a misdeal pays a penalty to the pool equal to the stake of one trick.  In the event of a misdeal, or accidental exposure of a card, the whole pack must be collected, shuffled and re-cut, as before, after which the cards are to be re-dealt by the same player who made the mistake.  The players must not interfere with the cards during the deal, under a similar penalty, nor touch the remainder of the pack when once it has left the dealer’s hands.

The deal having been completed the players are entitled to look at their cards, and then declare, in turn, whether they will “stand” or “pass,” the player on the dealer’s left having the first call.  If he decide to stand he declares the number of tricks he will stand for, while if he elects to pass [10] he simply states his intention of so doing, but it is understood that the first caller must stand for one trick, should all the others decide to pass, except in the case where the Double Header is agreed to (see page 13).  The next player then announces his intention.  If he cannot stand for more tricks than have already been called he must pass, and the same holds good all round, until the dealer is reached.  No player may make a second declaration, or alter one once made.

The player who has called the highest number of tricks now becomes senior hand, and his object is to make the tricks he has declared, in opposition to the united efforts of the other players, who combine—­without consultation or arrangement of any kind—­to defeat his purpose.  The senior hand may make trumps of any suit he chooses, and this he signifies by leading one of the suit he selects.  It will thus be seen that the first card played in each deal decides the trumps for that deal.

The player on the left of the leader then follows.  If he has a card of the suit led he must play it, but if not he may throw off any card he chooses.  If he has more than one card of the suit he can play either, as he is not forced to head the trick even if he has a card higher than that led but in practice it is seldom desirable to pass a trick in the first round, when headed by the senior hand, except under exceptional circumstances, such for instance as holding ace and a small one, with knave or a lower card led.

Provided no player has headed the trick, i.e., played a higher card of the same suit as the one led, the trick is scored by the senior hand, and he leads for the second [11] round.  If, however, one of the players has taken the trick, then the lead passes to the winner of that trick, and the same occurs after the second, third and fourth tricks.

In the second and subsequent rounds the leader may play whatever card he chooses, just as in the first, the trumps remaining unaltered.  A player having one of the suit led in either round must play it, but if he has none of the suit he may either discard one of the others, or head the trick by playing a trump.  This continues throughout the five rounds, unless the senior hand shall have previously won the number of tricks he declared, or shall have lost such a number as to render his success impossible, in either of which cases the cards are collected for the next deal.

There are several innovations and different methods of play which may be introduced into the game of Napoleon, but any divergence from the plain game should be carefully settled by the company before the play is commenced.  Failing a proper understanding on this point, the rules applicable to the simple game must be adhered to.

When a pool is agreed to, payment is made by each dealer according to the value of the stake of the game, but it is more convenient for all of the players to pay in when it is the original dealer’s turn to play.  The Kitty thus formed becomes the property of the caller who makes Nap, and he takes it in addition to the double stakes he [12] receives from each player, as already mentioned.  When it is found desirable to conclude the game before a Nap has been secured, the amount of the kitty is to be equally divided between the players, or it may be drawn for, in which case a card is distributed to each player by the regular dealer, who has the cards properly shuffled and cut for the purpose, when the holder of the lowest card (ace here reckoning as highest) takes the pool.

This is the most common variation, and is the antithesis of Napoleon, inasmuch as the caller must not make a single trick.  The caller leads off in the ordinary way—­the suit led being trumps, as usual, unless it is agreed, as is sometimes done, that there shall be no trumps in this variation.  The caller of misére must always follow suit, if he can, but is not obliged to trump if he has none of the suit led.  He must, however, play the cards so as to avoid taking a trick.  Should he be compelled to win one of the tricks, or should his original lead remain unheaded by any of the other players, then he fails in his declaration, and has to pay, but if he avoids making a trick, the other players have to pay him.  The usual stake for “misery,” either for winner or loser, is three; but any player declaring he can make three tricks takes precedence, and plays accordingly.

After the cards have been distributed, but before any declaration has been made, the dealer asks each player in turn, beginning with the player on his left, whether he wishes to buy a card or cards.  The player wishing to purchase must first throw away the cards he desires to eject, [13] face downwards, and must place in the pool the value of one trick for each card he desires to receive from the dealer.  The card or cards must be taken from the top of the pack, and handed unexposed to the player.

An extra hand is dealt, which each player in turn has the option of adding to his own hand, selecting from the ten cards thus held five with which to play, but he must then stand for Nap, and, if there is a pool or kitty, he must put therein the value of two tricks if he fails to score, in addition to paying each of the players the ordinary stake on losing five tricks.

If each player “passes,” then the stakes for the next deal are doubled, and remain so until the person declaring has won.  In cases where this variation is decided upon, it is usual to agree that the lowest call be “three,” so that the double header occurs at frequent intervals.

If a player calls Napoleon, and another player on his left considers he can also make five tricks, he may call “Wellington,” in which case the stakes are doubled, the caller winning 20 or losing 10.  As this rule, however, is regarded with disfavour by some, in consequence of its raising the limit of a loss on any particular hand from 10 to 20, it is sometimes played differently.  The player who calls Wellington does not receive more than he would have done for Napoleon, but pays double, i.e., 10.  [14]

This is called in the same manner, that is to say over the player calling Wellington, and then the stakes are trebled, the caller winning 30 or losing 15.

In the modification of this variety, as referred to in connection with Wellington, the caller would still only receive 10 for winning, but would pay 15 to each player if he lost.  This may appear a severe penalty, but it must be remembered that both Wellington and Blücher are