The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-04

tain pumber OF points In the tricks won.
These points are reokoned by giving the
five highest cards in each suit q ixed
value.
The ace counts II, the ten 10, the king q,
h queen 3 and The jack 2. The 7, 8 and 0
have no value.
There being four suits with 30 points In
each, there are 40 in the pack. and the
successful bidder, who names the game,
must get home the majority OF this 100.
that is, 81 or more, or he loses his game
h amount won by a player when he
wins his game by getting home 81 or more
points in his tricks depends on two things,
the suit and manner of it's selection and
the number Of trumps he holds, or does
not hold, in unbroken sequence with the
club jack. To the number of this sequence
is always added I for winning the game.
These two factors, the value of q trump
selected in a certain way and the sequence
OF trumps, are multiplied together and the
product Is the number Of points won or
lost.
To ILLUSTRATED: Let us suppose hat the
trump selected was a club, which the player
named without touching the skat cards.
The unit value OF this game is II.
Let us suppose further that the player
held the jack OF clubs and jack OF spades.
but that his opponents held the jack OF
hearts. Then his sequence Of trumpe.
matadores they are called, stopped at 2.
to which he adds 1 for winning his game.
The unit value Of the club solo, ~, Is there
fore TO be multiplied by 8 and the player
wins sx12=Se points.
Knowing that he was going to play .
club solo II he was the successful bidder,
and knowing that he held two m~atadores,
it is obvious that he knew in advance that
his game would be worth 80 points il he
could name clubs and win it; therefore he
was able to bid anything up to that figure
for the privilege of naming the game to
be played.
Had any other player offered more than
80 the one with the club solo would ave
had to stop bidding, because il you overbid
your hand you lose what O would ave
had to win to make your bid good.
When the player wins he wins from all
the others at the table, whether they hold
cards of not. If he loses he loses to all at
the table.
When a player has a very bad hand hs
may bid for a nullo, which is the same as
a misere in other games. In a nullo there
are no trumps, no matadores and no values
for the cards. The cards rank as at whist,
and If the player takes a single trick he
loses his game.
When one gets into the finer strategy
OF the game many opportunities will be
found for good play. There are conven-
tiona leads and returns, just as in bridge,
and rules for the proper management OF
certain combinations of cards, all Of which
must be mastered by the expert.
There lis just enough Of the element OF
luck to make the game interesting to the
novice and to insure a chance for the
beginner. The game is full of the most
delightful surprises, which are a refreshing
change from the deadly monotony OF the
invincible hand that one continually sees
at the bridge table.
The difference between the expression
on the faces of a party of skat players
and that on those at the bridge tai lie is
alone sufficient to convince any unprej-
udiced spectator that bridge is getting on
the nerves of its devotees, while the skat
players thoroughly enjoy themselves.
1t is a jolly game, with lots of life and
excitement in il, and no one who has ever
played it long enough TO understand it
thoroughly was ever known to give it up.