Piquet—ÉcartÉ—Baccarat—ImpÉriale—Whist—Bouillotte—BÉzigue—&c., &c.

In the former chapter I have given various examples of serious cheats performed by Greeks.

I shall now present to my readers, a series of what may be termed entertaining tricks; they are done in such a way that a juggler may, whilst amusing his spectators, show them how easily they may be cheated at every game.

Let us go back to the preceding coup de piquet, which we will now perform in a more agreeable manner.

We will suppose the juggler to have in his hand—

• 1. A sixiÈme of spades.
• 2. A quatorze of aces.
• 3. A quatorze of kings.

His adversary is the elder hand; it is for him to call; he announces a sixiÈme from the queen; for, as he has the chance of a sequence in three suits, it is most probable that he will succeed with one.

"Six cards," says he.

"What do they count?"

"Fifty-four."

"That's not good. Is that all you have to declare?"

"Yes; for it is not likely that my three queens will turn out valueless."

"Indeed!" You then spread your sixiÈme major on the table, and say—sixteen and six make twenty-two; and quatorze of kings (you show them) ninety-six; and quatorze of aces, a hundred and ten.

These two quatorzes have all this time been hidden in your left hand.

Here I must explain, par parenthÈse, something which it will be necessary for my readers to know, so as to understand what follows. While continuing the counting of this coup de piquet, we will secretly prepare a coup d'ÉcartÉ, which we will execute after this game.

Let us take up the counting where we left off.

"A hundred and ten," we have said. "A hundred and eleven," you say, taking up the nine of spades of your sixiÈme, and putting it on one side—"a hundred and twelve," putting the ten on it; and, continuing your calculation, you do the same with the other four cards; with this difference, that when you come to the king, you put the ace before him, so that he may be the last card in the pack.

In finishing your counting, you put the three kings and the three aces on these six cards, which brings it to a hundred and twenty-three. This, with forty for the capot, makes a hundred and sixty-three.

The pack not being played out, the cards have not been shuffled, and it is easy, with the slight preparation I have just pointed out, to arrange the following coup.

PART I.
ÉCARTÉ.

An Amusing Game at ÉcartÉ.

According to the arrangement of the cards mentioned in the preceding trick, you have in hand six spades, three kings, and three aces, which you put on the pack.

You then take up, with apparent indifference, the three cards of your discard, which you have left close to yourself, and place them under the two first cards; then, by a false shuffle, you pass two of the undermost cards of the pack to the top.

This manoeuvre arranges the cards in the following manner:

Two indifferent cards.

Two spades.

Three indifferent cards.

Four spades—one of which is a king, and will serve as the turn-up card.

Afterwards come the three kings and three aces.

This operation is performed whilst a conversation is being carried on, and without your having declared your intention to continue playing; then you place the pack on the table.

"You see," say you, "the danger of playing at cards. A sharper would not make a joke of it, and, with such chances at his disposal, he would soon see the bottom of your purse."

"By the bye, do you know another game for two to play at? ÉcartÉ, for instance?"

"Yes; I do."

"Oh! very well! Then let us play a game at ÉcartÉ."

We take the pack already prepared; we make a false shuffle, a false cut, and we deal the cards.

"I am going to turn up the king," you say. "Here he is; and I have a handful of trumps." You throw down the five trumps in succession on the table, saying, "Trump, trump," &c., &c.

PART II.
CONTINUATION OF THE GAME.

Another Amusing Trick.

"The vole and the king. I mark three; it is your turn to deal," presenting the pack to your adversary; and, at the same time, drawing out five or six cards which you keep hidden in your hand, according to the principles laid down in the third chapter, figure 13.

The adversary shuffles the cards, and, that he shall not notice the diminution of the pack, you distract his attention by an animated conversation. Something in this style.

"Have you any knowledge of sleight of hand?"

"I don't think so."

"I am sorry for it, as I would have taught you a trick."

"Oh! that's of no consequence; show it to me all the same."

"With pleasure. But you must first practice a whole year to sauter la coupe," &c., &c. Your vis-À-vis then hands the cards to you to cut, and deals. Taking up your cards, you pass in underneath, those you had secreted, being careful to press them very forcibly one against the other.

"Ah! Well, what game did you say we were to play at?"

"At ÉcartÉ; I thought you said at ÉcartÉ."

"Then why do you give me so many cards?" spreading out the cards side by side.

"A false deal. You've lost your deal," you exclaim, at the same time passing with a rapid glance all the cards in review before you.

