THE GAME OF COMMERCE.

OF this there are two distinct methods of play

ing, the new and the old mode.

The new way is played by any number of persons, from three to twelve, with a complete pack of 52 cards, bearing the same import as at whist, only the ace is reckoned as eleven. Every player has a certain quantity of counters, on which a fixt value is put, and each, at every fresh deal, lays down one for the stake. Sometimes the game is continued until, or finished when, one of the players has lost all the counters given at the commencement; but in order to prevent it from being spun out to an unpleasant length, or concluded too soon, 'tis often customary to fix the duration to a determinate number of tours or times, that the whole party shall deal once each completely round.

After determining the deal, the dealer, stiled also the banker, shuffles the pace, which is to be cut by the left-hand player; then three cards, either all together or one by one, at the dealer's pleasure, are given to each person, beginning on the right hand, but none are to be turned up. If the pack proves false, or the deal wrong, or should there be a faced card, then there must be a fresh deal. At this game are three parts; 1st, That which takes place of all others, called the Tricon, or three cards of the same denomination, similar to pair-royal at cribbage: 2dly, the next in rank is the Sequence, or three following cards of the same suit, like tierce at piquet: and lastly, the Point, being the greatest number of pips on two or three cards of a suit in any one hand; of all which parts the highest disannuls the lower.

After the cards have been dealt round, the banker inquires, Who will trade, which the players, beginning with the eldest hands, usually and separately answer by saying For ready money, or I barter. Trading for money is giving a card and a counter to the banker, who places the card under the stock or remainder of the pack, stiled the bank, and returns in lieu thereof another card from the top. The counter is profit to the banker, who consequently trades with the stock free from expence. Barter is exchanging a card without pay with the next right-hand player, which must not be refused, and so on, the party trade alternately, till one of them obtains the object aimed at, and thereby stops the commerce; then all shew their hands, and the highest tricon, sequence, or point, wins the pool. The player who first gains the wished for tricon, &c. should shew the same immediately, without waiting till the others begin a fresh round, and if any one chooses to stand on the hand dealt, and shews it without trading, none of the junior players can trade that deal, and if the eldest hand stands, then of course no person can trade. The banker always ranks as eldest hand, in case of neither tricon or sequence, when the game is decided by the point. Whenever the banker does not gain the pool, then he is to pay a counter to that player who obtains the same, and if the banker possesses tricon, sequence, or point, and don't win the pool, because another player has a better hand, in respect to the point, then he is to give a counter to every player.

COMMERCE the old way is played by several persons together, every one depositing a certain sum in the pool and receiving three fish or counters a piece, on which a value is fixed; as

Suppose sixpences are pooled, the counters then may be rated at 1d. or itd. each, so as to leave a sum for that player who gains the final sweep. After determining the deal, three cards, by one at a time, beginning on the left hand, are given to every player, and as many turned up on the board. This game is gained, as at the other, by pairs-royal, sequences, or flushes, and should the three cards turned up be such as the dealer ap proves of, he may, previous to looking at the hand dealt to himself, take them so turned up in lieu of his own, but then must abide by the same, and cannot afterwards exchange any during that deal. All the players, beginning with the eldest hand, may in rotation change any card or cards in their possession for such as lie turned up on the table, striving thereby to make pairs-royal, sequences, or flushes, and so on round again and again, till all have refused to change, or are satisfied, but every person once standing cannot change again that deal. Finally, the hands are all shewn, and the possessor of the highest pairroyal, &c. or the eldest hand if there are more than one of the same value, takes the sum agreed upon out of the pool, and the person having the worst hand, puts one fish or counter therein, called Going up. The player, whose three are first gone off, has the liberty of purchasing one more, called Buying a horse, for a sum as agreed, usually one-third of the original stake, to be put into the pool. After that, every player, whose fish are all gone, sits by till the game is concluded, which finishes by the person who continues the longest on the board, thereby gaining the pool or final sweep.

THE GAME OF POPE OR POPE JOAN.

POPE, a game somewhat similar to that of Matrimony, already stated at page 158, is played by a number of people, who generally use a board painted for this purpose, which may be purchased at most turners or toy shops.

The eight of diamonds must first be taken from the pack, and after settling the deal, shuffling, &c. the dealer dresses the board by putting fish, counters or other stakes one each to ace, king, queen, knave, and game; two to matrimony, two to intrigue, and six to the nine of diamonds, stiled Pope. This dressing is in some companies at the individual expense of the dealer, though in others the players contribute two stakes a piece towards the same. The cards are next to be dealt round equally to every player, one turned up for trump, and about six or eight left in the stock to form stops: as for example, if the ten of spades is turned up, the nine consequently becomes a stop; the four kings and the seven of diamonds are always fixed stops, and the dealer is the only person permitted in the course of the game to refer occasionally to the stock for information what other cards are stops in that respective deal. If either ace, king, queen or knave, happens to be the turned-up trump, the dealer takes whatever is deposited on that head; but when pope is turned up, the dealer is entitled both to that and the game, besides a stake for every card dealt to each player. Unless the game is determined by pope being turned up, the eldest hand begins by playing out as many cards as

possible; first the stops, then Pope if he has it, and afterwards the lowest card of his longest suit, particularly an ace, for that never can be led through; the other players are to follow when they can, in' sequence of the same suit, till a stop occurs, and the party having the said stop, thereby becomes eldest hand, and is to lead accordingly, and so on, until some person parts with all his cards, by which he wins the pool (game,) and becomes entitled besides to a stake for every card not played by the others, except from any one holding pope, which excuses him from paying; but if pope has been played, then the party having held it is not excused. King and queen form what is denominated matrimony, queen and knave make intrigue, when in the same hand; but neither they, nor ace, king, king, queen, knave, or pope, entitle the holder to the stakes deposited thereon, unless played out, and no claim can be allowed after the board is dressed for the succeeding deal; but in all such cases the stakes are to remain for future determination.

This game only requires a little attention to recollect what stops have been made in the course of the same; as for instance, if a player begins by laying down the eight of clubs, then the seven in another hand forms a stop, whenever that suit is led from any lower card, or the holder when eldest may safely lay it down in order to clear his hand.