PIQUET.

PIQUET is played by two persons, with thirty-two cards: the ace, king, queen, knave, ten, nine, eight, and seven of each suit. The ace is the superior card, and equal to eleven points; the king ranks above the queen, and the queen above the knave, &c. The three court cards are each equal to ten points, the rest counting for as many points as they have pips.

The game consists of 101 points. The players begin with shuffling the cards; they then cut: he who cuts the lowest deals, but the great advantage is in being elder-hand. The dealer then shuffles the cards again, and presents them to his adversary, who may also shuffle, but the dealer must have the last shuffle. If the adversary should scatter the cards, or cut but one off, or leave but one at the bottom, the dealer may mix and shuffle them again. The dealer is to give twelve apiece, by two at a time, and the eight cards which remain must be placed upon the table, and are called the talon or stock.

In this game there are three superior chances, viz. the repique, the pique, and the capot, all of which may be made in one deal, as thus: suppose one of the players to have four tierce-majors, his point to be good, and he is eldest-hand : he begins by counting three for his point, then twelve for his four tierce-majors, next fourteen for the four

aces, fourteen for the four kings, and fourteen for the four queens, then sixty for the repique; thirteen he gains in playing the cards, and he has forty for the capot, which make together one hundred and seventy: this stroke, perhaps, has never happened, but it is just, if it ever should.

To pique the adversary, you must be elderhand; for if youngest, your adversary counts one for the first card he plays; and then you having counted only twenty-nine in hand, even if you take the first trick, it will not authorize you to count sixty, but only thirty.

The carte-blanche precedes every thing, then follows the point, then the huitièmes, the septièmes, the sixièmes, the quints, the quarts, the tierces, the four aces, kings, queens, knaves, or tens; then the three aces, kings, queens, knaves, or tens; then the points gained in playing the cards; and the last is the ten for winning the cards, or the forty for the capot. After sorting the cards, the first thing to be considered is, whether you have a carte-blanche; if so, let your adversary discard, and when he is going to take in lay your twelve cards on the table, counting them one after another.

The players having examined their hands, the elder-hand may discard five cards or fewer as he may deem for his advantage, and, laying them aside, he takes as many from the talon or heap; the youngest-hand can lay out three only, unless any of the five allotted to his adversary be left, which he may take or not, as he pleases.

In discarding, the first intention in skilful players is, to gain the cards, and to have the point, which most commonly engages them to keep in that suit, of which they have the most

cards, or that which is their strongest; for it is convenient to prefer, sometimes forty-one in one suit to forty-four in another, in which a quint is not made: sometimes, even having a quint, it is more advantageous to hold the forty-one, where, if one card only be taken in, it may make it a quint-major, and gain the point, or the cards, which could not have been done by holding the forty-four, at least without an extraordinary take-in. Also endeavour, in laying out, to get a quatorze, that is, four aces, kings, queens, knaves, or tens, each of which counts for fourteen, and is therefore called a quatorze. The fourteen aces in your hand hinder the counting fourteen kings in the adversary's, &c., and by this superiority you may count a lesser quatorze, as of tens, notwithstanding your adversary may have fourteen kings, &c., because the stronger (viz. the aces) annuls the weaker and also, in the want of a lesser quatorze, you may count three aces, three kings, three queens, three knaves, or three tens. Three aces are better than three kings; and he who has them may, by virtue thereof, count his three tens, although the adversary may have three kings; in favour of a quatorze you count not only any lesser quatorze, but also all the threes which you have, except of nines, eights, and sevens. The same is to be observed in regard to the huitièmes, septièmes, sixièmes, quints, quarts, and tierces, to which the player must have regard in his discarding, so that what he takes in may make them for him.

The point being selected, the eldest hand declares what it is, and asks if it be good: if his adversary have not so many, he answers, it is good; if he have just as many, he answers, it is equal; and if he have more, he answers, it is not

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good for whoever has the point, whether eldest or youngest, counts it first; but if the points be equal, neither can count; it is the same when the players have equal tierces, quarts, quints, &c., and whoever should hold several other sequences, either of the same goodness or lesser, cannot count them.

After the elder-hand has counted the point, he should examine if he have not tierce, quart, quint, &c., and then if any quatorze, or three aces, kings, &c., that he may reckon them, should his adversary not hinder him by having better.

The points, the tierces, quarts, quints, &c., are to be shown on the table, that their value may be seen and reckoned; but you are not obliged to show quatorzes, or three aces, kings, queens, knaves, or tens.

After each has examined his game, and the elder, by the questions asked, seen every thing that is good in his hand, he begins to reckon. The carte-blanche is first reckoned, then the point, next the sequences, and lastly the quatorzes, as well as three of aces, kings, &c., after which he begins to play his cards, counting one for each, except it be a nine or an inferior card.

After the elder-hand has led his first card, the younger shows his point, if it be good, also the sequences, quatorzes, or threes of aces, kings, &c., and having reckoned them all together, he takes the first trick, if he can, with the same suit, and counts one for it; if he cannot, the other turns the trick and continues; and when the younger-hand can take the trick, he may lead what suit he pleases.

A good player is principally known from an indifferent one by his manner; and it is not possible to play well without knowing the strength of

the game; that is to say, by your own hand you should know what your adversary may hold, and what he must have discarded, and great notice should be taken of what he has shown or reckoned. There are no trumps at piquet, but the highest card of the suit if played takes the trick.

Should the elder-hand have the misfortune to hold neither point, sequence, quatorze, or threes which are good, he must begin to count by playing that card which he judges most proper, and continue until his adversary has played a superior, to gain the lead in his turn. This method must be continued till all the twelve cards are played, and he who takes the last trick counts two. each player counts how many tricks he has taken, and he who has the most reckons the cards; but should they be equal, neither side can count any thing for the cards.

Then

As soon as a deal is finished, each player should mark how many points he has made, and so proceed until the game be completed; and after every Ideal the cards must be shuffled and cut for the next; each player taking his turn, unless the game be concluded in one deal.

When you begin another game, the cards must be cut afresh for the deal, unless it be agreed upon at first that the deal shall go on.

TERMS USED AT PIQUET.

CAPOT is when either of the players makes every trick, for which he scores forty.

CARDS signify the majority of tricks, which reckon for ten points.

CARTE-BLANCHE means a hand without a court card in the twelve dealt, which counts for ten, and takes place of every thing else.