Foster's Complete Hoyle: An Encyclopedia of Games / Including all indoor games played to-day. With suggestions for good play, illustrative hands, and all official laws to date

THE BÉZIQUE FAMILY.

This family includes three of our most popular games; Bézique itself, Binocle, and Sixty-Six. These are all comparatively modern games, but are descended from very old stock, the best known of the ancestors being Marriage, Matrimony, and Cinq-Cents. The etymology of the word Bézique is very much disputed. Some claim that it is from the Spanish basa, afterwards basico, a little kiss; referring to the union of the spade Queen and the diamond Jack, and the various marriages in the game. This was afterwards Basique, transformed by the French to Bésique, and by the English to Bézique. One English writer thinks the word is from bésaigne, the double-headed axe.

Judging from the rank of the cards, which is peculiar to German games, Bézique may have originated in an attempt to play Binocle with a piquet pack, for Binocle seems to have been originally played with a full pack of fifty-two cards. One German writer says the game is of Swiss origin, and that they probably got it from Spain. In one writer’s opinion, the name Binocle, is derived from bis, until, and knochle, the knuckle, which would imply that the original meaning was, until some one knuckled; i.e., stopped the game by knocking on the table with his knuckles. This interpretation seems far-fetched, but if correct, it would sustain the opinion that Binocle was derived from the old game of Cinq-Cents, in which the player knocked with his knuckles to announce that he had made enough points to win the game. In the opinion of the author, the word “binocle” is a German mispronunciation of the French word “binage,” which was the term used in Cinq Cents for the combination of spade Queen and diamond Jack, as will be seen if the description of Cinq Cents is referred to. Stopping the play is a prominent feature in Sixty-Six, another variation of Bézique, and the connecting link between Binocle and Skat. In Sixty-Six, the combination known as Bézique, or binocle, is omitted; so is the sequence in trumps. Sixty-four-card Binocle is simply Bézique, with a slight difference in the counting value of the various combinations. Sometimes twelve cards are given to each player.

Great confusion seems to have existed when the game of Bézique was introduced to England, in the winter of 1868-9, owing to the fact that so many persons rushed into print with their own private opinions of the rules, which were first given by Dr. Pole, in 1861. No one knew whether “the last trick” was the absolute last, or the last before the stock was exhausted. Whether the highest or lowest cut dealt was also a matter of dispute. “Cavendish” got both these wrong in the first edition of his “Pocket Guide,” but corrected himself without explanation or apology in the second edition. It was then the custom of many players to attach no value to the trump suit until the stock was exhausted; so that until the last eight tricks there was no such thing as trumping a trick in order to win it. Disputes also arose as to counting double combinations, many contending that a double marriage should be as valuable as a double bézique. Time and experience have finally settled all these points, and the rules of the game are now practically uniform in all countries.

BÉZIQUE, OR SIXTY-FOUR-CARD BINOCLE.

There are two forms of Bézique in common use; the ordinary game, which will be first described, and the variation known as Rubicon Bézique, which is to Bézique proper what Railroad Euchre is to Euchre.

CARDS. Bézique is played with two packs of thirty-two cards each, all below the Seven being deleted, and the two packs being then shuffled together and used as one. It is better to have both packs of the same colour and pattern, but it is not absolutely necessary. The cards rank, A 10 K Q J 9 8 7; the Ace being the highest, both in cutting and in play.

COUNTERS. Special markers are made for scoring at Bézique; but the score may easily be kept by means of counters. Each player should be provided with four white, four blue, and one red, together with some special marker, such as a copper cent or a button. The button stands for 500 points, each blue counter for 100, the red for 50, and the white ones for 10 each. At the beginning of the game the counters are placed on the left of the player, and are passed from left to right as the points accrue, exchanging smaller denominations for higher when necessary. Many persons find it more convenient to peg the game on a pull-up cribbage board, starting at 21, counting each peg as 10 points, and going twice round to the game hole.

STAKES. Bézique is played for so much a game, 1,000 points up; or for so much a point, the score of the loser being deducted from that of the winner. When a partie of five games is agreed upon, it is usual to have an extra stake upon the odd game, and when three games have been won by the same player, the partie is at an end. It is usual to count it a double game if the loser has not reached 500 points.

PLAYERS. Bézique is played by two persons, one of whom is known as the dealer, and the other as the pone. They cut for choice of seats and deal, the player cutting the highest card having the first choice, and electing whether or not to deal himself. In cutting, the cards rank as in play, and the ace is the highest. If a player exposes more than one card, he must cut again.

DEALING. The cards are thoroughly shuffled, and presented to the pone to be cut. At least five cards must be left in each packet. The cards are then dealt three at a time for the first round, two for the next, and three for the last, each player receiving eight cards. The seventeenth is then turned up for the trump. If this card is a Seven, the dealer scores 10 points for it at once. The trump card is laid on the table by itself, the remainder of the pack, which is called the stock or talon, is slightly spread, to facilitate the process of drawing cards from it, and to be sure that none of the cards remaining in the undealt portion are exposed. In sixty-four-card Binocle twelve cards are sometimes dealt to each player.

Misdealing. A misdeal does not lose the deal, but in some cases a new deal is at the option of the adversary. If the dealer exposes a card belonging to the adversary or to the stock, the pone may demand a new deal; but if either player exposes any of his own cards, the deal stands good. If too many cards are given to either player, there must be a new deal. If too few, the pone may claim a fresh deal, or allow the dealer to supply the missing cards from the top of the stock, without changing the trump card. If any card but the trump is found faced in the pack, there must be a new deal. If a card faced in the stock is not discovered until the first trick has been played to, the exposed card must be turned face down, without disturbing its position. If a pack is found to be imperfect, the deal in which the error is discovered is void, but all previous cuts or scores made with that pack stand good.

METHOD OF PLAYING. The pone begins by leading any card he chooses, to which his adversary may play any card he pleases. A player is not obliged to follow suit, nor to trump; but may renounce or trump at pleasure until the stock is exhausted, after which the method of play undergoes a change. If a player follows suit, the higher card wins the trick, and if identical cards are played to the same trick, such as two Jacks of clubs, the leader wins. Trumps win plain suits. The winner of the trick takes in the cards, turning them face down; but before he leads for the next trick he has the privilege of announcing and scoring any one of certain combinations that he may hold in his hand. After, or in the absence of any such announcement, and before leading for the next trick, he draws a card from the top of the stock and places it in his hand, without showing or naming it. His adversary draws the next card, so that each player restores the number of cards in his hand to eight. This method of drawing from the stock is open to many objections, and in France the pone always draws first, no matter who wins the trick.

