History of Preference
"Preference", V.M. Vasnetsov, 1879
Preference is a card game whose history began in the mid-19th century. It was during this period that it appeared on the territory of Russia and after a very short time it became quite popular among fans of gambling and commercial games. At that time, the favorite was whist, as well as picker and ombre, which are quite rare in our time, but as preference spread, it was accepted with great enthusiasm among players, which had a beneficial effect on the development of the game.
The rules simultaneously originate from several card games that were popular in Europe. Now there are a huge variety of types of preference. Among them: Sochinka, Leningrad, Skachki, Rostov, Classic and many others. Some species are quite popular, but many can be found only in narrow circles. They all have significant or not very different rules. This may concern both the order of moves, the number of points awarded or the conditions of bribes, as well as selected agreements that are strictly agreed upon before the start of each game.
As for the origin of the game's name, it is taken from French. “Preference” in translation means “preference” or “advantage,” but if you go deeper into history, “preference” was the name given to cards of the highest suit. This term has been used in popular games before. Including in the whist mentioned above, where this value was used for the trump suit.
Since this card entertainment has not lost its popularity to this day, in 1996 the Code of Preference was developed and approved, which contains general provisions, descriptions of the principles and course of the game and the rules for calculating results.
Tournament
Tournaments and competitions are often organized in which players of any level can take part. And thanks modern technologies There are many simulators that accurately simulate the gameplay and allow potential participants to hone their skills. You just need to download and install such a program or play maria online, taking part in a game with opponents from any corner of the globe. This will help you master the rules and nuances, develop your own tactics and strategy, and make you a professional player.
Fans of this card entertainment will definitely pay attention to the no less popular logical game of backgammon. The site eNardy.com offers to play popular backgammon online along with thousands of other players.
Like any game, preference has its own history. True, there is no respectable book on this topic, but fragmentary information can be obtained. In those library archives where the “Special Storage” stamp has already been removed, you can find very interesting publications. They do not create, alas, a consistent picture, but from these scattered sketches of pre-revolutionary authors one can get an idea of the history and development of preference.
And we learn that this game was invented in France, and in Pushkin’s times it came to St. Petersburg and Moscow. In the forties of the last century, the triumphal march of preference began through the provinces of what was then Russia. Active member of the St. Petersburg “English Assembly” poet V.A. Zhukovsky wrote: “Foreign seeds fell on fertile soil, and most importantly - on time!”
It seems clear about the seeds, but why “on time”?
Only a slight excursion into history can explain. We hope it will be of interest to the reader...
So, what did our gambling ancestors play? Since cards appeared in eastern Europe and Siberia only in the 17th century, all people and all the nobility played cubes - dice, called “grains”. Brought from Byzantium, they had six equal sides with marked dots - glasses. Along with the eastern asyks, this game was especially common among military people. Dice were thrown not only for gambling fun, but also for making important decisions. The chronicler of the Battle of Kulikovo, Kolomna voivode Seraphim, left us the following testimony: “In the regiment right hand Even before sunset, on the eve of the battle, the warriors threw grain and decided who should stand in the front ranks.”
Bravo, unknown players of Russia! However, after three centuries, gambling flourished in the Moscow state so much that it bothered even the “quietest” Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, and he came down on it with a decisive ban in his famous “Code”: “And who are thieves - it is said in Article 15 of Chapter XXI, - they play with grain or cards for gain, bring such people to the order, beat them with a whip and test them on the rack...”
The prospect was not the best, and the game began to fade. Only in the next century did Catherine the Great abolish medieval punishments, replacing them with more civilized ones. Having created the charter of the “Deanery”, the tsarina banned gambling “based on chance”, establishing considerable fines for the owners of gambling houses and the players themselves. Those caught committing fraud were imprisoned, but only by the will of the judges.
Meanwhile, it was under Catherine that the card game began to take off again. The yard became an example for everyone. The queen herself was a great hunter of the card table, and in the guards regiments the game was even revered as valor. Not a single party or even charity evening was complete without a card battle. And the Russian soul loves scope... At the same time, Commander-in-Chief Count Rumyantsev reported to his empress: “Both capitals are playing chemin-de-fer and stoss, and in Shklov, General Marich opened something like a card academy, where the best players from all over the country constantly come.”
