counters are put in different proportions on the three prizes to be gained by those who happen to have purchased corresponding cards, and such that happen not to be drawn are continued till the next deal.

This game may be played with a single pack, by separat ing the same into two divisions, each containing a red and black suit.

Brag.

THIS is taken from the text of Seymour-whose quaint spirit and phrases are singularly suited to the subject.

At this game, the whole pack is dealt round the table to all who are desirous to share in the gain and diversion. As many play at it as the cards will hold out to supply; he dealing three apiece to each of the gamesters at one time, turning up the last card all round, belonging to every one present.

Each gamester is to put down three stakes, one for each card, as much or as little as the humors of the company will consent to: whether three guineas, three crowns, three shillings, three sixpences, or what other stakes, according to their qualities and purposes, is thought convenient: And this being done, the manner of playing the game is as follows:

The best card turned up in the dealing round, in its degree, beginning from ace, king, queen, knave, and so downwards, through all the cards of the players, wins the first stake; and the person who has the luck to have it dealt him, is to demand it from the rest; who pay it accordingly, unless the ace of diamonds be turned up amongst them; which if shown, by a superior authority in the game, is to be preferred, and wins the stake. And observe, that though the eldest hand, who has an ace, carries it from the rest by a kind of descent, yet the ace of diamonds, by the aforesaid authority, even in the youngest hand, which is the last card that is dealt, wins the stake from any other turned up before.

The next principal matter, and the main thing by which the second stake is to be won, is called the Brag, which,

by the ingenuity of its management, gives the game its denomination. The nature of it is, that you are to endeavor to impose upon the judgment of the rest who play, and particularly on the person who chiefly offers to oppose you, by boasting of cards in your hand, whether pairs-royal, pairs or others, that are better than his or hers who plays against you. The best cards you can have really to brag of, are a pair-royal of aces, the next of kings, queens, &c. a pair-royal of any sort winning from any pair of the best sort, as a pair of any sort wins of any other cards that are not pairs.

But here you are to observe, that the witty ordering of this brag, is the most pleasant part of the game; for those who by fashioning their looks and gestures, can give a proper air to their actions, as will so deceive an unskilful antagonist, that sometimes a pair of fives, trays, or deuces, in such a hand, with the advantage of his composed countenance, and subtle manner of overawing the other, shall out-brag a much greater pair-royal, and win the stakes with great applause and laughter on his side from the whole company.

The knave of clubs is here as principal a favorite as at Loo, and makes a pair with any other card in hand, or with any other two cards a pair-royal, and is often in this game very necessary, to advance the credit of the brag, to hin who has the assurance of imposing upon the company; and by such convenient confidence, the advantage of winning the second stake.

The third stake is won by the person who first makes up the cards in his hand thirty-one, each ace, king, queen, knave, &c., going for ten, and drawing from the pack, as is usual in that game: or, instead of the thirty-one, if his fortune will not oblige him, the nearest to it may win, he having the privilege to draw, or not to draw, as he pleases, according as he finds it convenient, by the cards that are in his hand; for if he draws out, he loses his third stake.

Some very nice players at this game make the nine of diamonds a second favorite card, with the knave of clubs, to make a pair-royal of aces; so that those two joined with one natural ace, shall win from any pair-royal of kings, queens, knaves, or any other cards, but a pair-royal of natural aces.

The person who is so lucky to win all the three stakes,

is to be rewarded by the whole company of gamesters around the table with three stakes more, if they play the strictness of the game; which necessarily makes the winnings and losings amount to a considerable sum of money. But very often our modern gamesters waive this particular, and out of a decent regard to their pockets, content themselves with the satisfaction of the pleasure of the brag, rather than trust to the uncommon good fortune of winning the three stakes from the rest of the disappointed company.

The deal is to go round from person to person; and by the different management of the brag, you may find very great diversion, some doing it so awkwardly, with so little cunning, and so ill an address, that the defects or value of their game will presently be discovered, whilst others with a more artful assurance, and by their subtle management, will wittily banter and impose upon their adversaries, and seldom fail of their designed profit.

