LAWS OF PIQUET

Shuffling

1. Each player has a right to shuffle both his own and his adversary's pack. The dealer has the right of shuffling last.

2. The pack must not be shuffled below the table, nor in such manner as to expose the faces of any of the cards.

Cutting

3. A cut must consist of at least two cards, and at least two must be left in the lower packet,

4. In cutting, the ace is highest. The player who cuts the higher card has the choice of deal, and the dealer has the choice of cards at the commencement of each partie.

5. If, in cutting for deal, a player expose more than one card, he must cut again.

6. The cut for the deal holds good, even if the pack be incorrect.

7. If, in cutting to the dealer, or in reuniting the separated packets, a card be exposed, or if there be any confusion of the cards, there must be a fresh cut.

8. When a player in cutting has once separated the pack, he must abide by the cut.

Dealing

9. The dealer must deal the cards by two at a time or by three at a time, giving the top cards to his adversary, the next to himself, and so on, until each player has twelve cards. The dealer having selected the mode in which he will distribute the cards, must not change it during the partie. The eight undealt cards (called the stock) are to be placed face downward, in one packet, on the table between the players.

10. If the dealer deal the cards wrongly, he may, with the permission of his adversary, rectify the error prior to either player having taken up his hand.

11. If the elder hand find that he has a card too many or a card too few, he has the option of a fresh deal after looking at his hand, but before taking up a card of the stock. If the elder hand, having twelve cards dealt him,' find,in drawing the stock toward him after discarding,that it contains but seven cards, he has the option of a fresh deal, or of altering his discard.

12. If more than one card be dealt wrongly, or if there be nine cards in the stock, there must be a fresh deal (except as provided in Law 10).

13. If the dealer expose a card belonging to his adversary, or to the stock, the elder hand has the option of a fresh deal. If the dealer expose any of his own cards, the deal stands good.

14. If a faced card be found in the pack when dealing, or in the stock when taking in, there must be a fresh deal.

15. If the dealer deal with the wrong pack, and the error be discovered before either player has taken up any of his cards, there must be a fresh deal with the right pack. If the error be not discovered before either player has taken up any of his cards, the deal holds good, and the packs remain changed.

16. The players deal alternately. If a player deal out of his turn, and either player discover the error before taking up any of his cards, the deal in error is void, and the right dealer deals.But if the error be discovered too late to correct it, the elder hand in that deal must deal twice running with the same pack (except as provided in Law 76), unless that or the next deal be the last of the partie.

17. The non dealer must collect the cards for the ensuing deal, and must place them, properly collected, face downward on the table.

Carte blanche

18. Carte blanche (a hand dealt, consisting of at least twelve cards, without king, queen, or knave) scores first, and consequently saves a pique or a repique. It also counts toward a pique or a repique.

19. Carte blanche must be shown by counting the cards, one by one, face upward on the table.

20. As soon as a player is aware that he has a carte blanche, he is bound to inform his adversary, but he need not show the carte blanche until his adversary has discarded.

Discarding and taking in

21. The elder hand is entitled to discard five cards and to take in five. He is obliged to discard one card (except as provided in Law 42).

22. The younger hand is entitled to discard three cards, and to take in three (except as provided in Laws 41 and 43). He is obliged to discard one card (except as provided in Law 40).

23. In taking in, the cards must be taken in order from the top of the stock.

24. After a player has taken up a card of the stock he cannot alter his discard.

25. If a player, after having taken up a card of the stock, take back into his hand any of his discard, he must play with more than twelve cards, and can reckon nothing that deal.

26. If a player, after having taken up a card of the stock, mix any of his hand, or any card he is entitled to take in, with his discard, he must leave it with his discard. He must play with less than twelve cards, and his adversary counts as tricks all cards that cannot be played to.

27. If the elder hand, when taking in, or when looking at cards he has left, expose or take up any of the bottom three cards of the stock (except as provided in Laws 41 and 43), he can reckon nothing that deal. And similarly, if the younger hand, when taking in, expose or take up any of the top five cards of the stock (not being cards declared to be left by the elder hand), he can reckon nothing that deal.

28. If the elder hand mix with his hand any of the bottom three cards of the stock (exceptas provided in Laws 41 and 43), or if, having left any cards, he mix with his hand any of the cards he ought to have left, he can reckon nothing that deal; or, the younger hand, after looking a this cards, may elect to have a fresh deal. If he elect to stand the deal, he can only take as many of his cards as have not been mixed.

29. If the younger hand mix with his hand any of the top five cards of the stock (not being cards declared to be left by the elder hand), he can reckon nothing that deal; or, the elder hand, after looking at his cards, may elect to have afresh deal. If he elect to stand the deal, he can only take as many of his cards as have not been mixed. If, however, the elder hand have taken in some of his cards, the others remaining on the stock, and the younger hand take up any of them,he incurs no penalty, unless he mix any of the cards taken up with his hand, when he can reckon nothing that deal.