This hasty glance, rapid as it is, has been long enough to show you, out of these eleven or twelve cards, which is the dominant suit.

You select four of them, and, as you ought to recollect, the three kings and three aces were amongst them.

To the four above-mentioned you add the king and the ace of hearts, and place them all together at the bottom of the pack; then, by an operation similar to that described for piquet, whilst pretending to shuffle, you put on the top of the pack—

• 1. Four cards from the bottom.
• 2. Three indifferent cards from the middle.
• 3. Two cards from the bottom.
• 4. Two indifferent cards.

The pack is accordingly thus arranged for playing. Eleven prepared cards. That is to say—

• 1. Two chance cards.
• 2. Two hearts.
• 3. Three chance cards.
• 4. Three hearts.
• 5. A heart, as the turn-up card.

You make a false shuffle, a false cut, and then proceed to deal.

"I turned up the king just now," you observe, in finishing the deal. "This time I shall keep it in my own hand." You mark the king, and make the point, which wins the game.

PART III.
THE "COUP D'ÉCARTÉ."

In which your Adversary is made to Win.

Thus, as I have just explained, in collecting the cards, you select a sixiÈme-major in whichever suit you please, put it at the bottom of the pack, and add in succession the following:

• 1. One card from the bottom.
• 2. Three chance cards from the middle.
• 3. Three cards from the bottom.
• 4. Two chance cards from the middle.
• 5. Two cards from the bottom.

A false shuffle, a false cut, and then deal first two, then three.

In arranging your cards you must not let the king be the turn-up card.

PART IV.
A GAME AT ÉCARTÉ.

In which the Adversary loses a Bet he has made, judging from what he has already seen of the Hand of the Dealer.

Put on the top of the pack the following eleven cards:

• 1. The queen of hearts.
• 2. The ace of hearts.
• 3. The king of hearts.
• 4. The knave of hearts.
• 5. The ten of hearts.
• 6. The nine of hearts.
• 7. The king of diamonds.
• 8. The seven of hearts.
• 9. The seven of clubs.
• 10. The seven of spades.
• 11. The eight of hearts.

Then make a false shuffle, a false cut, and deal by twos and threes. The cards by this manoeuvre will be thus divided:

THE DEALER.

• The king of hearts.
• The knave of hearts.
• The seven of hearts.
• The seven of spades.
• The seven of clubs.

THE ADVERSARY.

• The queen of hearts.
• The ace of hearts.
• The ten of hearts.
• The nine of hearts.
• The king of diamonds.

The turn-up card is the eight of hearts.

"Oh! good Heavens!" you exclaim, laying down your trio of sevens on the table, "what dreadful cards!" But you are careful not to display the king and knave of hearts.

"But, notwithstanding" (you continue), "I have such luck, that even with this bad hand I may win the game after all."

Your adversary, knowing the splendid hand he holds, falls into the trap, and bets largely that he will make the point. He plays with confidence, but let him play as he will, he cannot help losing three tricks, as two of his trumps must fall to your small cards, and your seven of trumps will prevent his winning with the king of diamonds. You still have in your hand what is vulgarly called the "fourchette," or alternate cards, to win the game with.

PART V.
BACCARAT.

A Game of Baccarat which is advantageous to the Banquier.

You place at the bottom of the pack, sixteen cards in the following order:

• 1. A nine.
• 2. A court card.
• 3. A nine.
• 4. A court card.
• 5. A nine.
• 6. A court card.
• 7. A nine.
• 8. A court card.
• 9. An eight.
• 10. An ace.
• 11. An eight.
• 12. An ace.
• 13. An eight.
• 14. An ace.
• 15. An eight.
• 16. An ace.

CLASSIFICATION.

Place in succession on the top of the pack, sixteen times consecutively:

• 1. The last card.
• 2. Two chance cards.
• 3. The last.
• 4. Two chance cards, and so on.

A false cut, and deal one card at a time. The "banquier" will have, from the beginning, at each coup, nine or nineteen; and will in this way win on all sides.

This example of recreative cheating at baccarat, is only given as a specimen. A Greek would fear to win in this way, on so large a scale, and especially by these coups d'emblÉe.

PART VI.
IMPÉRIALE.

A Capot at ImpÉriale.

Put at the bottom of the pack the following thirteen cards:

• 1. Three kings.
• 2. Three queens.
• 3. A sixiÈme major in hearts.
• 4. A seven of hearts, as the turn-up card.

CLASSIFICATION.

