emaining
in their hands. The holders of certain other cards secure the stakes
contributed for them if they play them out during the progress of the
hands.

[81]

The earliest matter for consideration is to determine who shall be the
first dealer, and that is settled in the same way as at "Nap" (see page
9). The players then contribute between them fifteen (or more) counters
or coins to form a pool, the dealer giving double the amount paid by
the other players. The counters or coins are then distributed so as
to dress the eight divisions of the board, which are named as follows:--
Pope Joan (the nine of diamonds), Matrimony (king and queen of trumps),
Intrigue (queen and knave of trumps), Ace, King, Queen, Knave (of
trumps), and Game, which latter is secured by the player who first
succeeds in disposing of all the cards dealt him. Six of the counters
are placed for Pope Joan, two each for Matrimony and Intrigue, one each
for Ace, King, Queen, and Knave, and the remainder for Game. To save
the trouble and time of collecting the stakes from the several players
for each round, it is often agreed that the dealer for the time being
shall dress the board, in which case it is necessary that the game
should be finished just before the original dealer's turn comes round
again, else the payments to the pool will not have been equitably
divided.

The stakes being completed, the pack, from which the eight of diamonds
has been removed, is shuffled and cut. The dealer then proceeds to
distribute the cards, one at a time, as equally among the players as
possible, dealing a spare hand, which is left unexposed on the table,
for the purpose of forming further stops, and turning up the last card
for trump. If any odd cards remain after dealing round to the players,
it is best to add the surplus to the spare hand. For instance, with
five players there will be eight cards for each hand, one to turn up,
and two remaining; these two should be added to the spare hand. With
eight players there will be five each, and five remaining; so [82] that
the spare hand will be increased to ten, but that will only cause a
greater number of stops, which will not prove any disadvantage with so
many players engaged.

Should the trump card prove to be the nine of diamonds--Pope Joan,--the
dealer takes the amount staked for that card, and, in addition, receives
from each player a stake for every card dealt. If there are but few
players engaged i