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ting into his hand all the cards in a book (which is the object of the calling), he lays them down together, near his place, and none of them can be called for any more. The calling goes on till all the pack is then distributed into books, and then he who has most books wins. When the cards are numbered, the winner is determined sometimes by adding the numbers on the books taken, the one who has the highest sum winning.

By listening attentively to the calls of the other players, one can generally get a very good idea of how the cards lie, and ask accordingly. If a player has called successfully for a card and has not laid aside the book containing it, the others know he still has it, and the next player, if he has been watchful, will call for the card. Again, if a player asks another for a card and is refused, all the others know that neither of them has it. In general, after calling for cards he is sure he can get, a player should try to complete the books in his hand that are most nearly full.

History. Authors is possibly derived from an old English game called "Spade, the Gardener," played with a pack of ordinary cards. from which all cards below the tens have been thrown out.

Each of the four kings is given a name, and the other cards of the

BACHELOR'S KITCHEN, a game played by any number of persons, who sit in a row, all except one, who goes from player to player, asking each what he will give to the bachelor's kitchen. When all have answered, the leader asks each all sorts of questions. The one questioned must give as his answer the name of the article he agreed to contribute. If he gives any other answer, or laugh, he must pay a forfeit.

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suit are regarded as his family. Thus, the King of Spades is called Spade, the Gardener; the Queen, Spade, the Gardener's Wife; the Knave, his son; the Ace, his servant, and the Ten, his dog. In like manner, the King of Clubs is called Club, the Constable; the King of Hearts, the Good Natured Man, and the King of Diamonds, Vicar Denn. Each of these has also his wife, son, servant, and dog. The object is to get all the cards into one hand, and when all a player's cards are gone he retires from the game.

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The earliest similar game played with special cards seems to have been "Doctor Busby," where the cards had pictures representing numbers of various "families,"each family constituting a book. The game of Doctor Busby is still sold at toy stores, but Authors, and similar forms of the game, are more popular. Among the similar games, all played in the same way, are Famous Men" (where one book consists of Inventors, one of Soldiers, one of Artists, and so on), "Queens of Literature" (where all the authors named are women),“ Poets,” and “Gems of Art " (where each book contains the names of pictures in some famous art gallery). There are similar games in French and German, devoted not only to Authors but to familiar things to aid in learning the languages.

When the questioner has succeeded in making any one laugh, or is satisfied that he cannot do so, he goes on to the next.

BACKGAMMON, a game played by two persons, each with 15 pieces, or men, and 2 dice, on a board like the one shown below. The men, of two colors, are usually the same as those used in checkers, and a backgammon board is generally made, for convenience sake, on the inside

of a checker board. The board is divided into two pairs of tables by a line through the middle called the bar (which is a raised partition when the game is played inside a checkerboard), and each player has a home, or inner table, and an outer table. In the cut, A is Black's home or inner table, and B his outer table; and C is White's home, or inner table, and D his outer table. Each table has six points in it, of two colors placed alternately, generally black and white or black and red. The points in the inner table, beginning at the edge of the board, are sometimes given French names, as the ace, deuce, trois, quatre, cinq, and

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six points, but in the United States they are more commonly called by the numbers from one to six. For convenience sake, the numbers in the illustration are continued across the board to 12. The point numbered 7 is sometimes called the bar point. The men are set as in the illustration, part of them being, it will be noticed, in the enemy's tables. The object of each player is to get his own men around into his own inner table, where he can play them off, as will be shown hereafter. In doing this, the two move in opposite directions, Black from White's inner table into White's outer table, then across into his own outer table, and

