The Penguin Book of Card Games: Everything You Need to Know to Play Over 250 Games (24 page)

Bidding Each in turn may pass, make a proposal or a higher bid, or

accept a proposal that has not been overcal ed. Eldest hand has the

additional privilege of checking (‘J’at ends’), in which case the

opening bid passes to the left. A player who has passed may not

bid again, apart from the first to speak (whether Eldest or the next

player if he checked) who may accept a proposal if no one

overcal ed it.

The bids are listed below from lowest to highest. Certain bids may

be overcal ed bythe same bid inahigher-ranking suit, for which

purpose the suit order is , , , (highest).

1. Proposal in spades/clubs/diamonds/hearts. To win at least

eight tricks with the aid of a partner, the cal er to win at least

five and partner at least three. Any subsequent player in turn

to bid may of er support, provided that no intervening player

has bid higher. Aplayer may overcal a proposal, whether

accepted or not, by proposing in a higher suit. A player whose

proposal is fol owed by three passes may pass or raise the bid

to a solo.

2. Hole. A proposal made by anyone holding three or four Aces.

If three, whoever holds the fourth must reply ‘Hole’ and name

a trump suit. If four, he announces this fact, then whoever

holds K must reply ‘Hole’, and the two play a Proposal in

hearts. A player holding four Aces and K may bid Hole, in

which case whoever holds Q becomes the partner in a heart

contract. A bid of Hole may not be overcal ed, and so

becomes the contract. (Source does not state whether anyone

holding three or four Aces is obliged to bid Hole, but the fact

that it cannot be overcal ed seems to imply it.)

3. Solo in spades/clubs/diamonds/hearts. To win at least six

tricks, playing alone.

4. Petite misére. To lose al 12 tricks at no trump, after everyone

has discarded one card before the first trick is played. Two

players may bid this, but must then play co-operatively, as

players may bid this, but must then play co-operatively, as

both lose equal y if either takes a trick.

5. Seven in spades/clubs/diamonds/hearts. To win at least seven

tricks, playing alone.

6. Piccolissimo. To win exactly two tricks, playing at no trump.

7. Eight inspades/clubs/diamonds/hearts. Towin at least eight

tricks, playing alone.

8. Piccolo. To win exactly one trick, playing at no trump. Two

players may bid this, but must then play co-operatively, as

both lose if one loses.

9. Abundance. To win at least nine tricks alone, playing at no

trump and leading to the first trick. It may be played open

(the soloist playing with his hand exposed before the first

trick) for a higher score.

10. Grande misére. To lose al 13 tricks, playing at no trump.

11. Slam solo. To win al 13 tricks alone, with a specified suit as

trump, and leading to the first trick. It may be played open

for a higher score.

If al pass, everyone stakes again to the pool and the same dealer

deals again.

Play The opening lead is made by the soloist in an abundance or a

slam, if any, otherwise by eldest. Players must fol ow suit if

possible, otherwise may play any card. The trick is taken by the

highest card of the suit led, or by the highest trump if any are

played, and the winner of each trick leads to the next.

Pay-of If successful, the soloist wins the pool, plus an amount from

each opponent that varies according to the contract and the result,

as listed below. If partnered, both divide the pool equal y and each

receives the stated amount from one opponent. If unsuccessful,

soloist doubles the pool and pays the appropriate amount to each

opponent. If partnered, they double the pool between them – half

each – and each pays the stated amount to one opponent. A typical

schedule of pay-of s might be:

Proposal

4, plus 1 per overtrick

Hole

plus 1 per overtrick

Six solo

8, plus 2 per overtrick

Petite misére 10

Seven solo

12, plus 3 per overtrick

Piccolissimo 14

Eight solo

16, plus 4 per overtrick

Piccolo

18

Abundance

22, or 44 if played open

Grande misére 28

Slam

100, or 200 if played open

Solo variants

Auction Solo

An unsuccessful at empt made in the 1920s to increase the variety

of bids and so emulate the pat ern of (Auction) Bridge. Prop and

Cop is abolished. Al suit bids may be made in a suit of one’s own

choice, which is not stated unless overcal ed by a bid of the same

number in the turned suit. Solo bids may be made for five, six,

seven or eight tricks, fol owed by misére, then ‘abundance’ bids of

nine, ten, eleven, twelve, fol owed by misére ouverte, a no trump

slam with declarer leading, and a slam in the turned suit (only – no

alternative) with eldest leading. The pay-of s are solo 2, misére 4,

abundance 6, ouverte 8, slam 12, with 1 per over– or under-trick in

positive bids.

Nomination Whist

(a name also applied to Oh Hel !). An excel ent al iance game,

reported to me (by Rodney Jones) as popular in the navy.

Deal thirteen each from a 52-card pack ranking AKQJT98765432.