It is not fair for any of the gamesters, that sit near him who makes the brag, to peep into his hand, or by any mute sign or token to give the opposer any knowledge of the cards that he has in his hand; because it may chance that the oppositions, natural to this game, may draw on a considerable sum of money, to be staked down, each of the two who are concerned valuing his own cards, and lessening those of his antagonists, as he thinks he has

reason.

A very notable damage, occasioned by one person's peeping into another's hand, I once chanced to be a spectator of.

Some gentlemen and ladies were playing at this game, when one of the gamesters, who seemed to be very skilful at the game in general, but more particularly so at the subtle management of the brag, and, by his artful method and cunning manner of behavior, had induced his competitor to believe that he resolved to out-brag him upon very low and insignificant cards; but it was the gentleman's good luck at that juncture, to have in his hand far otherwise than he imagined, having been dealt two natural aces, and the knave of clubs, which, joined with the other two, made the greatest pair-royal that could then possibly be dealt, and consequently proper to win also the greatest stake that could be laid; he kept his countenance demure, and

with a gesture neither overjoyed nor desponding, made a brag of half-a-crown; the other who had in his hand a pair-royal of kings, and, as afterwards was discovered, bad, through the mprudence of the dealer, casually seen an ace or two given about to other gamesters, thinking himself also as secure as possible, answers with a crown; his antagonist then sets half-a-guinea, and the opposer immeditely a whole one, and vying with each other, till the same mounted to ten pounds, when as ill fate, for one of them, would have it, a too curious impertinent of the female ind, who sat next to him that had the aces, having a urious itch upon her to know whether his repeated brag was upon a sure foundation or not, could not forbear covertly peeping into his hand, and at the view was so surprised, that on a sudden she, by a violent shriek, gave the gamester, with the pair-royal of kings, warning of his unavoidable loss, giving him reason to cease the brag, and thereby lose the game.

Faro.

FARO, Pharo, Pharaoh, or Pharaon, is very similar to Basset, a game formerly much in vogue.

Rules of the Game.-The banker turns up the cards from a complete pack, deliberately, one by one, laying them alternately, first to his right for the bank, and then to his left hand for the punter, till the whole are dealt out.

The punter may, at his option, set any number of stakes, agreeable to the sum limited, upon one or more cards hosen out of his livret, from the ace to the king inclusive, either previous to dealing the cards, or after any quantity of coups are made, or he may masque his bets, or change is cards whenever he pleases, or finally decline punting, except an event is unsettled when not above eight cards are undealt.

The banker wins when the card, equal in points to that on which the stake is set, turns up on his right hand, but loses when it is dealt to the left.

The punter loses half the stake when his card comes out twice in the same coup.

The last card neither wins nor loses.

The last card but one is called hocly, and forms part of the banker's gain; but now is frequently given up, and generally so in the last deal.

When by accident or design the pack happens to contain more or less than 52 cards, or should the last coup be found deficient, owing to any misdeal, however arising, whether discovered at the end or during the game, the bank must then pay every stake depending at the period when the error is detected, which payment must also be made if the cards are thrown up.

The dealer should hold the cards close in his hand, and always be prepared to inform any punter how many card? remain.

The first card is never valid till the second is dealt.

No person but the dealer or croupier should ever meddle with the cards, unless to cut them.

A paroli, &c., may be purchased by paying á sum equivalent to the stake.

Method of Play.-The tailleur and croupier sit opposite each other at a large oval table covered with a green cloth, on which is a line marked by colored tape, or a wooden rim about an inch high, and eight from the edge of the table, for the purpose of separating those cards punted on from the others. Money is placed either loose in a well, or done up in rouleaus. The tailleur is to deal, while the croupier pays and receives, guards against errors, and shuffles another pack of cards.

The game may be played by any number of persons, each punter being furnished with a livret, from which having chosen a card, or cards, and placed the same upon the table, just within the line, putting the stake either thereon, or upon other cards placed face downwards at the head of those betted on. The stakes are answered by the banker, who usually limits the sums according to his capital; and at public tables has generally two or more croupiers. Then the dealer having previously counted and shuffled the cards, and had them cut by a punter, should hold the pack tight in his hand, and show the bottom card, as a caution to avoid punting on it near the conclusion of the game and to prevent mistakes, a similar card, with the corners cut off, is usually laid in the middle of the table; next he says play, and proceeds to deal slowly, first to the