Chapter LVII: Part XIII: A Clever "coup De Piquet."

In which you allow your adversary to choose:--1st. In what suit he
would like to be capoted and repiqued; 2nd. Whether he wishes to
have the cards dealt to him by twos or by threes; 3rd. To select
whichever of the packs he pleases.

The following is the order that the cards must be placed in, before you hand them to be cut:[O]

1. The queen of clubs.
2. The nine of clubs.
3. The eight of clubs.
4. *The seven of clubs.
5. The ace of hearts.
6. The king of hearts.
7. The knave of hearts.
8. The ten of hearts.
9. The queen of hearts.
10. The nine of hearts.
11. The eight of hearts.
12. *The seven of hearts.
13. The ace of spades.
14. The king of spades.
15. The knave of spades.
16. The ten of spades.
17. The queen of spades.
18. The nine of spades.
19. The eight of spades.
20. *The seven of spades.
21. The ace of diamonds.
22. The king of diamonds.
23. The knave of diamonds.
24. The ten of diamonds.
25. The queen of diamonds.
26. The nine of diamonds.
27. The eight of diamonds.
28. *The seven of diamonds.
29. The ace of clubs.
30. The king of clubs.
31. The knave of clubs.
32. The ten of clubs.

The four cards marked with an asterisk are large cards.

By the arrangement of the cards in the order above, it is evident that, if the pack is cut where one of the large cards, which are the last of each suit, is placed, there will always remain in the talon eight cards of the same suit; consequently, if your adversary wishes to be repiqued in clubs, in cutting the pack at the first large card, which is the seven of clubs, you necessarily put the eight clubs at the bottom of the pack, and you will have for your _rentrée_ a quint major in clubs.

This will be the case with all the suits in cutting at the seventh card.

Your adversary having expressed a wish to be repiqued in clubs, his wish will be gratified if the cards are dealt two at a time.

THE FIRST PLAYER. THE SECOND PLAYER.

Ace of hearts. Knave of hearts.
King of hearts. Ten of hearts.
Queen of hearts. Eight of hearts.
Nine of hearts. Seven of hearts.
Ace of spades. Knave of spades.
King of spades. Ten of spades.
Queen of spades. Eight of spades.
Nine of spades. Seven of spades.
Ace of diamonds. Knave of diamonds.
King of diamonds. Ten of diamonds.
Queen of diamonds. Eight of diamonds.
Nine of diamonds. Seven of diamonds.

"RENTRÉE" OF THE FIRST "RENTRÉE" OF THE SECOND
PLAYER. PLAYER.

Ace of clubs. Nine of clubs.
King of clubs. Eight of clubs.
Knave of clubs. Seven of clubs.
Ten of clubs.
Queen of clubs.

If, on the contrary, your adversary wishes to have the cards dealt in threes, the following will be the result:

THE FIRST PLAYER. THE SECOND PLAYER.

Ace of hearts. Ten of hearts.
King of hearts. Queen of hearts.
Knave of hearts. Nine of hearts.
Eight of hearts. King of spades.
Seven of hearts. Knave of spades.
Ace of spades. Ten of spades.
Queen of spades. Seven of spades.
Nine of spades. Ace of diamonds.
Eight of spades. King of diamonds.
Knave of diamonds. Nine of diamonds.
Ten of diamonds. Eight of diamonds.
Queen of diamonds. Seven of diamonds.

"RENTRÉE" OF THE FIRST "RENTRÉE" OF THE SECOND
PLAYER. PLAYER.

Ace of clubs. Nine of clubs.
King of clubs. Eight of clubs.
Knave of clubs. Seven of clubs.
Ten of clubs.
Queen of clubs.

When your adversary has named the suit in which he wishes to be repiqued, and which we will suppose to be clubs, you must cut at the seven of this suit, and then tell him he is at liberty to have the cards dealt to him in twos or threes, whichever he pleases.

The cards having been dealt out, either in one way or the other, you then tell your adversary that he may, before looking at them, select whichever of the packs of cards he likes, provided he will agree to be second hand.

Should the cards have been given in twos, and each one retains his own hand, you must discard the nines of hearts, spades, and diamonds, and two queens of any suit.

The _rentrée_ will be a quint major in clubs, a quatorze of aces, and a quatorze of kings, with which, of course, you make a repique.

If, on the contrary, your adversary chooses to be the first player, you will discard the sevens of hearts, spades, and diamonds, and two eights of any suit. This will give you, for your _rentrée_, the same quint in clubs, a quatorze of queens, and a quatorze of knaves, which will equally produce a repique.

If your adversary, instead of having the cards dealt in twos, prefers that they should be given in threes, and that he keeps his own hand, you must discard the king, the eight and the seven of hearts, and the nine and eight of spades, so as to have for your _rentrée_ a quint major in clubs, a tierce from the queen in diamonds, three aces, three queens, and three knaves, with which you repique.

If he chooses to be the first player, you will discard the queen and the nine of hearts, the knave and the seven of spades, and the ace of diamonds.

By this you will have, for your _rentrée_, the same quint major in clubs, a tierce from the nine in diamonds, three kings, and three tens, which will make twenty-nine points. In playing, you will only make sixty the game.

Although we have supposed the repique to have been asked for in clubs by your adversary, it must be clearly understood, that it may be similarly done in any other suit; and it is only necessary, as has been already explained at the beginning of this chapter, to cut at the seven of the suit called for.