30. If a player, having twelve cards dealt him, discard more cards than he takes in, he must play with less than twelve cards, and his adversary counts as tricks all cards that cannot be played to.

31. If a player, having twelve cards dealt him,take in more cards than he discards, but do not take from the stock one of his adversary's cards,he must play with more than twelve cards, and can reckon nothing that deal.

32. If the elder hand do not take all his cards,he must declare the number he takes or leaves before taking up a card of the stock. If he fail to do so, and the younger hand, on touching the stock (but before taking up a card of it),find that it contains more than three cards, he is entitled to alter his discard, and to take in the card or cards left.

33. If the elder hand leave any cards, he is entitled to look at them; but if he take them up, together with the cards he is about to take in, he can reckon nothing that deal.

34. The younger hand is entitled to take in all the cards that are left in the stock.

35. If the younger hand leave any cards, and take up, together with the cards he is about to take in, more cards than he has discarded, he can reckon nothing that deal.

36. If the younger hand leave any cards he is entitled to see them; but he must declare whether he will look at them or not, after the elder hand has named the suit he will first lead, or has led a card, and before laying a card himself. If the younger hand elect to look at them, the elder hand is also entitled to see them, after he has named the suit he will first lead, or has led a card. If the younger hand elect not to look at them, neither player has a right to see them.

37. If the younger hand leave any cards, and mix them with his discard without showing them to the elder hand, the elder hand, after leading a card, is entitled to see his adversary's discard,and the cards mixed with it.

38. If a player announce that he has eleven or thirteen cards dealt him, the stock may be counted to ascertain how many cards it contains.

39. If the elder hand, having eleven or thirteen cards dealt him, take up a card of the stock without announcing the error, he loses his option of a fresh deal. He cannot alter his discard,and he must leave at least three cards for the younger hand. But, if the stock contain seven cards, and the elder hand have eleven, there must be a fresh deal.

40. If the elder hand elect to stand the deal when he has thirteen cards, and there are eight in the stock, he must discard one card more than he takes in, and he must discard at least two cards. The younger hand must discard one less than he takes in; but, if he only take one card, he need not discard any.

41. If the elder hand elect to stand the deal when he has thirteen cards, and there are seven in the stock, he must discard one more card than he takes in. He must discard at least two cards;and, if he take all his cards, he discards six, and the younger hand can only take two cards.

42. If the elder hand elect to stand the deal when he has eleven cards, and there are eight in the stock, he must discard one less than he takes in; but, if he only take one card, he need not discard any. The younger hand must discard one more than he takes in, and he must discard at least two cards.

43. If the elder hand elect to stand the deal when he has twelve cards, and there are seven in the stock, he must discard the same number of cards as he takes in; and, if he take all his cards, the younger hand can only take two cards.The younger hand must discard one more than he takes in, and he must discard at least two cards.

44. When a player subjects himself to the penalty of reckoning nothing that deal, the adversary has the option of not enforcing the penalty.

45. A player may examine his own discard at any time.

Calling and showing

46. The elder hand must call his point first, or he loses the right to call it. It is sufficient to call the number of cards of the point. The younger hand is not entitled to reply by inquiring what the elder hand's point makes, unless he hold at least an equal number of cards; and the inquiry bars him from counting a superior number of cards for point.

47. It is not compulsory on the younger hand to call his point first; nor is it compulsory on either player to call sequence next after point.

48. It is sufficient to call the number of cards of a sequence if the call be good against the cards. If not good against the cards, the elder hand is bound to state to what card his sequence is. And similarly, in calling a quatorze or trio,the elder hand is bound to state the value of the cards of which it consists, unless the call is good against the cards.

49. If the elder hand first call a sequence which is good against the cards, he can reckon any sequences he holds, whether of superior counting value to the one called or not. And similarly, if the elder hand first call a trio or a quatorze which is good against the cards, he can reckon any quatorzes or trios that he holds.

50. If the elder hand call a smaller point, sequence, quatorze or trio than he holds, he may correct his miscall before it has been replied to by the younger hand.

51. If the younger hand allow a correct call to be good or equal, when he holds better in his hand, he may correct his reply before the elder hand has made another call; or, in case there is no further call, before the elder hand has led a card.

52. If either player call a larger point, sequence, quatorze, or trio than he holds, and it is allowed to be good, he may correct his miscall before the younger hand has played to the first trick.In case of a correction of such miscall by the younger hand, after the elder hand has led, the elder hand is at liberty to retake the card he led, and to play differently.

53. There is no penalty for a misnomer. It is a misnomer, if a player call a point or sequence, when he holds one of that counting value, but names the suit wrongly; or a sequence, when he holds one of that counting value, but names its rank wrongly ; or a trio or quatorze, when he holds one, but hames its rank wrongly ; provided, however, that he could not possibly have held what he claims, in his hand and discard taken together.

