HAND-BOOK OF GAMES COMPRISING NEW OR CAREFULLY REVISED TREATISES ON WHIST, PIQUET, ECARTÉ, LANSQUENET, BOSTON, QUADRILLE, CRIBBAGE, AND OTHER CARD GAMES; FARO, ROUGE ET NOIR, HAZARD, ROULETTE; BACKGAMMON, BELL & DALDY, 6, YORK street, COVENT GARDEN, AND 186, FLEET STREET. 1867. B3 634 ADVERTISEMENT THE present Handbook comprises, it is believed, the most complete directions for playing games of skill and science, yet presented to the English public. Its great predecessor, Hoyle, for more than half a century the only authority, has now become obsolete or imperfect in respect to several of the principal games, and more likely to mislead than instruct. The want of a comprehensive and practical Manual of this description, having frequently been pressed on the attention of the Publisher, he determined to undertake it, and confided the task to Mr. J. W. Carleton. That gentleman is responsible for the elaborate treatise on WHIST, and its arrangement in four parts. Three of the four parts, as will be seen, are revised editions of previous treatises; the fourth is partly original and partly compiled, and, as a whole, is new. The Publisher, in his anxiety to render this important portion of the work as perfect as possible, submitted it, while at press, to several distinguished Whist-players, and by their kind co-operation, has been enabled to settle several rules, which seemed either to conflict with themselves, or were at variance with those currently received. Many of the notes have arisen out of this mode of proceeding. To these four parts of Whist are prefixed (by another hand) Bob Short's rules, and something of an index, by way of guiding the student through the mazes of so elaborate a treatise. Mr. Carleton is likewise responsible for the articles on Ecarté, Hazard, Backgammon, and most of the games adopted from Hoyle or other printed authorities. PIQUET is by a gentleman, who has long ranked as one of our best players, and has won many considerable matches. CRIBBAGE is condensed from Mr. Walker's very comprehensive treatise, which is by far the best extant. The treatise on DRAUGHTS comprises the entire work of Sturges, as revised and edited by Walker; together with some additional games and problems, contributed by Mr. Martin, a professional player of considerable skill. The article on Polish Draughts is by the Publisher, written from memory, for want of materials at hand. He is likewise responsible for the BILLIARDS, which, though compiled from Mr. White's celebrated work, has been so extensively altered and corrected, as to become almost a new treatise. In Mr. White's time he simple white ball games were almost the only ones played in this country, which circumstance will account for the necessity of the numerous alterations. The elementary part is entirely re-written, and the instructions are, it is hoped, conveyed so explicitly, that a person who never before played a game, may acquire sufficient knowledge of it from the present pages to teach himself, without falling into erroneous modes or habits. In conducting this rather arduous part of the volume through the press, the Publisher has been favoured with the assistance of several distinguished players, amateur and professional, both in London and Brighton. Mr. Thurston also, eminent for his billiard and bagatelle tables, has rendered every assistance, as well by his own valuable advice as by granting the use of his splendid edition of Kentfield's work. The GERMAN POOL GAMES (Wurst-Parthie, &c.) are contributed by an accomplished amateur, who has frequently played them on the Continent. VINGT-UN, and two other of the minor games, are by another friend; and AMERICAN BOWLS has been drawn up by the Editor, assisted by the proprietor of the Strand Rooms, Mr. Thomas Robson. No means have been spared, either by taxing friendships or the liberal application of funds, to render this volume perfect, and now that after nearly two years' lingering at press, it is finally launched, the Publisher entertains a hope that it will be found deserving of sufficient patronage to reimburse a disproportionately large outlay. It is in contemplation to publish a companion volume of Athletic and Defensive Exercises, extensively decorated with wood-cuts; in which considerable progress has already been made. York Street, Jan. 1854. H. G. B. |