If the player trades for ready money, he throws out a card from his hand, pays a stake to the dealer, and receives the top card from the pack; his rejected card being placed at the bottom of the pack without being exposed.

If the player decides to barter, he turns to the player on his left-hand side and offers a card, which must be exchanged for one of those in the next player's hand, unless that player considers his cards sufficiently strong to stand upon, in which case the winner is decided by the method just described.

If the player has traded, either for ready money or barter, and has secured a hand strong enough, he at once stands, and exposes his cards; if not, the dealer pa.s.ses or to the next player, and acts in a similar manner, going round and round the table until one of the players decides to stand, when the hands are exposed and the round settled.

A player may only purchase or exchange one card at each turn; he must not do both, but he is compelled to do the one or the other, unless he decides to stand. When once a player agrees to stand, the commerce on that round ceases, and all the hands must be exposed.

[74]

_THE OLD GAME_.

The older mode of playing the game of Commerce differs materially from the description given above, and as it does not present such chances, but is of a more limited character, it is not so interesting, nor does it afford so much scope for speculation and excitement.

The deal is decided and the cards are distributed in the same way as in the more modern game, but here an additional hand, of three cards, is dealt, and placed face upwards in the middle of the table. There is no trading with the dealer or any of the players, the operations of commerce being confined to the three cards exposed on the table. The player to the left of the dealer has the first turn, and he must either stand, pa.s.s, or exchange a card. In the latter case he takes one of those lying face upwards on the table, adds it to his hand, and places one of his own cards, face upwards, in place of the one removed. If the player pa.s.ses, he says, "I pa.s.s," and is then debarred from afterwards exchanging any of his cards during that hand; while if he decides to stand, the next player decides what he will do, and so on round the table, until two of the players are satisfied with their hands, or all have declared to pa.s.s. If two of the players stand then each of the other players may make one more exchange (if they have not previously pa.s.sed), and then the whole of the hands are exposed, just as described in connection with the modern game. There is no pool in this variation, the winner receiving instead the amount of the stake from each of the other players. In case of absolute equality between the two best hands, which may be regarded as an almost impossible event, then each of the winners receives a stake from all the other players.

[75]

_POOL COMMERCE_.

This is a variation of the old method of conducting the game, and is played on somewhat similar lines, except that a pool is made up, by each player paying in an equal sum, for which he receives three counters. Play then proceeds in the manner just described as the old game. The winner of the hand, instead of receiving a stake from each of the players, takes a previously arranged sum from the pool, while the player who has the worst hand puts one counter into the pool. The game continues until all but one of the players have exhausted their three counters, when the player who remains with the last counter or counters takes the amount left in the pool. As soon as a player has exhausted his counters he has to stand out of the game, and no cards are dealt to him, so that the adoption of this variation makes the game very tedious for those who are first out, as they may have to wait a considerable time before the stock of the other players is exhausted.

The player who is first out has the option of buying one counter from the pool, which is termed "buying a horse." He has to pay for the same into the pool such sum as may be agreed upon--usually one-third or one-half the amount of the original stake.

_LIMITED COMMERCE_.

It may be agreed that only the Tricon, Sequence, Flush, and Point shall be recognised in the game, or even Tricon, Sequence, and Point only; but the greater the number of combinations permissible the greater the enjoyment to be derived from the game, so that limitations of this character have little to recommend them.

[76]

_PENALTIES FOR THE DEALER_.

It is sometimes agreed that when the dealer holds a Tricon, Sequence, Flush, or Pair, and his hand is beaten by either of the others, he has to pay the amount of a stake to each player, or only to those who have better hands than his. The former course will be found to be a severe tax on the dealer, and is not to be recommended. The dealer only has the same chances as the others, and such a penalty seems unjust.

_EXTENDED COMMERCE_.

This is only applicable to the modern mode of playing the game, which in this variation is extended until all the players are satisfied, that is, they may keep on trading, either for ready money or by barter, until they all receive cards sufficiently good to stand upon. The great objection to this variation is that it makes the game wearisome for those players who are soon enabled to stand, as they have to wait while the others are being satisfied.

_CONTINUOUS DEALING_.

Another method of playing the modern game is to allow the same dealer to remain in until one of the players secures a Tricon, Sequence, or Flush, when the deal pa.s.ses to the next player, on the left-hand side. This variation is based on the same principle as governs the game of Vingt-un.

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SPECULATION.

