When a card is led out cf turn, if all the other players play to it, the error cannot be rectified.
Three and Four Handed Bézique.—When three play, three packs are used together. All play against each other. The dealer deals to his left ; the player first dealt to has the first lead. The rotation of dealing goes to the left. A second double bezique, counting 500, may be declared to a bezique on the table, which has already been used for double bezique. Triple bezique scores 1500. All the cards of the triple bezique must be on the table at the same time and unplayed to a trick. All may be declared together, or a double bezique may be added to a single one, or a third bezique may be added to a double bezique already declared. The game is 2000 up. In play ing the last eight tricks, the third hand, if not able to follow suit, nor to win the trick by trumping, may throw away any card he pleases.
When four play, four packs are shuffled together and used as one. The players may score independently, or they may play as partners. A second double bezique or triple bezique may be scored as before ; to form them the beziques may be declared from the hand of either partner. A player may declare when he or his partner takes a trick. In playing the last eight tricks, the winner of the last trick and the adversary to his left play their cards against each other, and then the other" two similarly play theirs.
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Hints to Players.—The following hints, which merely touch on the elements of the play, may assist the beginner:—
The lead is, as a rule, disadvantageous. Therefore do not win the trick unless (1) you want to declare ; or (2) you wish to make an ace or ten of the suit led ; or (3) an ace or a ten is led which you desire to win.
Sevens, eights, and nines in plain suits are valueless. In trumps they should be kept to obtain the lead with. It is very important to keep one small trump in hand if possible. Knaves also are of but little value (except bezique and trump knaves), and may be thrown away freely.
It is of more importance to win aces and tens or to make tricks with them than at first sight appears. Experienced players prefer a number of small scores to sacrificing them for the chance of a large one. Therefore it is not considered good play as a rule to go for four aces unless you have three, and are in no difficulty as to your play. Eather make tricks with the aces, and especially capture tens with them. Whenever you are second player, and can win a trick with a ten, take it, except in trumps, of which the ten is kept for sequence.
When in difficulties, lead an ace or a ten in preference to a king or queen. As a rule, if you try for aces, you have to sacrifice some other score, and are pretty sure to lose some of the aces after declar ing them.
If driven to lead an ace or a ten, and your opponent does not win it, lead another.
Endeavour to recollect in what suits the aces and tens have been played, so that, when leading, you may choose suits of which the most aces and tens are out. Similarly, if your adversary declares aces, avoid leading the suits of the declared aceo ; and, in discard- in &t;r, retain those cards which are least likely to be taken by aces and tens.
Having a choice between playing a possible scoring card, or a small trump, or a card that you have declared, generally play the last so as to conceal your hand.
Do not part with a sequence card early in the hand, even if you have a duplicate, as playing it shows that you are likely to hold the duplicate, and you thus free your opponent s game, as he will im mediately use his trump sequence cards to win all the aces and tens you lead.
Also, do not part with bezique cards until near the end of the hand, even after declaring bezique, because by so doing you give up all chance of double bezique. If you draw or hold a third bezique card, sacrifice everything, even sequence cards, for the chance of a double bezique.
Avoid declaring combinations which show your adversary that he cannot make sequence or double bezique. By keeping him in the dark you hamper his game, and are very likely to cause him to refrain from trumping your aces or tens. For example, if early in the hand you hold two trump queens and two bezique queens, you should postpone declaring them as long as possible, or even sacrifice the score altogether.
You may often judge during the play of the hand what combina tions your adversary is going for. Thus, if he discards kings he is probably strong in queens, and vice versa. If in doubt as to whether you should keep kings or queens, you of course choose the combina tion he is not trying for. With attention and experience it is surprising how much may be inferred as to your adversary s game, and how greatly your own line of play may be thus directed.
It is as a rule right to win the last trick, in order to prevent the adversary from declaring, for which purpose lead the ace of trumps. When within a few tricks of the end of the hand, you may often prevent your opponent from scoring sequence by leading out your ???? tnimns.
In playing the last eight tricks your object is simply to make as many aces and tens as you can, and to win those of your adversary.
