In each part of the declaration, the Younger hand may choose to contest the Elder’s claim. By doing so, the Younger may reveal information that would be useful during the trick-taking phase, called the play. Likewise, the Elder may choose not to reveal information in one or more parts of the declaration.

The Point

If the Elder has at least four cards in a suit, they may make a declaration. For example, “Point of four”.

The Younger would then respond indicating that they had more, fewer, or the same number of cards in a suit. This is done by saying “Good” (the Elder has more and wins the point), “Not good” (the Elder has fewer), or by saying “Making?” or “How many?”, indicating that the Younger has the same number of cards in a suit, which requires clarification.

If both players have the same number of cards in a suit, then they must tally the value of the cards. The values of the cards are: ace = 11, face cards = 10, and face value for the rest.

After adding the values of the cards, the Elder calls out the number. The Younger may then say “Good”, if the Elder’s value is greater, or “Not good” and the number that wins the point. For example: “Not good: 39″ or “Not good, I have 39″. If the values are the same, Younger says “Equal”.

The player with the better point scores the number of cards in the suit, not their value. If the values are the same, neither player scores. Note that Younger does not actually score for any declarations until Elder has led to the first trick in the play (see below).

The Sequence

The next part of the declaration is the sequence, in which the longest consecutive run of cards is valued. A sequence must have at least three cards and they must all be in the same suit.

Again, the Elder hand starts. For example, “Run of three” or “Sequence of four”. The Younger then responds with “Good” or “Not good”, in the same way as before, or by contesting. To contest, the Younger says “How high?”, to which the Elder responds with the highest card in the sequence. For example, “To the queen”. Younger replies with “Good”, “Not good” or “Equal”.

In keeping with the game’s ancestry, one may utilize the historical names for sequences in this part of the declaration, instead of the prosaic “Run of three”, for example. The following are the proper names and their associated values:

• 3, tierces (pronounced tier-s) are worth 3 points
• 4, quarts (carts) are worth 4 points
• 5, quints (cants) are worth 15 points
• 6, sixieme (seize yem) are worth 16 points
• 7, septieme (set yem) are worth 17 points
• 8, huitieme (wheet yem) are worth 18 points

The person winning the sequence may declare any additional sequences that he has, if desired. If both players’ best sequences are equal then neither player may score for any sequences.

The Set

A set is three or four of a kind, ten or greater (7’s, 8’s, and 9’s don’t count). Sets of three are called trios (tree ohz) and are worth 3 points, and sets of four, quatorzes (cat orz), are worth 14 points. The declarations take place in the same manner as Point and Sequence, with Elder stating his best set (for example, “Three Kings”), to which Younger replies “Good” or “Not good”.

The person with the best set may declare any additional sets that he has, if desired.

Repique and Pique

If a player scores 30 points in the declaration phase and his opponent scores nothing, including Carte Blanche, and if neither point nor sequence were equal, that player gains a repique, which is worth an additional 60 points.

If Elder scores 30 points in declarations and play combined, before Younger scores any, then Elder gains a pique and scores an additional 30 points. Note that Younger cannot gain a pique because Elder always scores one point for leading to the first trick (see below).

By the end of the declaration, each player will have a pretty good idea of the other’s hand (to the degree that each chose to claim their points).

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Each game consists of a partie of six deals (partie meaning part in French). The player scoring the most points wins (see the scoring section for further details).

The Cut

The player who draws the highest card on the initial cut may choose to deal the first hand. The deal alternates for each hand in the partie. It is preferable to deal first so as not to deal the last hand. Dealing puts a player at a disadvantage.

The Deal

Cards are dealt 12 to each player, with the remaining eight forming the talon, which is placed face-down between the players. The talon may be split by the dealer into two piles of five and three cards, respectively.

The dealer is referred to as the Younger hand and the non-dealer, the Elder hand.

Carte Blanche

After the deal, players sort their cards in their hands. If a player has no face cards in their hand, then they may declare Carte Blanche, which is worth 10 points. This done by quickly showing their hand to the opponent while saying “Carte Blanche”.