All combinations announced and scored must be laid face upward on the table; but the cards still form part of the player’s hand, and may be led or played at any time, although they must not again be taken in hand until the stock is exhausted.

OBJECTS OF THE GAME. The reasons for winning or not winning certain tricks will be better understood in connection with the description of the various combinations that count toward game, and the manner of scoring them.

Brisques. The aces and Tens of each suit are called brisques, and count ten points each towards game. Except for the purpose of getting or keeping the lead, there is no object in winning any trick which does not contain a brisque. Every brisque taken in should be scored at once by the player winning the trick; 10 points for an ace or Ten; 20 points if there are two such cards in the same trick.

A player holding or drawing the Seven of trumps has the privilege of exchanging it for the turn-up trump, and scoring 10 points at the same time; but he must make the exchange immediately after winning a trick, and before drawing his card from the stock. Should the turn-up card be a Seven, or one exchange have already been made, the exchange can still be made and scored. He cannot score the Seven and make a declaration at the same time.

DECLARATIONS. The combinations which may be announced and scored during the play of the hand are divided into three classes: Marriages and Sequences; Béziques; and Fours of a kind. Only one combination can be scored at a time, and it must be announced immediately after the player holding it has won a trick, and before he draws his card from the talon. If he draws without announcing, it is equivalent to saying he has no declaration to make. Having drawn his card, even if he has not looked at it, he cannot score any declaration until he wins another trick.

The combinations and their values are as follows:—

The four court cards in class C may be all of different suits, or any two of them may be of the same suit.

A great many misunderstandings arise with respect to the manner and order of making declarations, most of which may be avoided by remembering the following rules:

The player making the declaration must have won the previous trick, and must make his announcement before drawing his card from the stock. When the stock is exhausted, so that there is no card to be drawn, no announcement can be made.

Only one declaration can be scored at a time, so that a trick must be won for every announcement made, or the combination cannot be scored. This does not prevent a player from making two or more announcements at the same time, but he can score only one of them.

A player cannot make a lower declaration with cards which form part of a higher one already made in the same class. For instance: Marriages and sequences belong to the same class. If the sequence has been declared, a player cannot take from it the King and Queen and score a marriage; neither can he add a new Queen to the King already in the sequence, and announce a marriage; because the higher combination was scored first. But if the marriage is first announced, the A 10 J may be added and the sequence scored, after winning another trick.

Cards once used in combination cannot again be used in combinations of equal value of the same class. For instance: Four Kings have been declared, and one of them afterward used in the course of play. The player cannot add a new King to the three remaining, and announce four Kings again. A marriage in spades has been declared, and the King got rid of in play. A new King of spades will not make another marriage with the old Queen. A bézique has been scored, and the Jack got rid of in play; a new Jack of diamonds will not make another bézique with the old Queen.

Some judgment is necessary in making announcements, the question of time being often important. Suppose hearts are trumps, and the winner of the trick holds double bézique, sixty Queens, and a royal marriage:—

He cannot lay all these cards down at once, and claim 600 points. Neither can he lay down four Queens and two Jacks, and score 560; nor four Queens and a King and score 100. He may announce them if he chooses to expose his hand in that manner, but he can score only one combination, and must win a separate trick to score each of the others. It would be better for him to select some one of the combinations, and declare it, waiting until he won another trick to declare the next one. A beginner would be apt to declare the highest count first, 500 for the double bézique; but under the rule which prevents a player from making a declaration which forms part of a higher one of the same class already made, he would lose the 40 points for the single bézique. It would be better to declare the single bézique first, scoring 40 points for it, and after winning another trick to show the other bézique, scoring 500 points more for the double combination. A player is not allowed to score 40 for the second bézique, and then 500 for the two combined; because if new announcements are made in the same class, at least one new card must be added from the player’s hand when the announcement is made, even if it is not scored until later.

Double Declarations. It frequently happens that a player is forced to make two declarations at the same time, although he can score only one of them. For instance: A player has announced and shown four Kings, one of them being the King of spades. On winning another trick he shows and scores bézique. One of the bézique cards forms a marriage with the spade King, and as the combinations belong to different classes, both may be scored, although the same card is used in each; but the player cannot score the second combination until he wins another trick. Under such circumstances it is usual to declare both combinations, scoring the more valuable, and repeating the one left over until an opportunity arises to score it. In this case the player would say: “Forty for bézique, and twenty to score.” If he lost the next trick he would continue to repeat at every trick: “Twenty to score,” until he won a trick.

A player having a score in abeyance in this manner is not obliged to score it if he has anything else to announce. A player with twenty to score might pick up the sequence in trumps before he won another trick, and he would be very foolish to lose the chance to score 250 for the sake of the 20 already announced. If he had time, he would probably declare: “Royal Marriage, forty, and twenty to score.” On winning another trick he would add the A 10 J of trumps, and announce, “Two-fifty in trumps, and twenty to score,” still carrying on the small score for a future opportunity.

A player may lay down and score eighty Kings, and afterward sixty Queens, the remaining Kings forming marriages. In such a case he would score the sixty points first, and declare the two or three marriages remaining. In the same manner he may have announced four Kings, and after playing away two of them, leaving two Kings of spades, he may declare double bézique, and claim the two marriages “to score.” In all such cases it must be remembered that the cards declared must still be on the table when the time comes to score them. If, in the case just given, one of the cards forming either of the marriages was got rid of in the course of play, that marriage could not afterward be scored, although it had been properly announced. If the stock is exhausted before the player with a score in abeyance can win another trick, the score is lost.

It is often very important for a player to know how much time he has to score. When the talon is spread it is comparatively easy to judge how many more tricks remain to be played. The English laws allow a player to count the stock, the French do not. A trick once turned and quitted cannot again be seen, and the players are not allowed to count the number of tricks they have won.

