Quinze - The Play

The Play

The cards are shuffled by both players and when they have it cut for deal, which falls to the lot of that who cuts the lowest card, being Ace low and King high, the dealer is then free to shuffle them again. When this is done, the adversary cuts them, after which the dealer gives one card to his opponent and one to himself.

Should the dealer's adversary not approve of his card, he is entitled to have as many cards given to him, one after the other, as will make fifteen, or come nearest to that number, which are usually given from the top of the pack. That is, if the player is dealt a Two and then a Five, which amounts to seven, he must continue going on in expectation of coming nearer to fifteen. If he is dealt an Eight, which will make just fifteen, he, as having the best hand, is sure of winning the game. But if he is overdealt and makes more than fifteen, he loses, unless the dealer should do the same, in which case it is a drawn game, and the players double their stakes thus going on until one of them has won the game by being exactly fifteen or by standing as closest to this.

At the conclusion of each game, the cards are put up and shuffled and the players cut again for deal, and the elder then taken on the advantage of dealing the cards.