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An A-Z of Card Final Proof 6.9.2004 5:49pm page iii

The A–Z of Card Games

david parlett

1 An A-Z of Card Games Final Proof 6.9.2004 5:47pm page vii

Introduction

The aim of this book is simply to explain the basic rules of play for any card you are likely to come across, or read, or hear about in the western world. It also covers several originating in the ‘east’—ranging from Russia and Iraq to —that have attracted enough of a to show themselves worthy of wider popularity. Based on the Oxford Dictionary of Card Games, which was originally designed as a supplement to my Oxford History of Card Games, the book’s change of title reflects a substantial change of approach and content. I have re- moved many defunct and complicated games that were only covered out of historical interest, and have rewritten almost every remaining to describe games more clearly, more economically, or more in accordance with the latest practices and up-to-date rules. Despite omissions and reductions, the present collection is larger than before, with over 300 main entries, and as many cross-references and brief descriptions. It now includes 30 card in place of the previous single entry headed ‘Patience’, a greater number of children’s games, a few more games, and several other games that have become prominent only in the past or so, such as and Spades. Being English, I naturally concentrate on games played throughout the English-speaking world. But that doesn’t mean the content is restricted to British and American games. The British card-playing repertoire has always included many French games (as, of course, has that of Canada), and the American repertoire many of German and Italian origin, and all are well represented in this book. Many more have been drawn from other sources, and especially from other countries that have only recently been opening up communications with the wider world. With increased global travel, particularly by students in their gap year, and expanding international communications, especially via the Internet (where it is possible not just to read about exotic card games, but actually to play them live with people in other countries), the card-playing community is becoming increasingly internationalized. I therefore make no apology An A-Z of Card Games Final Proof 6.9.2004 5:47pm page viii

viii|Introduction for including many exotic and off-beat games deserving of a wider audience. To keep the contents down to a manageable size, I have included only games that either are normally played with the standard international 52-card pack (with suits of spades, clubs, hearts, diamonds, and face cards designated , , ), or else can be played with such cards even though they are normally played with a national or regional pack of some other design or constitution. The only exception I have made has been to include three games: one played with cards, one with Austrian tarocks, and one with Italian tarocchi. These packs—not to be confused with fortune-telling cards—are now readily obtainable from specialist game shops, and the games played with them, albeit complicated at first sight, are too deep and rewarding to miss. (Tarot cards originated as trumps in trick-taking games and were only appropriated for arcane purposes several hundred years later.) Researches made since the founding of the International Playing-Card Society in 1972 have revealed that every country, including Britain, harbours local communities, often quite small, who play games or vari- ations unique to their region or locality, such as and Don in Britain. These are well described as folk games, not being recorded in books and subject to no universally accepted set of ‘official rules’.Indeed, official rules only exist for games played in national or international tournaments, such as Bridge, Skat, and , and even Poker has more folk variants than ever find their way into tournaments. Fortunately, they are now recorded and regularly updated by regular contributors through- out the world on John McLeod’s award-winning ‘Pagat’ web site, where you will also find further information on most of the games described in this book, as well as many more that are not. Further information about historic card games can be found on my own web site (from which there is a link to my email address in case you spot any errors) and from the quarterly journal of the International Playing-Card Society. I hope this book will enable you not only to rediscover the delights of some card games that you may have forgotten, but also to make the acquaintance of some brilliant and fascinating games that you may have heard of only in passing, or perhaps not even at all.

David Parlett London, January 2004 An A-Z of Card Games Final Proof 6.9.2004 5:46pm page xxi

Key to headings

one-player game (patience or card ) playable by two good for two players but not ideal playable by three good for three players but not ideal good for four playable by four as individuals as individuals playable by four good for four as partners as partners playable by five good for five players but not ideal playable by six good for six players but not ideal

good for seven or more playable by seven or more

Type of game Each game is identified as belonging to a family of similar or related games, so if you like one you will probably enjoy others of the same type. Each family name has its own entry, listing all games of the same type covered in this book. The family names are: Adding-up games, Banking games, Card-catch games, Climbing games, Collecting games, games, Going-out games, Patience games, Penalty-trick games, Plain-trick games, Point-trick games, games, Stops games, Vying games. There are also entries for Children’s Games and Casino games, each with its own list of candidates. An A-Z of Card Games Final Proof 6.9.2004 5:46pm page xxii

xxii|Key to headings

Number of cards required

Card games are played with various numbers of cards to a pack according on their country of origin. The commonest are indicated as follows:

¼ standard ‘international’ pack with AKQJ1098765432ineach suit.

