CUTTING OR DRAWING.

4.--The ace is the lowest card in cutting or drawing.

5.--In all cases, every one must cut or draw from the same pack.

6.--Should a player expose or draw more than one card, he must cut or draw again.

FORMATION OF TABLE.

7.--(_a_) The candidates first in the room have the preference. When there are more than six candidates, and there is a doubt or question as to the preference of two or more of them, they determine their preference by drawing. Those drawing the lower cards have the preference. The table is complete with six players. On the retirement of any of those six players, the candidates who, in the first draw, drew the lowest cards have the prior right to enter the table.

(_b_) If there are more than four players they all draw, and the four who draw the lowest cards play first.

(_c_) When two or more candidates or players draw cards of equal value they draw again, if necessary, to determine their precedence.

PARTNERS.

8.--The four who play first again draw to decide on partners. The two lowest play against the two highest. The lowest is the dealer and has choice of cards and seats, and, having once made his selection, must abide by it. {168}

9.--Two players drawing cards of equal value, which are not the two highest, draw again. If the equal cards are not the two lowest, the higher in the new draw plays with the highest in the original draw; if the equal cards are the two lowest, the new draw decides who is to deal.[49]

10.--Three players drawing cards of equal value draw again; should the fourth (or remaining) card be the highest in the original draw, the two lowest of the new draw are partners, the lower of those two the dealer; should the fourth card be the lowest, the two highest are partners, the original lowest the dealer.[50]

CUTTING OUT.

11.--At the end of a rubber, should admission be claimed by any one, or by two candidates, he who has, or they who have, played a greater number of consecutive rubbers than the others is, or are, out; but when two or more have played the same number, they must, when necessary, cut or draw to decide upon the outgoers; the highest are out.

{169}

ENTRY AND RE-ENTRY.

12.--A candidate wishing to enter a table must declare such intention prior to any of the players having drawn a card, either for the purpose of commencing a fresh rubber or of cutting out.

12a.--Any candidate may declare into any table that is not complete. If he do so he shall have priority over any candidate who has not previously declared in.

13.--In the formation of fresh tables, those candidates who have not played at any other table have the prior right of entry; the others decide their right of admission by drawing.

14.--Any one quitting a table prior to the conclusion of a rubber may, with consent of the other three players, appoint a subst.i.tute in his absence during that rubber.

15.--A player cutting into one table, whilst belonging to another, loses his prior right of re-entry into that latter, and takes his chance of cutting in, as if he were a fresh candidate, and last in the room.

16.--If any one break up a table, the remaining players have the prior right to him of entry into any other, and should there not be sufficient vacancies at such other table to admit all those candidates, they settle their precedence by drawing.

SHUFFLING.

17.--After the selection of cards for the first deal has been made, it is the duty of an adversary to shuffle the pack selected, and of the player who is about to deal, or of his partner, to shuffle the other pack. {170}

18.--The pack must neither be shuffled below the table, nor so that the face of any card be seen.

19.--The pack must not be shuffled during the play of the hand.

20.--A pack, having been played with, must not be shuffled by dealing it into packets.

21.--Each player has a right to shuffle once only, except as provided by Law 24, prior to a deal, after a false cut,[51] or prior to a new deal.[52]

22.--The dealer's partner must collect the cards for the ensuing deal, and has the first right to shuffle that pack.

23.--Each player, after shuffling, must place the cards, properly collected and face downwards, to the left of the player about to deal them.

24.--The dealer has always the right to shuffle last. Should a card or cards be seen during his shuffling or whilst giving the pack to be cut, he may be compelled to re-shuffle.

THE DEAL.

25.--The deal commences with the player who cut the original lowest card, the next deal falls to the player on his left, and so on until the rubber is finished.

26.--When the pack has been finally shuffled, the player about to deal shall present it to the adversary on his right, who shall cut it, and, in dividing it, must not leave fewer than four cards in either packet; if in cutting, or in replacing one of the two packets on the other, a card be exposed,[53] or if there be any confusion of the cards, or a doubt as to the exact {171} place in which the pack was divided, there must be a fresh cut.

27.--When the player whose duty it is to cut has once separated the pack, he cannot alter his intention; he can neither re-shuffle nor re-cut the cards.

28.--When the pack is cut, should the dealer shuffle the cards, he loses his deal.

29.--There must be a new deal by the same dealer[54]--

I. If, during a deal, or during the play of a hand, the pack be proved incorrect or imperfect.

II. If any card, excepting the last, be faced in the pack.

III. If a player takes up another player's hand.

30.--If, whilst dealing, a card be exposed on or below the table by the dealer or his partner, should neither of the adversaries have touched the cards, the latter can claim a new deal; a card exposed by either adversary gives that claim to the dealer, provided that his partner has not touched a card; if a new deal does not take place, the exposed card cannot be called.

31.--If, during dealing, a player touch any of his cards, the adversaries may do the same, without losing their privilege of claiming a new deal, should chance give them such option.

32.--If, in dealing, one of the cards be exposed, and the dealer turn up the trump before there is reasonable time for his adversaries to decide as to a fresh deal, they do not thereby lose their privilege.

33.--If a player, whilst dealing, look at the trump card, his adversaries have a right to see it, and either may exact a new deal.

34.--Any one dealing out of turn, or with the {172} adversary's cards, may be stopped before the trump card is turned up, after which the game must proceed as if no mistake had been made.

35.--A player can neither shuffle, cut, nor deal for his partner, without the permission of his opponents.

36.--If the adversaries interrupt a dealer whilst dealing, either by questioning the score or a.s.serting that it is not his deal, and fail to establish such claim, should a misdeal occur, he may deal again.

A MISDEAL.

37.--It is a misdeal[55]--

I. Unless the cards are dealt into four packets, one at a time in regular rotation, beginning with the player to the dealer's left.