Put in succession at the top of the pack:

• 1. The four last cards.
• 2. Three chance cards.
• 3. The three last cards.
• 4. Three chance cards.
• 5. The three last cards.
• 6. Three chance cards.
• 7. Three last cards.
• 8. Three chance cards.

After which a false cut, and deal three cards at a time. The dealer will have in his hand:

• 1. An impÉriale of kings.
• 2. An impÉriale of queens.
• 3. An impÉriale for the sixiÈme.

And when he has finished the hand, he will, besides the above, have two other impÉriales for the twelve tricks, which will give him the game.

PART VII.
WHIST.

A Game at Whist in which you gain every Trick.

Place on the top of the pack twelve cards of the same suit, and arrange them with a false shuffle, by the following operations:

1st. Having taken the thirteen cards in your right hand, put the last one on the top of the packet of the thirty-nine others, which you hold in your left hand.

2nd. Then immediately slide that card, with the three others which follow, on the packet in your right hand.

3rd. Afterwards, again slide the last of this packet on the top of those in your left hand, and proceed as before, to place them with three others, on the top of the pack.

Go on with this routine until the whole of the pack of cards in your left hand are finished.

This false shuffle is a most complete deception.

A false cut and deal.

With the thirteen trumps in his hand the dealer cannot fail to win every trick.

PART VIII.
A GAME AT WHIST.

In which each Player holds an entire Suit, but which, however, does not prevent the Dealer from winning every Trick.

All the cards must be separated in suits, namely: hearts, diamonds, spades, and clubs, one of each alternately, without reference as to their being high or low in their classification.

Make a false shuffle, and hand the cards to be cut, without any fear of their being disarranged by this proceeding.

They must be dealt one at the time.

After the deal, every person will have a sequence of thirteen cards, but the dealer will have the advantage of having all the trumps in his own hand.

PART IX.
BOUILLOTTE.

A Brelan-carrÉ, or Four Cards of the same sort.

Put at the bottom of the pack, four cards of the same sort, for instance, four sevens, four tens, &c.

Then, for the arrangement of them, put in succession on the pack:

• 1. The two last cards.
• 2. Three chance cards.
• 3. The last card.
• 4. Three chance cards.
• 5. The last card.
• 6. Three chance cards.

A false shuffle, and false cut; when you deal, you will have in your hand four cards of the same sort, whilst your adversaries will only hold what chance has given them, which, under any circumstances, will not be equal to what you have.

PART X.
A GAME AT BOUILLOTTE.

In which you win, after having induced your Adversaries to stake on their Cards.

Put the following thirteen cards under the pack:

• 1. Four nines.
• 2. Three queens.
• 3. Three kings.
• 4. Three aces.

Then put in succession, on the top of the pack:

• 1. The two last cards.
• 2. The third, the sixth and the ninth before the last.
• 3. The last card.
• 4. The second, the fourth and the sixth before the last.
• 5. The four last cards.

A false shuffle, a false cut, and deal.

Each player, possessing three cards of the same sort, feels almost certain of winning.

It is not surprising, therefore, that each person stakes on his cards; but the dealer, having four cards of the same sort, marks higher than any of his opponents; and is, of course, the winner.

PART XI.
BÉZIGUE.

A curious Game at BÉzigue, in which, with a single hand of Thirty-two Cards, you make, at the first "coup," five hundred and ten points, without your Adversary having been able to mark a single one.

This game is very amusing, and merits a description of its mise en scÈne. This we shall give after the cards are cut.

Put at the bottom of the pack, the seventeen cards which follow:

• 1. Ten of hearts.
• 2. Ten of clubs.
• 3. Ten of diamonds.
• 4. King of hearts.
• 5. King of clubs.
• 6. King of diamonds.
• 7. Ace of hearts.
• 8. Ace of clubs.
• 9. Ace of diamonds.
• 10. Ace of spades.
• 11. King of spades.
• 12. Queen of spades.
• 13. Knave of spades.
• 14. Ten of spades.
• 15. Nine of spades,
• 16. Seven of spades.
• 17. Eight of spades.

CLASSIFICATION, UNDER PRETENCE OF SHUFFLING.

Place in succession on the top of the pack:

• 1. The five last (five spades).
• 2. Three indifferent cards.
• 3. Three cards from the bottom of the pack (three spades).
• 4. Four indifferent cards.

The classification above mentioned, ought to answer for both packs. The "talon," or stock, must then be arranged, so that all the cards necessary for you to win the game with will come successively into your hands. For this purpose, you must change the form of your false shuffle, and continue thus:

1st. Take in your right hand, the fourteen first cards, which have been placed on the top of the pack.