Polish Bézique (also called Open Bezique and Fildniski) differs from ordinary bezique in the following par ticulars:—
Whenever a scoring card is played, the winner of the trick places it face upwards in front of him (the same with both cards if two scoring cards are played to a trick), forming rows of aces, kings, queens, knaves, and trump tens (called open cards). Cards of trie same denomination are placed overlapping one another lengthwise from the player towards his adversary to economise space. When a scoring card is placed among the open cards, all the sevens, eights, nines, and plain suit tens in the tricks are turned down. Open, cards cannot be played a second time, and can only be used in de claring. Whether so used or not they remain face upwards on the table until the end of the hand, including the last eight tricks. A player can declare after winning a trick and before drawing again, when the trick won contains a card or cards, which added to his open cards complete any combination that scores. Every declara tion must include a card played to the trick last won. Aces and tens must be scored as soon as won, and not at the end of the hand. The seven of trumps can be exchanged by the winner of the trick containing it ; and if the turn-up card is one that can be used in declaring, it becomes an open card when exchanged. The seven of trumps when not exchanged is scored for by the player winning the trick containing it.
Compound declarations are allowed, i.e., cards added to the open cards can at once be used, without waiting to win another trick, in as many combinations of different classes as they will form with the winner s open cards. For example : A has three open kings, and he wins a trick containing a king. Before drawing again he places the fourth king with the other three, and scores SO for kings. This is a simple declaration. But suppose the card led was the queen of trumps, and A wins it with the king, and he has the following open cards three kings, three queens, and ace, ten, knave of trumps. He at once declares royal marriage (40); four kings (80); four queens (60) ; and sequence (250) ; and scores in all, 430. Again: ace of spades is turned up, and ace of hearts is led. The second player has two open aces, and wins the ace of hearts with the seven of trumps and exchanges. He scores for the exchange, 10 ; for the ace of hearts, 10 ; for the ace of spades, 10 ; and adds the aces to his open cards, and scores 100 for aces ; in all, 130. If a declara tion or part of a compound declaration is omitted, and the winner of the trick draws again, he cannot amend his score.
The ordinary rule holds that a second declaration cannot be madf of a card already declared in the same class. Thus : a queen once married cannot be married again ; a fifth king added to four already declared does not entitle to another score for kings.
The fundamental point to be borne in mind is, that no declara tion can be effected by means of cards held in the hand. Thus A having three open queens and a queen in hand cannot add it to his open cards. He must win another trick containing a queen, when he can declare queens.
Declarations continue during the play of the last eight tricks just the same as during the play of the other cards.
The game is 2000 up. After each deal it is advisable to shuffle thoroughly ; otherwise a number of small cards will run together in the stock, and impair the interest of the game. It is also advisable to adopt the change in the bezique cards recommended for ordinary bezique, otherwise the scores of one hand may run very high, and of the other very low, which spoils the game. The lead is even more disadvantageous than at ordinary bezique. It is important not to lead cards that can be won by bezique cards. It is often advisable to win with a high card though able to win with a low one ; thus having king, nine of a suit of which the eight is led, if you win the trick, you should take it with the king. It is not of so much consequence to win aces and tens (especially the latter) as at ordinary bezique. It is a difficult point in the game to decide whether to win tricks with sequence cards, on the chance of event ually scoring sequence, or to reserve trumps for the last eight tricks. As a rule, if the hand is well advanced, and you are badly off in trumps, win tricks with sequence caids, and especially if you have duplicate sequence cards make them both. If badly off in trumps towards the end of a hand, and your adversary may win double bezique, keep in hand an ace or ten of the beziquc suits, as when it comes to the last eight tricks (in which suit must be followed), you may prevent the score of double bezique.
Grand Bézique (also called Chinese Bezique) is played like ordinary bezique, except as follows:—
Four packs art: shuffled together and used as one, and nine cards are dealt to each player, by three at a time to each. When a com bination is declared, "and one of the cards composing it is played away, another declaration can be completed (after winning a trick) with the same cards. Thus : A declares four aces, and uses one to win a trick, or throws one away. A has a fifth ace in hand and wins a
