Auction of To-day Part 18

SCORING

2. A game consists of thirty points obtained by tricks alone, exclusive of any points counted for honors, chicane, slam, little slam, bonus or undertricks.

3. Every deal is played out, and any points in excess of the thirty necessary for the game are counted.

4. When the declarer wins the number of tricks bid, each one above six counts towards the game: two points when spades are trumps, six when clubs are trumps, seven when diamonds are trumps, eight when hearts are trumps, nine when royal spades are trumps and ten when there are no trumps.

5. Honors are ace, king, queen, knave and ten of the trump suit; or the aces when no trump is declared.

6. Honors are credited in the honor column to the original holders, being valued as follows:--

_When a Trump is Declared._

3 honors held between partners equal value of 2 tricks.

4 " " " " " " " 4 "

5 " " " " " " " 5 "

4 " " in 1 hand " " " 8 "

4 " " " 1 " {5th in " " " 9 "

5 " " " 1 " {partner's hand " " 10 "

_When no Trump is Declared._

3 aces held between partners count 30 4 " " " " " 40 4 " " in one hand " 100

7. Slam is made when seven by cards is scored by either side, independently of tricks taken as penalty for the revoke; it adds forty points to the honor count.[24]

[24] Law 84 prohibits the revoking side from scoring slam or little slam.

8. Little slam is made when six by cards is similarly scored; it adds twenty points to the honor count.[25]

[25] Law 84 prohibits the revoking side from scoring slam or little slam.

9. Chicane (one hand void of trumps) is equal in value to simple honors, _i.e._, if the partners, one of whom has chicane, score honors, it adds the value of three honors to their honor score; if the adversaries score honors it deducts that value from theirs. Double chicane (both hands void of trumps) is equal in value to four honors, and that value must be deducted from the honor score of the adversaries.

10. The value of honors, slam, little slam or chicane, is not affected by doubling or redoubling.

11. At the conclusion of a rubber the trick and honor scores of each side are added, and two hundred and fifty points added to the score of the winners. The difference between the completed scores is the number of points of the rubber.

12. A proven error in the honor score may be corrected at any time before the score of the rubber has been made up and agreed upon.

13. A proven error in the trick score may be corrected prior to the conclusion of the game in which it occurred. Such game shall not be considered concluded until a declaration has been made in the following game, or if it be the final game of the rubber, until the score has been made up and agreed upon.

CUTTING

14. In cutting, the ace is the lowest card; as between cards of otherwise equal value, the lowest is the heart, next the diamond, next the club, and highest the spade.

15. Every player must cut from the same pack.

16. Should a player expose more than one card, the highest is his cut.

FORMING TABLES

17. The prior right of playing is with those first in the room. If there are more than four candidates of equal standing, the privilege of playing is decided by cutting. The four who cut the lowest cards play first.

18. After the table is formed the players cut to decide upon partners, the two lower playing against the two higher. The lowest is the dealer who has choice of cards and seats, and who, having made his selection, must abide by it.

19. Six players const.i.tute a complete table.

20. The right to succeed any player who may retire is acquired by announcing the desire to do so, and such announcement shall const.i.tute a prior right to the first vacancy.

CUTTING OUT

21. If, at the end of a rubber, admission is claimed by one or two candidates, the player or players having played the greatest number of consecutive rubbers shall withdraw; but when all have played the same number, they must cut to decide upon the outgoers; the highest are out.[26]

[26] See Law 14 as to value of cards in cutting.

RIGHT OF ENTRY

22. A candidate desiring to enter a table must declare his intention before any player at the table cuts a card, whether for the purpose of beginning a new rubber or of cutting out.

23. In the formation of new tables candidates who have not played at any existing table have the prior right of entry. Others decide their right to admission by cutting.

24. When one or more players belonging to an existing table aid in making up a new one he or they shall be the last to cut out.

25. A player who cuts into one table, while belonging to another, forfeits his prior right of reentry into the latter, unless he has helped to form a new table. In this event he may signify his intention of returning to his original table when his place at the new one can be filled.

26. Should any player leave a table during the progress of a rubber, he may, with the consent of the three others, appoint a subst.i.tute to play during his absence; but such appointment shall become void upon the conclusion of the rubber, and shall not in any way affect the subst.i.tute's rights.

27. If any player break up a table the others have a prior right elsewhere.

SHUFFLING

28. The pack must not be shuffled below the table nor so that the face of any card may be seen.

29. The dealer's partner must collect the cards from the preceding deal and has the right to shuffle first. Each player has the right to shuffle subsequently. The dealer has the right to shuffle last; but, should a card or cards be seen during his shuffling, or while giving the pack to be cut, he must re-shuffle.

30. After shuffling, the cards properly collected must be placed face downward to the left of the next dealer, where they must remain untouched until the play with the other pack is finished.

THE DEAL

31. Each player deals in his turn; the order of dealing is to the left.

32. The player on the dealer's right cuts the pack, and in dividing it he must leave not fewer than four cards in each packet; if in cutting or in replacing one of the two packets a card is exposed, or if there is any confusion or doubt as to the exact place in which the pack was divided, there must be a fresh cut.