Marich was the queen’s favorite, and Shklov was a place with twelve villages granted to him by Catherine. Obviously, so that the commander-in-chief would no longer complain about him, the general soon lost this royal gift to Count Sheremetyev and returned to serve in his Nizhny Novgorod regiment. Angry Catherine sent him (along with the regiment) across the Danube to war with the Turks.
An even greater increase in gambling occurred under Alexander I. Gambling houses and clubs at noble gatherings grew like mushrooms after rain. Ombre, cardilla, picket, and contra were in fashion. But the Polish banchok and the hussar shtoss, called among the players “you like it or you don’t like it,” were rightfully considered the most gambling. Entire fortunes were lost in this game. Already three months after Alexander’s accession to the throne, his strictest order appeared to the military governor of St. Petersburg, Prince Kutuzov, which states that “the game is going on in the city and barracks without shame or fear. And this evil is more harmful than robbery itself.” The king ordered constant surveillance “so that prohibited games would not be played anywhere.”
Where there! Gambling houses and dens regularly paid huge fines to the police, but they themselves flourished and multiplied. Checking whether there was gambling going on there or a commercial one was not an easy task even for detectives. In the twenties, the gendarmerie compiled a card index of cheaters, and then expelled them from both capitals. All this led to the fact that specialists in card science began to ruin provincial landowners and merchants. Entire teams of swindlers traveled around the district towns of Russia: According to the testimony of the famous lawyer of the last century, E. Karnovich, the courts were overwhelmed with scandalous cases of loss of government money. What to say if the chief administrator of the Deanery Council, that is, the person obliged to monitor compliance with the ban gambling, was brought to court for losing a large sum of money intended for foster homes...
It was in this atmosphere of the heyday of gambling that preference appeared in Rus'. And Zhukovsky’s words that this happened on time are absolutely true. Having won the sympathy of society and significantly displaced fans of the Polish bank, preference sharply reduced the intensity of card passions in clubs and living rooms. Zhukovsky wrote: “For twenty years, preference has so charmed everyone with its rationality and richness of combinations that only the most inveterate adventurers continued to play around in the ‘you love it, you don’t love it’ game.” Everywhere you look, everywhere they now indulge in a new, truly successful pastime.”
This is the background to the royal game. The ever-growing popularity of preference is evidenced by the first publications on theory and practice. One of the best is the book by A. Kulchitsky “Some great and useful truths about the game of preference.” The book was published in St. Petersburg in 1843, reprinted twice, and after October revolution was awarded the magical stamp “Special storage” and was imprisoned in library reserves without the right to meet with readers. The same fate applies to other books, for example, “Treatise on Preference” (St. Petersburg, 1844, author not specified), G. Popov’s journalistic work “On games of fun, self-interest and calculation. Historical Research" (St. Petersburg, 1858). Of course, it is difficult for a modern preference specialist to find anything useful for his improvement in these works. An abyss of years - almost a century and a half! – separates us from the time they were written. The rules have changed beyond recognition, and tactics and strategy have taken a giant step from the somewhat naive idea in which our distant ancestors were.
And yet these books have lasting value. First of all, historical. We learn many interesting things from these works. It turns out that at the dawn of the 19th century preference was played without a recording. What about the joke: “The Writers Game?” But this is a joke now. And then, after each hand played, the partners settled either with money or with special chips. There was a pre-compiled price list on the table. If you played six, you get this much. I sat down at seven - pay what you're supposed to. And it's hard to say whether this is good or bad. In any case, the game was dynamic...
There was another long-forgotten rule - games were judged not only by the stated number of tricks, but also by the seniority of the suits. From the tables given in the books, it is clear that a six in spades was valued at 4 points, in clubs - 6 points, in diamonds - 8 points, in hearts - 10, without a trump - 12. Seven games - respectively 8.12 ,16,20 and 24 points. It turns out that sixes in hearts or no trump were even more expensive than sevens in spades...
