My Book of Indoor Games Part 10

PAPER AND PENCIL GAMES

BIRDS, BEASTS, AND FISHES

Take your pencil and write upon the top of your paper the words, "Birds, Beasts, and Fishes." Then tell your companion that you are going to think of, for instance, an animal. Put down the first and last letters of the name, filling in with crosses the letters that have been omitted. For example, write down on the paper C*******e.

Your companion would have to think of all the animals' names that he could remember which contained nine letters, and commenced with the letter C and ended with "e." If the second player after guessing several times "gives it up," the first player would tell him that the animal thought of was "Crocodile," and would then think of another Bird, Beast, or Fish, and write it down in a similar manner. If, however, the name of the animal be guessed, then it would be the second player's turn to take the paper and pencil.

NOUGHTS AND CROSSES

[Ill.u.s.tration]

This is a game every boy or girl thoroughly enjoys. Take paper, and with a pencil draw four cross lines as shown:

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Two persons only can play at this game, one player taking "noughts,"

the other "crosses." The idea is for the one player to try and draw three "noughts" in a line before the other player can do the same with three "crosses." Supposing the player who places his "O" in the right-hand top corner, the player who has taken the "crosses" will perhaps place an "X" in the left-hand top corner. The next "O" would be placed in the bottom left-hand corner; then to prevent the line of three "noughts" being completed, the second player would place his "X"

in the center square. An "O" would then be immediately placed in the right-hand bottom corner, so that wherever the "X" was placed by the next player, the "noughts" would be bound to win. Say, for instance, the "X" has chosen the "noughts" commences and was placed in the center square on the right-hand side, the place for the "O" to be put would be the center square at the bottom, thus securing the game. The diagram would then appear as ill.u.s.trated:

"t.i.t, TAT, TOE"

[Ill.u.s.tration]

There can be two, three, or four players for this game. First take paper and pencil and write the players' names across the top of the paper in the order in which they are to play. Next draw a large circle, in the center of which draw a smaller one, placing the number 100 within it. The s.p.a.ce between the inner and outer circles must be divided into parts, each having a number, as shown in the diagram.

This having been done, the first player closes his eyes, takes the pencil, and places his hand over the paper, the point of the pencil just touching it. He then repeats the following rhyme, moving the pencil round and round while doing so:

t.i.t, tat, toe, My first go, Four jolly butcher boys All in a row.

Stick one up, Stick one down, Stick one in The old man's crown.

At the word "crown" the player must keep the point of the pencil firmly on the paper, and open his eyes. If the pencil is not within the circle, or if within but with the point of the pencil resting upon a line, then the player gives the pencil to the next player, having scored nothing.

If, on the contrary, at the end of the rhyme, the pencil is found to be resting in a division of the circle, for instance, marked "70,"

that number is placed beneath the player's name, and the section is struck by drawing a line across it. If afterward the pencil rest in a division of the circle that has been struck out, the player loses his turn in the same way as if the pencil were not in the circle at all, or had rested upon a line of the diagram.

The game continues until all the divisions of the circle have been scored out, when the numbers gained by each of the players are added up, and the one who has scored the highest number of points wins the game.

CARD GAMES

SPECULATION

Speculation is a game at which any number of persons may play. The stakes are made with counters or nuts, and the value of the stakes is settled by the company. The highest trump in each deal wins the pool.

When the dealer has been chosen, he puts, say, six counters in the pool and every other player puts four; three cards are given to each person, though they must be dealt one at a time; another card is then turned up, and called the trump card. The cards must be left upon the table, but the player on the left-hand side of the dealer turns up his top card so that all may see it. If it is a trump card, that is to say, if it is of the same suit as the card the dealer turned up, the owner may either keep his card or sell it, and the other players bid for it in turn. Of course, the owner sells it for the highest price he can get.

The next player then turns up his card, keeps it or sells it, and so the game goes on until all the cards have been shown and disposed of, and then the player who holds the highest trump either in his own hand or among the cards he has bought, takes the pool, and there is another deal.

Should none of the other players have a trump card in his hand, and the turn-up card not having been purchased by another player, the dealer takes the pool.

If any one look at his cards out of turn, he can be made to turn all three up, so that the whole company can see them.

ALL FOURS

This game takes its name from the four chances or points of which it consists, namely, "High," "Low," "Jack," and "Game." It may be played by two or four players, but the same rules apply to each.

The four points, which have been already mentioned, count as follows: "High," the highest trump out; the holder scores one point. "Low," the lowest trump out; the original holder of it scores one point even if it is taken by his adversary. "Jack," the knave of trumps; the holder scores one point, unless it be won by his adversary, in which case the winner scores one. "Game," the greatest number of tricks gained by either party; reckoning for each Ace four toward game, each King three toward game, each Queen two toward game, each Jack one toward game, each Ten ten toward game.

The other cards do not count toward game; thus it may happen that a deal may be played without either party having any to score for "Game."

When the players hold equal numbers, the dealer does not score.

[Plate 4]

Begging is when the player next the dealer does not like his cards and says, "I beg," in which case the dealer must either let him score one, saying, "Take one," or give three more cards from the pack to all the players and then turn up the next card for trumps; if the trump turned up is the same suit as the last, the dealer must give another three cards until a different suit turns up trumps. In playing this game the ace is the highest card and the deuce (the two) is the lowest.

Having shuffled and cut a pack of cards, the dealer gives six to each player. If there be two playing, he turns up the thirteenth card for trumps; if four are playing, he turns up the twenty-fifth. Should the turn-up be a jack, the dealer scores one point. The player next the dealer looks at his hand and either holds it or "begs," as explained.

The game then begins by the player next the dealer leading a card, the others following suit, the highest card taking the trick, and so on until the six tricks have been won. When the six tricks are played, the points are taken for High, Low, Jack, and Game.

Should no player have either a court card or a ten, the player next to the dealer scores the point for the game. If only one trump should be out, it counts both High and Low to the player who first has it. The first great thing in this game is to try and win the jack; next you must try and make the tens; and you must also try and win the tricks.

SNAP

The pack of cards is dealt round, face downward, and each player packs his cards together, without looking at them, and then places them in front of him.

The first player then turns up the top card of his pack, the next does the same, and so on in turn; but, as soon as a player turns up a card corresponding in number to the one already lying, uncovered, on the table, one of the two to whom the cards belong cries, "Snap."

Whichever succeeds in saying it first takes, not only the snap card of the other player, but all the cards he has already turned up, and also those he has himself turned up. The cards he wins must be placed at the bottom of his own pack.

The one who succeeds in winning all the cards wins the game. It is necessary to be very attentive and very quick if you want to be successful at this game.

There is a game very similar to the above called "Animal Snap." Each player takes the name of an animal, and instead of crying "Snap," he must cry the name of the animal chosen by the player who turned up the last card. For instance, suppose a five be turned up and a player who has chosen the name of "Tiger" turn up another five, instead of crying "Snap," "Tiger" would be called if "Tiger" did not succeed in crying the other player's name first.

SNIP, SNAP, SNORUM