Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-04-06
A RIVAL OF WHIST.
All Sporting England is Playing the New
Gatne called Narique.

All Sporting England Is ElaylHS the new
Game Called Varique.
Among the swagger set of all England
a new game has been introduced, and
it is said to be a close rival to whist.
The game is called varique, and although
one Of cards. its nature is more nearly
| akin to the games of checkers and chess.
The varique pack numbers forty cards,
having no face cards, and the pips (spots)
are all III the form of the Maltese cross,
| and indented. The difference if suit is
| simply the difference of color, red. black.
green and yellow being the shades used.
The numerical arrangement of the
spots is the same as on ordinary. cards
| from one to ten lncluSlve-and the game
can be played by two, three or four
hands using as many suits or colors as
| there are players.
Then. besides the cards, there are four
boxes of pipe, which fit into those OH the
cards and are of the same colors, but i'll
a lighter shade. Throughout the game
each player uses one set, or color, of
! pipe, the set, dealer and partner being
| determined by cutting. After shutting
| the cards are dealt face upward one at a
| time and placed in rows in the center of
the table, the number of rows and the
cards i'll each row depending upon the
number of players. For instance, in the
| game for two twenty cards are in use,
and are played in five rows of four cards
each. The first player who sits at the
left of the dealer has what is called an
| open field. That is, he can play on any
| card of his suit, which he does by placing
| one pip on the card which he considers
holds the most advantageous position.
This card becomes the controlling card
for the opponents turn, and prevents
his playing on any card in line with it,
either vertically, horizontally or oblique-
ly, so it will be seen that a card i'll the
hQn
q corner or outside card
The restriction is for the one turn only.
The second player canplace his pips upon
any of the unrestricted cards, and SO in
his turn controls the play Of No. l.
AS soon as the card has all its plps COW
| cred it becomes a. "full' card. and is of
great assistance in filling others Sup
pose the three spot to be the first card
filled. The player may continue his turn
if any of his cards can be completed by
using exactly the same number of pips
as the full card contains. In this case,
if four has only one pip covered he can
complete that card with three pips taken
from his stock, and any other card lack
ing three pips can be filled in the same
turn.
Also the numbers on the controlling
card, which, it must be remembered, IS
the first card to be played upon, and the
turn, may be added to any other full
card of ones suit to complete or fill
another card AS the three-the control
ling card-added to the fonr-the com
pleted card-eQuals seven, that number
Of pips can be used to entirely fill q
seven spot or to complete any card which
lacks just seven pips.
Only the restricted cards can be played
upon, and the turn continues as long as
any cards can be filled. A full card pro-
tects from restriction any card lying be-
yond it. but in the same line with the
controlling card.
1t will be seen that after few plays
the controlling card may block the play
er, in which case he loses his turn, and
the succeeding player has an open field.
The player first filling his card wins
the game, and thereby a certain number
of points from each opponent. In order
to become a successful player it is neces-
sary to calculate several moves in adj
vance The element of chance is evil
dent by the relative position of the suits,
by the deal. The element of skill is dis
played by the selection of each control
ling card. But the great advantage of
the game. perhaps, to the young woman
proud of her .'snowy hand, all queenly
with its rings" as Thomas Bailey Aid
rich puts it, is the glorious opportunity
afforded her for posing that dainty
hand, bird-like holding the bits of Nal
tese cross above the card several seconds
before making her play