The last card of the stock is taken by the player winning the trick, and the turn-up trump goes to his adversary.

The Last Eight Tricks. When the stock is exhausted, the players take back into their hands all the cards remaining of the combinations which have been laid on the table. The winner of the previous trick then leads any card he pleases, but his adversary must now not only follow suit, but must win the trick if he can, either with a superior card of the same suit, or with a trump. The same rule applies to all the remaining tricks. Brisques still count for the winner of the trick containing them, and should be scored as soon as made. The winner of the last trick of all scores ten points for it immediately, in addition to any brisques that it may contain.

Irregularities in Play. If a player leads out of turn, and his adversary plays to the lead, whether intentionally or otherwise, the trick stands good. If the adversary calls attention to the error, the card led out of turn may be taken back without penalty.

If a player has too many cards after playing to the first trick, his adversary may either claim a fresh deal or may compel him to play without drawing from the talon, until the number of cards in his hand is reduced to eight; the player with too many cards not being allowed to make any announcements until he has his right number of cards. If a player has too few cards, his adversary may either claim a fresh deal, or may allow him to make good the deficiency by drawing from the stock.

After the stock is exhausted, any player failing to follow suit or to win a trick, when able to do so, may be compelled to take back his cards to the point where the error occurred, and to replay the hand. In France he is penalised by counting nothing from that point on, either for brisques or for the last trick.

Irregularities in Drawing. If a player has forgotten to take a card from the talon, and has played to the next trick, his adversary may elect to call the deal void, or to allow him to draw two cards next time.

If a player has drawn two cards from the stock, instead of one, he must show the second one to his adversary if he has seen it himself. If he has not seen it, he may put it back without penalty. If he draws out of turn, he must restore the card improperly drawn; and if it belongs to his adversary the player in error must show his own card. If both players draw the wrong cards there is no remedy.

If the loser of any trick draws and looks at two cards from the stock, his adversary may look at both cards of the following draw, and may select either for himself. If he chooses the second card, he need not show it.

If, on account of some undetected irregularity, an even number of cards remain in the stock, the last card must not be drawn. The winner of the trick takes the last but one, and the loser takes the trump card.

Irregular Announcements. Should a player announce four of a kind, having only three; as, for instance, laying down three Kings and a Jack, and declaring four Kings, his adversary can compel him not only to take down the score erroneously marked, but to lead or play one of the three Kings. A player may be called upon to lead or play cards from any other erroneous declarations in the same manner; but if the player has the right card or cards in his hand, he is permitted to amend his error, provided he has not drawn a card from the stock in the meantime.

SCORING. It is better to score all points as soon as they are made. The game is usually 1000 points. Some players do not count the brisques until the last trick has been played, but the practice is not to be recommended. Scores erroneously marked must be taken down, and the adversary may add the points to his own score.

Suggestions for Good Play will be found in Binocle.

FOUR-HANDED BÉZIQUE.

In this variation, four persons may play; each for himself or two against two, partners sitting opposite each other. Four packs of thirty-two cards each are shuffled together and used as one. Triple bézique counts 1500. When a player wins a trick, either he or his partner may declare everything in the hand, but only one combination can be scored at a time. The advantage of showing all the combinations in the hand is that they may be built up by either partner. For instance: One partner has declared bézique and royal marriage, scoring the marriage only. His partner wins the next trick and adds A 10 J to the marriage, scoring the sequence; or perhaps shows three Kings or Queens, making fours.

The players usually divide after the stock is exhausted, and for the last eight tricks each takes one of his former adversaries for a partner, but without changing seats. The game is usually 2000 points up.

THREE-HANDED BÉZIQUE.

Three persons play, each for himself. Two packs of thirty-two cards each and one of thirty-one cards are shuffled together. Triple bézique counts 1500, and the game is usually 2000 points.

The deleted card from the third pack should be an Eight.

POLISH BÉZIQUE.

This differs from the ordinary game only in the value of the tricks taken. The winner of each trick, instead of turning it down after counting the brisques, takes from it any court cards it may contain, and the Ten of trumps. He lays these cards face up on the table, but apart from those declared from his own hand, and uses them to form combinations, which may be scored in the usual way. The chief difference is that cards so taken in tricks cannot be led or played to subsequent tricks, nor can they be taken in hand at the end of the stock. Combinations may be completed either by cards in the player’s hand, or by cards won in subsequent tricks.

CINQ-CENTS.

This might be described as Bézique with one pack of cards. All the regulations are the same as in the modern form of Bézique, but there is an additional count, 120, for a sequence of the five highest cards in any plain suit. Bézique is called Binage, and of course there are no double combinations. Cards which have been used in one combination cannot be used in any other, even of a different class.

Brisques are not scored as they are won; but after the hand is over, and ten points have been counted for the last trick, each player turns over his cards and counts up the value of the points they contain. In this final count, the Ace reckons for 11, the Ten for 10, King for 4, Queen for 3, Jack for 2, no matter what the suit may be, so that there are 120 points to be divided between the players. It is usual for only one to count, the other taking the difference between his total and 120.

From this it might be imagined that no notice was taken of the counting value of the cards taken in during the progress of the play. Early in the game this is true, but toward the end each player must keep very careful mental count of the value of his tricks, although he is not allowed to score them. When either player knows, by adding the mental count of his tricks to his scored declarations, that he has made points enough to win the game, he stops the play by knocking on the table, either with his knuckles or his cards. He then turns over his tricks and counts the points they contain to show his adversary that he has won the game. Even if his adversary has also enough points to go out, the player who knocked wins the game, provided his count is correct. If the player who knocks is mistaken, and cannot count out, he loses, no matter what his adversary may have.

If neither knocks, and at the end of the hand both players are found to have points enough to put them out, neither wins the game, which must be continued for 100 points more; that is, as 500 points is the usual game, it must be made 600 in such a case. Should both reach 600 without knocking, it must be continued to 700. If neither knocks, and only one has enough points to go out he wins the game on its merits.

As the name implies, 500 points is game.

PENCHANT.

Penchant is a complicated form of Cinq-cents and Bézique, played with a single pack of thirty-two cards, which rank as at Piquet; A K Q J 10 9 8 7, the ace being highest both in cutting and in play.

