+ |
THE GAME OF WHIST
American Whist -- The Laws of the Game and Remarks Concerning Them.
1. The rubber is the best of three games. If the first two games be won by the same players, the third game is not played.
2. A game consists of seven points. Each trick above six counts one point.
3. In cutting, the ace is the lowest card.
4. Should a player, when cutting, expose more than one card, he must cut again.
5. In playing, two packs of cards will be used, and the partner of the dealer will shuffle and make up the pack, which his right-hand opponent is next to deal.
6. If a player desires to shuffle, at any time, either pack between the deals and previous to the next dealer’s partner making up the cards for his adversary, he can do so, but, as a rule, the packs, having been shuffled by any or all of the players, at the beginning of the game, will not again be shuffled except as by Rule 5.
7. Each player deals in turn. The right of dealing goes to the left.
8. The player on the dealer’s right cuts the pack which is to be dealt, and in dividing, it must not leave fewer than four cards in each packet.
9. The deal is lost if thirteen cards are not in regular rotation, beginning at the dealer’s left, received by each player, and if the last card is not turned up at the dealer’s right hand, if a card is faced in the pack, or if a card is exposed while dealing.
10. The trump card shall remain upon the table until three players shall have played, an longer at the dealer’s option.
11. No player will touch his cards until the trump card in turned.
12. If a player throws two or more cards at once, or exposes a card, or fails to play upon a trick, or plays out of turn, he suffers the penalty of Rule 19.
13. Every hand must be played out, unless the game, being decided to the satisfaction of the loser, one or both of them throw down their cards. If the cards are so thrown down, the game is at once counted against them.
14. No cards can be called and no conversation can take place during the play. WHIST IS THE GAME OF SILENCE.
15. If a player revoke, his partner must, with him, share the fault and penalty, which is three points taken from their score, or three points added to their adversaries’ score, at such adversaries’ will, the revoke to be decided by the examination of the cards, if need be, at the close of the hand. Each party has a right to make such examination for any purpose.
16. If a player, having thrown a card that would cause a revoke, can substitute the proper card for that thrown before the trick is turned, he may do so, and suffer the penalty of Rule19 for having at first thrown a wrong card. If, in the meantime, other cards have been played, any or all of them can be realized.
17. A player whose next turn it is to play, may point to any card upon the table, and the player of such card will draw it toward him to designate that he played it in his turn.
18. When a trick is taken and turned, it cannot again be seen until the hand is played.
19. The penalty for the infringement of any rule is the deduction of one from the score of the offender, or the addition of one to the score of the claimant, as the adversaries, upon consultation at the close of the hand, shall elect.
20. A party of four claim and hold a table, vacant when they would begin to play, until a rubber has been played. Their right to play out of a table of six is determined by cutting, those having the four lowest cards playing together. These, respectively, are partners. When a rubber has been played, if one of the two outsiders, or both of them, desires to play, the five or the sixcut again, and the lowest four cards determines who shall play another rubber.
American Whist is not a gambling game, and will not be played for money, nor will bets be made upon results.
The lovers of Whist play the game for itself, as they read books or study problems. It is not a supposable case that parties who can play Whist properly, are not gentlemen, and a gentleman requires but the plainest rules concerning a game by which to be governed, and does not contemplate dispute, prevarication or wrong-doing. Not a word is to be spoken at the table, from the time that the trump card is turned until the last card of the hand is played. The interruption that may be caused by asking a partner if he has no card of the suit that is played, fearing a revoke, can confuse the calculation of the players, and if a man cannot or does not play his cards properly, without reminder, he and his partner must together accept the loss that stupidity or accident necessitates. It certainly is not the fault of the antagonists that the revoke occurs, and there is no call for adding to the mischief, the interference with their plans, that conversation would make. It does not come into the account that the question of the partner, "Have you none of that suit?" puts the offender upon his guard; causes him to look once more over his hand, and, perhaps, find a card that before he did not see. What imaginary error? Partners must suffer for each other’s mishaps. "Should the third hand not have played, and the fourth play before his partner, the latter may be called upon to win or not to win the trick." (Cavendish, Rule 68). The revoke in due time is discovered, and, at the end of the hand, the score is made to conform to the legal requirement of the opponents.
Some so-called players, at clubs where talking is allowed, ask, "What is trumps?" Such men, as well as those who habitually play out of turn, revoke or expose cards, should go home and study the cards placed before them, and the books of direction, within easy call. They do not belong to a Whist club as players, any more than boys who cannot repeat the multiplication table can serve as auditors in the settlement of arithmetical accounts.
A complete pack of cards numbers fifty-two. If, after any deal, there is found to be less or more, the dealer loses his deal; the cards should have been counted before the play began or before they were shuffled for this deal. If, when dealing, a card is found faced, it is the dealer’s misfortune or fault. He loses his deal. If he had question about the disposition of the cards in the pack, he should have run them over, backs uppermost, before he passed them to his right-hand adversary to cut. Each player will count his cards before he plays; if he has more of less than thirteen, there must be a new deal and, by a new dealer.
Bystanders should be allowed to see but one hand during the play. They should consider themselves privileged if allowed to look over at all, unauthorized, in every particular, to make comment concerning the hand or the play.
Trumps should always be placed by a player in the same position in his hand, perhaps at the extreme right, or the second suit, as clubs on the right, diamonds (trumps) second, spades third, hearts on the left. Good players have enough to do to attend to their own hands and to watch the cards as they fall, and are not guilty of espionage. Should it be the misfortune of such men to admit an unprincipled player to an occasional game, they must be on their guard against his trickery in all particulars, but it will be impossible for any player to ascertain the rank of trumps in any other hand, as they need not be disposed according to rank, or to determine how many are held, as there is no visible dividing line between the cards. In fact, the assertion that number and value of trumps in a given hand, can be ascertained by any other player, finds its force in the gross carelessness of the player who holds them.
There need be no necessity for arbitration or outside interference. Bystanders should never be called upon to act as judges upon any point. If, at any time, it is thought proper by the players, the appeal from an opinion or a decision of one or more of their number, an officer of the club may act as referee, and his judgement must be accepted as final in the case; but those cases will be very rare concerning which the players are not competent and just adjudicators.
G.W.P.
+ |
-Napoleon Bonaparte
Internet Guide-
optimized for browsers 4+ (600x800)