Part 11 (1/2)

If the player trades for ready money, he throws out a card from his hand, pays a stake to the dealer, and receives the top card from the pack; his rejected card being placed at the bottom of the pack without being exposed.

If the player decides to barter, he turns to the player on his left-hand side and offers a card, which must be exchanged for one of those in the next player's hand, unless that player considers his cards sufficiently strong to stand upon, in which case the winner is decided by the method just described.

If the player has traded, either for ready money or barter, and has secured a hand strong enough, he at once stands, and exposes his cards; if not, the dealer pa.s.ses or to the next player, and acts in a similar manner, going round and round the table until one of the players decides to stand, when the hands are exposed and the round settled.

A player may only purchase or exchange one card at each turn; he must not do both, but he is compelled to do the one or the other, unless he decides to stand. When once a player agrees to stand, the commerce on that round ceases, and all the hands must be exposed.

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_THE OLD GAME_.

The older mode of playing the game of Commerce differs materially from the description given above, and as it does not present such chances, but is of a more limited character, it is not so interesting, nor does it afford so much scope for speculation and excitement.

The deal is decided and the cards are distributed in the same way as in the more modern game, but here an additional hand, of three cards, is dealt, and placed face upwards in the middle of the table. There is no trading with the dealer or any of the players, the operations of commerce being confined to the three cards exposed on the table. The player to the left of the dealer has the first turn, and he must either stand, pa.s.s, or exchange a card. In the latter case he takes one of those lying face upwards on the table, adds it to his hand, and places one of his own cards, face upwards, in place of the one removed. If the player pa.s.ses, he says, ”I pa.s.s,” and is then debarred from afterwards exchanging any of his cards during that hand; while if he decides to stand, the next player decides what he will do, and so on round the table, until two of the players are satisfied with their hands, or all have declared to pa.s.s. If two of the players stand then each of the other players may make one more exchange (if they have not previously pa.s.sed), and then the whole of the hands are exposed, just as described in connection with the modern game. There is no pool in this variation, the winner receiving instead the amount of the stake from each of the other players. In case of absolute equality between the two best hands, which may be regarded as an almost impossible event, then each of the winners receives a stake from all the other players.

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_POOL COMMERCE_.

This is a variation of the old method of conducting the game, and is played on somewhat similar lines, except that a pool is made up, by each player paying in an equal sum, for which he receives three counters. Play then proceeds in the manner just described as the old game. The winner of the hand, instead of receiving a stake from each of the players, takes a previously arranged sum from the pool, while the player who has the worst hand puts one counter into the pool. The game continues until all but one of the players have exhausted their three counters, when the player who remains with the last counter or counters takes the amount left in the pool. As soon as a player has exhausted his counters he has to stand out of the game, and no cards are dealt to him, so that the adoption of this variation makes the game very tedious for those who are first out, as they may have to wait a considerable time before the stock of the other players is exhausted.

The player who is first out has the option of buying one counter from the pool, which is termed ”buying a horse.” He has to pay for the same into the pool such sum as may be agreed upon--usually one-third or one-half the amount of the original stake.

_LIMITED COMMERCE_.

It may be agreed that only the Tricon, Sequence, Flush, and Point shall be recognised in the game, or even Tricon, Sequence, and Point only; but the greater the number of combinations permissible the greater the enjoyment to be derived from the game, so that limitations of this character have little to recommend them.

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_PENALTIES FOR THE DEALER_.

It is sometimes agreed that when the dealer holds a Tricon, Sequence, Flush, or Pair, and his hand is beaten by either of the others, he has to pay the amount of a stake to each player, or only to those who have better hands than his. The former course will be found to be a severe tax on the dealer, and is not to be recommended. The dealer only has the same chances as the others, and such a penalty seems unjust.

_EXTENDED COMMERCE_.

This is only applicable to the modern mode of playing the game, which in this variation is extended until all the players are satisfied, that is, they may keep on trading, either for ready money or by barter, until they all receive cards sufficiently good to stand upon. The great objection to this variation is that it makes the game wearisome for those players who are soon enabled to stand, as they have to wait while the others are being satisfied.

_CONTINUOUS DEALING_.

Another method of playing the modern game is to allow the same dealer to remain in until one of the players secures a Tricon, Sequence, or Flush, when the deal pa.s.ses to the next player, on the left-hand side. This variation is based on the same principle as governs the game of Vingt-un.

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