Cutting. The higher cut has the choice of seats, and the lower cut deals the first hand.

Dealing. After the cards have been cut by the pone the dealer gives one card to his adversary, then one to the stock, and then one to himself, all face down. Two more are then given to the stock, one to the pone, two to the stock again, and one to the dealer. This is continued, giving two cards to the stock between the ones given to each player, until the last round, when only one card is dealt to the stock. This will result in each player receiving six cards, and twenty being left in the centre of the table for the talon. No trump is turned. Very few players trouble themselves with this method of dealing, preferring to deal three cards to each player alternately, leaving the remaining twenty for the stock.

Playing. All the regulations for leading, following suit, drawing from the talon, etc., are the same as in Bézique, but the declarations and their values are quite different.

Brisques. There are twelve brisque cards, the Seven of each suit being added to the usual Aces and Tens. The brisques are not scored as taken in, except in the last six tricks. At the end of the hand all the brisques are counted, whether already scored in the last six tricks or not, and the player having more than six counts ten points for each above six. If each has six, neither scores. By this method, a player may make and score several brisques in the last six tricks, all of which he will reckon over again in the total count at the end.

Declarations. The winner of any trick, previous to the exhaustion of the stock, may announce and lay upon the table any one of ten different combinations, which are divided into three classes. These are as follows, with the number of points he is entitled to score for each:

The sequences and flushes in class B must all be of the same suit; penchant cards must be of different suits.

If the winner of any trick has no declaration to make, he signifies it by drawing the top card from the stock. His adversary, before drawing his card from the stock, may then declare a penchant, if he has one; but no other combination can be declared by the player who does not win the trick. If the winner of the trick makes any declaration, the loser cannot declare.

The Jack of the first penchant declared makes the trump suit for that deal, no matter which player announces it. Trumps do not increase the value of any combination, and are only useful to win plain-suit tricks.

All declarations are scored immediately, either on a marker or with counters. It will be observed that with the exception of sequences of five cards, fours, and penchants, the count is ten points for each card in the combination. Only one declaration can be made at a time.

Any card laid upon the table for one declaration can be used again in future declarations, provided the player making the new announcement adds at least one fresh card from his hand. A player having a marriage and a penchant on the table cannot afterward score for the pair of Queens; but if he adds a Queen from his hand he can score the triplet.

Pairs, triplets and fours are divided into two classes, the major being formed of court cards; the minor of cards below the Jack. Minor combinations cannot be scored if the adversary has upon the table cards which form a major combination of the same or greater value in the same class; that is, in class A. For instance: If your adversary has two Queens on the table, you cannot announce any pair below Jacks. His Queens need not have been announced as a pair; they may be parts of a marriage and a penchant. But if you have on the table a pair as good as his, you can score minor pairs. For instance: He has two Kings on the table, and you have two Aces. Your Aces cancel his Kings, and you can score any minor pair; but he can not. If you have a minor triplet to declare, such as three Eights, no major pair of his will bar it, because your triplet counts more than his pair. No minor combination on his side will bar you; it must be one of court cards, and it must be better than any that you have laid on the table yourself.

The Last Six Tricks. After the stock is exhausted, the second player must follow suit if able, and must win the trick if he can. As already explained, brisques won in the last six tricks are scored as they are taken in, and after the last card is played all the brisques are re-counted, the player holding more than six scoring ten points for each above that number. There is no score for winning the last trick.

Four deals is a game. At the end of the fourth deal the lower score is deducted from the higher, and the difference is the value of the game in points. If the lesser score is not at least 400 points, the winner doubles the difference in his favour.

The only text-book on this game introduces a great many technical terms which have no meaning to the ordinary card-player, and which have therefore been omitted from this description.

Suggestions for Good Play will be found in Binocle.

RUBICON BÉZIQUE.

Rubicon Bézique bears the same relation to the ordinary game that Railroad Euchre does to Euchre proper. In fact the game might well be called Railroad Bézique, for its chief peculiarity is the rapid accumulation of large scores. The game seems to have originated in France, but is now very popular wherever Bézique is played.

CARDS. Rubicon Bézique is played with four piquet packs of thirty-two cards each; all below the Sevens being deleted from an ordinary pack. The four packs, which should be of the same pattern and colour, are shuffled together and used as one. The cards rank: A 10 K Q J 9 8 7, the ace being the highest, both in cutting and in play.

MARKERS. The game may be kept on a bézique marker, a pull-up cribbage board, or with counters. Markers must be made to score at least 5000 points. When a cribbage board is used, it is usual to count the outside row of pegs as 10 each, the inner row as 100 each, and the game pegs in the centre as 1000 each. If counters are used, there must be for each player; four white, to mark 10’s; one red to mark 50; nine blue to mark 100’s; and four coppers to mark 1000 each. These counters are moved from left to right of the player as the points accrue. In whatever manner the count is kept, it should be distinctly visible to both persons, as playing to the score is very important.

STAKES. Rubicon Bézique is played for so much a hundred points, and in settling up, all fractions of a hundred are disregarded, unless they are necessary to decide the game. Ten cents a hundred is the usual stake; sixpence in England. Games are seldom worth less than one or two thousand points.

PLAYERS. Rubicon Bézique is played by two persons, one of whom is known as the dealer, and the other as the pone. They cut for seats and deal, the player cutting the higher card having first choice, and electing whether or not to deal himself. In cutting, the cards rank as in play, the ace being the highest. If a player exposes more than one card, he must cut again.

DEALING. The cards are thoroughly shuffled, and presented to the pone to be cut. At least five cards must be left in each packet. The dealer then distributes the cards three at a time, first to his adversary and then to himself, for three rounds, so that each player receives nine cards. No trump is turned; but the first marriage declared and scored is the trump suit for that deal. The undealt portion of the pack, called the stock or talon, is slightly spread between the two players, and a little to the left of the dealer. If in spreading the stock any card is found to be exposed, there must be a new deal by the same dealer.