A hand of this type is fairly rare, and often scores poorly, so it is usually advantageous to declare it, despite the tactical disadvantage of giving information to the opponent.

Carte Blanche must be declared prior to exchanging cards. Only one player may declare Carte Blanche. The Elder hand exchanges their cards first, so they have the advantage here. The Younger hand must wait until the Elder exchanges their cards. If the Elder has not declared Carte Blanche, then the younger may.

Exchanging Cards

The goal of exchanging cards is to improve your hand before the declaration and the play.

The Elder hand exchanges first. This is done by taking one to five cards from the hand and placing them face down. An equal number is then drawn from the talon. The player must state how many cards they intend to exchange if fewer than the maximum. If the Elder chooses to take fewer than the maximum, they may then look at the remainder if they like (which are the first ones that the Younger will take).

The Younger hand exchanges next. Again, at least one card must be exchanged. The younger may also exchange up to five cards, depending on how many the Elder exchanged. If the Elder exchanged all five, then obviously the Younger may only exchange up to three.

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

French Piquet deck

Piquet is a card game for two players. It is considered by many to be one of the best two player card games. Pronounced “pee-kay” in France, it is usually pronounced “picket” in English speaking countries.

Piquet is one of the oldest card games still being played. It originated over 500 years ago, with a written reference dating back to at least 1534, in Gargantua and Pantagruel by Rabelais.

The card game Piquet is said to have derived its name from that of its inventor, who contrived it to amuse Charles VI of France. The game was played with thirty two cards, that is, discarding out of the pack all the deuces, treys, fours, fives, and sixes. Regular piquet-packs were sold. In reckoning up the points, every card counted for its value, as ten for ten, nine for nine, and so on down to seven, which was, of course, the lowest; but the ace reckoned for eleven. All court cards reckoned for ten. As in other games, the ace won the king, the king the queen, and so on, to the knave, which won the ten. The cards were dealt at option by fours, threes, or twos, to the number of twelve, which was the hand — ‘discarding’ being allowed; but both the dealer and he that led were obliged to discard at least one card. When the cards were played out, each counted his tricks; and he that had most reckoned 10 for winning the cards; if the tricks were equal, neither reckoned at all. He who, without playing (that is, according to the various terms of the game), could reckon up 30 in hand, when his antagonist reckoned nothing, scored 90 for them; this was called a repic; and all above 30 counted so many, — 32 counting 92, and so on. He who could make up 30, part in hand and part by play, before the other made anything, scored 60; this was called a pic.

The game was also played as pool precisely according to the rules briefly sketched as above, the penalty for losing being a guinea to the pool.

Piquet required much practice to play it well. It became so great a favourite that, by the middle of the 18th century, the meanest people were well acquainted with it, and ‘let into all the tricks and secrets of it, in order to render them complete sharpers.’ Such are the words of an old author, who adds that the game was liable to great imposition, and he explains the methods in use. Short cards were used for cutting, as in Whist, at the time. Of these cards there were two sorts, one longer than the rest; and the advantage gained by them was as the adversary managed it, by cutting the longer or broader, as best suited his purpose, or imposing on the dealer, when it was his turn, to cut those which made most against him. The aces, kings, queens, and knaves were marked with dots at the corners, and in the very old book from which I am quoting precise directions are given how this marking can be effected in such a manner ‘as not to be discovered by your adversary, and at the same time appear plain to yourself.’ With a fine pointed pen and some clear spring water, players made dots upon the glazed card at the corners according to the above method; or they coloured the water with india ink, to make the marks more conspicuous. The work concludes as follows: — ‘There are but 32 cards made use of at Piquet, so that just half of them will be known to you; and in dealing you may have an opportunity to give yourself those you like best; and if you cannot conveniently change the pack according to your desire, you will commonly know what you are to take in, which is a demonstrative advantage to win any one’s money.’

Although much reduced in popularity these days, Piquet continues to enjoy a small but enthusiastic following, many of whom believe it to be the equal or even the superior of Cribbage as a card game for two. One famous enthusiast for the game is the author Richard Adams.

