stakes to be laid to a dozen of counters, or the amount in money which they represent. As the deal is advantageous, and often continues long with the same person, it is usual to determine it at the commencement by the first ace turned up, or any other mode that may be agreed upon.

The deal is retained by the person who commences, until a natural vingt-un occurs, when it passes to the next in rotation*. (The old mode of play, however, is, that in the case of a natural vingt-un the deal passes to the holder, and many still adhere to this custom. This item of the game must, therefore, be regulated by the custom of the table, or be previously agreed.) The poney or youngest hand should collect the cards that have been played, and shuffle them together ready for the dealer against the period when he shall have distributed the whole pack.

The dealer begins by giving two cards, one at a time, face downwards, to each player, including himself. After the first card has been dealt round, each places his stake upon it (which may, if he chooses, be as low as a single counter), and then receives the second card; but the dealer, upon the stakes being all laid, and before proceeding with the deal, looks at his own card, and if he thinks proper (having perhaps an ace, ten, or court card), he may double the stakes, which he announces by crying 'double.' He then distributes a second card to each, and lastly to himself. Should he chance to have a natural vingt-un, he declares it at once, before any more cards are dealt, and collects the stakes (which, by a vingt-un, are doubled), but should he have drawn less than 21, the game proceeds thus:-The dealer enquires of each player in rotation, beginning with the eldest hand on the left, whether he stands, or wishes for another card, which, if required, must be given from off the top (face upwards) of the pack, and afterwards another, or more, if requested, til the points of the additional card or cards, added to those dealt, exceed or make 21 exactly, or such a number less than 21, as the player may choose to stand upon; but when the points exceed 21, the player is technically said to have overdrawn, and his cards are to be thrown up forthwith, and the stake laid on them paid to the dealer. When the dealer has

* Should a natural vingt-un occur in the first round it does not put out, the dealer being allowed a misericorde.

up his

gone the round of the table in this manner, he turns own cards to the view of the company, and should he have any number of points, between, say, from 17 to 20, he usually "stands," that is, pits his cards against the other players. Those under his number, as well as ties*, pay, those above it receive. If the dealer should have only 14 or 15 points in his first hand, the chances would be against him, were he to stand on so small a number. He would therefore draw another card, and should this be a very low one (an ace or a deuce), and he have reason to suppose, by the extra cards dealt round, that he had to contest high numbers, he would draw again, and if he obtained 19 or 20 points would then probably win on more than he loses; the average of chances being in his favor; if by drawing he should happen to make up 21, he would receive double from all, excepting from the ties and those who had already thrown up; if more than 21, he would have to pay all who stand, paying the vingt-uns double.

Should either the dealer or a player happen to turn up two cards of the same denomination, for instance, two aces, deuces, or any other number, or two kings, two queens, &c., he would have the choice of going on both, and should the next card he draws be a triplicate, he may go on all three. If the cards happen to be aces, which count either as 1 or 11, at the option of the player, and if by great luck he should successively draw three tens, or Court cards, thus making three natural vingt-uns, he would obtain double stakes upon each, therefore six times as much as the stakes placed on the various hands, and should he, on laying his first card, have cried "double," the stakes payable, would, in such case, be twice doubled, therefore upon the three cards twelve-fold. This is an extreme case, cited merely to show the nature of the game. It commonly happens, however, that when either dealer or player “goes on several cards, he loses on one or more, and thus neutralises his gains. Players, as already intimated, have the same right of "going" on several cards, as the dealer.

When any player has a vingt-un, and the dealer not, then the player wins double stakes from him; in other cases, except a natural vingt-un happens, the dealer pays single stakes to * Ties are the principal advantage of the dealer.

all whose numbers under 21 are higher than his own, and receives from those who have lower numbers; players who have similar numbers to the dealer pay; and when the dealer draws more than 21, he overdraws, and has to pay to all who have not thrown up, as already stated.

Twenty-one, whensoever dealt in the first two cards, is styled a Natural Vingt-un, and should be declared immediately. Hoyle says that this entitles the possessor to the deal, besides double stakes from all the players, unless there shall be more than one natural vingt-un, in which case the younger hand or hands so having the same, are exempted from paying to the eldest. But this rule, like that mentioned at page 318, is nearly obsolete. It is not now customary to allow any except the dealer to take double stakes from the company, in respect to his natural vingt-un.

