A score card
Large Numbers of Individuals.Several ingenious methods have been devised for handling large numbers of players, especially in domestic parties; Safford and Mitchell having both distinguished themselves in this line. The simplest form has been suggested by Mitchell, and is especially adapted for social gatherings of ladies and gentlemen.
As many tables as possible are filled; all the ladies sitting N & E; the gentlemen S and W.
Diagram of the position of the players at the table
The number of hands dealt at each table must be adjusted to the number of tables filled, and the time to be devoted to play. The trays containing the hands are passed to the West, and all the gentlemen move one table to the East, the ladies sitting still. In all the changes each gentleman keeps to his original point ofthe compass, South or West. When he arrives at the table he started from, the round is finished. If an odd number of tables are engaged in play, the changes may take place in regular order to the end. If even, a dummy must be put in; but as that is objectionable in a social gathering, it is better to adopt one of the two systems following, unless half the number of tables is an odd number, when the method already described may be used.
1st Method.Some table in the series, which must not be either the first or the last, deals no original hands, but overplays all the hands coming from the other tables to the East of it. The four players sit still, taking no part in the progression; thus obliging those whose turn it would be to play at their table to pass on to the next.
2nd Method.Each gentleman should carefully note the number of the hand originally dealt at the table from which he starts. He progresses until he meets this hand again. The first to observe this should give notice to the company by a bell tap, as all the gentlemen must meet their original hands at the same time. Instead of stopping at the table at which this tray is encountered, all the gentlemen move on to the next, leaving the trays as they are. This skip enables each to finish the round without playing any of the hands twice.
Scoring.There must be four winners; the ladies with the best scores for the N & E hands respectively, and the gentlemen with the best S & W scores. If a choice is necessary, the lady and the gentleman taking the greatest number of tricks above the average should be selected as the winners.
MARRIED COUPLES.Safford has an ingenious schedule for eight married couples, so arranged in two sets that no husband and wife are ever in the same set at the same time. When seven sets have been played, every lady will have overplayed four hands against every other lady and gentleman, including four held by her husband. The same will be true of every man. Indicators are placed on the tables to show players their successive positions. The numbers represent the husbands, and the letters the wives, the couples being a-1, b-2, etc. The couple a-1 always sit still; the ladies go to the next higher letter of the alphabet, and the men to the next higher number;hgoing tob, asasits still; and 8 to 2.
Diagram of the position of the players at the table
One hand is dealt at each table, and overplayed at each of the others. A different point of the compass should deal at each table, in order to equalise the lead.
Scoring.The score of each four hands should be added up by each individual player, and the results tabulated at the end of every four hands, in the manner described for eight individuals. The winner is the player who loses the fewest tricks. This is the only known system for deciding whether or not a man can play whist better than his wife.
PROGRESSIVE DUPLICATE WHISTis the generic name by which those systems of duplicate are known in which the purpose is to have as many as possible of the players meet one another during the progress of the match. Most of the systems we have been describing belong to this class.
There are at present only two works on Duplicate Whist; but a number of articles on the subject may be found in “Whist.”
The Laws of Duplicate Whist as Amended and Adopted at the Whist Congress, Niagara Falls, New York, July, 1900; as amended at the Twelfth Congress, June, 1902; as amended at the Thirteenth Congress, July, 1903; Fourteenth A.W.L. Congress, July, 1904; Fifteenth Congress, July, 1905; Sixteenth Congress, July, 1906; Twentieth Congress, July 1910.
The words and phrases used in these laws shall be construed in accordance with the following definitions unless such construction is inconsistent with the context:
(a) The thirteen cards received by any one player are termed a “hand.”
(b) The four hands into which a pack is distributed for play are termed a “deal;” the same term is also used to designate the act of distributing the cards to the players.
(c) A “tray” is a device for retaining the hands of a deal and indicating the order of playing them.
(d) The player who is entitled to the trump card is termed the “dealer,” whether the cards have or have not been dealt by him.
(e) The first play of a deal is termed “the original play;” the second or any subsequent play of such deal, the “overplay.”
(f) “Duplicate Whist” is that form of the game of whist in which each deal is played only once by each player, and in which each deal is so overplayed as to bring the play of teams, pairs of individuals into comparison.
