fours, threes, or twos, to the number of twelve, which was the
hand--'discarding' being allowed; but both the dealer and he that
led were OBLIGED to discard at least one card, let their game be
ever so good. When the cards were played out, each counted his
tricks; and he that had most reckoned 10 for winning the cards;
if the tricks were equal, neither reckoned at all. He who,
without playing (that is, according to the various terms of the
game), could reckon up 30 in hand, when his antagonist reckoned
nothing, scored 90 for them; this was called a repic; and all
above 30 counted so many,--32 counting 92, and so on. He who
could make up 30, part in hand and part by play, before the other
made anything, scored 60; this was called a pic.

The game was also played as pool precisely according to the rules
briefly sketched as above, the penalty for losing being a guinea
to the pool.

Piquet required much practice to play it well. It became so
great a favourite that, by the middle of the 18th century, the
meanest people were well acquainted with it, and 'let into all
the tricks and secrets of it, in order to render them complete
sharpers.' Such are the words of an old author, who adds that
the game was liable to great imposition, and he explains the
methods in use. Short cards were used for cutting, as in Whist,
at the time. Of these cards there were two sorts, one longer
than the rest; and the advantage gained by them was as the
adversary managed it, by cutting the longer or broader, as best
suited his purpose, or imposing on the dealer, when it was his
turn, to cut those which made most against him. The aces, kings,
queens, and knaves were marked with dots at the corners, and in