fifty-two cards. (For Nap with thirty-two
card pack, _see_ page 14). With six persons taking part in the game the
dealer stands out of the play, not dealing any cards to himself, though he
receives and pays for the tricks like the others, and the same system is
sometimes adopted when there are five players; as, if all the players took
active part in the game, it would become most difficult to make the tricks,
because more cards would be in use.

The popularity of the game is no doubt owing to the short time necessary
for playing the hands, and to the fact [4] that it can be terminated at
any moment, for no game or deal need exceed two or three minutes, except
when a pool or "kitty" is introduced (_see_ Variations). In this case
provision has to be made for the distribution of the amount of the kitty.

While care in playing is necessary, no great amount of skill is required to
render the game diverting as an amusement, while it also affords ample
scope for the exercise of speculation and the other elements of excitement.

_DESCRIPTION_.

The main idea of the play, as already stated, is for one of the competitors
to stand against the united efforts of the others, who, in turn, use their
powers to prevent his securing the object for which he is striving--in this
case to win the whole or a certain number of tricks. The number of the
tricks to be won is variable, and it depends on the value of the cards
in each player's hand to decide what number he will endeavour to secure.
The greatest possible achievement is to win the whole of the tricks (which
are five in number), and the player who succeeds in doing this scores a
"Nap," and receives double stakes from each of his companions; if however,
after declaring his intention to try for Nap he fails, he only pays a
single, _i.e._, for five tricks; and, as will be shown later on, this
condition attaching to a Nap becomes an important feature in deciding
on the number of tricks to be played for, when a good hand is secured.

The only safe and perfect Nap is ace, king, queen, knave, and ten of the
same suit, but as this combination of cards does not often occur in actual
practice, it remains for the player to speculate on his chances with the
cards he holds.

[5]

It is this speculation of possibilities which forms the principal feature
of the game, and it is the ability of a competitor to make an immediate
decision on this point that governs his success or failure in