(g) A player “renounces” when he does not follow suit to the card led; he “renounces in error” when, although holding one or more cards of the suit led, he plays a card of a different suit; if such renounce in error is not lawfully corrected it constitutes a “revoke.”
(h) A card is “played” whenever, in the course of play, it is placed or dropped face upwards on the table.
(i) A trick is “turned and quitted” when all four players have turned and quitted their respective cards.
Sec.1. Before the cards are dealt they must be shuffled in the presence of an adversary or the umpire.
Sec.2. The pack must not be so shuffled as to expose the face of any card; if a card is so exposed the pack must be reshuffled.
Sec.1. The dealer must present the cards to his right hand adversary to be cut; such adversary must take from the top of the pack at least four cards and place them toward the dealer, leaving at least four cards in the remaining packet; the dealer must reunite the packets by placing the one not removed in cutting upon the other. If, in cutting or in reuniting the separate packets, a card is exposed, the pack must be reshuffled and cut again; if there is any confusion of the cards or doubt as to the place where the pack was separated, there must be a new cut.
Sec.1. When the pack has been properly cut and reunited, the cards must be dealt, one at a time, face down, from the top of the pack, the first to the player at the left of the dealer, and each successive card to the player at the left of the one to whom the last preceding card has been dealt. The last, which is the trump card, must be turned and placed face up on the tray, if one is used; otherwise, at the right of the dealer.
Sec.2. There must be a new deal—
(a) If any card except the last is faced or exposed in any way in dealing;
(b) If the pack is proved incorrect or imperfect;
(c) If either more or less than thirteen cards are dealt to any player;
(d) If, after the first trick has been turned and quitted on the original play of a deal, one or more cards are found to have been left in the tray.
Sec.1. The trump card and the number of the deal must be recorded, before the play begins, on a slip provided for that purpose, and must not be elsewhere recorded. Such slip must be shown to an adversary, then turned face down and placed in the tray, if one is used.
Sec.2. The dealer must leave the trump card face up until it is his turn to play to the first trick; he must take the trump card into his hand and turn down the trump slip before the second trick is turned and quitted.
Sec.3. When a deal is taken up for overplay, the dealer must show the trump slip to an adversary, and thereafter the trump slip and trump card shall be treated as in the case of an original deal.
Sec.4. After the trump card has been lawfully taken into the hand and the trump slip turned face down, the trump card must not be named nor the trump slip examined during the play of the deal; a player may, however, ask what the trump suit is.
Sec.5. If a player unlawfully looks at the trump slip, his highest or lowest trump may be called; if a player unlawfully names the trump card, or unlawfully shows the trump slip to his partner, his partner’s highest or lowest trump may be called.
Sec.6. These penalties can be inflicted by either adversary at any time during the play of the deal in which they are incurred before the player from whom the call can be made has played to the current trick; the call may be repeated at each or any trick until the card is played, but cannot be changed.
Sec.7. When a deal has been played the cards of the respective players, including the trump card, must be placed in the tray face down and the trump slip placed face up on top of the dealer’s cards.
Sec.8. If on the overplay of a deal, the dealer turns a trump card other than the one recorded on the trump slip, and such error is discovered and corrected before the play of the deal is commenced, the card turned in error is liable to be called.
Sec.9. If such error is not corrected until after the overplay has begun and more than two tables are engaged in play, theplayers at that table shall take the average score for the deal; if less than three tables are in play there must be a new deal.
Sec.10. Should a player record on the trump slip a different trump from one turned in dealing and the error be discovered at the next table, there must be a new deal. If the deal has been played at one or more tables with the wrong trump, the recorded trump must be taken as correct and the players at the original table take the average score for the deal; if less than three tables are in play, there must be a new deal.
Sec.11. By the unanimous consent of the players in any match, a trump suit may be declared and no trump turned.
Sec.1. If, on the overplay, a player is found to have more than his correct number of cards or the trump card is not in the dealer’s hand, or any card except the trump card is so faced as to expose any of the printing on its face, and less than three tables are engaged, there must be a new deal. If more than two tables are in play, the hands must be rectified and then passed to the next table; the table at which the error was discovered must not overplay the deal but shall take the average score.
Sec.2. If after the first trick has been turned and quitted on the overplay of a deal, a player is found to have less than his correct number of cards, and the others have their correct number, such player shall be answerable for the missing card or cards and for any revoke or revokes which he has made by reason of its or their absence.
