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 SHORT’S RULES 
 
 FOR 
 
 SHORT MEMORIES 
 
 AT THE 
 
 Game of Whist, 
 
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 B5S8S 
 
 
 
SHORT RULES FOR SHORT MEMORIES 
 
 AT THE 
 
 GAME OF WHIST, 
 
 WITH THE 
 
 LAWS OF THE GAME. 
 
 Adapted either for the Head or Pocket. 
 
 BY BOB SHORT. 
 
 A NEW EDITION, 
 
 REVISED AND CORRECTED THROUGHOUT, 
 WITH THE LAST NEW’ RULES AS 
 ESTABLISHED AT BATH AND LONDON. 
 
 Printed for the Benefit of Families, to 
 
 prevent Scolding. 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 /- PRINTED FOR THE BOOKSELLERS, 
 
 LY J. STACY, NORWICH. 
 
THE PRESENT IMPROVED AND 
 ENLARGED EDITION OF THIS LITTLE 
 WORK, IS MOST RESPECTFULLY DEDI¬ 
 CATED TO THE PUBLIC, 
 
 BY THEIR 
 
 VERY OBLIGED, OBEDIENT, 
 AND HUMBLE SERVANT, 
 
 BOB SHORT, JUN, 
 
 LONG'S HOTEL, 
 MAY, 1821 , 
 
TO THE PUBLIC. 
 
 YOUR favourable reception 
 of tlie former Editions of this 
 Trifle, in its rude state, has in¬ 
 duced the Author to en leavour 
 to make it more worthy your in¬ 
 dulgence; and he flatters himself 
 that not only the learner will find 
 every thing necessary to instruct 
 him to play the game of whist 
 tolerably, but that the moderate 
 proficient will also find assis¬ 
 tance; which is all that can be 
 reasonably expected or desired 
 from 
 
 BOB SHORT. 
 
DEDICATION. 
 
 ' t 
 
 TO THE FOUR KINGS . 
 
 \ 
 
 MOST POTENT SIRES! 
 
 4 *. 
 
 YOUR reign is unbounded. While 
 the dominions of the lesser monarchs of 
 the earth extend not beyond the bounda¬ 
 ries of certain rivers, mountains, or ideal 
 lines, your empire is as wide as the 
 known limits of the globe: it is likewise 
 more absolute than that of any human 
 despot, as it subjugates the reason, and 
 carries captive the mind. 
 
 lo address myself to you particularly 
 would wear the appearance of flattery, 
 which I disdain to use even to Kings; 
 though your smiles are more assiduously 
 
6 * 
 
 courted by the fair, the gay, the grave, 
 the old, the young, the high, the] low 
 the rich, the poor, and, in short, by all 
 ranks and descriptions of human beings, 
 than those of any potentate on earth: 
 yet I never wished to gain your favour, 
 but by fair dealing , a virtue but little 
 practised in courts. 
 
 Were I to liken you to the less power¬ 
 ful princes of the earth, I would say ? 
 that the empire of the King of Hearts is 
 established in Great Britain ; for there 
 the monarch holds his reign in the hearts 
 of his people* 
 
 The King of Diamonds I would com¬ 
 pare to the monarch of France; but in 
 
 that country monarchy and jewels have 
 
 lost at least fifty per cent, of their value. 
 
 I am at a loss to fix upon an earthly 
 representative tor the King of Clubs. 
 
7 
 
 The King of Spain seemed ambitious of 
 the title ^ but he has been out-tricked. 
 The King of Prussia may lay some claim 
 to the honour ; but Ace Queen are both 
 against him: and it is doubtful whether 
 he will venture to play the game he 
 some time ago cut in for, unless he is 
 certain of having the King of Hearts to 
 help out the rubber . Thus posed, I shall 
 leave clubs to the chance of the deal. 
 
 The King of Spades is in faith a grave 
 king. I know not how to address him. 
 His power is greater than that of all the 
 rest; for whatever chances or changes 
 may happen in the game of life , it is 
 odds, that playing the last trick , he 
 proves himself trump at last. 
 
 Thus convinced of your sovereign 
 power over the fortunes and happiness 
 of men, I conclude with the earnest wish 
 

 8 
 
 that my labours in your service may 
 never contribute to the advancement of 
 a knave . 
 
