The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1889-12-26
HEARTS BECOMING POPULAR.
A Batkhandsa Sort q Whist Driving Out Pro
peSSie Eaehre.

1 -
New York Sun: Hearts" the little
game that was introduced into high so
ciety few years ago, is likely to become
as much the rage, they say, as progress
sive euchre has been for Q season or two
past. The game seems To be all right,
and fully Is pleasant as the Older one Of
euchre, not to speak Of It's being easier
for 4 greenhorn TO pick up. There al.
ways were one or two at Q progressive
euchre party who did not know the
game, and hadn't more than begun to
learn II when the bell rang time for the
last round. This greatly interiered with
the celebrity Of play that was essential to
make a progressive euchre party lively,
and was q constant annoyance to good
players. There will DO no such trouble
with hearts, for it,, rules are so simple
that any one with any knowledge at all
Of cards can pick them up In q few min
utes. Attic same time there Is room in
the game for the exercise Of the faculties
Of memory and judgment essential TO a
good whist player. The more one knows
about 1t the better one plays, but to be
able to play well enough to keep up with
the procession and avoid delaying the
games, 1t is not essential TO have any ex-
pert knowledge.
There are four players in each game,
but no partners, fact that slmplifes it
greatly. The full pack Of fifty-two cards
(no joker is dealt at once, and the cards
rank from ace. high, to duce, low. The
deal is determined by throwing card to
each player, the lowest dealing. The
player at the dealers left leads, and the
others play in rotation, following suit II
they can, throwing away II they have
none Of the suit led. The highest card of
the suit led takes the trick, and the win
ner Of one trick leads for the next.
The object Of each player Is to avoid
taking any trick that has q heart in it,
and, Of course, to compel some one else
TO take tricks into which hearts have been
thrown. The result is sort Of reversal
Of whist, with hearts perpetually trumps.
OF course the highest cards are the most
dangerous, for they are the most likely to
take tricks, and the fewer tricks one takes
the less chance Of hearts. Hearts, also,
are things despised, to get rid Of as rapid
ly as possible. It is q good thing, in q
general way, to get rid Of all cards Of one
suit early in the play, because then one
can avoid having TO follow suit, perhaps,
and have 4 chance to throw away q
heart, and in various other matters the
rules and customs that have become in
stinct with whist are reversed in hearts.
When all the cards have been played
each player looks over his tricks and for
each heart card, II any in them, be puts
one counter into pool. Where two or
more players have escaped taking any
hearts, the pool is divided among them,
and II all the players have taken hearts
the pool stands and is joined to that for
the next round. Aside from these gen.
eral principles the rules Of whist govern
the game, with some few exceptions, such
as the following:
II card Is exposed during the deal,
the dealer must deal over again. But II
the exposed card belongs to the dealer q
fresh deal does not ensue.
l II misdeal occurs the dealer must deal
over again. lin the case Of 4 misdeal,
the deal does not pass to the eldest hand
as at whist. There is no advantage in
having the lead. Therefore the dealer
must not deprive an innocent player Of
the privilege Of the lesd.)
A card exposed in the course Of play
cannot be "called," as in whist.
cat whist, by exposing his card or
cards, q player gives knowledge to his
partner, and hence the rule that such
may be caliel for and must be played.
In the game Of hearts each player is
playing for himself alone, and has no
partner to whom information can be
conveyed. Therefore, the stringent rule
Of whist cannot be extended when no
reason for the rule sxists.)
In case Of q revoke the delinquent
must pay into the pool as many counters
as the pool then contains, II any, and the
thirteen counters additional.
A revOking player cannot win anything
in the round in which the revoke occur
red but after the penalty has been paid,