Part 13 (2/2)

The player of the stop has to lead the next card.

It will thus be seen that the object of the players should be to lead such cards as will bring the Jig into their own hand again whenever possible, as then another card has to be led, and a greater chance exists of clearing the hand. To do this successfully, it is necessary to remember what cards are played during the progress of the game, so as to know which are stops, and then, if the stops are in hand, such cards should be played as would lead up to them. It will be well to bear in mind the following, which gives a list of the ”Jigs” to the several cards of the pack:--

The five is ”Jig” to the ace.

The ten is ”Jig” to six.

” six ” two.

” knave ” seven.

” seven ” three.

” queen ” eight.

” eight ” four.

” king ” nine, ten, ” nine ” five.

knave or queen.

Similarly, if the two, three, or four is a stop, the ace, two or three may be played so as to lead up to them and thus secure the Jig.

When one of the party has exhausted his cards, he says ”Out,” and then receives a coin or counter from each player for every card they have left, and he also wins the amount in the pool if one has been formed. This is possible in many ways: either by each player contributing to it equally, by calling upon the dealer to pay in, or by the infliction of fines or penalties for incorrect calls, etc.

It is hardly necessary to give further details of the method of playing the hands, the game being so similar to Pope Joan, Spin, and Newmarket, which are fully described elsewhere. Players will do well to refer to those games for further information in regard to this variation of Snip-Snap-Snorum.

[97]

Ca.s.sINO.

This game, which is of considerable antiquity, is available for two, three, four, or more persons, but is usually played by four, when two of the players act as partners against the other two. It is, however, equally available for four players acting independently, in which case each scores his individual points, whereas in the partners.h.i.+p game, as with only two players, the lesser number of points is taken from the greater, and the difference only is scored by the winner. With three players it is also necessary to score independently, although in all these independent scorings it is sometimes decided that the lowest scorer shall not reckon anything, while the number of his points is deducted from those of each of the others; as, for instance: suppose _A_ made 1 point, _B_ 2, _C_ 3 and _D_ 5; _A_ would not score anything, while _B_ would score 1, _C_ 2, and _D_ 4. Similarly, if _A_ made 2 points, _B_ 2, _C_ 2 and _D_ 5; _D_ would be the only one to score, and he would count 3.

It is usual to play with the full pack of fifty-two cards; there is however no reason why the smaller pack of thirty-two should not be used, but in that case the hands would be of shorter duration.

a.s.suming that four persons intend to take part in the game, and that they decide to play in pairs, the first question to settle will be as to who shall be partners, and who the first dealer. This is arranged by each of the four [98] players taking a card from the top or other part of the pack, when those who draw the two lowest cards have to play against the drawers of the two highest. The lowest of the four (ace counting as lowest) becomes the first dealer. In the event of a tie, which prevents the decision being thus made, only those whose cards are alike draw a second time. The partners sit opposite to each other, and the cards of each player are kept distinct until the hands are completed by the entire pack having been played through.

The cards having been shuffled and cut, the dealer distributes four cards to each of the players, dealing them one at a time. He also places four other cards face upwards in the middle of the table. It is usual to deal these latter one at a time when going round with the regular hands, but they may be taken all at one time from the top of the pack, after the players have received their cards. The player on the left-hand side of the dealer then plays a card from his own hand, and takes with it every card of the same denomination among those exposed on the table, as well as all that will combine and make the same number. For instance, a ten not only takes every other ten, but also nine and ace, eight and two, seven and three, six and four, or two fives, two threes and a four, and other combinations.

If the player is able to pair or combine any of the cards, he places them with his own card face downwards on the table in front of him; but if he is not able to pair or combine, he must add a card, face upwards, to those already exposed on the table. The next player does the same, and so on round the table until the four cards in hand have either been paired, combined, or added to the exposed stock on the table. The original dealer then distributes four fresh cards to each of the players, but does not expose any on the table as in the first round. The same proceeding [99]

is repeated until the whole pack has been exhausted, the player who is last able to pair or combine any of the exposed cards taking all the remaining cards off the table, and scoring one point for thus ”sweeping the board,”

as it is termed. If a player is able to sweep the board at any other time during the progress of the game, he also scores a point, and the following player has to commence a new board by laying out a card.

The whole of the cards having thus been played, the partners combine their winnings, and the counting of the cards commences, the various points of the game being as follow:

The winner of Great Ca.s.sino (the ten of diamonds) reckons ... ... ... ... 2 points.

The winner of Little Ca.s.sino (the two of spades) reckons ... ... ... ... ... 1 point.

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