One of the first thoughts of the dealer, after the cards have been cut, should be to look for BRULET, which is a natural vingt-un formed by the bottom and top card, when they happen to be an ace and tenth card. The card or cards looked at must be thrown out, and mixed with those collected by the poney. Brulet either clears the board of the stakes laid, (usually one or two counters levied on each player, at the commencement of every game, and collected into a tray). or takes the amount of the limit (perhaps 6d.) from each, as may be agreed.

The deal, it should be observed, may be sold to the best bidder, and, as it is undoubtedly of some advantage, a buyer will generally be found. But should a timid player object to the deal, and no buyer be found, he may decline it, and so let it pass to the next.

N.B. An ace, as already intimated, may be reckoned either as 11 or 1: every court-card is counted as 10, and the rest of the pack according to their points.

The odds of this game merely depend upon the average quantity of cards likely to come under or exceed 21; for example, if those in hand make 14 exactly, it is 7 to 6 that the one next drawn does not make the number of points above 21, but if the points be 15, it is 7 to 6 against that hand; yet it would not therefore always be prudent to stand at 15, for as the ace may be calculated both ways, it is rather above an even bet that the adversary's two first cards amount to more

than 14. A natural vingt-un may be expected once in 7 coups when two, and twice in 7, when four people play, and so on according to the number of players.

LANSQUENET.

THIS game may be played by almost any number of people, although only one pack of cards is used at a time, during each deal. The dealer, who has rather an advantage, begins by shuffling the cards, and having them cut by any other person of the party; after which he deals out two cards on his lefthand, turning them up; then one for himself, and a fourth, which he places in the middle of the table for the company, called the rejouissance card. Upon this card any, or all of the company, except the dealer, may put their money, either a limited or unlimited sum, as may be agreed on, which the dealer is obliged to answer, by staking a sum equal to the whole that is put upon it by different persons. He continues dealing, and turning the cards upwards, one by one, till two of a sort appear: for instance, two aces, two deuces, &c. which in order to separate, and that no person may mistake for single cards, he places on each side of his own card; and as often as two, three, or the fourth card of a sort comes up, he always places them, as before said, on each side of his own. Any single card the company has a right to take and put their money upon, unless the dealer's own card happens to be double, which often occurs by this card being the same as one of the two cards which he first of all dealt out on his left-hand. Thus he continues dealing till he brings either their cards, or his own. As long as his own card remains undrawn he wins; and whichever card comes up first, loses. If he draws or deals out the two cards on his left, which are called the hand-cards, before his own, he is entitled to deal again; the advantage of which is no other, than being exempted from losing when he draws a similar card to his own, immediately after he has turned up one for himself.

* As the game is now played in France, four, and even more, packs of cards are mixed together.

This game is often played more simply without the rejouis sance card, giving every person round the table a card to put their money upon. Sometimes it is played by dealing only two cards, one for the dealer, and another for the company.

PUT.

WE will borrow the opinions and views of this little contrivance against time as broached by Mr. Seymour in his volume written for the especial behoof of the young princesses -and append to them Mr. Hoyle's observations on it.

"Put is the ordinary rooking-game of every place; and seems, by the few cards that are dealt, to have no difficulty in the play; but there is great craft and cunning in it.

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If you play at either Two or Three-handed Put, the best put-card deals. Having shuffled the cards, the adversary cuts them; then the dealer deals one to his antagonist, and another to himself, till they have three a-piece: five up, or a Put is commonly the game. The eldest, if he hath a good game, and thinks it better than his adversary's, puts to him; if the other will not, or dare not see him, he then wins one: but if he will see him, they play it out, and he who wins two tricks, or all three, wins the whole set; but if each wins a trick, and third tied, neither win, because it is trick and tye.

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Sometimes they play without putting; and then the winner is he that wins most tricks. In playing keep up your cards very close; for the least discovery of any one of them, is a great advantage to him who sees it.

"This game consists very much in daring; for a mettled gamester will put boldly upon very bad cards sometimes, as upon a five, seven, and a nine; the other thinking there are good cards in his adversary's hand, having very indifferent ones in his own, dares not see him; and so by going to stock, loseth one. He who once hath the confidence to put on bad cards, cannot recal his putting, by which means he frequently pays for his bravado.

"The best Put-cards are, first, the tray, next, the duce, then the ace; the rest follow in pre-eminence, as king, queen,