When the stock is nearly exhausted, take a trick whenever you can, as you thereby deprive the adversary of the opportunity of scoring his remaining cards. Note at this stage the exposed cards of the adversary, as you will thereby play the last eight tricks to greater advantage.

In the play of the last eight tricks, your main object is to make your brisques, and capture those of the enemy. Reserve, if possible, a good trump wherewith to secure the last trick.

RUBICON BeZIQUE.

"Rubicon" or "j.a.panese" Bezique is a modification of the ordinary game, which has for some years found much favour in Paris. In 1887, a code of {18} laws, which we append, was drawn up by a committee of the Portland Club, and Rubicon Bezique may now be regarded as the standard game.

Four packs, of like pattern and shuffled together, are used. The cards rank as at ordinary Bezique; but _nine_ instead of eight cards are dealt, singly or by threes, to each player. There is no "turn-up," the first "marriage"

scored determining the trump suit. If a "sequence" be declared and scored before any marriage, such sequence determines the trump suit.

The scores at Rubicon Bezique are as under:--

Carte Blanche (a hand without a single court card)[9] 50 Marriage in plain suits 20 Marriage in trumps[10] 40 Sequence in plain suits 150 Sequence in trumps 250 Single Bezique 40 Double Bezique 500 Treble Bezique 1500 Quadruple Bezique 4500 Four Knaves (irrespective of suit) 40 Four Queens " 60 Four Kings " 80 Four Aces " 100 For the last trick 50

The procedure as to playing and drawing is the same as at ordinary Bezique, save that the tricks are {19} left face upwards in a heap between the players until a brisque is played, when the winner of the trick takes them up, and turns them face downwards, near himself. The value of each brisque is ten points, but they are not scored till the close of the game, and in certain events (see _post_) may not be scored at all.

Only one declaration can be scored at a time, and that only (save in the case of _carte blanche_) by the winner of a trick; but if, on the cards exposed, the player has more than one combination to score, he may score whichever he prefers, at the same time calling attention to his further claim by saying, "And ---- to score." A player is not bound to declare any combination, even when exposed upon the table, unless he thinks fit. If he is compelled to play a card of the combination before he has actually scored it, the right to score is at an end.

A card declared in a given combination may not again be declared in an _inferior_ combination of the same cla.s.s--_e.g._ a king and queen declared in Sequence cannot be afterwards made available to score a Royal Marriage.

The same card may, however, be used in conjunction with a new card or cards to form, not merely a combination of the same kind, but the same combination over again.[11] Thus, if Four Queens have been declared, the player may play one of them, and, when he next wins a trick, add a fifth queen to the three left on the table, and again score four queens.

If a combination, duly scored, is broken up, one {20} or more cards must be subst.i.tuted, either from the cards upon the table or from the hand of the player, to ent.i.tle him to a fresh score. There is an apparent exception to this rule in the fact that, if a player has declared two independent marriages in the same suit, and all four cards are on the table simultaneously, he may make two more declarations of marriage with the same cards. In truth, however, this merely follows the rule. King 1 (already "married" to queen 1) may again be married to queen 2; and king 2 (already married to queen 2) to queen 1 in like manner.

A player who has two or more declarations to score may elect which he will score first, the other remaining in abeyance; _e.g._ a player having declared Four Kings, including the king of spades, and subsequently declaring Bezique (the king of spades still remaining on the table) would _ipso facto_ become ent.i.tled to score a Marriage, royal or ordinary, as the case might be. We will suppose the former. In such a case, he would say, "I score forty, and forty for marriage to score." This declaration should be repeated, by way of reminder, after each trick, till actually scored. If, in the meantime, the player becomes ent.i.tled to score some other combination, he may, on winning a trick, score the latter in preference to the one previously declared, still keeping this in reserve. The mere fact of having declared a given combination "to score" does not preserve the right to score it, if in the meantime the declarant either plays one of the cards composing it or makes use of them to score some higher declaration of the same cla.s.s.

The last nine tricks are played like the last eight {21} in the ordinary game; but the winner of the last trick, instead of 10, scores 50.

HOW THE SCORE IS DEALT WITH.

The game is complete in one deal, and is won by the player who scores most points, according to the foregoing table, exclusive of brisques. These latter are only taken into account where the scores are otherwise equal.

If, after the addition of the brisques, the scores are still equal, the game is drawn.