Sec.1. Each player when it is his turn to play, must place his card face up before him and towards the center of the table and allow it to remain in this position until all have played to the trick, when he must turn it over and place its face down and nearer to himself, placing each successive card as he turns it, so that it overlaps the last card played by him and with the ends towards the winners of the trick. After he has played his card and also after he has turned it, he must quit it by removing his hand.
Sec.2. The cards must be left in the order in which they were played and quitted until the scores for the deal are recorded.
Sec.3. During the play of a deal a player must not pick up or turn another player’s card.
Sec.4. Before a trick is turned and quitted any player may require any of the other players to show the face of the card played to that trick.
Sec.5. If a player names a card of a trick which has been turned and quitted or turns or raises any such card so that any portion of its face can be seen by himself or his partner he is liable to the same penalty as if he had led out of turn.
Sec.1. The following cards are liable to be called:
(a) Every card so placed upon the table as to expose any of the printing on its face, except such cards as these laws specifically provide, shall not be so liable.
(b) Every card so held by a player as to expose any of the printing on its face to his partner or to both of his adversaries at the same time.
(c) Every card, except the trump card, named by the player holding it.
Sec.2. If a player says. “I can win the rest,” “The rest are ours,” “It makes no difference how you play,” or words to that effect, or if he plays or exposes his remaining cards before his partner has played to the current trick, his partner’s cards must be laid face up on the table and are liable to be called.
Sec.3. All cards liable to be called must be placed face up on the table and so left until played. A player must lead or play them when lawfully called, provided he can do so without revoking; the call may be repeated at each or any trick until the card is played. A player cannot, however, be prevented from leading or playing a card liable to be called; if he can get rid of it in the course of a play no penalty remains.
Sec.4. The holder of a card liable to be called can be required to play it only by the adversary on his right. If such adversary plays without calling it, the holder may play to that trick as he pleases. If it is the holder’s turn to lead, the card must be called before the preceding trick has been turned and quitted, or before the holder has led a different card; otherwise he may lead as he pleases.
Sec.1. If a player leads when it is the turn of an adversary to lead, and the error is discovered before all have played to such lead, a suit may be called from him or from his partner, as the case may be, the first time thereafter it is the right of either of them to lead. The penalty can be enforced only by the adversary on the right of the one from whom a lead can lawfully be called, and the right thereto is lost unless such adversary calls the suit he desires led before the first trick won by the offender or his partner subsequent to the offence is turned and quitted.
Sec.2. If a player leads when it is his partner’s turn and the error is discovered before all have played to such lead, a suit may at once be called from the proper leader by his right-hand adversary.Until the penalty has been exacted, waived or forfeited, the proper leader must not lead; should he so lead, the card led by him is liable to be called.
Sec.3. If a player when called on to lead a suit has none of it, he may lead as he pleases.
Sec.4. If all have not played to a lead out of turn when the error is discovered, the card erroneously led and all cards played to such lead are not liable to be called, and must be taken into the hand.
Sec.1. If the third hand plays before the second, the fourth hand may also play before the second.
Sec.2. If the third hand has not played and the fourth hand plays before the second, the latter may be called upon by the third hand to play his highest or lowest card of the suit led, and, if he has none of that suit, to trump or not trump the trick; the penalty cannot be inflicted after the third hand has played to the trick. If the player liable to this penalty plays before it has been inflicted, waived or lost, the card so played is liable to be called.
Sec.1. A renounce in error may be corrected by the player making it, except in the following cases, in which a revoke is established and the penalty therefore incurred:
(a) When the trick in which it occurs has been turned and quitted.
(b) When the renouncing player or his partner, whether in his right turn or otherwise, has led or played to the following trick.
Sec.2. At any time before the trick is turned and quitted a player may ask an adversary if he has any of a suit, to which such adversary has renounced in that trick, and can require the error to be corrected in case such adversary is found to have any of such suit.
Sec.3. If a player, who has renounced in error, lawfully corrects his mistake, the card improperly played by him is liable to be called, and, if he be the second or third hand player and his left hand adversary has played to the trick before attention has been called to the renounce, he may be required by such adversary to play his highest or his lowest card to the trick in which he has renounced, and shall not play to that trick until such adversary has inflicted or waived the penalty. Any player who has played to the trick after the renouncing player, may withdraw his card and substitute another; a card so withdrawn is not liable to be called.
