Enquire within upon everything by Robert Kemp Philp

119. Rules of Ecarté.

i. Each player has right to shuffle the cards above the table. ii. The cut must not be fewer than two cards off the pack, and at least two cards must be left on the table. iii. When more than one card is exposed in cutting, there must be a new deal. iv. The highest ecarté card cut secures the deal, which holds good even though the pack be imperfect. v. The dealer must give five cards to each by three and two, or by two and three, at a time, which plan must not be changed, during the game. vi. An incorrect deal, playing out of turn, or a faced card, necessitates a new deal. vii. The eleventh card must be turned up for trumps; and the remaining cards placed, face downwards, on the table. viii. The king turned up must be marked by the dealer before the trump of the next deal is turned up. ix. A king of trumps held in hand must be announced and marked before the player lays down his first card, or he loses his right to mark it. If played in the first trick, it must be announced before it is played to. x. A proposal or acceptance cannot be retracted or altered. xi. Before taking cards, the player must place his discarded cards, face downwards, on the table, and neither look at or touch them till the round be over. xii. The player holding king marks one point; making three tricks, one point; five tricks, two points. xiii. The non-dealer playing without proposing and failing to win the point, gives two tricks to his opponent. xiv. The dealer who refuses the first proposal and fails to win the point (three tricks), gives his opponent two points. xv. An admitted overscore or underscore may be amended without penalty before the cards are dealt for the following round.