54. If a player who calls a point, sequence, quatorze, or trio that he does not hold, and such call is allowed to be good, do not correct his miscall before the younger hand has played to the first trick, he can reckon nothing that deal, except in the case of a misnomer, or of his having called anything which he could not possibly have held in his hand and discard taken together, when he is liable to no penalty. On discovery of the error, the adversary may reckon anything he has good, which is not barred by a correct call of the player in error, made in addition to his miscall.

55. A player who calls anything which is allowed to be good or equal, must show the cards called at any time they are asked for, orin the case of the younger hand, at any time after the elder hand has led a card. If a player,before he plays a card, voluntarily show anything which he claims to be good or equal, he is liable to no penalty for miscalling what he has shown.

56. When the younger hand has played to the first trick, neither player can reckon anything omitted (except as provided in Law 54).

Playing

57. If a player play with less than twelve cards in hand, he is liable to no penalty. His adversary counts as tricks all cards that cannot be played to.

58. If a player play with more than twelve cards in hand, he can reckon nothing that deal;but his cards, though not good to score, are good to bar his adversary.

59. A card once led or played cannot betaken up, except as provided in Law 52, and as follows:

• I. If a player accidentally drop a card or cards, he may retake them.
• II. If the leader lead two or more cards consecutively without waiting for his adversary to play, and the adversary plays too many cards, he may, on discovery of the error, retake the extra card or cards. All cards subsequently played in error must be taken up and played over again.
• III. If a player lead out of turn, the card led may be taken up, unless the adversary have played to the trick, when the error cannot be rectified.
• IV. If a player do not follow suit when able,he must; when the error is detected,retake any cards played in error, and substitute the suit led. The players also retake all cards played after the mistake,and the play of the remainder of the cards then proceeds as though no error had been committed.
• V. If a player, when asked what cards he has in hand which have been allowed to be good or equal, misinform his adversary, the adversary may retake all cards played subsequently to the misinformation, and play differently.

60. A player is entitled to examine both hi sown and his adversary's tricks at any time.

Scoring

61. Carte blanche scores ten.

62. The largest point is good. The point, when good, scores one for each card.

63. The longest sequence is good; as between sequences of equal length the highest is good. Sequences, when good, score as follows : a huitième scores eighteen; a septième, seventeen; a sixième, sixteen; a quint, fifteen; a quart, four; a tierce, three.

64. The highest quatorze is good. Any quatorze is good against a trio. As between trios, the highest trio is good. A quatorze, when good, scores fourteen. A trio, when good, scores three.

65. In playing the cards, each player scores one for every card he leads, or with which he wins a trick. The winner of the last trick scores two instead of one.

66. A player who wins more than six tricks scores ten for the cards. If each player win six tricks the cards are divided, and there is no score for them. A player who wins twelve tricks wins a capot, and scores forty for the cards instead of ten.

67. The scores, whether obtained by the elder or younger hand, reckon in the following order :

• I. Carte blanche.
• II. Point.
• III. Sequences.
• IV. Quatorzes and trios.
• V. Points made in play.
• VI. The cards.

68. A repique is obtained on the score of thirty being made by a player, in his hand alone, by scores that reckon in order before anything that his adversary can count. A player obtaining a repique adds sixty to his score.

69. A pique is obtained on the score of thirty being made by the elder hand, in hand and play, before his adversary has reckoned anything that deal. A player obtaining a pique adds thirty to his score. A capot reckons after points made in play; and, therefore, does not count toward a pique.

70. Errors in counting the hand, if proved, maybe rectified at any time before the player in error has seen his next hand.

71. A partie consists of six deals. The partie is won by the player who makes the higher score in six deals. If both players score the same number in six deals, each deals once more, when the partie is concluded, even if there should be a second tie.

Note By agreement, a partie may consist of four deals, the score in the first and last deals counting double. In case of a tie, each deals once more, the scores in the extra deals counting single.

72. The winner of the partie deducts the score of the loser from his own; and the difference, with a hundred added, is the number of points won.

73. If the loser fail to score a hundred, the winner, whether his score reach a hundred or not, adds the score of the loser to his own; and the sum, with a hundred added, is the number of points won.

74. In case of a difference in the written scores, a player's score of his own hand shall be taken as correct.

Incorrect packs

75. If a pack be discovered to be incorrect, redundant, or imperfect, the deal in which the discovery is made is void. All preceding deals stand good.

Changing cards

76. Before the pack is cut to the dealer a player may call for fresh cards at his own expense. He must call for two new packs, of which the dealer has the choice.

77. Torn or marked cards must be replaced, or new packs called for at the expense of the two players.

Bystanders

78. If a bystander call attention to any error or oversight, and thereby affect the score, he maybe called on to pay all stakes and bets of the player whose interest he has prejudicially affected.