The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-11-06

| Gayety OF Nations.
new game of cards has come out OF
| the west. It is rapid, dashing game,
| giving 10 its devotees good run for
their money Wherever it has been in
troduced in the east it has caught the
lovers of cards. Even poker, with its
| fascinating jack pots and the mysteries
of the draw, becomes insipid after one
has tasted the delirious joys of solo, as
the western stranger is known. And, as
| for Wrists, hearts. casino, seven up and
euchre, their existence is forgotten.
A fierce .'cutthroat" game is solo.
The game came east when the new states
of the Dakotas, Montana. Washington
Ind Idaho were admitted into the Union
and may fairly be termed the contribu-
ton of this new brood of communities
to the gayety of nations.
What is solo! 1t is card game played
with pack of 36 cards, all below six
being thrown out. The cards rank as
follows: Ace, ten, king, queen, jack.
nine eight, seven and six. The suits are
of equal rank, excepting that where two
proposals or bids for solos are made that
in hearts, if any such be made, takes
precedence; otherwise the first one made
has the preference.
The counting cards Of each suit are as
follows: Ace, IL; ten, TO- king, A;
queen, 3; Jack, g The rest of the cards
have no counting value The total pos
sible count in each game is therefore
100, reckoned as follows: Four aces. A;
tens, 40; kings, l6; A queens, IL;
4 jacks, 8,
That game is played by three persons
II there are four at the table, the dealer
gives himself no hand, but shares the
fortunes of the two players opposed to
the single player If there are five or
more at the table, the dealer gives cards
only to the three on the left. Those not
receiving cards share the fortunes of the
two players opposed to the one player
There are always three active players in
solo, and two of them are always OPP
posed to the third.
Solo is played for so much point.
the single player winning or losing to
each of the others at the table. A cent a
point foots up pretty well each time and
makes game good enough for social
purposes. A dollar point would re-
quire returned Klondikers for players,
while $l0a point would make the finan-
cial magnates of the world dizzy i'll
three rounds
The cards are dealt one at a time, as
in whist or poker, each player receiving
IL, the remaining 3 being laid aside
and are called the "slough cards. +" The
cards having been dealt, the players, be-
ginning with the one ON the left of the
dealer, make their bids.
ITO frawg" is the lowest offer that
can be made. When "frawg" bid is
successful, hearts are always trumps A
"frawg" allows the player to take up
the three slough" cards, incorporate
them with his other cards. discarding
three to reduce his hand to an equality
with that of the others He is entitled
to add the value of these discarded cards
in counting his game at the end of the
hand.
ITO solo" is to propose higher
game than to "frawg," for the one who
"solos' is not permitted the assistance
of the slough" cards. He is, however,
allowed to count them in reckoning the
number of points he has made after the
hands are played.
Whether the player "frawgs" or $50
los. either in hearts or any other suit,
he must make better than 60 to be en-
titled to be paid by his cutthroat adver-
saries. In the case of successful frawg
he is paid by each Of his adversaries one
chip or counter for each point in excess
of 90 that he has made in playing his
hand in addition to the points in the
slough cards.
In like manner, if he fails to make
60 points. including the slough cards.
he is compelled to pay one chip or coun-
ter to each of his adversaries for each
point he falls below 60. 1t must be re-
mem bered that those sitting in the
game, but not receiving cards, pay or
are paid with the opponents of the sin.
gle player.
If the player wins a solo in clubs,
spades or diamonds, he is paid by each
of his adversaries two counters and in
a heart solo three counters for each
point he has made in excess Of 60, in
Guiding the points in the slough cards.
If the bidder loses his solo, he pays dou-
BILE unless it is heart solo. when he
pays treble
When any suit is made trumps, it
takes precedence of the others in the
playing out of the hands, but the count
ing cards of the trump suit have no great
er value than those of the other suits. In
playing out the hands it is necessary.
first, to follow suit; second if the
player has not the suit led he must-not
may, but "must"-trump. 1t follows,
therefore, that player can only throw
off, or slough, that being the tech
Eical term, useless or embarrassing
card when he has neither the suit led
nor a trump. This rule greatly tightens
the lines of play and works in favor of
the single player and against his two
cutthroat adversaries.
Such is solo, the game from out of the
west that is running victorious course
in the east. In Washington it is already
plaved Inv statesmen bankers brokers