Each in turn either passes, starts the bidding (minimum seven), or

overcal s a previous bid. A bid is to win the stated number of tricks

in exchange for naming trumps, playing either solo or with a

temporary al y. The highest bidder announces trumps and names a

card, e.g.’Hearts, Ace of spades’. The holder of the named card

becomes the bidder’s al y, but may reveal this fact only by playing

it or obviously supporting the bidder in play. The bidder may play

a solo by naming a card already held; but this, too, wil only

become evident in play.

The bidder wins from each opponent if successful, or pays to

each opponent if not, one unit for each trick bid. A slam bid wins

or loses 26, but if a slam is made unbid, the bidder is penalized by

having to pay 13 each instead. If there was an al y, each of them

wins from or pays to one opponent.

Knockout Whist

(3-7p, 52c) A popular and highly variegated British game of pub

and playground. The simplest rules are:

Deal seven each and turn the next for trumps. Dealer leads first

and the winner of each trick leads to the next. Fol ow suit if

possible, otherwise play any card. The trick is taken by the highest

card of the suit led or by the highest trump if any are played.

Anyone failing to take a trick is knocked out and takes no further

part in the game. Whoever took the most tricks gathers and shuf les

part in the game. Whoever took the most tricks gathers and shuf les

the cards, deals six to each player, looks at his or her hand,

announces trumps, and leads to the second round.

Play continues in this way, with those taking no tricks being

knocked out, and the player taking most tricks dealing, choosing

trumps, and leading to the next. In case of a tie for most tricks, the

tied player cut ing the highest card deals next. The number of cards

dealt decreases by one on each deal, so only one is dealt on the

seventh round. The game wil end before that, of course, if one

player wins al the tricks in an earlier round.

Boston (Boston de Fontainebleau)

4 players, 52 cards

This great nineteenth-century card game apparently commemorates

the American War of Independence, but probably originated in

France around 1770. It is a hybrid of Quadril e and Whist,

combining the 52-card pack and logical ranking system of the

English game with a range of solo and al iance bids borrowed from

the French. Both the French and the Americans embraced it as a

sort of politico-cultural counter to the popularity of Whist, for

which reason it was correspondingly eschewed by their mutual

enemy, and so never acquired in Britain the enormous fol owing it

subsequently at racted in Europe (except through its descendant,

Solo Whist). Original Boston roughly resembled Auction Solo, but

boasted an extraordinarily complicated system of payments forbids

and over/under-tricks. It rapidly engendered countless

topographical variants, such as Maryland, Boston de Nantes, Boston

de Lorient, Russian Boston, and so on, and went in for thematic bids

such as independence, souverain, concordia, and suchlike. The most

widely recorded version, Boston de Fontainebleau, exhibited a rich

variety of bids, but was blessed with a comparatively intel igible

rate of exchange. This is the form described below, thoughit was

subject olocal variations, and no two books describe it in exactly

the same way. Boston was invariably played for hard score, with

the same way. Boston was invariably played for hard score, with

chips and counters of fixed denominations; but in the fol owing

account I have translated them into a precisely equivalent writ en

score.

Preliminaries Four players each receive 13 cards from a 52-card

pack ranking AKQJT98765432. Whoever bids highest becomes the

soloist and plays alone against the other three, unless oneof them

of ers support as an al y.

The auction Each in turn may bid or pass. A bid nominates a

contract from the list below and the suit of the proposed trump.

Each bid must be higher than the preceding one in accordance with

the schedule below, or equal in height but in a higher suit. For this

purpose the lowest suit is spades, fol owed by clubs, diamonds,

hearts.

Although miséres are played at no trump, a nominal suit must be

stated for each, as it can overcal its equivalent positive bid only if

made in an equal or higher suit. For example, while ‘six diamonds’

may be overcal ed by seven or more in any suit, a petite misére wil

overcal it only if announced as ‘petite misére, diamonds’ (or

hearts). This is because its nominal suit governs the amount won or

lost.

A player who passes may not bid again, but he may of er support

if the eventual declarer subsequently cal s for it (see below).

In the fol owing schedule of bids and scores, a higher-numbered

bid overcal s a lower. Of two equal-numbered bids, one positive

and one misére, priority goes to whichever is made in the higher-

ranking suit or, if stil equal, to whichever of them was bid first.

Positive bids Negative bids

Five. A bid to win at least five Six. To win at least six tricks

tricks in the named suit. If

in the named suit. If

supported, the ally must win supported, the ally must win

at least three. Base value 4

at least four. Base value 6

(+1 per over/under-trick).

(+2 per over/under-trick)

face

down, and

Petite misére.

To lose every trick after

playing to Base value 16

making one discard,

12 tricks

at no

trump.

Seven. To win at least seven

tricks in the named suit. If

supported, the ally must win

at least four. Base value 9 (+3

per over/under-trick).

Piccolissimo.

To win exactly one trick at

no trump. Base value 24

Eight. To win at least eight

tricks in the named suit. If

supported, the ally must win