Games - Bezique

	Games - Bezique

Bezique is a trick-taking card game for two players.

The game was developed in France in the seventeenth century, from an even older game, piquet. However, it gained its greatest popularity in Britain in the mid-nineteenth century. Probably the most famous exponent of the game was Winston Churchill. There is also some evidence that amongst other enthusiasts for the game were the British writers Wilkie Collins and Christina Rossetti.

Since the nineteenth century the game has declined in popularity and is rarely played in English-speaking countries now, though Pinochle, a game loosely derived from Bezique, is played in some parts of the United State.

Overview

The players cut for deal, the highest card having the preference. The rank of the cards in cutting (as also in play) is as follows: ace, ten, king, queen, knave, nine, eight, seven. Eight cards are dealt (by three, two, and three) to each player, the 17th card being turned up by way of trump, and placed between the two players. The remaining cards, known as the "talon" or "stock", are placed face downwards beside it. Should the turn-up card be a seven, the dealer scores ten.

The non-dealer leads and the dealer plays to such lead any card he pleases. If he plays a higher card (according to the scale above given) of the same suit, or a trump, he wins the trick; but he is not bound to do either, nor even to follow suit. Further, he is at liberty to trump, even though holding a card of the suit led. If the two cards played are the same (e.g. two nines of diamonds), the trick belongs to the leader. Once played, tricks are discarded face down to one side.

The winner of one trick leads to the next, but before doing so he marks any points to which his hand may entitle him, leaving the cards so marked on the table, and draws one card from the top of the stock. His opponent draws a card in like manner, and so the game proceeds until the stock is exhausted.

The holder of the seven of trumps is entitled to exchange it for the turn-up card, at the same time scoring ten for it. The holder of the duplicate seven of trumps scores ten for it, but gains no further benefit thereby.

The game is usually 1000 up, but, as the score proceeds by tens or multiples of ten, this number is quickly reached.

At the earlier stage of the game, the player scores for the cards he holds in his hand; certain cards or combinations of cards, duly "declared," entitling him to score many points.

Points for Melds and Brisques

Further Notes on Scoring

In order to score, the cards composing the given combination must be all at the same time in the hand of the player. (In other words, a player can not place down a king of clubs after winning the first trick and a queen of clubs after winning a second trick and then declare a marriage. However, four kings of different suits can be laid down to declare one meld and a queen added later to provide a "marriage" for one of them.)

A card played to a trick is no longer available for game play. It is taken by the winner of the trick and placed face down on a separate pile. At the game's conclusion, each player counts the number of brisques (aces and tens) they have won in tricks. Each of these is worth ten points.

A player can "declare" a meld only after winning a trick. Having won a trick, he is at liberty to score any combination he may hold, laying the cards forming it face upwards on the table. If the cards exposed show two combinations he may declare both, but must elect which of them he will score, reserving the other till he again wins a trick. Thus, having king and queen of spades and knave of diamonds on the table, he would say, "I score 40 for Bezique, and 20 to score." When he has again won a trick, having meanwhile retained the needful cards unplayed, he can then score the second meld (Marriage).

A card which has once scored cannot be again used to form part of a combination of the same kind, e.g. a queen once used to form a Marriage cannot again figure in a Marriage, though it may still score as part of a Sequence, or as one of "Four Queens." In like manner, a card which has once figured in "Bezique" cannot be used to form part of a second Bezique, though it may be used to score Double Bezique. Neither can a card which has been declared in a given combination again be declared in a combination of an inferior order; e.g. if a king and queen have been declared as part of a Sequence, a Marriage cannot afterwards be declared with the same cards--though their having figured in a Marriage would be no bar to their subsequent use as part of a Sequence.

The declared cards, though left face upwards on the table, still form part of the hand, and are played to subsequent tricks at the pleasure of the holder.

When no more cards are left in the stock, the method of play alters. No further declarations can be made, and the only additional score now possible is for the brisques (aces or tens) in the remaining tricks (scored by the winner of the trick), with ten for the last trick, as before stated.

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bezique

Games - Bezique

Overview

Points for Melds and Brisques

Further Notes on Scoring

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