There is one other case in which the brisques are reckoned. The score of 1000 points is known as the "Rubicon," and a player not reaching this score is "rubiconed." In this case, also, each player adds in his brisques; and if the score of the loser is thereby brought up to 1000, he "saves the rubicon."

a.s.suming that the rubicon is saved, the score of the loser is deducted from that of the winner, fractions of a hundred being disregarded in both cases.

To the difference are added 500 points for game, and the total is the value of the game, the stakes being usually so much per hundred points. If it happen that the difference between the two scores is less than 100, it is reckoned at that figure, making, with the 500 for game, 600. Thus, if the respective scores are, A, 1510; B, 1240; A wins 1500 - 1200 + 500 = 800. If A's score were 1550, and B's 1520, A would win 100 + 500 = 600.

If B is rubiconed, the value of the game is computed after a different method. The points made by him (still disregarding fractions of a hundred) instead of being subtracted from, are _added_ to the {22} score of the winner, who is further ent.i.tled to 1000 for the game and 300 for brisques.[12] Thus, if A has won 1320, and B 620, the value of A's game will be 1300 + 600 + 1000 + 300 = 3200.

If the rubiconed player has scored less than 100, that amount (100) is added to the score of the other player, as well as the 1000 for game and 300 for brisques, as before mentioned.

THE LAWS OF RUBICON BeZIQUE.

SHUFFLING.

1.--Rubicon Bezique is played with four packs of thirty-two cards, shuffled together.

2.--Each player has a right to shuffle the pack. The dealer has the right of shuffling last.

3.--The pack must not be shuffled below the table, nor in such manner as to expose the faces of the cards.

CUTTING.

4.--A cut must consist of at least five cards, and at least five must be left in the lower packet.

5.--The cards rank as follows, both in cutting and in playing: ace (highest), ten, king, queen, knave, nine, eight, seven (lowest).

6.--The player who cuts the higher card has choice of deal, seats and markers. The choice determines both seats and markers during the play.

7.--If, in cutting for deal, a player expose more than one card, he must cut again.

{23}

8.--The cut for deal holds good even if the pack be incorrect.

9.--If, in cutting to the dealer, or in reuniting the separated packets, a card be exposed, or if there be any confusion of the cards, there must be a fresh cut.

DEALING.

10.--The dealer must deal the cards by one at a time, giving the top card to his adversary, the next card to himself, and so on; or by three at a time, giving the top three cards to his adversary, the next three to himself, and so on; until each player has nine cards. The undealt cards (called the "stock") are to be placed face downward, in one packet, in the middle of the table, to the left of the dealer.

11.--If the dealer deal the cards wrongly, he may rectify the error, with the permission of his adversary, prior to either player having taken up any of his cards.

12.--If, after the deal, and before the dealer has played to the first trick, it be discovered that either player has more than nine cards there must be a fresh deal. If it be similarly discovered that either player has less than nine cards, the deal may be completed from the top of the stock by mutual agreement, otherwise there must be a fresh deal.

13.--If the dealer expose a card belonging to his adversary or to the stock, the non-dealer has the option of a fresh deal. If the dealer expose any of his own cards, the deal stands good.

14.--If a faced card be found in the pack before the play of the hand has begun, there must be a fresh deal. {24}

CARTE BLANCHE.

15.--If a player have a hand dealt him without king, queen or knave, he may declare _carte blanche_ before playing a card. Carte blanche must be shown by counting the cards, one by one, face upward, on the table.

16.--If, after playing a card, a player who has declared carte blanche draw a card other than king, queen or knave, he is ent.i.tled to declare another carte blanche on showing the card drawn to his adversary; and so on after every card drawn, until he draws a king, queen or knave.

PLAYING.

17.--If a player play with more than nine cards he is rubiconed; but the amount to be added to his adversary's score is not to exceed nine hundred, exclusive of the thirteen hundred for a rubicon game.

18.--If both players play with more than nine cards, the game is null and void.

19.--If a player play with less than nine cards, the error cannot be rectified. He is liable to no penalty; his adversary wins the last trick.

20.--If both players play with less than nine cards, the deal stands good, and the winner of the last trick scores it.

21.--If one player play with more than nine cards, and the other with less than nine, the deal stands good. The player with more than nine cards is rubiconed (as provided in Law 17), and neither player scores the last trick.

22.--If a faced card be found in the stock after the play of the hand has begun, it must be turned {25} face downward, without altering its place in the stock.