Piquet
◊ a classic French card game for two ◊
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• Requirements
• Rank of Cards A (high), K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7.
• The Draw The pack is shuffled and spread face down. Each player then draws a card. The lowest card deals first and has his choice of seats. If cards of equal rank are drawn, there must be a new draw. The turn to deal alternates.
• The Shuffle and Cut Both players may shuffle and the dealer has the option of shuffling last. The non-dealer cuts the pack. The cut must leave at least two cards in each packet.
• The Deal The dealer completes the cut and deals each player twelve cards, two at a time, face down, alternately, beginning with the non-dealer. The remaining eight cards are spread face down on the table and form the stock.
• Discarding After picking up his hand, the opponent discards at least one, and
up to five, cards. He then takes an equal number of cards The dealer is entitled to take all of the stock left by non-dealer, after first discarding an equal number of cards. However, the dealer does not have to take cards from the stock. If he chooses to leave any or all of the cards, he may decide whether they will be turned up and viewed by both players or set aside unseen. (Some play that the dealer discards first.) The object in discarding is to form certain scoring combinations, as described below. ◊ Carte Blanche. A hand with no king, queen, or jack is called "Carte Blanche." If dealt such a hand, the non-dealer may expose it before the discard and score 10 points. If the dealer picks up Carte Blanche, he may wait until the non-dealer has discarded, and then show it and score 10. ◊ Point. The player with the most cards of one suit scores 1 point for each card held in that suit. If both players hold suits of the same length, the one with the greater pip total scores the points. Scores count the ace as 11, the king, queen, jack and ten at 10 each, and lower cards at pip value. If the players tie in points, neither player scores. ◊ Sequence. A sequence of three cards in the same suit (tierce) counts 3 points; a sequence of four (quart) counts 4; a sequence of five or more counts 10 plus the number of cards. Only the player holding the highest sequence can score in this class; having established that he has the best sequence, that player may score for all additional sequences held. Any sequence is higher than one of lesser length; and between sequences of equal length, the one headed by the higher card scores. If the players tie for best sequence, neither scores in this class. ◊ Sets. A set comprises three or four cards of the same rank, higher than nine. The player with the highest set scores it plus any additional sets he may hold. Four-of-a-kind, counting 14, is higher than three of a kind, counting 3. If both players hold sets of an equal number of cards, the set higher in rank scores.
• Declaring After the discarding is completed, the players declare their holdings to determine the scores for point, sequence, and sets, in that order. However, the player who does not score in a class need not give more information than is necessary to establish the other's superiority. The declaration, therefore, proceeds as in the example below. The non-dealer is obliged to make the first declaration for each class:
• Proving On demand, a player must show any combination of cards for which he has scored. Proving scores is usually unnecessary since a player can infer the suit of his opponent's point.
• Sinking A player is not obliged to declare any combination. Example: The non-dealer may say "No set" although he holds three queens, believing that the dealer holds three kings. However, if a player thus "sinks" a combination, he may not later declare it when he finds that it would have been high.
• The Play The declaring completed, the non-dealer leads first. The opponent must follow suit if possible. A trick is won by the higher card of the suit led. The player who wins the trick leads next. The player scores 1 point for each card he leads higher than a 9, and 1 point each time he tops the opponent's lead with a card higher than a 9. The player who wins the last trick gets 1 extra point for it. (In American games, it is usual to count 1 point for each lead and 1 point for each trick taken, regardless of the rank of cards.) With each card, the players announce their cumulative score up to that juncture, including the initial count for combinations. To continue the example (see "Declaring"): the non-dealer scored 6 for two sequences. On the non-dealer's first lead (an ace) he announces "Seven." If the dealer scored 18 for combinations, then on winning his first trick (with a king), the dealer would say "Nineteen."
• Tricks The winner of seven or more of the twelve tricks scores 10. If the tricks are split, with each player having won six, neither scores. If one player wins all twelve tricks, he scores 40 for "capot" (but nothing extra for majority or for the last trick).
• Pique and Repique A player who reaches a score of 30 or more in declarations, before the opponent scores anything and before a card is led, adds 60 for "repique." A player who reaches 30 or more in declarations and play before the opponent scores anything, adds 30 for "pique."
• Game There are six deals in a game. (Variation: the game is four deals and the scores of the first and last game are doubled.) The player with the higher cumulative score at the end of the game wins the difference of the totals, plus 100 for game, provided that the loser scored at least 100 points. If the losing player failed to reach 100, he is said to be "rubiconed," and the winner scores the sum of both scores plus 100 for game. (The loser is rubiconed even if the winner also failed to reach 100.) |