ALL-FOURS
The game, sometimes called Old-Sledge and Seven-Up, is played
with a full pack of fifty-two cards, which take rank as at Whist--
the Ace being the highest and the Deuce the lowest.
DEALING
The players cut for deal, the highest card having the deal. The
dealer then gives six cards to each player, three at a time, and turns
up the thirteenth, if there be two players, and the twenty-fifth if
there be four. The turn-up is the trump.
BEGGING
The non-dealer then looks at his hand, and determines whether he
will hold it for play, or beg. If he is satisfied with his hand, he says,
"I stand;" but if he is not satisfied with his cards, he says, "I beg,"
in which case the dealer must either suffer his adversary to score
one point, saying, "Take one," or give each three more cards from
the pack, and then turn up the next card, the seventh for trumps; if,
however, the trump turned up be of the same suit as the first, the
dealer must go on, giving each three cards more, and turning up
the seventh, until a change of suit for trump takes place.
PLAYING THE HAND
After these preliminaries have been settled, the eldest hand leads a
card, and the dealer plays a card to it; these two cards constitute a
trick.
The player who plays the highest card of the suit led, or trumps,
wins the trick, and has the next lead. The play proceeds in this way
until all the tricks are played.
SCORING
The points that may be scored are herewith given in their order of
precedence:
High.--The highest trump out; the holder scores one point.
Low.--The lowest trump out; the original holder scores one point,
even if it be taken by his adversary.
Jack.--The knave of trumps. The winner of the trick containing it
scores one point.
When the Jack is turned up for trump it counts one point for the
dealer, and in that case takes precedence of every other point in the
score.
Game.--The greatest number that, in the tricks gained, can be
shown by either party; reckoning f or--
Each Ace Four towards game
King three " "
Queen two " "
Knave one " "
Ten ten " "
The other cards do not count towards game; thus it may happen
that a deal may be played without either party having any to score
for game, by reason of holding neither court cards nor Tens.
When the players hold equal numbers--ties--the eldest hand scores
the point for game.
One card may count all fours: for example, the eldest hand hold
only the Knave of the trump suit, and stands his game; the dealer
having neither trump, Ten, Ace, nor court card, it will follow that
the Knave will be both High, Low, Jack and Game.
The game consists of seven points, and the player who scores that
number first wins the game.