¼ 52 plus one , plus two Jokers, etc.

¼ two such packs shuffled together; ¼ four such packs, etc.

¼ KQJ765432Aineach suit, typical of Spanish and Italian games. May also indicate a standard pack shortened to A K Q J 1 0 98765ineach suit.

¼ AKQJ109876,typically in games of Swiss, German or Russian origin.

¼ A K Q J 1 0 9 8 7, typical of French and many other continental games.

¼ two such packs shuffled together.

¼ A K Q J 1 0 9, mostly in games of German origin.

¼ two such packs shuffled together.

Other numbers of cards are similarly indicated (such as etc). The exact constitution of each pack is always detailed in the text. An A-Z of Card Games Final Proof 8.9.2004 11:18am page 1

Accordion Patience game

A simple and appropriately named solitaire, as you will see when it starts expanding and contracting. Shuffle the pack and hold it face down. Turn cards one at a time from the top and deal them face up in a row from left to right. (Unless you’re left-handed, in which case all following left–right instructions.) Whenever the card you play matches the suit or value of the card on its immediate left, put it on top of the matching card. Do the same if the card you play matches the suit of the card third along to the left—that is, not the one immediately to the left of the previous card, but the one to the left of that. Treat a pile of two or more cards as if it consisted solely of its top card. Such a pile may never be split or separated. When you play the from hand you will, if you are very lucky, be able to make matching moves to the left until all 52 cards finish up in a single pile. Count half a win for finishing up with just two piles.

Accordion. If the next card (dotted outline) is a club, a Five, a heart, or an (but not a diamond or a Queen), it goes on whichever of the previous cards it matches.

Aces Up Patience game

An entirely mechanical but maddeningly impulsive solitaire. Note that are high, so the order of cards is 2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-J-Q-K-A. An A-Z of Card Games Final Proof 8.9.2004 11:18am page 2

2|Acey-Deucey

The aim is to finish with all four Aces in a row after eliminating the other 48 cards. Deal four cards face up in a row. If two or more match suit, throw out all but the highest card of that suit. Keep dealing rows of four cards at a time, each of them covering either the card beneath or an empty space. After each deal pause and see if any of the top cards are of the same suit. If so, eliminate all but the highest- ranking of them. Keep doing this till all the top cards are of different suits, then deal four more, and so on. Whenever you make a space by eliminating the bottom card of a pile you can fill it with the top card of any other pile. This is the only way of getting the Aces out to unblock the cards beneath them.

Acey-Deucey 8

Adding-up games

Games where each in turn plays a card to a commonwastepile, announces the totalfacevalueofallcardssofarplayed,andearnsascoreorpenaltyforhitting or overshooting certain totals. See individual entries for: Fifty-One, Hundred, , Ninety-Nine, Obstacle Race, Twenty-Nine.

Agurk 8 Cucumber

Alkort Plain-trick game

This derivative of the ancient game of 4 Karno¨ffel was Iceland’s national until about a century ago, since when it has been swamped by Bridge. Four players sitting crosswise in partnerships use a 44-card pack made by omitting Tens and Fives. All play goes to the left. Deal nine each in batches of three. The last eight go face down on the table and remain out An A-Z of Card Games Final Proof 8.9.2004 11:18am page 3

All Fours|3 of play. The aim is to win five of the nine tricks played, ideally the first five straight off. Cards rank from high to low as follows: 1. Sevens always win the trick when led, but lose otherwise. 2. Six specific cards come next, namely (from high to low):

3. Aces, Jacks, Sixes, Eights (except «8) follow in that descending order, but regardless of suit. The remaining cards (black Nines, three Fours, four Threes, three Twos, three Kings, four Queens) are all equal and have absolutely no trick-heading power, except that Twos beat Kings and Queens, and Threes beat Queens. If you hold no card able to beat an Eight you may immediately declare yourself ‘under-eight’ (friðufær). This entitles you to discard from your hand and draw those undealt as replacements. Before play, you all secretly show your partner your highest card. Eldest leads to the first trick and the winner of each trick leads to the next. Any card may be played; there is no need to follow suit. The trick is taken by the highest card played, or by the first played of cards equal in rank or equally worthless. Play normally ends when one side has won its fifth trick, thereby scoring 1 point. However, if one side wins the first five straight off (a mu´k), play continues for as long as they continue to win tricks, after which they score from 5 to 9 points according to the number they won in unbroken succession. Six or more is called a ‘stroke’.

All Fours Point-trick game

All Fours first appeared as a tavern game of the Restoration, possibly of Dutch origin and brought over in the train of Charles II, and is of