finally into his own inner table, or following the course C D BA in the cut, while White moves in the direction A B D C into his home or inner table. The moves are decided by throwing DICE, of which each player has two. When a player makes his throw, he calls out the number of points on the top of the dice (as 42, 6-3, or double 4) and then plays any of his men a number of points on the board equal to the number thrown. He may play one man as many points as are on the two dice, or he may play each number with a different man. If he throws two like numbers (called doublets) _he plays double what he throws. For instance, if he throws two 4's he has the right to play four 4's instead of two, and these moves may be made all together or separately. If the point at which any move ends is occupied by two or more hostile men, that move cannot be made, and if the player cannot move at all, he must wait till his next turn. If the point has only one hostile man on it, it is called a blot, and the move can then be made (which is sometimes called hitting the blot). The man so hit, or captured, is taken from the board, or placed on the bar. Its owner can make no move till he has entered his piece again in his opponent's inner table, by playing it as if it were on a point just before the ace point. If each point on this table has two or more hostile men on it the player whose man is up cannot play at all till his opponent has moved some of them. Generally, leaving a man uncovered, that is, leaving only one man on a point, should be avoided, and when doublets are thrown, the men are usually moved in pairs for this reason; but skillful players often make blots on purpose, either because they are willing to take the risk in order to move their men quicker, or in order that the men, when taken up, may enter anew, and gain the enemy's rear so as to be able to capture his men. When all a player's

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men have reached his inner table, he begins to play them off the board, which is called casting off, throwing off, or bearing off. In casting off, the pieces count according to the point they are on. For instance, throwing 5 and 2 entitles a player to cast off one man from his five point and one from his two point, or one or both the numbers may be played as moves. It is an advantage to keep the points in the table covered as evenly as possible, so that every throw of the dice may be of use. If there are no men on the proper point, and no move can be made, men from a lower point may be thrown off. The player who first throws off his men wins the game. If his opponent has thrown off any of his men, a victory counts as a single game, or hit; if he has not thrown off any, it counts as a double game, or gammon; and if he has a man up, or one in either of the winner's tables it counts as a triple or quadruple game (as agreed on), or backgammon. Skillful players will often make different moves according as they wish to make a gammon or a hit.

RULES OF THE GAME.

1. The first move is decided by lot; each player throws a single die, and the one that gets the highest number plays first, having the privilege of moving from these throws, taken together, or of throwing as usual, as he pleases.

2. If a man is taken from any point, it must be played, and when it has been placed on a point and left, the move cannot be made over again. 3. If the owner of a man that has been taken up cast off another man before entering the one taken up, all the men so cast off must be treated as if they had been taken up. 4. If a player throw and play out of turn, and his opponent has thrown, the move can be changed only by consent of both players.

First Plays.

considered the best first moves in playing for a hit, will be understood by reference to the illustration at the beginning of the article. In all these, it will be seen that the object is, first to cover important points in the player's own tables, and then to get his men out of the enemy's tables.

1. If double aces are thrown (the best of all first throws), two men should be moved from the player's 6 to his 5 point, and two from his 8 to his 7 point, as it is desirable to prevent the enemy from gaining these points.

2. Double 6's; two men from I to 7 in the opposite tables and two from the opposite 12 to the player's 7.

3. Double 3's; two from 8 to 5, and two from 6 to 3, in the player's tables, thus protecting the 5 and 3 points.

4. Double 2's; two from 6 to 4 in the player's tables, protecting the 4 point, and two from 1 to 2 in the opposite tables, thus advancing one step toward getting out of the enemy's tables.

5. Double 4's; two from 1 to 5 in the opposite tables, and two from the opposite 12 to the player's 9.

6. Double 5's; two from the opposite 12 to the player's 8 and then to his 3.

7. 6 and ace; one from opposite 12 to the player's 7, and one from 8 to 7, thus securing the bar point.

8. 6-2; one from the opposite 12 to the player's 5. (In this and similar plays, where two moves are made at once, it must be remembered that the two are distinct, and that if one is blocked it cannot be made. But either number may be played first, and thus a block may often be avoided or a hostile man taken.)

9. 6-3, 6-4, 6-5, and 5-4; in each case play one from the opposite ace point as far as it can go.

10. 5-3; one from 6 to 3, and one from 8 to 3 in the player's tables.

11. 5-2; two from the opposite 12; one to the player's 8, and one to

The following, which are usually his 11.

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14. 4-2; one from 8 to 4, and one from 6 to 4 in the player's tables.