Misdealing. A misdeal does not lose the deal, but in some cases a new deal is at the option of the pone. If the dealer exposes a card belonging to his adversary or to the stock, the pone may demand a new deal; but if either player exposes any of his own cards, the deal stands good. If too many cards are given to either player, and the error is discovered before the dealer plays to the first trick, there must be a new deal. If either player has too few cards, the pone may demand a new deal, or may allow the dealer to supply the deficiency from the top of the stock. If any card is found exposed in the pack, there must be a new deal. If any card faced in the stock is not discovered until the first trick has been played to by the dealer, the exposed card must be turned face down, without disturbing its position. If the pack is found to be imperfect, the deal in which it is discovered is void; but all previous scores or cuts made with that pack stand good.

METHOD OF PLAYING. The pone takes up and examines his nine cards. If he finds himself without King, Queen or Jack of any suit, he immediately shows his hand to the dealer, and marks fifty points for carte blanche. Whether he has carte blanche or not, he begins the play by leading any card he pleases. If the dealer has carte blanche, he must show and score it before playing to the first trick. Players are not obliged to follow suit, nor to trump; but may renounce or trump at pleasure until the stock is exhausted, after which the method of play undergoes a change. Until the first marriage is declared and scored there is no trump suit. If the second player in any trick follows suit, the higher card wins. Trumps win plain suits. If identical cards are played to the same trick, such as two club aces, the leader wins.

The tricks are left face upward on the table until an ace or Ten is played, for tricks not containing either of these cards are of no value. When an ace or Ten is played, the winner of the trick gathers in all the cards that have accumulated, and turns them face down in front of him. These counting cards are called brisques, and if a player neglects to gather the brisques he wins, his adversary may do so when next he wins a trick, whether the trick he wins contains a brisque or not; the fact that there is a brisque on the table is sufficient.

Declaring. The winner of any trick, before leading for the next trick, has the privilege of announcing and scoring any one of certain combinations that he may hold in his hand. After, or in the absence of any such announcement, and before leading for the next trick, he draws one card from the top of the stock, and places it in his hand, without showing or naming it. His adversary then draws the next card, so that each restores the number of cards in his hand to nine. This method of playing, announcing, and drawing is continued until the stock is exhausted.

If a player who has already announced carte blanche finds that the first card he draws from the stock is not a King, Queen or Jack, he shows it to his adversary, and scores another fifty points for another carte blanche. This may be continued until he draws one of those cards. Carte blanche cannot be scored at all unless held before a card is played; that is, it must be dealt to the player originally.

All combinations announced and scored must be left face upward on the table, but the cards still form part of the player’s hand, and may be led or played at any time, although they must not again be taken in hand until the stock is exhausted.

The first marriage announced and scored, no matter by which player, makes the trump suit for that deal; but a player with a marriage on the table is not obliged to announce it if he does not wish to make that suit the trump.

Irregularities in Play. If a player leads out of turn, and his adversary plays to the lead, whether intentionally or otherwise, the trick stands good. If the adversary calls attention to the error, the card led out of turn may be taken back without penalty.

If, after playing to the first trick, one player is found to have more than his right number of cards, the English rules say that the game is to be immediately abandoned, and the adversary of the player in error is to add 1300 points to his score at the time the error is discovered, together with all the points already scored by the player in error; but the latter amount must not exceed 900.

The same penalties are enforced if one player has too many cards and the other too few; but in the latter case the hand is played out, the player not in fault scoring all he can.

If both players have more than their right number of cards, the deal is void. If either has less than his proper number, his adversary having the right number, the deal stands good, and there is no penalty except that the player with the right number of cards wins and scores for the last trick. If both have less than the right number, the deal stands good, and the actual winner of the last trick scores it.

It will be observed that these rules are quite different from the French rules, which have been given in connection with the ordinary game of Bézique. In France, it is always the custom to establish the status quo, if possible, and to assume that the error was quite unintentional. In England, all laws are based on the assumption that your adversary is a rogue, and the penalties are absurdly severe, but we have no authority to change them.

Irregularities in Drawing. If a player has forgotten to take his card from the talon, and has played to the next trick, the English laws compel him to play the remainder of the hand with eight cards; the French laws give his adversary the option of calling the deal void, or allowing the player in error to draw two cards from the stock next time.

If a player draws two cards from the stock, instead of one, he must show the second one to his adversary if he has seen it himself. If it was his adversary’s card, he must show his own card also. If he has not seen it, he may put it back without penalty. If he draws out of turn, he must restore the card improperly drawn, and if it belongs to his adversary, the player in error must show his own card. If both players draw the wrong cards, there is no remedy.

If the loser of any trick draws and looks at two cards from the stock, his adversary may look at both cards of the following draw, and may select either for himself. If he chooses the second card, he need not show it.

If, on account of some undetected irregularity, an odd number of cards remain in the stock, the last card must not be drawn.

OBJECTS OF THE GAME. Each game is complete in one deal, and the score of the loser is deducted from that of the winner. The combinations which may be declared and scored are the same as in Bézique, but owing to the use of four packs of cards double combinations are much more frequent, and triple combinations are not uncommon.

The chief concern of the player must be, first of all, to save himself from a rubicon; that is, either to reach 1000 points, or to score as few points as possible. If he does not reach 1000, his adversary will take whatever he has scored, and add them to his own, besides 1300 in addition for rubicon and brisques. For instance: At the end of the hand A has scored 1200, and B has only 700. B is rubiconed, and his 700 points are added to A’s 1200, together with 1300 more for a rubicon game and brisques; giving A a grand total of 3200 points to nothing. Had B reached 1000, he would have saved his rubicon, and A would have scored the difference only, or 200 points, plus 500 for the game; 700 altogether.

Brisques. The aces and Tens of each suit are of no value unless it is necessary to count them to decide a tie, or to save a rubicon. They are never scored during the play of the hand.

Declarations. The combinations which may be announced and scored during the play of the hand are divided into three classes: A, Marriages and Sequences; B, Béziques; and C, Fours. Only one combination can be scored at a time, and it must be announced and laid on the table immediately after the player holding it has won a trick, and before he draws his card from the talon. If he draws without announcing, it is equivalent to saying he has no declaration to make. Having drawn his card, even if he has not looked at it, he cannot score any declaration until he wins another trick. The various combinations and their values are as follows:

Besides the foregoing, there is the score of fifty points for carte blanche, which may be announced only before the first trick is played to, and the score of fifty points for the winner of the last trick of all.

