Cards-a-Dice-art

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Cards-a-Dice-art - 3/17/12

"Some Cards and Dice Games" by mistress katherine kerr.

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NOTICE -

This article was submitted to me by the author for inclusion in this set of files, called Stefan's Florilegium.

These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

While the author will likely give permission for this work to be reprinted in SCA type publications, please check with the author first or check for any permissions granted at the end of this file.

Thank you,

Mark S. Harris...AKA:..Stefan li Rous

stefan at florilegium.org

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NOTE: See more of this author's work on her website at: http://webcentre.co.nz/kk

Cards and Dice Games

by mistress katherine kerr

These were gleaned from a whole host of different sites and sources, and developed at Mistress Rohesia le Sergjent's request for use in the Mangy Mongol Tavern at Canterbury Faire. If you want to use them in such settings, print them in 18 point font (or larger) to allow for candlelight and fuzzy vision.

One and Thirty 1550s

Needs: deck of cards, 2-10 players 

Aim: to hit exactly 31; pip cards worth face value, court cards worth 10, Aces worth 1

All players agree on a stake. Deal three cards from the top of the deck, face down to each player. Players choose to either: "stick" - keep with the cards they have "have it" - take another card from the dealer (these cards are dealt from the bottom of the deck)

If a player hits 31 exactly, they win a double stake from the other players, otherwise a single stake from each. If all players have gone over 31 before the play comes back to the dealer, the dealer has won. If no-one reaches 31 exactly and more than one player is left, the nearest to 31 wins. If there is a tie, the game goes to the nearest to the left of the dealer.

Bone-ace 1611

Needs: deck of cards, up to 8 players 

Aim: to hit exactly 31; pip cards worth face value, court cards worth 10, Aces worth 1

All players agree on a stake, called the bone. Deal three cards to each player, first two face down, last one face up.

The player with the highest face-up card wins the bone. Aces high and the Ace of Hearts (the Bone-Ace) beats all.

Players choose to either: 

(a) "stick" - keep with the cards they have 

(b)"have it" - take another card from the dealer

Alouette

Needs: deck of cards minus the tens, four players 

Aim: to win the most tricks; Kings high, Aces low

Deal nine cards to each player and set the rest aside. The player to the left of the dealer leads the first trick. There is no trump suit, and no obligation to follow suit.

If there is a tie, the trick is set aside and taken by the winner of the next trick. If the last trick is a tie, whoever won the first trick wins it.

All players agree on a stake which goes to:

(a) whoever gets the most trick in a hand 

(b) whoever wins the three of diamonds

Maw Scotland 1576

Needs: standard deck of cards, 2-10 players 

Aim: win either three or five tricks, or prevent another player from doing so

Ranking: five of trumps, Jack of trumps, Ace of Hearts, Ace of trumps, King of trumps, Queen of Trumps, Then if trumps red, 10 high to 2 low; if trumps black, 2 high to 10 low

All players agree on a stake. Deal five cards to each player and turn up remaining top card on deck to determine trump suit.

Player left of dealer leads and other players match suit.

If no matching suit is available, players must play a trump if they have one, but are not obliged to play the five of trumps, Jack of trumps or Ace of Hearts if they do not wish to. If no trump is available, any card may be played.

The winner of three tricks wins the pot. If a player wins the first three tricks they automatically win the pot, but if they win the fourth trick, they must win the fifth and final trick to win the pot. If they fail, they have to match the pot.

If there is no winner, another stake is required and another hand played.

Ruff 1522 Italy

Needs: standard deck of cards, four players 

Aim: to score nine points

Players agree on a stake. Deal 12 cards to each player and turn up remaining top card on deck to determine trump suit. The player with the Ace of the trump suit declares "I have the honour", and scores a point for each of the four honour cards they hold (Ace, King, Queen, Jack).

The player to the left of the dealer leads and all players follow suit. Aces high or trumps takes the suit. If they cannot follow suit, they may play any card. The winner of the trick leads.

The players gain one point for every trick taken.

Beast 1600 Germany

Needs: standard deck of cards, up to 8 players 

Aim: To win tricks; Kings high, Aces low, trumps available

All players agree on a stake and this is divided into three piles: the "king of trump" pile, the "play" pile, and the "triolet" pile.

Deal five cards to each player and turn up remaining top card on deck to determine trump suit. Play through the tricks, with each player retaining the tricks they win.

Deal another hand, with play led by the person who took the last trick in the previous hand. Play through the tricks, and retain them.

Continue with this until you cannot deal a full hand to all players. The person with the most tricks wins the "play" pile; the person with the king of trump wins the "king of trump" pile; and the person with the highest triolet (three of a kind) wins the "triolet" pile.

If a tie results or no-one has a triolet, the pile remains until it is won.

Dice and Others

Dreidel

Needs: a D4 (traditionally a four-sded top marked with Hebrew letters) 

Aim: to win all the pot

Spinning the dreidel is a game that's traditionally played during the Hebrew festival of Hannukah. The dreidel is a four-sided top. The four sides are marked with the Hebrew letters "Nun", "Gimmel", "Heh", and "Shin".

All players put in a stake. Players take turn to throw the driedel.

1=nun=no payout 

2=heh=player takes half the pot, rounding up 

3=shin=put in twice the stake 

4=gimmel=player takes all the pot

If the pot is reduced to less than two of the original stake, all the players must add another stake.

Glückhaus

Needs: two dice and 10 cards, three or more players

Arrange the cards as follows:

.....Ace (12)

 9...10...Jack (11)

 ...6.....7.....8

 .......5....3

 ..........2

Players agree on a base stake, and all players put a stake on 7.

The player rolls the dice. A four is a null throw and the dice pass on. If a 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 is rolled, the player win any stake on that card. If there are none, then the player puts a stake on it. If a 7 is rolled, the player puts a stake on the card. If a 2 is rolled, the player takes the stakes on all numbers except 7. If the player rolls 12, the player takes all stakes.

After the player rolls, the dice are passed to the left.

Dublets 1550 England

Needs: half of a backgammon board, 15 men per player and two dice, two players per board half 

Aim: to bear men off the board first

Each player has two men on each of the first three points and three men on the other three, stacked on top of each other.

Players roll the dice to unstack the men ("play down") along each point until they are all unstacked.

Once all the men are played down, players start to bear off by rolling the dice and taking the men off the corresponding points.

If a die roll equals a point where the men have been fully played down or borne off, that roll is forfeit. If a double is thrown, the player can play down or bear off as many men as there are pips showing.

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Copyright 2010 by Vicki Hyde. vicki at webcentre.co.nz. Permission is granted for republication in SCA-related publications, provided the author is credited. Addresses change, but a reasonable attempt should be made to ensure that the author is notified of the publication and if possible receives a copy.

If this article is reprinted in a publication, I would appreciate a notice in the publication that you found this article in the Florilegium. I would also appreciate an email to myself, so that I can track which articles are being reprinted. Thanks. -Stefan.