2nd. Hold the rest of the pack in your left hand between the thumb and four fingers, then slip in successively under the packet in your right hand:

1st. With the thumb of the left hand, the cards on the top of this packet.

2nd. With the four fingers of the same hand, the bottom card of the same packet.

3rd. With the thumb of the left hand, the upper card, and so on, to the end of the packet.

To be certain that you are doing it all right, you have only to look at the last card, which ought to be a ten.

The cards should appear in the following order:

• 1. Three useless cards.
• 2. Three good cards.
• 3. Three useless cards.
• 4. Three good cards.
• 5. The seven of spades (the turn-up card).
• 6. The eight of spades.
• 7. A useless card.
• 8. The ace of hearts.
• 9. A useless card.

And in the same way for the aces, the three kings, and the three tens, which ought to be separated from each other by indifferent cards.

Then a false cut, and deal three cards at a time.

"When the game of BÉzigue was first invented," you say to your adversary, "they used to play with the same number of cards as at Piquet, making five hundred points the game; and, in consequence of the small quantity of cards, each player had never more than six cards in his hand at a time. Let us do things as they ought to be done, and play it in that way."

You deal—"Three, three, three, three," you say, and turn up a seven of spades, which marks ten points	10
The dealer has a sequence of six in spades.
"I beg to inform you, sir, before looking at my hand, that whatever be the card you may play, I shall take it with the nine of trumps, so as to count a mariage in that suit."
You take up your cards.
"You see I am right. I take the trick and mark forty	40
"I am now going to draw out of the talon the eight of trumps, with which I shall take the trick again, in order to mark my two hundred and fifty	250
	300
"I require two hundred points yet to win the game. Let us see what will be the most expeditious mode of doing so. The four aces will count a hundred, for example."
You take in an ace.
You then play one of your trumps to be the first to draw, and, each time you draw, you say, "Here is another,—now another," &c., until you have drawn out the fourth ace.
"This ought to be the ace of ..." (as the other three aces have been named before drawing, you can name the suit of this last ace without hesitation).
"I mark a hundred"	100
"Let us now endeavour to get eighty for the four kings. Here is one, now another, &c., and here is the fourth. I mark eighty	80

"Remember, sir, that I warned you that I would make five hundred points, before you marked one. But if you have the brisques (the four tens) you may count them. I will, however, save you unnecessary trouble, by getting them myself," and you take them in, one after the other.

"The turn-up card is yours by right, but, that it may not injure me I am going to trump it, which makes me game. Thus, ten for the last card, and twenty for brisques, make thirty, which, added to four hundred and eighty, make five hundred and ten."

It must be understood, that in this game you must take every trick, so as to be always the first to play.

This game is certainly a difficult one to play, but it has the advantage of producing a very brilliant effect.

PART XII.
A "COUP DE PIQUET."

In which you repique with Cartes-blanches,N and gain the Game in spite of being capoted. This Game consists of one hundred points.

Arrange a pack of cards beforehand in the following manner:

• 1. Ace of diamonds.
• 2. King of diamonds.
• 3. Queen of diamonds.
• 4. Ten of clubs.
• 5. Nine of clubs.
• 6. Eight of clubs.
• 7. Knave of diamonds.
• 8. Ten of diamonds.
• 9. Ace of spades.
• 10. Seven of clubs.
• 11. Ten of hearts.
• 12. Nine of hearts.
• 13. Queen of spades.
• 14. Knave of spades.
• 15. Nine of spades.
• 16. Eight of hearts.
• 17. Seven of hearts.
• 18. Nine of diamonds.
• 19. Seven of spades.
• 20. Ace of hearts.
• 21. Ace of clubs.
• 22. Eight of diamonds.
• 23. Seven of diamonds.
• 24. Eight of spades.
• 25. King of hearts.
• 26. Queen of hearts.
• 27. King of clubs.
• 28. King of spades.
• 29. Ten of spades.
• 30. Queen of clubs.
• 31. Knave of clubs.
• 32. Knave of hearts.

As this arrangement of the cards, would be much too long a proceeding to enact before your adversary, the best plan is to have a pack of cards ready prepared, and to exchange them for those on the table, before beginning to play.

Make a false cut, and deal three at a time.