In class A, the first marriage declared must of course count 40, as it is the trump suit for that deal. In class C, the four court cards may be of different suits, or any two or more of them may be of the same suit.

The rules governing declarations are as follows:—

The player making the declaration must have won the previous trick, and must make his announcement before drawing his card from the stock. When the stock is exhausted, so that no cards remain to be drawn, no announcements can be made.

Only one declaration can be scored at a time, so that a trick must be won for every announcement made, or the combination cannot be scored. This rule does not prevent a player from making two or more announcements at the same time; but he can score only one of them.

A player cannot make a lower declaration with cards which form part of a higher combination already shown in the same class. For instance:—Marriages and sequences belong to the same class. If a sequence has been declared, the player cannot take from it the King and Queen, and score for the marriage; neither can he add a new Queen to the King already used in the sequence, because the higher combination was scored first. The same rule applies to lower and higher béziques. But if the lower combination is first shown and scored—the marriage—the A 10 J may be added afterward, on winning another trick, and the sequence scored. This rule does not apply to cards belonging to combinations in different classes. A Queen used in class A may be used over again in both B and C classes.

Re-forming Combinations. The chief peculiarity in Rubicon Bézique is that combinations which have been laid on the table and scored may be broken up, re-formed, and scored again indefinitely. For instance: A player has declared royal sequence, and scored 250 points for it. He may play away the Ace, breaking up the sequence, and upon winning the trick lay down another Ace, re-forming the sequence, and scoring 250 points again. He might repeat the same process with the Ten, King, Queen and Jack, and in six successive tricks he would score this royal sequence six times, making 1500 points out of it. In actual play it is not necessary to go through the formality of playing away a card from the combination on the table, and then replacing it, for it amounts to the same thing if the new card in the hand is led or played, and the fresh combination claimed.

Marriages, béziques and fours may be broken up and re-formed in the same way. After declaring 100 Aces, the player may lead or play another Ace, and claim another 100 Aces, scoring them when he wins a trick. In this way, eight Aces actually held might score 500 points. In the bézique combinations, a new card simply re-forms the single bézique. In order to score double, triple, or quadruple bézique, all the cards forming the combination must be on the table at one time, but they may be played and scored one after the other, cumulatively. For instance: A player holding quadruple bézique and showing all eight cards at once would score 4500 only; the minor béziques would be lost. If he had time, and could win tricks enough, he might show the single first, scoring 40, then the double, scoring 500, then the triple, scoring 1500, and finally the quadruple, scoring 4500, which would yield him a grand total of 6540 points. He might declare marriage in hearts, and afterward play three more heart Queens, scoring each marriage, and then three heart Kings, scoring three more marriages. These would all be new combinations.

Double Declarations. These are carried forward in the manner already described for the ordinary game. Suppose a player has two spade Kings on the table, and shows double bézique. He of course marks the more valuable score, 500, and simply claims the marriages by saying: “With twenty and twenty to score.” On winning another trick he is not compelled to score the previous announcement if he has any other or better to make. He might have two more Queens, and would announce: “Sixty Queens, with twenty and twenty to score.” If he scores one of the announcements held over, he still carries on the other.

When announcements are carried forward in this manner, it must be remembered that the cards must still be on the table when the time comes to score them. If one of them has been led or played, or the stock is exhausted before the player wins another trick, the score held over is lost.

Time. On account of the great number of combinations possible at Rubicon Bézique, it is very seldom that a player succeeds in scoring everything he holds. He is allowed to count the cards remaining in the talon, provided he does not disturb their order. This count is often important toward the end of the hand. For instance: You know from the cards you hold, and those played, that your adversary must have in his hand the cards that will make a double bézique on the table into a triple bézique, which would give him 1500 points. If, on counting the stock, you find only six cards remain, and you have three certain winning trumps to lead, you can shut out his 1500 by exhausting the stock before he can win a trick.

Irregular Announcements. If a player announces a combination which he does not show; such as fours, when he has only three, which he may easily do by mistaking a Jack for a King, his adversary can compel him not only to take down the score erroneously marked, but to lead or play one of the three Kings. A player may be called upon to lead or play cards from other erroneous declarations in the same manner; but if he has the right card or cards in his hand, he is permitted to amend his error, provided he has not drawn a card from the stock in the meantime.

The Last Nine Tricks. When the stock is exhausted, all announcements are at an end, and the players take back into their hands all the cards upon the table which may remain from the combinations declared in the course of play. The winner of the previous trick then leads any card he pleases, but for the last nine tricks the second player in each must not only follow suit, but must win the trick if he can, either with a superior card or with a trump. Any player failing to follow suit or to win a trick, when able to do so, may be compelled to take back his cards to the point where the error occurred, and to replay the hand from that point. In France he is penalised by counting nothing from that point on, either for brisques or for the last trick.

The winner of the last trick scores fifty points for it immediately.

SCORING. Each deal is a complete game in itself, and the winner is the player who has scored the most points for carte blanche, combinations, and the last trick. The brisques are not counted, unless they are necessary to decide a tie, or save a rubicon.

The value of the game is determined by deducting the lesser score from the higher, and then adding 500 points to the remainder. In this deduction all fractions of a hundred are disregarded. For instance: A’s score is 1830; while B’s is 1260. A wins 1800, less the 1200 scored by B, which leaves 600; to this must be added the 500 points for game, making the total value of A’s game 1100 points.

If the scores are very nearly equal, being within one or two hundred points of each other, the tricks taken in by each player are turned over, and the brisques are counted, each player adding to his score ten points for every brisque he has won. Suppose that after the last trick had been played and scored, A’s total was 1260, and B’s 1140. This is close enough to justify B in demanding a count of the brisques. It is found that A has seven only, while B has twenty-five. This shows B to be the winner of the game, with a total score of 1390 to A’s 1330.

If the difference between the final scores is less than 100 points, after adding the brisques and throwing off the fractions, the player with the higher score adds 100 points for bonus. In the case just given, B’s final score is equal to A’s, after dropping the fractions from both; so he would add 100 for bonus to the 500 for game, and win 600 points altogether.