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Game play

The dealer or banker stakes a certain sum, and this must be met by the nearest to the dealer first, and so on. When the stake is met, the dealer turns up two cards, one to the right, — the latter for himself, the former for the table or the players. He then keeps on turning up the cards until either of the cards is matched, which constitutes the winning, — as, for instance, suppose the five of diamonds is his card, then should the five of any other suit turn up, he wins. If he loses, then the next player on the left becomes banker and proceeds in the same way.

When the dealer’s card turns up, he may take the stake and pass the bank; or he may allow the stake to remain, whereat of course it becomes doubled if met. He can continue thus as long as the cards turn up in his favour — having the option at any moment of giving up the bank and retiring for that time. If he does that, the player to whom he passes the bank has the option of continuing it at the same amount at which it was left. The pool may be made up by contributions of all the players in certain proportions. The terms used respecting the standing of the stake are, ‘I’ll see’ (à moi le tout) and Je tiens. When jumelle (twins), or the turning up of similar cards on both sides, occurs, then the dealer takes half the stake.

Sometimes there is a run of several consecutive winnings; but on one occasion, on board one of the Cunard steamers, a banker at the game turned up in his own favour I think no less than eighteen times. The original stake was only six pence; but had each stake been met as won, the final doubling would have amounted to the immense sum of L3,236 16s.! This will appear by the following scheme: –

            L   s.  d.                  L       s.    d.
1st turn up 0   0   6     10th turn up  12      16    0
2nd   ,,    0   1   0     11th  ,,      25      12    0
3rd   ,,    0   2   0     12th  ,,      51      4     0
4th   ,,    0   4   0     13th  ,,      102     8     0
5th   ,,    0   8   0     14th  ,,      204     16    0
6th   ,,    0   16  0     15th  ,,      409     12    0
7th   ,,    1   12  0     16th  ,,      819     4     0
8th   ,,    3   4   0     17th  ,,      1,618   8     0
9th   ,,    6   8   0     18th  ,,      3,236   16    0

In fair play, as this is represented to have been, such a long sequence of matches must be considered very remarkable, although six or seven is not unfrequent.

Unfortunately, however, there is a very easy means by which card sharpers manage the thing to perfection. They prepare beforehand a series of a dozen cards arranged as follows: –

1st Queen     6th  Nine
2nd Queen     7th  Nine
3rd Ten       8th  Ace
4th Seven     9th  Eight
5th Ten       10th Ace

Series thus arranged are placed in side pockets outside the waistcoat, just under the left breast. When the sharper becomes banker he leans negligently over the table, and in this position his fingers are as close as possible to the prepared cards, termed portees. At the proper moment he seizes the cards and places them on the pack. The trick is rendered very easy by the fact that the card-sharper has his coat buttoned at the top, so that the lower part of it lies open and permits the introduction of the hand, which is completely masked.

Some sharpers are skilful enough to take up some of the matches already dealt, which they place in their costieres, or side-pockets above described, in readiness for their next operation; others keep them skilfully hidden in their hand, to lay them, at the convenient moment, upon the pack of cards. By this means, the pack is not augmented [Robert Houdin, Les Tricheries des Grecs dévoilées].

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Online scratch cards are the online version of lottery scratch cards. Online scratch cards are played by clicking on designated areas to reveal information used in determining the card’s prize value. These online companies provide various cards, and there are a few dedicated companies that provide this activity.

Some online scratch card can offer better odds than the lottery scratch cards, usually purchased at stands. The company is responsible for determining the chance of winning.

Online scratch card types

Online scratch cards can be divided into two groups: web-based scratch cards and download-based scratch cards; some companies offer both.

Web-based online scratch cards

Web based is the most common form of online scratch cards. For the web based online cards, the website users may directly play cards without loading any software to the local computer. Games are presented in the browser plugin Macromedia Flash and require browser support for this plugin.

Download based online scratch cards

On these websites, users must download certain software to play the online cards. After installing the software, it connects the online card service provider and handles contact without browser support.