15. 4-1; one from the opposite 12 to the player's 9, and one from the opposite ace point to 2.

16. 3-2; two from the opposite 12; one to the player's 10, the other to his II.

17. 3-1; one from 8 to 5, one from 6 to 5 in the player's tables.

18. 2-1; one from the opposite 12 to the player's II, and one from the opposite ace point to 2.

Russian Backgammon, or TricTrac, a kind of backgammon in which the men are not set on the board in the beginning, but are entered, as if they had been taken up. Both players enter in the same table and move in the same direction. The player may move before entering all his men, but if a man be taken up, it must be entered before any other play can be made, and if this is impossible its owner loses his turn. If doublets are thrown, after playing them the numbers on the opposite sides of the dice are also played, and then the player is allowed another throw; thus he can keep on playing so long as he throws doublets and can make his moves. But if he cannot make any move his play must stop. The privilege of playing the numbers on the opposite side of the dice is sometimes not given to the first throw of doublets. It is sometimes extended by letting any one who throws an ace and a two play doublets of them and both of the opposite numbers (six and five), and then, after playing them, throw again. The rules are the same as for ordinary backgammon.

Spanish Backgammon, or Jacquet. In this form of the game there is no taking up, and a single man there

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the men can be moved in any order the player chooses.

History. The origin of backgammon is unknown. It is said to have been invented about the 10th century, though a similar game was played by the ancients on a board called an Abacus. It was first called Tables,

Backgammon in the 13th Century.

and is mentioned under this name by Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Bacon. In monkish Latin it was called Tabularum Ludus (Game of Tables). The tables were not always as they are now. In the illustration, showing two players of the 13th century,

the form at that time is plainly shown. There is no bar on the board and there seem to be but eight points. In the 14th century the board was divided like ours, but the points were of only one color. There were many ways of playing, in some of which three dice were used and the men all set in the opponent's inner table. Tables was one of the indoor games that James I. recommended to his son Prince Henry in his book of advice called "Basilikon Doron" (The Royal Gift). The word backgammon is thought by some to be from the Welsh and to mean little battle. Others think it is Saxon and means back-game, from the setting back of the men when taken up; and others still that it is Danish and means the tray game, from the shape of the board. In Germany it is called Puff (Clatter), probably from the rattling of the dice or the pieces on the board. The French TricTrac, which is the same in German, and was anciently called tick-tack in English, is named in the same way. In Germany, backgammon is also called Brettspiel (board-game), and so is draughts.

BACK-HANDED EUCHRE. See

EUCHRE.

BADMINTON. See LAWN TEN

NIS.

BAGATELLE, a game played by any number of persons with cues and balls like those used in BILLIARDS, but smaller, on a table something like a small Billiard table, cushioned only at the sides, or on a cloth covered board, which can be laid on an ordinary table. Nine balls, two of which are colored, are used. At the lower end of the table are nine holes, numbered in order, and in front of the holes is a spot a on which one of the colored balls, often called the King Ball, is placed. At the upper end of the table is another spot, b, and between it and the holes a line called the string line, as in Billiards. Each player in turn plays his eight balls one by one, the colored one first, by

placing each on the spot behind the string line and striking it with his cue, as in Billiards, toward the holes. The object is to place the balls, including the King Ball, in the holes, and the player scores the numbers of such holes as he can fill, the colored balls counting double. Thus the highest score would be 62, made by filling all the holes, the colored balls being in the Nine and Eight holes. Such a score is very unusual. He wins who scores most points in a number of rounds agreed upon before the game. If any ball rebounds beyond the string line, it must be removed from the board till the next player's turn.

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Bagatelle Board.

At the end of each turn the board is cleared, and the King Ball placed on its spot, as in the beginning. The three-ball game of BILLIARDS may be played on a Bagatelle board, caroms counting one each, and each hole its proper number as in ordinary Bagatelle. Mississippi, a kind of Bagatelle played with a bridge or row of stalls which is placed on the board just in front of the holes. The stalls are numbered from one to nine, but no ball is allowed to score unless it hits the side of the board before entering them.

Mississippi Board.

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