After which, you commence by showing cartes-blanches (which counts ten), then discard the seven, eight, and nine of diamonds; and, if required, the eight of spades. If your adversary leaves, as he ought to do, a card on the talon, you have, by the rentrÉe of the queen of clubs, the knave of clubs, and the knave of hearts, a sixiÈme in clubs, and a quint in hearts, with which you repique, and make a hundred and seven points. You will be the winner, even if you are capoted.

For, your adversary having discarded, according to the rules of the game, the queen, knave, nine, and seven of spades, has taken for his rentrÉe the king and queen of hearts, the king of clubs, and the king of spades.

He will hold in his hand a quint major in diamonds, a quatorze of aces, and a quatorze of kings, with which, had they been good, he would have made one hundred and forty-nine points.

PART XIII.
A CLEVER "COUP DE PIQUET."

In which you allow your adversary to choose:—1st. In what suit he would like to be capoted and repiqued; 2nd. Whether he wishes to have the cards dealt to him by twos or by threes; 3rd. To select whichever of the packs he pleases.

The following is the order that the cards must be placed in, before you hand them to be cut:O

• 1. The queen of clubs.
• 2. The nine of clubs.
• 3. The eight of clubs.
• 4. *The seven of clubs.
• 5. The ace of hearts.
• 6. The king of hearts.
• 7. The knave of hearts.
• 8. The ten of hearts.
• 9. The queen of hearts.
• 10. The nine of hearts.
• 11. The eight of hearts.
• 12. *The seven of hearts.
• 13. The ace of spades.
• 14. The king of spades.
• 15. The knave of spades.
• 16. The ten of spades.
• 17. The queen of spades.
• 18. The nine of spades.
• 19. The eight of spades.
• 20. *The seven of spades.
• 21. The ace of diamonds.
• 22. The king of diamonds.
• 23. The knave of diamonds.
• 24. The ten of diamonds.
• 25. The queen of diamonds.
• 26. The nine of diamonds.
• 27. The eight of diamonds.
• 28. *The seven of diamonds.
• 29. The ace of clubs.
• 30. The king of clubs.
• 31. The knave of clubs.
• 32. The ten of clubs.

The four cards marked with an asterisk are large cards.

By the arrangement of the cards in the order above, it is evident that, if the pack is cut where one of the large cards, which are the last of each suit, is placed, there will always remain in the talon eight cards of the same suit; consequently, if your adversary wishes to be repiqued in clubs, in cutting the pack at the first large card, which is the seven of clubs, you necessarily put the eight clubs at the bottom of the pack, and you will have for your rentrÉe a quint major in clubs.

This will be the case with all the suits in cutting at the seventh card.

Your adversary having expressed a wish to be repiqued in clubs, his wish will be gratified if the cards are dealt two at a time.

If, on the contrary, your adversary wishes to have the cards dealt in threes, the following will be the result:

When your adversary has named the suit in which he wishes to be repiqued, and which we will suppose to be clubs, you must cut at the seven of this suit, and then tell him he is at liberty to have the cards dealt to him in twos or threes, whichever he pleases.

The cards having been dealt out, either in one way or the other, you then tell your adversary that he may, before looking at them, select whichever of the packs of cards he likes, provided he will agree to be second hand.

Should the cards have been given in twos, and each one retains his own hand, you must discard the nines of hearts, spades, and diamonds, and two queens of any suit.

The rentrÉe will be a quint major in clubs, a quatorze of aces, and a quatorze of kings, with which, of course, you make a repique.

If, on the contrary, your adversary chooses to be the first player, you will discard the sevens of hearts, spades, and diamonds, and two eights of any suit. This will give you, for your rentrÉe, the same quint in clubs, a quatorze of queens, and a quatorze of knaves, which will equally produce a repique.

If your adversary, instead of having the cards dealt in twos, prefers that they should be given in threes, and that he keeps his own hand, you must discard the king, the eight and the seven of hearts, and the nine and eight of spades, so as to have for your rentrÉe a quint major in clubs, a tierce from the queen in diamonds, three aces, three queens, and three knaves, with which you repique.

If he chooses to be the first player, you will discard the queen and the nine of hearts, the knave and the seven of spades, and the ace of diamonds.

By this you will have, for your rentrÉe, the same quint major in clubs, a tierce from the nine in diamonds, three kings, and three tens, which will make twenty-nine points. In playing, you will only make sixty the game. Although we have supposed the repique to have been asked for in clubs by your adversary, it must be clearly understood, that it may be similarly done in any other suit; and it is only necessary, as has been already explained at the beginning of this chapter, to cut at the seven of the suit called for.

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