Chapter LV: Part XI: Bézigue

A curious Game at Bézigue, in which, with a single hand of Thirty-two
Cards, you make, at the first "coup," five hundred and ten points,
without your Adversary having been able to mark a single one.

This game is very amusing, and merits a description of its _mise en scène_. This we shall give after the cards are cut.

Put at the bottom of the pack, the seventeen cards which follow:

1. Ten of hearts.
2. Ten of clubs.
3. Ten of diamonds.
4. King of hearts.
5. King of clubs.
6. King of diamonds.
7. Ace of hearts.
8. Ace of clubs.
9. Ace of diamonds.
10. Ace of spades.
11. King of spades.
12. Queen of spades.
13. Knave of spades.
14. Ten of spades.
15. Nine of spades,
16. Seven of spades.
17. Eight of spades.

CLASSIFICATION, UNDER PRETENCE OF SHUFFLING.

Place in succession on the top of the pack:

1. The five last (five spades).
2. Three indifferent cards.
3. Three cards from the bottom of the pack (three spades).
4. Four indifferent cards.

The classification above mentioned, ought to answer for both packs. The "talon," or stock, must then be arranged, so that all the cards necessary for you to win the game with will come successively into your hands. For this purpose, you must change the form of your false shuffle, and continue thus:

1st. Take in your right hand, the fourteen first cards, which have been placed on the top of the pack.

2nd. Hold the rest of the pack in your left hand between the thumb and four fingers, then slip in successively under the packet in your right hand:

1st. With the thumb of the left hand, the cards on the top of this packet.

2nd. With the four fingers of the same hand, the bottom card of the same packet.

3rd. With the thumb of the left hand, the upper card, and so on, to the end of the packet.

To be certain that you are doing it all right, you have only to look at the last card, which ought to be a ten.

The cards should appear in the following order:

1. Three useless cards.
2. Three good cards.
3. Three useless cards.
4. Three good cards.
5. The seven of spades (the turn-up card).
6. The eight of spades.
7. A useless card.
8. The ace of hearts.
9. A useless card.

And in the same way for the aces, the three kings, and the three tens, which ought to be separated from each other by indifferent cards.

Then a false cut, and deal three cards at a time.

"When the game of Bézigue was first invented," you say to your adversary, "they used to play with the same number of cards as at Piquet, making five hundred points the game; and, in consequence of the small quantity of cards, each player had never more than six cards in his hand at a time. Let us do things as they ought to be done, and play it in that way."

You deal--"Three, three, three, three," you
say, and turn up a seven of spades, which marks
ten points 10

The dealer has a sequence of six in spades.

"I beg to inform you, sir, before looking
at my hand, that whatever be the card you
may play, I shall take it with the nine
of trumps, so as to count a _mariage_ in that
suit."

You take up your cards.

"You see I am right. I take the trick and
mark forty 40

"I am now going to draw out of the _talon_
the eight of trumps, with which I shall take
the trick again, in order to mark my two
hundred and fifty 250
----
300

"I require two hundred points yet to win
the game. Let us see what will be the most
expeditious mode of doing so. The four aces
will count a hundred, for example."

You take in an ace.

You then play one of your trumps to be the
first to draw, and, each time you draw, you
say, "Here is another,--now another," &c.,
until you have drawn out the fourth ace.

"This ought to be the ace of ..." (as the
other three aces have been named before
drawing, you can name the suit of this last
ace without hesitation).

"I mark a hundred" 100

"Let us now endeavour to get eighty for the
four kings. Here is one, now another, &c.,
and here is the fourth. I mark eighty 80

"Remember, sir, that I warned you that I would make five hundred points, before you marked one. But if you have the _brisques_ (the four tens) you may count them. I will, however, save you unnecessary trouble, by getting them myself," and you take them in, one after the other.

"The turn-up card is yours by right, but, that it may not injure me I am going to trump it, which makes me game. Thus, ten for the last card, and twenty for _brisques_, make thirty, which, added to four hundred and eighty, make five hundred and ten."

It must be understood, that in this game you must take every trick, so as to be always the first to play.

This game is certainly a difficult one to play, but it has the advantage of producing a very brilliant effect.