 « * 
 
 With every respectful acknowledg¬ 
 ment of your power, and gratitude for 
 your favours, I have the honour to sub¬ 
 scribe myself 
 
 5/ 
 
 Your devoted Slave, 
 
 BOB SHORT, 
 
 J]a ker*s Coffee- House , 
 Exchange Alley, 
 Jan, 1, 1793.' 
 
 a 
 
 *• 
 
the 
 
 GAME O 
 
 jPHII I I llll | || 
 
 * c 
 
 THIS game is played by four persons, 
 who cut the cards for partners. The 
 two highest are against the two lowest. 
 The person who cuts the lowest is en¬ 
 titled to the deal. In cutting the ace 
 is lowest. 
 
 Each person has a right to shuffle the 
 
 caids before the deal; but it is usual 
 
 for the eldest hand only, and the dealer 
 after. 
 
 The deal is made by having the pack 
 cut by the right hand adversary; and 
 the dealer distributing the cards one at 
 a time, to each, beginning with the left- 
 hand adversary, till he comes to the last 
 card, which he turns up, bdn«- the 
 
 trump, and leaves it on the table till 
 the first trick is played. 
 
 No intimations of any kind during the 
 play of the cards between the partners 
 are to be admitted. The mistake of 
 one pai ty is the game of the adversary 
 except in a revoke, when the partner 
 
 EK3T ,fhehasa,ly ot ' tl,c suiti » 
 
 5 
 
10 
 
 The tricks belonging to each parly 
 should be turned and collected by those 
 who win the first trick in every hand. 
 
 The ace, king, queen, and knave of 
 trumps, are called honours; and when 
 either of the partners have three sepa¬ 
 rately, or between them, they count two 
 points towards the game, and in case 
 they have four honours, they count four 
 points 
 
 Ten points are the game. 
 
 TERMS USED IN THE GAME. 
 
 Finessing , is when a card is led and 
 you have the best and third of that suit, 
 you put the third best on that lead, and 
 run the risk of your adversary having 
 the second best of it, which if he has 
 not, you gain a trick. 
 
 Forcing , means the obliging your 
 partner or adversary to trump a suit. 
 
 Long trumps , means one or more 
 when the rest are out. 
 
 Loose Card , means a card in hand of 
 no value, and the properest to throw 
 away. 
 
 Points. Ten make the game; as many 
 as are gained by tricks and honours, so 
 
I 
 
 many points are set up to the score of 
 the game. 
 
 See-Saw, is when each partner trumps 
 a suit. 
 
 Score, is the number of points, which 
 are set up in the following manner: 
 
 One Two Three Four Five 
 
 0 
 
 0 00 000 0000 00 
 
 Six Seven 
 
 0 
 
 000 00 
 
 0 
 
 Nine. 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 Slam, is when either party wins every 
 trick. 
 
 Tenance, is having the first and third 
 best cards, and being last player, you 
 catch the adversary when that suit is 
 played. 
 
 Terce is a sequence of any three cards 
 in a suit. 
 
 Quart, is a sequence of four; 
 
 Quint, of five. 
 
 
 A 6 
 

 
 
 $•<?. Sfc. 
 
 
 LEAD from your strong suit, and be 
 cautious how you change suits, and keep 
 a commanding card to bring it in again. 
 
 2 . 
 
 Lead through the strong suit and up 
 to the weak, but not in trumps, unless 
 very strong in them. 
 
 8 . 
 
 Lead the highest of a sequence, but 
 if you have a quart or cinque to a king, 
 lead the lowest. 
 
 4 . 
 
 Lead through an honour, particularly 
 if the game is much against you. 
 
 5 . 
 
 Lead your best trump, if the adver¬ 
 saries are eight, and you have no ho¬ 
 nour, but not if you have four trumps, 
 unless you have a sequence. 
 
 
1 
 
 G. 
 
 Lead a trump if you have four or live 
 or a strong hand; but not if weak. 
 
 T. 
 
 Having ace, king, and two or three 
 small cards, lead ace and king, if weak 
 in trumps, but a small one if strong in 
 them. 
 
 8 . 
 
 If you have the last trump, with some 
 winning cards, and one losing card only, 
 lead the losing card. 
 
 9 . 
 
 Return your partner’s lead, not the 
 adversary’s; and if you have only three 
 originally, play the best; but you need 
 not return it immediately when you win 
 with the king, queen, or knave, and 
 have only small ones ; or when you hold 
 a good sequence, have a strong suit, or 
 have live trumps. 
 