Games offered

A typical selection of games on offer at an Online Scratch Card might include: Fantazy slot, Bowling, Mega Safe and Slot Super 7.

Bonuses

Many online Scratch card companies offer large bonuses. Often a “100% match up bonus”. For example, common terms and conditions for a bonus may go as follows:

• 100% up to $100
• Must wager 20 times the bonus before withdrawing

For a specific example, this would mean that a player depositing $100 would start with $200 in his/her account. He/She must make $2000 ($100 & times; 20) in wagers before withdrawing. Any card played will count towards the wager requirement.

Player Fraud

Sometimes players are deceitful or irresponsible. In the most common cases of player fraud, the player signs up for multiple accounts on a card site using fake names to repeat the bonus more than once. Online scratch card companies do not tolerate such behavior and will usually lock the account or accounts of the player responsible, and may inform other scratch card sites or the software provider to keep the player out of other scratch card sites.

Links

• Scratch2cash (http://www.Scratch2cash.com)
• Gamblers Anonymous (http://www.gamblersanonymous.org)
• History of Scratch Cards (http://www.borntoloaf.co.uk/jackpotjoy.htm)

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Little known to most players, the suits of the tiles are money-based. In ancient China, the copper coins had a square hole in the center. People passed a rope through the holes to tie coins into strings. These strings are usually in groups of 100 coins called diao (弔 or variant 吊) or 1000 coins called guan (貫). Mahjong’s connection to the ancient Chinese currency system is consistent with its alleged derivation from the game named ma diao (馬吊).

In the mahjong suits, the coppers represent the coins; the ropes are actually strings of 100 coins; and the character myriad represents 10,000 coins or 100 strings. When a hand received the maximium allowed winning of a round, it is called man guan (滿貫, lit. full string of coin.)

A Mahjong game is described in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie, ending with the very unusual event of a player getting a complete winning hand on the initial draw. This success makes the character unduly talkative, which leads to significant plot developments.

British superspy James Bond plays a dangerous game of mahjong in Zero Minus Ten, a suspense novel by Raymond Benson.

In the 1940 film Charlie Chan’s Murder Cruise, the title character remarks, In China, mahjong very simple; in America very complex – like modern life.

The character that translates to “centre” is found on the super-hero suit worn by The Greatest American Hero. Since the character is typically painted red, the tile is commonly called “red centre.” For this reason the HongKong TV station TVB named the Chinese-dubbed The Greatest American Hero “the Flying Red Centre Hero” [飛天紅中俠]. (ABC, 1981-83).

Mahjong is featured in Amy Tan’s novel The Joy Luck Club, and its 1993 film adaptation.

Mahjong has always appeared in one way or another in Hong Kong made movies or TV drama, since it is considered as a “daily life” of a Chinese lifestyle. Two recent Cantonese movies, Fat Choi Spirit and Kung Fu Mahjong, parody the game’s subculture.

The tile that translates to “Red Dragon” is used as a major plot point in the same titled Thomas Harris novel, as well as its two film adaptations, Manhunter and Red Dragon.

Graham Edwards’ Stone trilogy features mahjong prominently. Much of the books’ imagery focuses around the mahjong symbols, and one character owns a set of mahjong tiles, on which she paints throughout the trilogy.

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

A scratchcard (also called scratch off, scratch game, scratch ticket, scratcher or scratchie) is a small piece of card where an area has been covered by a substance that cannot be seen through, but can be scratched off. Under this area are concealed the items/pictures that must be ‘found’ in order to win. It is a form of gambling.Simple scratchcards require the player to match three (or varying numbers) of the same prize amounts. If this is accomplished, they win that amount. More complicated scratchcards have several different ways to win on one card. Other scratchcards involve matching symbols, pictures or words, or are adaptions of popular (card-)games like Blackjack, Poker or Monopoly.

There are also online versions of the same game which utilize Flash and Java to simulate the experience on a computer.

Scratchcards are a very popular form of gambling due to their low cost. You can also win instantly as opposed to waiting for a drawing like many lotteries.