Sec.4. The penalty for a revoke is the transfer of two tricksfrom the revoking side to their adversaries. If more than one revoke during the play of a deal is made by one side, the penalty for each revoke, after the first, is the transfer of one trick only. The revoking players cannot score more, nor their adversaries less than the average on the deal in which the revoke occurs; except that in no case shall the infliction of the revoke penalty deprive the revoking players of any tricks won by them before their first revoke occurs.
In Pair Matches the score shall be recorded as made, independently of the revoke penalty, which shall be separately indicated as plus or minus revoke (“-R” for the revoking side, and “+R” for their adversaries). In such matches, the penalty for a revoke shall not increase the score of the opponents of the revoking players above the maximum, as made at the other tables, on the deal in which the revoke occurs; provided, however, that if the opponents win more tricks than such maximum, independently of the revoke penalty, their score shall stand as made. Nor shall the score of the revoking players be reduced, by the infliction of the revoke penalty, below the minimum so made at the other tables until the averages for the match and the relative scores of the other players have been determined; the score of the revoking players shall then, if necessary, be further reduced, so that in all cases they shall suffer the full penalty as provided in the first paragraph of this section.
Sec.5. A revoke cannot be claimed if the claimant or his partner has played to the following deal, or if both have left the table at which the revoke occurred. If the revoke is discovered in season, the penalty must be enforced and cannot be waived.
Sec.6. At the end of the play of a deal the claimants of a revoke can examine all of the cards; if any hand has been shuffled the claim may be urged and proved if possible; but no proof is necessary and the revoke is established if, after it has been claimed, the accused player or his partner disturbs the order of the cards before they have been examined to the satisfaction of the adversaries.
Sec.1. If any one calls attention in any manner to the trick before his partner has played thereto, the adversary last to play to the trick may require the offender’s partner to play his highest or lowest of the suit led, and, if he has none of that suit, to trump or not to trump the trick.
Sec2. A player has the right to remind his partner that it is his privilege to enforce a penalty and also to inform him of the penalty he can enforce.
Sec.3. A player has the right to prevent his partner fromcommitting any irregularity, and for that purpose, may ask his partner whether or not he has a card of a suit to which he has renounced on a trick which has not been turned and quitted.
Sec.4. If either of the adversaries, whether with or without his partner’s consent, demands a penalty to which they are entitled, such decision is final; if the wrong adversary demands a penalty or a wrong penalty is demanded, or either adversary waives a penalty, none can be enforced except in case of a revoke.
Sec.5. If a player is lawfully called upon to play the highest or lowest of a suit, to trump or not to trump a trick, to lead a suit or to win a trick, and unnecessarily fails to comply, he is liable to the same penalty as if he had revoked.
Sec.6. If any one leads or plays a card, and then, before his partner has played to the trick, leads one or more other cards, or plays two or more cards together, all of which are better than any of his adversaries hold of the suit, his partner may be called upon by either adversary to win the first or any subsequent trick to which any of said cards are played, and the remaining cards so played are liable to be called.
For the Rules of Etiquette of Duplicate Whist, see page 85.
The laws of Duplicate Whist govern where applicable, except as follows:
Each player plays each deal twice, the second time playing a hand previously played by an adversary. Instead of turning the trump, a single suit may be declared trumps for the game. On the overplay, the cards may be gathered into tricks instead of playing them as required by law (Law VIII, Sec. 1). In case of the discovery of an irregularity in the hands, there must always be a new deal.
Except a contest played in comparison with a progressive match, the replaying of the cards by the same players—“up and back,” as it is sometimes called—is the only possible method of approximating to Duplicate Whist for one table; but where eight or more players participate, this form of the game is extremely undesirable, from the element of memory entering into the replay and destroying the integrity of the game and its value as a test of Whist skill. It has been well described as “a mongrel game—partly Whist and partly Dummy, but lacking in the best features of each.”
In the early days of Duplicate Whist, Mnemonic Duplicate was, to some extent, played even when several tables of players were participating. It still survives in a few circles, chiefly where Duplicate Whist has never been tried. It can be played underany of the Duplicate Whist schedules by playing them through twice—the second time with the North and South hands given to the East and West players, and vice versa. As each deal is played twice by each pair, double the time is required to play the same number of deals, as at Duplicate Whist. Allowance must be made for this in fixing the number of deals to be played.
