The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-07
FROG, MEXICO'S CARD GAME
SOMETHING LIKE SKAT AND
CALLED BRIDGES EQUAL.

n Result Depondent Upon the Players
skill. Not on the Lock Of . Partners
Usnd-Can ne Played BY Four or Five
Persons Principles Of the Game.
Frog 10 the aristooratio card game Of
Mexico. While ~oonquian 10 consi6sred
the national game Of that country, IL bears
about the same relation TO frog that suchrs
does to bridge in tina United States. Frog
requires a high order Of intelligence to play
II wall and those who have had experience
with It like IL . well. II not better. than
bridge.
II 10 up to modern standards in tbs matter
Of elasticity and variety. with tho element
OF bidding, and the result depends IN the
players wi Judgment. untrammellsd by
the luck Of q partners hand; unfettered
by tho fear OF his criticisms ct tho end.
In these respects frog 10 very much like
skat. and IL has been suggested that tho
idea Of frog In evidently borrowed from skas.
Even the name frog may be . corruption
OF sfrage." which was ono OF tho varieties
Of kat In the early days.
Frog 10 played with a pack OF thirty-six
cards. all below the six being thrown out.
These cards rank A. 10. K. Q. J. 0. 81. Q. and
the five onors have the same pip valus
that they have In skat-the ace being worth
II. ths ten 10. king 4. queon . and jack 2.
This gives 40 points ~ tho total pip
valus Of the four suits. and tho object Of
tho game 10 to get the majority Of these 10
points-that 10. 81 or more-in the tricks
taken In during the course Of play. Tricks
as such are Of no value. only the points
they contain being counted: 10 that q
player winning q trick with two aces and Q
ten In II would got more for his ono card
than . player who won four or i've tricks
with nothing In them but kings and Jacks
and spots.
There are three active players; but four
or Ave may make up the table. When four
play the dealer takes N cards. When i've
play the dealer gives cards to the two
on his left and the one on his right.
II does not matter who deals first. pro-
vided some record is kept 20 that each
OF the players shall have the deal an equal
number Of times. When IL comes TO the
turn of the one Who dealt first that snds
a round and II is usual 70 stop the game
at tho end OF q round.
The cards are dealt one at q time, begin
ming on the dealers left and giving q card
to each OF the three players in turn and Nj
to the widow. face down. for three rounds.
After that no cards are dealt to the widow,
30 tina when the whole pack Of thirty-six
cards has been dealt out each player viii
have eleven cards and the widow will have
three.
The player on the dealers left. vorhand.
has the first bid for the privilege Of playing
against both the others. There are only
three classes Of games to bid upon.
Frog. In which hearts are always trumps.
is the cheapest game. because IL 10 played
with the assistance OF the widow, which is
turned face upward on the table. 80 that
the players shall see what cards IL CON-
tanned. After showing the widow the
player who has bid = frog takes the three
cards into his hand and discards anything
he pleasee. 90 as to reduce his hand again
TO eleven cards.
The three cards he lays OF remain his
property. exactly az II he had won them
in a trick. and the points in them will
for him at the end of the hand. Every
point over sixty that he succeeds in getting
home counts one for him in q frog. and
he must be paid by each OF the other active
players at the table, il any. who held no
cards.
Should the bidder fail to get sixty h,
must pay every one at the table. including
those who held no cards, II any; 90 that
II there are four at h table, the player
wins from two but loses to three. Sixty
is a tie. All over sixty wins for the player.
short OF reaching sixty.
The next higher bid 10 chico. in which
the player m n suit but hearts Tor
the trump and plays his hand without
mains on the table faoe down and untouched
until the end OF the hand: but the points
found In IL will count for the player, pre-
cisely a. they do In q solo at skat.
The value Of the points In chico 10 two
each. or double what IL 10 in frog: The
loses nothing, just a. In frog.
The highest bid OF all 10 grand. which
Ii the came az chico as regards playing
without the widow: but hearts must be
again doubled. being four each in a grand,
The fourth player must he paid, but cannos
lose anything. Just as in the other games
II Vorhand will not bid he passes; but II
he bids Il 10 advisable to name the best game
he 10 willing TO play at oncs.. because II he
names a frog IND the second player says
chico Vorhand will nav to play a grand
or pass. II Vorhand bids chico In the hrst
place the second player will have TO bid a
IfVorhand had bid frog and second player
says chico Vorhand can outbid him by 60
ing grand. A bid Of grand ends IL. as there
10 nothing higher.
When the bidding between Vorhand Inc
the second player is settled the third player
can bid against the survivor; or II second
hand passes the third han can bid against
Vorhand. II Vorhand passes second hand
bids, and then third hand comes In. A
player who has once passed cannot bid
that hand.
The successful bidder must play IN game
he announces. That is to say, he cannot
bid frog and then play chico, nor bid chico
and then play grand.
Tho eldest and always leads. regardless
Of the position OF the successful bidder.
Players must follow suit IL they cam; but II
they cannot follow suit they must trump.
II the trick has already been trumped
and the third player cannot follow suit
he must over trump II he can, or under
trump IL he has q trump hut caanot over
trump. In this respect the game 10 like
pinochle.
The scores can be kept on a sheet OF peper.
or each hand may be settled for in chips or
money Immediately. Counters worth I, 5,
rs and 100 will answer all purposes.
In practice il will be found that for equal
lengths OF time the winnings and Losses
wuilI ha about thA ~ NJ for hriAna ~ "a