being six ways to throw the 7, and only five for the 6, or 8. 7 connected with either 5 or 9, is 3 to 2 in favour of 7; there being six ways for the 7 and but four for 5, or 9. 7 connected with either 4 or 10, is 2 to 1 in favour of 7; there being six ways to throw the 7; but three for 4, or 10. 6 or 8 connected with either 5 or 9, is 5 to 4 in favour of 6 or 8; there being five ways to throw 6, or 8; but four for 5, or 9. 6 or 8 connected with 4 or 10, is 5 to 3 in favour of 6 or 8; there being five ways to throw 6, or 8; only three for 4 or 10. 5 or 9 connected with 4 or 10, is 4 to 3 in favour of 5 or 9; there being four ways to throw 5, or 9; but three for 4, or 10. When 6 or 8 is back'd against 7, size ace is barr'd, thereby reducing the 7 to four chances; and the two trois of the 6 being barr'd, leaves but four chances for the 6; the same by barring of the two fours in the 8; which two trois and two fours are commonly called doublets. When 5 or 9 is backed against 6 or 8, the doublets are barr'd, reducing the 6 or the 8 to only four chances; which makes the bet equal, there being four for each. The following tables explain the various ways of throwing all the different mains and chances. 4 The following table shews the plan of the game. The Caster wins The Setter wins by the Caster's crabbing 5 5 2, 3 11 or 12 When the caster throws a Main, which must be either 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9, as per table, he is then to throw his chance, which must be either 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10; if he neither nicks nor crabs it, he is then to abide by the chance; and if he throws that chance before the main, he wins all the money set; but if he should throw the main before the chance, then he loses all. When 7 is the main, 'tis seven to two against the caster's nicking it, there being six ways to throw 7, and two to throw 11, either of which is the nick, as per table: so that the six ways for 7, and two for 11, being equal to eight, which taken from thirty-six (the whole number of chances) leaves a remainder of twenty-eight; that is twenty-eight to eight, or seven to two against the caster nicking it. When 6 or 8 is the main, 'tis 5 to 1 against the caster nicking it, there being five ways to throw 6, or 8, and one for 12, which make six ways for the nick, which taken from 36, leaves 30; therefore there being six ways to nick, and 30 against it, is five to one against the caster nicking either 6 or 8. 5 or 9 being the main, is eight to one that the caster does not nick it, there being but four ways to nick, which make it eight to one against the caster nicking either 5 or 9. When 7 is the main, 'tis 672 to 624, or in money 14s. to 13s. that it is off in two throws: and if 7 is connected with 6 or 8, as main and chance, it is 671 to 625, nearly 15 to 14, or 13s. 11 d. to 13s. 04d. that one of them is cast in twice. When 7 is connected with 5 or 9, 'tis 676 to 620, almost 12 to 11, that it is not off in 2 throws; or 14s. 1d. to 12s. 11d. equal to 3s. 6d. to 3s, 24d. or 1 guinea to 19s. 3d. When 7 is connected with either 4 or 10, 'tis 729 to 567, (9 to 7 or a little better than 5 to 4) that it is not off in 2 throws; and 26973 to 19683, (a little better than 4 to 3) that it is off in 3 throws. When 6 or 8 is connected with 5 or 6, 'tis 729 to 567, (a little better than 5 to 4) that it is not off in 2 throws; it is the very same chance as when 7 is concerned with either 4 or 10; it being 3 to 1 against either of the mains or chances being off the first throw. 6 or 8 connected with 4 or 10, is 784 to 512, that it is not off in two throws, which is a little better than 3 to 2; and 386 to 343, or near 10 to 9, that it is off in 3 throws. If eight and six are main and chance, it is very near 11 to 12, that either one or the other is thrown off in two throws. If five and eight, or nine and eight, or five and six, or nine and six, are main and chance, the probability of throwing one of them in two throws is as 7 to 9 exactly. But if five and four, or five and ten, or nine and four, or nine and ten, are main and chance, he that undertakes to throw either main or chance in three throws, has the worst of the lay; for it is as 24 to 23 exceeding near against him. If the main be seven, and each person stakes a guinea, the gain of the setter is about 34d. per guinea. If the main be six or eight, the gain of the setter is 54d. in a guinea. But if the main be five or nine, the gain of the setter is about 3 d. in a guinea. However if any person is determined to set upon the first main that is thrown, his chance, supposing each stake to be a guinea, is 4 d. exactly. Hence the probability of a main, to the probability of no main, is as 27 to 28 very near. Any one undertaking to throw a six or an ace with two dice in one throw, ought to lay 5 to 4. See page 141 for the odds against winning any number of successive events, and page 291 for the number of chances upon two dice. THE GAME OF BILLIARDS. WITH INSTRUCTIONS AND RULES FOR THE FOL LOWING GAMES, viz. The White Winning Game. The White Losing Game. The White Winning and Losing Game. The Simple Carambole Game. With Rules and Regulations for every Method In order to play this game well, attention must be given at first to the method of holding the mace; to the position in which the player should stand, and the manner of delivering the ball from the mace; but these are much more easily acquired by observation, or by the direction of a good player, than by any possible written rules. A person who plays with his right hand must stand with his left foot foremost; and, on the contrary, he who is left-handed, must stand with his right foot foremost, by which he will stand more steady and firm. Immoderate bursts of passion, and even fretting at trifling disappointments in the game, are usually found very prejudicial to the player; his nerves being affected, it is impossible |