same as those against the penultimate, viz., (1) that they complicate the game, (2) that they seldom affect the result, (3) that the informa tion afforded may be of more use to the opponents than to the leader s partner. The complication argument has but little foundation in fact. All an American leader asks his partner to observe is that, when he originally leads a low card, he holds exactly three cards higher than the one led ; when he originally leads a high card, and next a low one, he still holds exactly two cards higher than the second card led ; and when he originally leads a high card, and follows it with a high card, he indicates in many cases, to those who know the analysis of leads (as laid down in whist books), whether the strong suit consisted originally of four or of more than four cards. It cannot be denied that moderate players may lack the quick perception which will enable them to take full advantage of the information afforded ; but that is no reason why better players should be deprived of the advantage, and it is no reason why the moderate player should not learn to speak the language of whist intelligibly, for the benefit of partners who do under stand it. The answer to the effect-on-the-result argument is that American leads add but little which is new to the game. They only aim at consolidating the received prac tice, and at extending a law of uniformity to cases not previously provided for. The who -gets -the -best -of- the- information argument is more difficult to meet. Under other whist conditions experience tells that it is advan tageous in the long run to convey information of strength, notwithstanding its publication to the whole table. It is most improbable, therefore, that a player will be at a dis advantage by publishing too much and too precise inform ation as to his strength. But it must be admitted that this is not necessarily a sequitur ; long experience can only decide on which side the balance of advantage lies. Five years experience is hardly enough. But it may be re marked that no instances are known of players who, having once adopted these leads, have voluntarily relinquished them. The introduction of American leads rendered it neces sary thoroughly to overhaul the received play of the second and third hands, of the second hand, in consequence of the information given, as to when he should cover or pass the card led ; of the third hand, for the same reason, when he should play to unblock his partner s long suit. A dis cussion of these refinements would be out of place here. It is to be found in Whist Developments, by " Cavendish " (1885). A printed existence was first given to the laws of whist liy Hoyle in 1743. The fourteen laws then issued were subsequently increased to twenty-four. These laws were the authority until 1760, when the members of White s and Saunders s Chocolate Houses revised them. The revised laws (nearly all Hoyle) were accepted by whist players for over a century, notwithstanding that they were very in complete. In 1863 the Turf Club undertook to frame a more com prehensive code, and to solicit the co-operation of the Portland Club. The laws of short whist, approved by these two clubs, were brought out in 1864. They were at once adopted by numerous other clubs, and are now (1888) the standard by which all disputed points are decided. LAWS OF WHIST.! Tlie Rubber. 1. The rubber is the best of three games. If the first two games Rubber. be won by the same players, the third game is not played. Scoring. 2. A game consists of five points. Each trick, above six, counts bcormg. one point. 3. Honours i.e., ace, king, queen, and knave of trumps are thus reckoned : if a player and his partner, either separately or conjointly, hold (i.) the four honours, they score four points ; (ii.) any three honours, they score two points ; (iii.) only two honours, they do not score. 4. Those players who, at the commencement of a deal, are at the score of four, cannot score honours. 5. The penalty for a revoke takes precedence of all other scores ; tricks score next ; honours last. 6. Honours, unless claimed before the trump card of the following deal is turned up, cannot be scored. 7. To score honours is not sufficient : they must be called at the end of the hand ; if so called, they may be scored at any time during the game. 8. The winners gain (i.) a treble, or game of three points, when their adver saries have not scored ; (ii.) a double, or game of two points, when their adver saries have scored less than three ; (iii.) a single, or game of one point, when their adversaries have scored three or four. 9. The winners of the rubber gain two points (commonly called the rubber points), in addition to the value of their games. 10. Should the rubber have consisted of three games, the value of the losers game is deducted from the gross number of points gained by their opponents. 11. If an erroneous score be proved, such mistake can be corrected prior to the conclusion of the game in which it occurred, and such game is not con cluded until the trump card of the following deal has been turned up. 12. If an erroneous score, affecting the amount of the rubber, be proved, such mistake can be rectified at any time during the rubber. Cutting. 13. The ace is the lowest card. Cutting. 14. In all cases every one must cut from the same pack. 15. Should a player expose more than one card, he must cut again. Formation ofTalile. 16. If there are more than four candidates, the players Forma- are selected by cutting, those first in the room having the preference. The tion of four who cut the lowest cards play first, and again cut to decide on partners. j. r ,y ) i e The two lowest play against the two highest ; the lowest is the dealer, who has choice of cards and seats, and, having once made his selection, must abide by it. & c - 17. When there are more than six candidates, those who cut the two next lowest cards belong to the table, which is complete with six players. On the retirement of one of those six players, the candidate who cut the next lowest card has a prior right to any after-comer to enter the table. Cutting Cards of Equal Value. 18. Two players cutting cards of equal value, unless such cards are the two highest, cut again ; should they be the two low est, a fresh cut is necessary to decide which of those two deals. 19. Three players cutting cards of equal value cut again. Should the fourth (or remaining) card be the highest, the two lowest of the new cut are partners, the lower of those two the dealer. Should the fourth card be the lowest, the two highest are partners, the original lowest the dealer. Cutting Out. 20. At the end of a rubber, should admission be claimed by any one or by two candidates, he who has, or they who have, played a greater number of consecutive rubbers than the others is, or are, out. But, when all have played the same number, they must cut to decide upon the out-goers ; the highest are out. Entry and Re-entry. 21. A candidate wishing to enter a table must declare such intention prior to any of the players having cut a card, either for the pur pose of commencing a fresh rubber or of cutting out. 22. In the formation of fresh tables those candidates who have neither be longed to, nor played at, any other table have the prior right of entry ; the others decide their right of admission by cutting. 23. Any one quitting a table prior to the conclusion of a rubber may, with consent of the other three players, appoint a substitute in his absence during that rubber. 24. A player cutting into one table whilst belonging to another loses his right of re-entry into that latter, and takes his chance of cutting in as if he were a fresh candidate. 25. If any one break up a table, the remaining players have the prior right to him of entry into any other ; and, should there not be sufficient vacancies at such other table to admit all those candidates, they settle their precedence by cutting. , . Shuffling. 2Q. The pack must neither be shuffled below the table nor so that blmmm. the face of any card be seen. 27. The pack must not be shuffled during the play of the hand. 28. A pack, having been played with, must neither be shuffled by dealing it into packets nor across the table. 29. Each player has a right to shuffle, once only, except as provided by rule 32, prior to a deal, after a false cut, or when a new deal has occurred. 30. The dealer s partner must collect the cards for the ensuing deal, and has the first right to shuffle that pack. 31. Each player after shuffling must place the cards, properly collected and face downwards, to the left of the player about to deal. 32. The dealer has always the right to shuffle last ; but, should a card or cards be seen during his shuffling or whilst giving the pack to be cut, he may be compelled to re-shuffle. The Deal. 33. Each player deals in his turn. The right of dealing goes to Deal, the left. 34. The player on the dealer s right cuts the pack, and in dividing it must not leave fewer than four cards in either packet. If in cutting or in replacing one of the two packets on the other a card be exposed, or if there be any con fusion of the cards, or a doubt as to the exact place in which the pack, was divided, there must be a fresh cut. 35. When a player, whose duty it is to cut, has once separated the pack, he cannot alter his intention : he can neither re-shuffle nor re-cut the cards. 36. When the pack is cut, should the dealer shuffle the cards, he loses his deal. i From the club code, edited by J. L. Baldwin, by permission of Messrs. De

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