The low cost to buy a scratchcard is offset by the smaller prizes and lower expected value, compared to casino jackpots or lottery wins. There is a trend towards more expensive scratchcards (20-30USD) that have prizes in the millions of dollars.

The other recent change in scratchcards is the increasing attempts to predict which cards have prizes. In the past, scratchcards have been a random impulse purchase. Now, there are amateur and professional efforts to track the number of prizes won and cards sold so people have access to the current odds on all the games available.

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

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This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Need an webmaster? Click HERE

A scratchcard (also called scratch off, scratch game, scratch ticket, scratcher or scratchie) is a small piece of card where an area has been covered by a substance that cannot be seen through, but can be scratched off. Under this area are concealed the items/pictures that must be ‘found’ in order to win. It is a form of gambling.Simple scratchcards require the player to match three (or varying numbers) of the same prize amounts. If this is accomplished, they win that amount. More complicated scratchcards have several different ways to win on one card. Other scratchcards involve matching symbols, pictures or words, or are adaptions of popular (card-)games like Blackjack, Poker or Monopoly.

There are also online versions of the same game which utilize Flash and Java to simulate the experience on a computer.

Scratchcards are a very popular form of gambling due to their low cost. You can also win instantly as opposed to waiting for a drawing like many lotteries.

The low cost to buy a scratchcard is offset by the smaller prizes and lower expected value, compared to casino jackpots or lottery wins. There is a trend towards more expensive scratchcards (20-30USD) that have prizes in the millions of dollars.

The other recent change in scratchcards is the increasing attempts to predict which cards have prizes. In the past, scratchcards have been a random impulse purchase. Now, there are amateur and professional efforts to track the number of prizes won and cards sold so people have access to the current odds on all the games available.

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There are certain cards and card combinations that are likely to be beneficial to a hand, so a non-dealer should try to keep them in his hand and the dealer should try to keep any good combinations together, either in his hand or in the crib. It is less beneficial to plan for the play. Obviously pairs, runs and combinations totalling fifteen are good. Other things to look out for are:

• Fives – Since 4 out of every thirteen cards are worth 10, there’s a good chance that a 5 in the crib will help make 15’s, and even in hand. A five thrown in a crib will result in at least two points. There is no 5-card combination including a 5 that totals less than 2 points.
• Sevens and eights – Not only total 15, but have a chance of meeting a 6 or 9 and completing a run.
• Threes, sixes and nines – Likely to combine to 15 (69, 366, 339, etc.).
• In “old game” (2 players, 5 cards) the crib (which has more cards) is the most plentiful source of points, and the split of the hand should reflect this. Players must be prepared to sabotage their own hand, to avoid giving their opponent a high-scoring crib.

The play

Some of these tactics will only work in a two-player game (with more players it is harder to devise a strategy). If you play first:

• Don’t lead a five; chances are your opponent has a ten or face card and can easily make 15 for two points.
• Playing a four or less guarantees that your opponent can’t make 15 – the best they can do is to complete the pair (which there is no defense against unless you hold at least two of a given card).
• Other than the above, if you have two cards totalling fifteen, play one; that way if your opponent takes the score to fifteen for two, you can complete the pair to get two yourself.
• If you have a 7 and a 9 or an 8 and a 9, play the 7 or 8. Chances are that your opponent will play for the 15, giving you a run of 3 with the 9.

In general:

• Play a card from a pair; if your opponent completes the pair for two, you can smugly complete a triple for six (make sure there will be room for your play).
• If you play a card where the next higher or lower card would make fifteen and you have the next card in the sequence (i.e. you play an 8 and hold a 6 or 9), you can make a run of three if your opponent makes fifteen.
• Try to keep small cards, making it more likely that you play the last card for a point or even 31 for two. When pegging first, however, leading a card lower than five prevents the next player from immediately scoring a fifteen.
• Leading with a 6 or a 9 is generally considered a bad play, although there are situations when it can be advantageous.
• Avoid making the count 21 if at all possible. There are 16 cards in the deck (30.8% of deck) with a value of 10, so making the count 21 gives your opponent a good chance to get 2 points for 31.

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