The Snow System of movement, where practicable, is preferable. Where the Howell pair system of movement is used, the scores do not require “equating”, as they are equalised on the replay. Under other systems, only the North and South scores need be kept, as the comparison can be made quite as readily as by direct comparison of these scores.
There are three forms of Dummy: The English game, for three players; the French game, for three or four: and the game now generally known as Bridge, or Bridge Whist. Dummy is not recognized in any form by the American Whist League, and there are no American Laws governing it. We shall describe each variety of the game in its turn; beginning with the English.
Cards.ENGLISH DUMMY, is played with a full pack of fifty-two cards, ranking as at whist both for cutting and playing. Two packs are generally used.
Markersare necessary, and are of the same patterns as those used in whist.
Players.According to the English usage, Dummy is played by three persons, and the table is complete with that number.
They cut for partners and for the deal; the player cutting the lowest card takes dummy for the first rubber; the one cutting the next lowest takes dummy for the second rubber; and the one cutting the highest takes it for the last rubber. It is considered obligatory to play three rubbers, in order that each may have whatever advantage or disadvantage may be supposed to attach to the dummy. The three rubbers so played are called a Tournée. It is sometimes agreed that one player shall take dummy continuously, on condition that he concedes to his adversaries one point in each rubber. When this is done, the largest rubber that the dummy’s partner can win is one of seven; and he may winnothing; whereas his adversaries may win a rubber of nine, and must win at least two. This concession of a point is not made, as many imagine, because it is an advantage to have the (dummy) partner’s hand exposed; but because it is an advantage to have the player’s hand concealed. He knows the collective contents of the adversaries’ hands; each of them knows only the contents of dummy’s hand and his own.
Cutting.The player cutting the lowest card has the choice of seats and cards; but he must deal the first hand for his dummy; not for himself. The methods of spreading, cutting, deciding ties, etc., described in connection with whist, are those employed in dummy.
Position of the Players.The players are distinguished, as at whist, by the two first and last letters of the alphabet, and their positions at the table are indicated in the same manner. There is no mark to distinguish the dummy hand; a defect which is remedied in the French system.
Dealing.At the beginning of a rubber, dummy’s partner presents the pack to hisleft-handadversary to be cut, and deals from right to left, beginning with the player on his right, and turning up the last card for dummy’s trump. When two packs are used, there is no rule as to which player shall collect and shuffle the still pack. On this point the French rules are very explicit.
The general rules with regard to irregularities in the deal are the same as at whist.
The cards having been dealt, it is usual for dummy’s partner to take up and sort the dummy first. There are several ways of laying out dummy’s hand; the most common being to run the suits down in rows, with the turn-up across and to the right of the other trumps, if any.
You won’t get much out of this without the image, but the cards are: 🂡🂪🂥 🃊🃉🃄🃃 🃞🃝🃖 🂽🂺 🂸 (turned sideways) Trump.Method of Spreading Dummy’s Cards.
Method of Spreading Dummy’s Cards.
Stakes.The remarks made on this subject in connection with whist apply equally to dummy. Dummy’s partner must pay to, or receive from each adversary the amount agreed.
Method of Playing.The general method of playing is identical with that of whist, with the following exceptions:—
When it is dummy’s turn to play, his partner selects the card.
The Revoke.For this dummy is not liable to any penalty, as his adversaries can see his cards. Even should the revoke be occasioned by dummy’s cards being disarranged, or one of them covered up, the adversaries should be as able to detect the error as the partner. Should dummy’s hand revoke, it cannot be remedied after the trick in which it occurs has been turned and quitted; and the game must proceed as if no revoke had occurred. All the penalties for a revoke may be enforced against dummy’s partner, should he renounce in error, and not correct it in time. There being no American laws for dummy, the English penalty of three tricks or three points may be enforced, and the revoking player cannot win the game that hand.
Cards Played in Error.Dummy’s partner is not liable to any penalty for cards dropped face upwards on the table, or two or more played at once, because it is obvious that Dummy cannot gain any advantage from such exposed cards.
Leading out of Turn.Should either dummy or his partner lead out of turn, the adversaries may call a suit from the one that should have led. It should be noticed that if it was not the turn of either to lead, there is no penalty; for neither can have gained any advantage from knowing what suit the other wished to lead, or from the exposed card. Should all have played to the erroneous lead, the error cannot be corrected, and no penalty remains.