 10 . 
 
 Do not lead from ace queen or ace 
 knave. 
 
 11 . 
 
 Do not lead an ace unless you have a 
 king. 
 
 12 . 
 
 Do not lead a thirteenth card unless 
 trumps are out. 
 
■fwir 
 
 Do not trump a thirteenth card, un¬ 
 less you are last player, or want the lead. 
 
 14 . 
 
 Keep a small card to return your 
 partner's lead. 
 
 15 
 
 Be cautious in trumping a card when 
 strong in trumps, particularly if you 
 have a strong suit. 
 
 ! 6 . 
 
 Having only a few small trumps, 
 make them when you can. 
 
 17 : 
 
 If your partner refuses to trump a 
 suit, ot which he knows you have not 
 the best, lead your best trump. 
 
 18 . 
 
 When you hold all the remaining 
 trumps, play one, and then try to put 
 the lead in your partner’s hand. 
 
 19 . 
 
 Remember how many of each suit are 
 out, and what is the best card left in 
 each hand. 
 
 20 . 
 
 Never force your partner if you are 
 weak in trumps, unless you have a re¬ 
 nounce, or want the odd trick. 
 
 
21 . 
 
 When playing for the odd trick, be 
 cautious of trumping out, especially if 
 your partner is likely to trump a suit; 
 and make all the tricks you can early, 
 and avoid finessing. 
 
 21 . 
 
 If you take a trick, and have a se¬ 
 quence, win it with the lowest. 
 
 SECOND HAND. 
 
 23 . 
 
 Having ace, king, and small ones, 
 play a small one, if strong in trumps, 
 but the king if weak; and having ace, 
 king, queen, or knave only,with a small 
 one, play the small one. 
 
 THIRD HAND. 
 
 # 
 
 24 . 
 
 Having ace and queen, play the queen, 
 and if it wins, return the ace, and in all 
 other cases play the best, if your partner 
 leads a small one.* 
 
 25 . 
 
 Neglect not to make the odd trick, 
 when in your power. 
 
 26 . 
 
 Attend to the score, and play the 
 game accordingly. 
 
27 . 
 
 Do not part with the card turned up 
 till the last 
 
 28 . 
 
 When in doubt, win the trick; and be 
 sure to 
 
 29 . 
 
 KEEP YOUR TEMPER. 
 
 RULES FOR BETTING THE ODDS, WITH 
 THE CHANCES OF WINNING. 
 
 At any score of the game, except 
 eight and nine, the odds are nearly in 
 proportion to the points wanted, viz. 
 
 Supposing A wants four, and B six of 
 the game, the odds are six to four in 
 favour of A ; and if A wants three, and 
 B wants five, it is seven to five in favour 
 of A. 
 
 S 
 
 At the beginning of a game it is ten 
 and a half to ten, in favour of the 
 
 dealer. 
 
 * i . * 
 
 t 
 
17 
 
 CHANCES 
 
 FOR 
 
 LAYING WAGERS, 
 
 WITH THE DEAL. 
 
18 
 
 CALCULATIONS. 
 
 1. 
 
 It is about five to four that your 
 partner holds one card out of any two. 
 
 2 . 
 
 It is about five to two that he holds 
 one card out of three. 
 
 3 . 
 
 It is about four to one that he holds 
 one card out of any four. 
 
 4 . 
 
 It is two to one that he does not hold 
 a certain card. 
 
 5 . 
 
 It is about three to one that he does 
 not hold two cards out of any three. 
 
 6 . 
 
 It is about three to two that he does 
 
 not hold tw o cards out of any four. 
 
 *■ 
 
19 
 
 LAWS OF WHIST. 
 
 1. 
 
 if a card is turned up in dealing, the 
 adverse party, on naming it, may call a 
 new deal, unless they have touched or 
 looked at the card, so as have been the 
 means of causing it. 
 
 2 . 
 
 If any card, except the last is faced, 
 it is undoubtedly a new deal. 
 
 3 . 
 
 Should any one play with twelve 
 cards, and the others with their proper 
 number, the deal is good, and he who 
 has the twelve cards is punished for any 
 revoke he may have made; but if either 
 of the other have fourteen cards, the 
 deal is lost. 
 
 4 . 
 