Rubicons. If the lower score is less than 1000, no matter what the higher score may be, the loser is rubiconed, and all the points he has scored are added to the score of the winner, instead of being deducted. In addition to this, the winner adds a double game, or 1000 points, for the rubicon, and 300 points for all the brisques, no matter who actually won them. For example: A’s score is 920, and B’s 440. It is not necessary to count the brisques to see that A wins and B is rubiconed. A adds B’s 400 to his own 900, making his score 1300, and to this total he adds 1300 for rubicon and brisques, making the value of his game 2600 points altogether.

The loser is not rubiconed if he can bring his total score to 1000 by adding his brisques. Suppose A has 1740 and B 850. The brisques are counted, and it is found that B has eighteen, making his score 1030, and saving his rubicon. A adds his fourteen brisques, making his total 1880, which makes the value of his game 1800, minus B’s 1000, plus 500 for the game, or 1300 altogether.

If B’s brisques did not prove sufficient to save the rubicon, A would count them all. Suppose that in the foregoing case B had taken in only eleven brisques, leaving his total 990. As this does not save the rubicon the game is reckoned as if the brisques had not been counted at all, and A wins 1800, plus B’s 800, plus 1300 for rubicon and brisques; 3900 altogether.

If the player who is rubiconed has scored less than 100 points, the winner takes 100 for bonus, in addition to the 1300 for rubicon and brisques.

When a series of games is played between the same individuals, it is usual to keep the net results on a sheet of paper, setting down the hundreds only, and to settle at the end of the sitting.

Suggestions for Good Play will be found in Binocle.

CHINESE BÉZIQUE is Rubicon Bézique with six packs of cards shuffled together and used as one. The counts run into enormous figures, and 6000 is not an uncommon score for the winner.

In CHOUETTE BÉZIQUE, one of several players agrees to take all bets, and has the choice of deal and seats without cutting. His adversaries may consult together in playing against him. If the chouette player wins, one of his opponents takes the loser’s place; but if he loses, the same player opposes him for the next game. The adversaries usually cut to decide which of them shall play the first game against the chouette player, the highest card having the privilege. If there are four players, two may play against two, each consulting with his partner and sharing his bets.

BINOCLE.

The word Binocle is spelt in many different ways, all of which, are, however, phonetic equivalents of the correct one. The word is probably derived from the French word “binage,” which was the name given to the combination known as “binocle,” and which seemed a better term than “cinq cents” as the game was no longer 500 points up. In all German works on card games the name is spelt as we give it; but the pronunciation of the initial “b” in the German is so near that of “p,” that “Pinocle” is nearer the correct spelling than any other form. There is no authority for the introduction of the “h,” which has led some persons to think the word a compound of “bis” and “knochle,” and has given rise to the forms: binochle, pinochle, pinuchle, pinucle, penucle, penuchle, penuckle and pinuckel, all of which may be found in various works on card games.

CARDS. Binocle is played with two packs of twenty-four cards each, all below the Nine being deleted, and the two packs being then shuffled together, and used as one. The cards rank A 10 K Q J 9, the Ace being the highest, both in cutting and in play.

COUNTERS. The game is 1000 points, and is usually scored with counters, each player being provided with four white, worth 10 each; four blue, worth 100 each; one red, worth 50, and a copper cent or a button, which represents 500. These counters are placed on the left of the player at the beginning of the game, and are moved over to his right as the points accrue. The game is sometimes kept on a cribbage board, each player starting at 21, and going twice round to the game-hole, reckoning each peg as 10 points.

STAKES. Binocle is played for so much a game of 1000 points, and the moment either player either actually reaches or claims to have reached that number, the game is at an end. If his claim is correct, he wins; if it is not, his adversary takes the stakes, no matter what the score may be.

PLAYERS. Binocle is played by two persons, one of whom is known as the dealer, and the other as the pone. They cut for the choice of seats and deal, and the player cutting the higher card may deal or not, as he pleases. It is usual for the player having the choice to make his adversary deal. A player exposing more than one card must cut again.

DEALING. After the cards are thoroughly shuffled, they are presented to the pone to be cut. At least five cards must be left in each packet. The dealer then distributes the cards four at a time for three rounds, giving to his adversary first, and then to himself. The twenty-fifth card is turned up for the trump. If this card is a Nine, the dealer claims dix, and counts ten for it immediately. The trump card is laid aside, and the remainder of the pack, which is called the stock, or talon, is slightly spread, to facilitate the process of drawing cards from it, and to be sure that none of the cards remaining in the stock are exposed. The trump is usually placed face up under the last card of the stock.

In Sixty-four-card Binocle, the Sevens and Eights are added to the pack. There are then two ways to play: If eight cards are dealt to each player, the game is simply Bézique, except for some minor details relating to the combinations and their value. These are usually disregarded, and the regular game of Bézique is played. If twelve cards are dealt to each player, the game is the same as the one about to be described, but with eight cards added to the pack, and the Seven taking the place of the Nine for dix.

Misdealing. If the dealer exposes a card belonging to his adversary or to the stock, the pone may demand a new deal; but if either player exposes any of his own cards the deal stands good. If too many cards are given to either player, and the error is discovered before the dealer plays to the first trick, there must be a new deal. If either player has too few cards, the pone may demand a new deal, or may allow the dealer to supply the deficiency from the top of the stock. If any card is found exposed in the pack, there must be a new deal. If a card faced in the stock is not discovered until the first trick has been played to by the dealer, the exposed card must be turned face down, without disturbing its position. If the pack is found to be imperfect, the deal in which it is discovered is void; but all previous scores and cuts made with that pack stand good. In all misdeals the same dealer deals again.

METHOD OF PLAYING. After the trump is turned, the pone begins by leading any card he pleases. The second player is not obliged to follow suit, nor to trump; but may renounce or trump at pleasure until the stock is exhausted, after which the method of play undergoes a change. If the second player follows suit in any trick, the higher card wins. Trumps win plain suits. If identical cards are played to the same trick, such as two club Jacks, the leader wins.

The winner of the trick takes in the cards, turning them face down, but before he leads for the next trick he has the privilege of announcing and scoring any one of certain combinations that he may hold in his hand. After, or in the absence of any such announcement, and before leading for the next trick, he draws a card from the top of the stock, and places it in his hand, without showing or naming it. His adversary then draws the next card, so that each player restores the number of cards in his hand to twelve. This method of playing, announcing, and drawing from the talon is continued until the stock is exhausted. The A 10 K Q J of each suit have certain counting values, which will be described further on.

