Deceptions used in Various Games.- Game of Boston.

officers of the boat, feeling bound to treat passengers well, will politely sit down and play for amusement, as invited, and being soon called away to their duty, will be very likely to introduce some of the passengers to supply their place. This is just what the sporting man wishes; and soon he will propose playing for cigars, or for their glasses, or the cost of the cards. This passes

off very well he has succeeded in getting acquainted with some of the passengers, and at the next sitting, playing for money will be introduced, and it is generally no hard matter to get gentlemen to play for money; for gambling has become so prevalent here, that few, indeed, think of sitting down to amuse themselves without playing for something, however small the amount; and every man, who is not a professed gambler, is inevitably bound to get up loser. And as one dissipation leads to another still more exciting, so one game leads to another; and often the game of eucre will be laid aside for that. which is more exciting and ruinous the faro bank, for instance, at which nine out of every ten that will continue to bet against it will, certainly ruin themselves. And I will here add, let not a man's appearance, or conversation and manners, so far interest you in his behalf as to cause you to consent to take any kind of game with him; for it is running a great risk without an adequate compensation.

THE GAME OF BOSTON.

This game, like whist, is played with thirteen cards, and, some years ago, was a very interesting and fashion

Deceptions used in Various Games.. Game of Boston.

able amusement, and was a great deal played in all grades of society where games were tolerated at all. But since it has become a sporting game, and adopted by the gamblers, with all their patent improvements, many have abandoned the use of it, as they could not play it from home without being swindled more or less; as frequently, on sitting down to play, there would be two or three against one, and playing by signs, and using other cheats, would win all that was played for. All persons conversant with this game, well know, that if two players of the patent order should be seated with two others who are well versed in the science of this game, and play honestly, it is utterly impossible for them to win. And, besides, this game is so expensive, by the manner in which the bets are made, that a man can very soon run himself out of a large sum of money.

I would here give a synopsis of this game; but I do not wish to teach it to any who know nothing of it, and those that do understand it will comprehend what I say, and know it to be true; while those who do not may be assured that they will be continually cheated and swindled if they should learn, unless they should be so unfortunate as to sink themselves to the grade of patent gamblers. Frequently, when two gamblers are playing against men who play honestly, they will run the honest player's hand up, by bidding on their own, and if they take the bid, and lose, when there are two of them, they lose but a trifle more than if the others had made the trump. But if the honest player should happen to bid one trick more than he can make, he will have to pay them more than the others would have had to pay him if they had lost. This is to them an advantage; for, if four should be playing, and one bids eight tricks, and if each of the others should

Deceptions used in Various Games. Game of Boston.

pass, and he should not make eight tricks, he loses three times as much as each of the others would lose, provided he should make the eight tricks. And while at play, if a man should bid nine tricks on clubs, and his opponent bids nine on hearts, the opponent takes the bid unless the other will bid ten at clubs; and if that should be one more than can be made on the hand, he will lose, and have to pay at least three times as much as if he had lost on either of the others' bid, instead of losing on his own bid.

There are also hands in this game called "small misery:" in each of these, the person playing it obligates himself not to take a trick out of the twelve, as the rule is for each man to discard one, and yet he follows suit every time he has it, and if he should have one high card, say clubs, and all the rest spades and hearts, he will, if the lead comes from his partner, give him a sign to lead diamonds, on which he will throw his high club, and is then safe. This advantage is gained by the artifice of passing signs from one to another.

One and all who may be trying to make their "misery," will use the same signs, and if there should be any chance of winning by the use of signs, they are sure to do it. This is carried still further by telling one another the strength of their hands, and when any trick is yet lying on the table, one will give his partner a sign that he need not risk any trump- that he is able to win it. By this cheat, very often but one trump is played, when there would have been two played; and they who play artifices and signs the best, are certain of beating the other party.

There are hundreds of advantages taken of the unskilful player, and various cheats continually practised,

The Game of All Fours, as found in Hoyle's Treatise.

as well upon the gambler as upon those who are not acquainted with, or do not suspect their cheats: indeed, the latter class always become easy victims of the rapacity of those men whose trade it is to get money always by deception. Some men, from motives well known to themselves, will say boston is the fairest game played with cards. These men are either telling base falsehoods, or else are ignorant of the game. It is like all other games, and perhaps as fascinating as any of them, but, like the rest, is never played honestly when money is pending. As in other games, I have not attempted to give a full and minute account of all the cheats practised. This, as others, may be very interesting to him that is winning, and the winner no doubt takes great interest in the game at that time; but his interest cannot be deeper and more heartfelt than that of the man he is literally robbing.

THE GAME OF ALL FOURS,

As Mr. Hoyle leaves it.

This game is much played by all classes of gamblers. Mr. Hoyle gives the following rules for this game:

"The game of all fours is played by two persons with an entire pack of cards. It derives its name from the four chances therein; for each of which a point is scored, viz.: High—the highest trump out; Low the lowest trump out; Jack the knave of trumps; Game- the majority of pips reckoned for the following cards, as the players may have in their respective tricks, namely for

The Game of All Fours, as in Hoyle's Treatise.

an ace, four; for a king, three; a queen, two; a knave, one; and ten for a ten.

Hand.-The cards each player receives from the dealer constitute a hand.

Trick.

When each player has played a card, they constitute a trick, and the person who plays the best card wins the trick.

LAWS OF THE GAME.

1. If, in dealing, the dealer exposes the face of any of his adversary's, or his own cards, a new deal may be demanded.

2. If discovered, before playing, that the dealer has given his adversary or himself too many cards, there must be a new deal; or, if all agree, the extra cards may be drawn by the dealer from the opponent's hand; but if a single card has been played, there must be a new deal. 3. No person can beg more than once in a hand, unless all agree.

4. In playing, you must either follow suit or trump, on penalty of your adversary's adding one point to his or their game.

5. If either scores his game erroneously, it must be corrected, and his opponent is entitled to one or four points, as shall have been agreed upon.

6. A person laying down a high or low trump, may inquire if it be high or low.