 If the dealer does not turn up the last 
 card it is a lost deal. 
 
 « i f ' 
 
20 
 
 5 . 
 
 The dealer to leave the last, or trump 
 card, on the table, till he has played; 
 after which, none may ask what card 
 was turned up, although they may en¬ 
 quire what suit is trumps at any time. 
 Should he leave it on the table after the 
 first round, it may be called, as if shewn 
 by accident. 
 
 6 . 
 
 Any one has a right, before he plays, 
 to call on the players to place their 
 cards before them; which is, in other 
 words, to ask who played them. It is 
 therefore, a quibble to say, they have no 
 right to make that demand. 
 
 7 . 
 
 If any one omits playing to a trick, 
 and remains with a card too many, the 
 adversaries, at their option, may call a 
 fresh deal. 
 
 8 . 
 
 It a person leads, and his partner 
 plays before his turn, the adversary’s 
 partner may do the same. 
 
 9 . 
 
 If any one plays out of his turn, the 
 adversaries ha ve the option to call that 
 card at any time, or direct the player. 
 
21 
 
 whose turn it was, to play any suit thev 
 
 CilOOSGo 
 
 10 . 
 
 Ifa person, supposing that he has 
 
 won a trick, leads again before his 
 
 partner has played to it, the adversaries 
 
 may oblige his partner to win it if he 
 can. 
 
 11 . 
 
 If the ace, or any other card of a suit, 
 is led, and any person plays out of turn 
 
 whether his partner has any of the suit 
 led or not, he is neither to trump it nor 
 win it, provided he does not revoke. 
 
 OF CALLING HONOURS. 
 
 12 . 
 
 The partner who reminds his partner 
 to call after the trump card is turned 
 up, forfeits a point. 
 
 13 . 
 
 Mistakes relative to tricks may be 
 rectified at any time during the game, 
 whether called or not. Also honours, 
 if proved to have been called in time, 
 though not scored ; but they cannot be 
 claimed after the trump is turned up. 
 
22 
 
 14 * 
 
 If any one calls, except at the point 
 of eight, the adverse party may consult 
 together, and call a new deal. 
 
 15 . ' 
 
 If any person calls, after he has 
 played, the adversaries may call a new 
 deal, but not consult together. 
 
 16 . 
 
 If any person answers without an 
 honour, the adversaries may consult, 
 and stand the deal or not. 
 
 OF SEPARATING OR SHEWING THE 
 
 CARDS. 
 
 17 . 
 
 Any player may call a card from his 
 adversary, if he names it, and proves 
 the separation. Should he name a wrong 
 one, he may have his best or worst card 
 called of any suit played during the 
 deal. 
 
 18 . 
 
 Cards thrown down cannot be re¬ 
 sumed, but may be called by the adver¬ 
 saries. They may be shewn down by 
 the player, if sure of every trick. 
 
\ 
 
 *23 
 
 REVOKING. 
 
 19 . 
 
 There are four penalties on a revoke, 
 which take place every other score* 
 The adversaries may make three tricks 
 from the party revoking, or three from 
 their score, or add three to their own ; 
 and if there still should remain enough 
 to make the party revoking win the 
 
 game, they cannot win it, but remain at 
 nine. 
 
 20 , 
 
 tf any person revokes, and before the 
 party revoking has played again, or the 
 trick been turned or quitted, it may be 
 recalled; but the adversaries, at their 
 option, may call from the highest or the 
 lowest of the suit at the time, or the 
 card shewn at the time during the deal. 
 
 21 . 
 
 If a revoke is claimed, the adversaries 
 forfeit the penalty of a revoke, if they 
 mix the cards before it is determined. 
 
 22 . 
 
 No revoke can be claimed after the 
 cards are cut for the next deal. 
 
 23 . 
 
 Whoever shall, by word or gesture, 
 manifestly discover his approval or dis- 
 
24 
 
 
 approbation of his partner’s mode of 
 play during the deal, or ask any ques¬ 
 tions but such as are specially allowed 
 by the existing Laws of Whist, the ad¬ 
 versary shall either add a point to his 
 own score, or deduct one from the par¬ 
 ty so transgressing, at his option, 
 
 V This law, of course, does not 
 anect the privilege ot talking over the 
 hands between the deals® 
 
 
 - II 
 
 
 FINIS 
 
 It, 
 
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 •*: I 1 m s. 
 
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