This is a round game which for very many years has been one of the most popular of its cla.s.s. It requires little skill in its conduct, being essentially a game of chance. The players do not look at their hands, and therefore cannot in any way influence their possibilities of success with the three cards dealt them. The only element of skill a.s.sociated is in connection with the speculations which form part of the play, and which may be carried on by each of the players during its progress.

The ordinary packs of fifty-two or thirty-two cards may be used, and the number of players who may take part in the game is practically unlimited within the range of the pack; but it will be found that not more than ten players are desirable with the fifty-two card pack, and not more than six with the thirty-two card one, as otherwise too great a proportion of the pack is brought into use each deal, and there is not much scope for speculation as to what remains in the undealt portion of the pack.

In playing the game the ace is reckoned the highest card, then follow king, queen, knave, ten, etc., down to two.

The first dealer is decided in the manner explained in connection with "Nap" (see page 9), and he has to pay two coins or counters into the pool, each of the other players contributing one. Three cards are then dealt to each player, one at a time, and going round from left to right. The top card remaining on the pack is turned up for trump, but [78] before turning it the dealer may sell it to any other of the players. If the dealer sells the turn-up card, the buyer becomes ent.i.tled to all the privileges that may ultimately attach to it, taking the entire amount in the pool if no higher trump is turned up during the progress of the hands.

The player next to the dealer, or if the dealer sold the turn-up card the one next to the purchaser, then turns up the top card of the three dealt him. If it proves to be a higher card of the trump suit than that already exposed, he becomes the chief hand, and may either retain the card, with the ultimate prospect of winning the pool, or he may sell it to either of the other players if a speculation can be arranged. If he sells the card, he pa.s.ses it over to the purchaser, and the player on the left-hand side of the new holder becomes the next player. If the card turned up is not a trump, or is a lower trump than that already exposed, it is of no value, and the next player has to follow on with his top card.

The same proceeding is continued round and round until all the players, except the holder of the highest trump, have exposed their three cards.

The owner of the leading trump, or the dealer, if he did not sell the turn-up and it remains unbeaten, does not expose his cards in the various rounds, but retains them until last. Even then he may sell them, before they are turned up, either singly or all together.

When all the cards have been exposed, the holder of the highest trump takes the amount in the pool, and a fresh deal, with new payments to the pool, is started upon.

If the card turned up proves to be an ace, king, queen, or knave, it is usual for the deal to pa.s.s. In that case the dealer, or the purchaser of the trump card if the dealer has sold it, takes the pool, when all the players contribute as before, the next in turn becoming the dealer, and using the next top card of the pack for his trump card. This method [79] saves the time of going all round with the hands, when with so high a card turned up there are so few chances of either of the players having a better one, as to virtually put an end to all speculation that hand.

During the progress of the game either of the players may sell the card which it is his turn to expose. In that case he turns it up without disturbing the order of play, and retains it if it is not a superior trump.

If it is a superior one, it has to be handed over to the purchaser, and the player on his left has to proceed with the play.

The holder of the highest trump card may sell it at any time, so that it may change hands several times during the same deal, and each time there is a change the player on the buyer's left-hand side is the next to proceed.

Any player looking at a card out of turn has to pay a penalty into the pool, and should he prove the winner he cannot take the amount in the pool, but must leave it to be added to the stakes for the next deal.

It is sometimes agreed that the turn-up card shall belong to the pool, and in that case it is not offered for sale. If it proves the ultimate Winner of the round, the amount is left in the pool, and added to the stake for the next deal, the amount of which is made up just as if the previous one had been taken by one of the players.

A second method of benefiting the pool is to deal a spare hand, which is left in the middle of the table until all the other hands have been finished. The spare hand is then turned up, and if it contains a winning card the amount in the pool is added to the stake for the next round.

Another variation is to impose a penalty when a knave or five is turned up, the penalty being paid into the pool by the owner of the card, that is, the original holder or the purchaser if it was sold before being turned up.

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POPE JOAN.

For the game of Pope, or Pope Joan, a special board, or a pool with eight compartments, is required, or the divisions may be marked on a sheet of paper or card. The game is available for any number of players, and an ordinary pack of fifty-two cards is used, the eight of diamonds being taken out, so as to form what is termed a stop, that is, a break in the sequence of the cards, which are here reckoned in regular order from ace to king, the four suits being kept distinct throughout the play. The seven of diamonds thus becomes a stop, and the king of each Suit is also a stop, there being no "following" card in either case. The turn-up or trump card, as will be further explained later on, forms another stop, and thus there are six regular known stops at the commencement of each game, with a number of unknown ones caused by the cards in the spare hand which forms part of the game.