hand. As to all these parts, the higher 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, styled 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 expense. Barter is exchanging a card without pay with the next right-hand player, which must not be refused, and thus they go on changing alternately, till one of them obtains the object aimed at, and thereby stops the commerce; then all show their hands, and the highest tricon, sequence, or point, wins the pool. The player who first gains the wished for tricon, &c., should show the same immediately, without waiting till the others begin a fresh round; and if any one should choose to stand on the hand dealt, and show it without trading, none of the junior players can trade that deal, and if the eldest hand stand, then of course no person can trade. The banker always ranks as eldest hand, and in case of neither tricon or sequence, the game is decided by the point. Whenever the banker does not gain the pool, he is to pay a counter to the player who obtains it, and if the banker possess tricon, a sequence, or point, and do not win the pool, because another player has a better hand in these respects, 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 coun

ters a piece, on which a value is fixed: as suppose sixpences are pooled, the counters then may be rated at 1d. or 14d, each, so as to leave a sum for the 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. The game is gained, as at the other, by pairs royal, sequences, or points, and should the three cards turned up be such as the dealer approves of, he may, previous to looking at the hand dealt to himself, take them up in lieu of his own; but then he 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 no person once standing can change again during the deal. Finally, the hands are all shown, and the possessor of the highest pair-royal, &c., or the eldest hand, if there should be more than one of the same value, takes the sum agreed upon out of the pool, and the person having the worst hand, resigns a fish or counter, which is called going up. The player, whose three are first gone in this manner, has the liberty of purchasing one more, called buying a horse, for a sum agreed, which is usually one-third of the original stake, to be put into the pool. The game thus goes on, the lowest hand resigning a fish, till all have resigned except one, who, continuing the longest on the board, thereby gains the pool or final sweep.

(71)

CONNEXIONS.

THIS game may be played by either three or four persons; if the former number, ten cards are to be given to each; but if the latter, then only eight a piece, which are dealt and bear the same import as at Whist, except that diamonds are always trumps here.

The connexions are formed as follows: 1st. By the two black aces.

2d. The ace of spades and king of hearts. 3d. The ace of clubs and king of hearts.

For the first connexion 2s. are drawn from the pool; for the second 1s., and for the third, and by the winner of the majority in tricks, 6d. each. These sums are supposing guineas staked, but when only silver is pooled, then pence are drawn. A trump played in any round where there is a connexion wins the trick, otherwise it is gained by the player of the first card of connexion, and after a connexion any following player may trump without incurring a revoke, and also whatever suit may be led, the person holding a card of connexion is at liberty to play it; but the others must, if possible, follow suit, unless one of them can answer the connexion, which should be done in preference.

No money can be drawn till the hands are finished, when the possessors of the connexions are to take according to precedence, those who have the majority of tricks taking last.

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 left hand, 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 suni 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 come up, he always places them in the same manner, on each side of his own. Any single card the company has a right to take and put 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 comes up first loses. If he draw or deal out the two cards on his left, which are called the hand-cards, before his own, he is en

titled to deal again; the advantage of which is merely his being exempted from losing when he draws a similar card to his own immediately after he has turned up one for himself.

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

THE GAME OF LOO.

Loo or Lue, subdivided into limited and unlimited Loo, a game, the complete knowledge of which can be easily acquired, is played with five or three cards, though most commonly with five, dealt from a whole pack, either first three and then two, or by one at a time. Several persons may play together, but the greatest number can be admitted when with three cards only.

After five cards have been given to each player, another is turned up for trump; the knave of clubs generally, or sometimes the knave of the trump suit, as agreed upon, is the highest card, and styled Pam; the ace of trumps is next in value, and the rest in succession, as at whist. Each player has the liberty of changing for others from the pack all or any of the five cards dealt, or of throwing up the hand in order to escape being looed. Those who play their cards either with or without changing, and do not gain a trick, are looed; as likewise is the case with all who have stood the game, if a flush occur, which obliges each, except a player holding Pam, or an inferior flush, to deposit a stake, to be divided

H