The compleat gamester, or, Instructions how to play at billiards, trucks, bowls, and chess together with all manner of usual and most gentile games either on cards or dice : to which is added the arts and mysteries of riding, racing, archery, and cock-fighting.

CHAP. X.

A Game at ALL-FOVRS.

ALL-Fours is a Game very much play'd in Kent, and very well it may, since from thence it drew its first original; and although the Game may be lookt upon as trivial and in∣considerable, yet I have known Ken∣tish Gentlemen and others of very con∣siderable note, who have play'd great sums of money at it, yet that adds not much to the worth of the Game, for a man may play away an estate at One and Thirty; as I knew one lose a considerable sum at most at three throws.

This Game I conceive is called All∣fours from Highest, Lowest, Iack, and Game, which is the Set as some play it, but you may make from seven to fifteen, or more if you please, but commonly eleven.

There are but two can play at it at a time, and they must lift for dealing,

the highest Put-card deals, who deli∣vers to his adversary three Cards, and to himself the like, and the like a∣gain, and having six apiece, he turns up a Card which is Trump; if Jack (and that is any Knave) it is one to the Dealer.

If he to whom the Cards were dealt after perusal of his Game like them not, he hath the liberty of beg∣ing one; if the Dealer refuse to give him one, then he deals three apiece more, but if he then turns up a Card of the same suit, he deals further till he turns up a Card of another suit.

Here note, That an Ace is four, a King is three, a Queen is two, a Knave one, and a Ten is ten.

Now you must play down your Cards, but to what advantage I can∣not here prescribe, it must be accor∣ding to the Cards you have in your hand managed by your judgment to the best advantage.

Having play'd your Cards you rec∣kon, if you are highest and lowest of what is Trumps, you reckon two; if you are only highest but one, and

the like of Jack and Game; some∣times you are highest, lowest, Jack, and Game, and then you must reckon four; the Game is he that tells most after the Cards are play'd, and there∣fore a Ten is a very significant Card, which crafty Gamesters know so well that they will frequently take out of a Pack two Tens, and hide them con∣trary to the knowledg of the other, which is a great advantage to this foul player, if he play of the same suit of these Tens he hath absconded, for it must of necessity secure him from losing the Game.

Here note, That he that wins Jack wins one also; and furthermore ob∣serve that for advantage reneging is allowable if you have Trumps in your hand to trump it.

There is another sort of All-fours called Running-All-fours, at which they play One and Thirty up, and in this Game the Dealer hath a great advan∣tage, for if he turn up an Ace it is four, a King three, a Queen two, and a Knave one, and these are the same also in play. A Ten is the best Card for making up.