The methods ofTaking Tricks;Scoring;Claiming and Counting Honours;Marking Rubber Points, etc., are the same as in whist, and the counters are used in the same manner.
Cutting Out.As already observed, there is no change of partners, or of the rotation of the deal, until the completion of a rubber; but at the beginning of each rubber, dummy must deal the first hand. Should one side win the first two games in any rubber, the third is not played. At the end of the tournée, should any player wish to retire, and another offer to take his place, the cards must be shuffled and cut as at the beginning; a player’s position in one tournée giving him no rights in the next. There is nothing in the English game to recognize that there may be more than three candidates for dummy; as it is supposed that if four were present, they would prefer playing whist.
Suggestions for Good Play.As these are equally proper to any form of dummy, we shall postpone their consideration until we have described the other varieties of the game; French dummy, and Bridge; giving them all at the end of the chapter on “Bridge.”
CARDS.Double Dummy is played with a full pack of fifty-two cards, ranking as at whist both for cutting and playing. Two packs are generally used.
MARKERSare necessary, and are of the same description as those used in whist.
PLAYERS.According to the English usage, double dummy is played by two persons, and the table is complete with that number.
CUTTING.The players cut for the deal; the player cutting the lowest card deals for his dummy first, and has the choice of sitting to the right or left of his opponent. It is usual to select the seat on the right of the living player, because it is possible that one may forget whether or not certain cards have been played, and under such circumstances it is better to lead up to an exposed hand than to one whose contents you are not sure of.
The methods of spreading, cutting, deciding ties, etc., are the same as those employed at whist.
POSITION OF THE PLAYERS.It is not usually considered necessary to distinguish the players further than to indicate which hand had the original lead. For this purpose the whist notation is used, A being the leader, and Z the dealer.
Diagram of the position of the players at the table
DEALING.When two packs are used, the still pack should be shuffled by the non-dealer, and placed on the left of the player or dummy whose turn it will be to deal next.
The general rules with regard to irregularities in the deal are the same as in whist.
The cards being dealt, it is usual to sort the dummy hands first, running the suits down in rows, with the turn-up trump across, and to the right of the others.
STAKES.The remarks already made on this subject in connection with whist and dummy, apply equally to double dummy, except that there is no double payment; but each player wins from or loses to his living adversary the unit agreed upon.
METHOD OF PLAYING.This so closely resembles dummy as to need no further description. Neither dummy can revoke, and there are no such things as exposed cards, or cardsplayed in error. It is very common for one player to claim that he will win a certain number of tricks, and for his adversary to admit it, and allow him to score them, without playing the hand out.
LEADING OUT OF TURN.Should either of the dummies or the players lead out of turn, the adversary may call a suit from the one that ought to have led; but if it was the turn of neither, there is no penalty. If all four have played to the trick, the error cannot be corrected, and no penalty remains.
The methods ofTaking Tricks;Scoring;Claiming and Counting Honours;Marking Rubber Points, etc., are the same as in whist, and the counters are used in the same manner.
RUBBERS.If the first two games are won by the same player and his dummy, the third is not played. Tournées are not played, and the completion of the rubber breaks up the table.
CUTTING IN.The table being complete with two, at the end of a rubber a new table must be formed.
SUGGESTIONS FOR GOOD PLAY.The player should first carefully examine the exposed hands, and by comparing them with his own, suit by suit, should fix in his mind the cards held by his living adversary. This takes time, and in many places it is the custom to expose the four hands upon the table. Players who have better memories than their opponents object to this, for the same reason that they prefer sitting on the right of the living player. It is not at all uncommon for a player to forget that certain cards have been played, to his very serious loss.
The hands once fixed in the mind, some time should be given to a careful consideration of the best course to pursue; after which the play should proceed pretty rapidly until the last few tricks, when another problem may present itself.
There is nothing in the game beyond the skilful use of the tenace position, discarding, and establishing cross-ruffs. Analysis is the mental power chiefly engaged. There are no such things as inferences, false cards, finesse, underplay, speculative trump leads, or judgment of human nature. The practice of the game is totally different from any other form of whist, and much more closely resembles chess.
The laws of Dummy will be found at the end of the English Whist Laws.
This is a variation on double dummy, in which two players sit opposite each other. The deal and seats are cut for in the usualmanner; four hands of thirteen cards each are dealt, and the last card is turned for trump.