All combinations announced and scored must be laid face upward on the table; but the cards still form part of the player’s hand, and may be led or played at any time, although they must not again be taken in hand until the stock is exhausted.

Irregularities in Play. If either player leads out of turn, and his adversary plays to the lead, whether intentionally or otherwise, the trick stands good. If the adversary calls attention to the error, the card may be taken back without penalty.

If at any time it is discovered that a player has too many cards, his adversary may either claim a fresh deal, or may compel him to play without drawing from the talon until the number of his cards is reduced to twelve. The player with too many cards is not allowed to make or score any announcements until he has his right number of cards. If a player has too few cards, his adversary may either claim a fresh deal, or allow him to make good the deficiency by drawing from the stock.

Any player looking at any but the last trick turned down, forfeits his entire score for “cards.”

Irregularities in Drawing. If a player has forgotten to take a card from the talon, and has played to the next trick, his adversary may elect to call the deal void, or to allow him to draw two cards next time.

If a player has drawn two cards from the stock, instead of one, he must show the second one to his adversary if he has seen it himself. If it was his adversary’s card, he must show his own card also. If he has not seen it, he may put it back without penalty. If he draws out of turn, he must restore the card improperly drawn, and if it belongs to his adversary, the player in error must show his own card. If both draw the wrong cards there is no remedy, and each must keep what he gets. If the loser of any trick draws and looks at two cards from the stock, his adversary may look at both cards of the following draw, and may select either for himself. If he chooses the second card, which his adversary has not seen, he need not show it.

If, on account of some undetected irregularity, an even number of cards remain in the stock, the last card must not be drawn. The winner of the trick takes the last but one, and the loser takes the trump card.

OBJECTS OF THE GAME. The aim of each player is to reach 1000 points before his adversary, and the one first reaching that number, and announcing it, wins the game. Points are scored for dix, melds, the last trick, and for cards, which are the counting cards in tricks won.

Melds. The various combinations which are declared during the play of the hand are called melds, from the German word melden, to announce. These melds are divided into three classes: a, Marriages and Sequences; b, Binocles; and c, Fours. Only one combination can be announced at a time, and it must be melded immediately after the player holding it has won a trick, and before he draws his card from the stock. If he draws without announcing, even if he has not seen the card drawn, he cannot meld anything until he wins another trick. The melds and their values are as follows:—

The third meld in class B is not often played in America. The count for it is the same, 80 points, whether the marriage in spades is the trump suit or not. It will be observed that the court cards in class C must be of different suits in Binocle, whereas, in Bézique, any four court cards may be declared. The following rules govern all classes of declarations:—

The player making the declaration must have won the previous trick, and must meld before drawing his card from the stock. When the stock is exhausted, so that no cards remain to be drawn, no further announcements can be made.

Only one meld can be scored at a time, so that a trick must be made for every announcement made, or the combination cannot be scored, and a fresh card must be played from the hand for every fresh meld. This is a very important rule, and little understood. Suppose a player holds four Kings and four Queens. The total count for the various combinations these cards will make is 220: two plain-suit marriages, 20 each; royal marriage, 40; four Kings, 80; and four Queens, 60. As only one combination can be scored for each trick won, and as the player must lay down at least one fresh card for each successive meld, it is evident that if he begins with the 80 Kings, and then marries each of them in turn, when he comes to the fourth Queen he will have to sacrifice the 20 for a marriage in order to score the 60 for the four Queens. He cannot score both, or he will not be complying with the rule about the fresh card from the hand for every meld. That is why four Kings and four Queens are never worth 240, but only 220.

A player cannot meld cards which have already been used to form higher combinations in the same class; but he may use cards melded in lower combinations to form more valuable ones in the same class, provided he adds at least one fresh card from his hand. The principle is that cards may be added to melds already shown, but they cannot be taken away to form other combinations in the same class. For example: Royal marriage has been melded and scored. The player may add to this the Ace, Ten, and Jack of trumps to make the sequence, which is a more valuable combination in the same class. But if the first meld is the sequence, he cannot take away from the sequence the card or cards to form a marriage. A new Queen added to the King already in the sequence will not make a marriage; because it is not the Queen that is added to the sequence, but the King that is taken away.

The same rule applies to the binocles. If a player has scored double binocle, he can not afterward take away two cards to meld a single binocle; but if the single binocle has been melded and scored first, he may add two more cards, and score the double binocle. He cannot score the second single, and then claim the double, because some new card must be added to form a new meld in the same class.

If four Kings are melded and scored, the other four may be added later; but if the eight Kings are first melded, the score for the four Kings is lost.

Cards may be taken away from one combination to form less valuable combinations in another class. For instance: Four Jacks have been melded; the diamond Jack may be taken away to form a binocle with the spade Queen. If spades are trumps, and the sequence has been melded, the Queen may be taken away to form a binocle, because the binocle is in a different class of melds; but the Queen cannot be used to form a marriage, because the sequence and the marriage are in the same class. As there are three classes, one card may be used three separate times. The spade Queen, for instance, may be used in a marriage, in binocle, and in four Queens, and these melds may be made in any order.

Cards once used in combinations cannot again be used in melds of equal value belonging to the same class; and combinations once broken up cannot be re-formed by the addition of fresh cards. For instance: Four Kings have been melded, and one of them has been used in the course of play. The player cannot add a new King to the three remaining, and meld four Kings again. A marriage in hearts has been melded, and the King played away. A new King will not make another marriage with the old Queen. A binocle has been melded, and the Jack has been played; another Jack will not make a new binocle with the old Queen.

Double Declarations. When a player makes a meld containing certain cards which will form a counting combination with other cards already on the table, it is called a double declaration, that is, a meld in two different classes at the same time. For instance: A player has melded and scored four Kings, and on winning another trick he melds binocle. Two of the cards on the table form a marriage in spades, and as the marriage is in a different class from either of the other melds, he may claim it and score it; but if he does, he will lose the score for the binocle, being prevented by the rule about a fresh card from the hand for each individual meld. The only way to secure both scores would be to meld the marriage first, and afterward to lay down the Jack and meld the binocle.