Each player examines the hand dealt to him, without touching those to his right or left. If he is content with his hand, he announces it, if not, he may exchange it for the one on his right. In case of exchange, the discarded hand is placed on the table face down; and the other taken up and played. If a player retains the hand originally dealt him, he must not look at the others. If the dealer exchanges, he loses the turn-up card, but the trump suit remains the same. Each player deals for himself in turn, there being no deal for the dead hands. Whist laws govern the deal and its errors.
METHOD OF PLAYING.The dealer’s adversary has the first lead; the other must follow suit if he can, and the highest card of the suit led wins the trick. Trumps win all other suits.
SCORING.Each trick above six counts one point towards game. Of the four honours, A K Q J of trumps, if each player holds two, neither can count. But if one player has only one honour, or none, the other counts 2 points for two honours, if he holds them; 3 points for three; and 4 points for four. The honours count towards game as in whist. The penalty for a revoke is three tricks, and it takes precedence of other scores; tricks count next, honours last. Five points is game.
SUGGESTIONS FOR GOOD PLAY.It is considered best for a player not finding four reasonably sure tricks in his hand to exchange; for there is a certain advantage to be gained by knowing thirteen cards which cannot be in the adversary’s hand. Before changing, the player should fix in his memory the exact cards of each suit in the hand which he is about to discard. By combining his knowledge of them with his own cards, he may often be able to direct his play to advantage. Beyond this there is little skill in the game.
A variation is sometimes made by the dealer announcing a trump suit after he has examined his hand, instead of turning up the last card. His adversary then has the right either to play his hand, or to exchange it for the one on his right; but the dealer must play the hand dealt to him.
This is Humbug Whist without the discard. The dealer gives thirteen cards to his adversary and to himself, one at a time, and turns up the next for the trump. The trump card belongs to neither player. The winner of the odd trick scores a point. Five points is game.
MORTmeans simply the dead hand; and is the equivalent of the English word Dummy; the partner being known asVivant, or the living hand. In these words the English usually sound thet, as they do in such words aspiquet, andvalet.
CARDS.Mort is played with a full pack of fifty-two cards, ranking as at whist for cutting and playing. Two packs are generally used.
MARKERSare necessary to count the game points only. Four circular counters for each side, preferably of different colours, are employed, or the ordinary whist markers may be used. At the end of each game, the score of the points won or lost by each player must be transferred to a score-sheet, kept for that purpose.
PLAYERS.Mort is played by three persons; but the table is usually composed of four. If there are more than four candidates, the methods described in connection with whist are adopted for deciding which four shall play the first tournée.
The table being formed, the cards are again shuffled and spread to cut for partners and deal.
TIESare decided in the same manner as at whist.
CUTTING.If there are three players, the one cutting the lowest card takes dummy for the first game; he also has the choice of seats and cards, and may deal the first hand for himself or for Mort, as he pleases; but having once made his choice, he must abide by it. The player cutting the intermediate card takes dummy for the second game; and the player cutting the highest card takes it for the third game; each in turn having the choice of seats and cards. These three games finish the rubber or tournée, each having once had the advantage or disadvantage of playing with Mort. It is obligatory to finish the tournée, no player being allowed to withdraw and substitute another without the consent of the other players. In Mort it is very unusual for one person to take dummy continuously.
If there are four players, the one cutting the highest card of the four sits out, and takes no part in the first game. It is customary for him to take Mort’s seat, and to make himself useful in sorting dummy’s cards for him. He plays in the three following games, taking Mort in the fourth, or last. Four games complete the tournée for four players.
POSITION OF THE PLAYERS.The players or hands are distinguished by the letters, M, V, L, and R; which stand respectively for Mort, Vivant, Left, and Right. The Mort is the dead hand, which is turned face up on the table. The Vivantis his partner, who sits opposite him, and plays his cards for him. The Left and Right are the adversaries who sit on the left and right ofMort.
Special attention must be called to the use of the termadversariesin any description of Mort. It is used exclusively to designate the two partners opposed to the Mort and Vivant. In all other cases where opposition is implied, the termopponentsmust be used.
When necessary to distinguish the dealer from the first, second, or third hand, it is usual to add the letters employed for that purpose in whist; placing them inside the diagram of the table, thus:—