There is no minuscule here. But he was not known until the 80s of the last century. This fact is confirmed by short story Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy’s “Two Hussars”, which contains interesting scene preference games in a provincial landowner's house. Before the start of the game, the visiting hussar explains to the hosts an innovation - an order in which bribes cannot be taken, and assures that a meager amount greatly enhances the preference. By the way, there were two minuscules - large and small.
Since the games were then divided into buy-in and non-buy-in, trading was carried out like this: the first hand declared a peak game with the right to a coupon (buy-in), the second hand could also trade in anticipation of a buy-in, declaring a club, and the third partner could declare a small minuscule. This meant that he was only playing with odds. Such a minuscule amount could beat any buy-in game except ten-fold. But the partners also had the opportunity to prevent such a meager (purchase) from being realized. It was enough to declare a “direct game,” in other words, a game without buy-ins. Let's say six hearts without a coupon. In this case, the person who declared the minuscule could also refuse the purchase, saying “big minuscule.” Obviously, this corresponded to the modern claim of “meager without a buy-in.” According to the old rules, such a minuscule amount could survive on nine times without a purchase.
At the end of the century, a decimal recording system appeared. Due to its convenience (the numbers were rounded) and greater logic, this recording system (the bullet was already recorded) lasted until the fifties of our century. However, in some companies it takes much longer.
A fine or remise was imposed on the mountain in the same amount as in the bullet for a completed order. Whist was in charge. Almost simultaneously with the birth of the decimal system, an amazing rule for the game “with a cauldron” appeared. The point is that after filling the bullets, all the healds were put into a “cauldron” and divided into four equal parts, regardless of how many fines each participant collected. The one who placed a huge heddle on a minuscule level was matched with the partner who had the minimum number of fines. Any game, even a six-game one, would write off a quarter of the pot. A fierce struggle, to say the least!
During such a rally, new hemmings could arise for both the players and the whistlers. The fines were written into a new “cauldron”, which was then played out like the first. All this led to the fact that the position of the partners changed dramatically. Often, a player who played well all evening found himself a big loser after the “boilers” were sorted out, or, conversely, a hopelessly loser gained a lot of whists, having played two or three games at the end. Apparently, this is why the game “with the cauldron” began to decline.
But the so-called “Christmas trees” or “bombs” remained faithful companions of the decimal system. The older generation of today's preference players played plenty of these rules in their youth. It was a crazy game... On the last hand, someone was almost sure to make a mistake. After two passes, this player said “dark pass” or “dark pass.” In the first case, there was a double pass and a new bomb was written for each participant; in the second version, the “darkman” took the buy-in and assigned the game. Also double. In case of failure, and it often happened, the player doubled the heddle and lost a bunch of whists (also double ones). In order to somehow alleviate the fate of these kamikaze players, they came up with a rule: whoever raised very bad cards for the game could discard them and, having written down “five to five” on top, not lose at least whists.
In less than two centuries, the game of preference has undergone an evolution much greater than any known game. The changes affected not only the rules, but also the recording systems. The class of preferenceists has also grown immeasurably. In 1913, the Vladimir Club, famous throughout the country, organized a preference championship. The strongest players from Moscow, Kyiv, Nizhny Novgorod. The chief judge of the championship was the vice-chairman of the club, His Serene Highness Prince K. Gorchakov. Four dozen of the best players, divided by lot into ten companies, began to fight for the green cloth. The winners were determined by the number of positive whists scored, with each participant having four attempts.
Eight of the luckiest and most skillful players played the final. As a result of the week-long battle, the complete advantage of the St. Petersburgers was revealed. Five of them took first place, and the director of the Northern Bank, Petr Nikolaevich Shterin, became the first champion of Russia. And the last one too. Soon the world war began, then the revolution broke out. In the spacious halls of the Vladimir Club there was a detachment of the “most revolutionary” sailors under the command of the famous Commissar Dybenko. The same one who arrested the army Headquarters in Mogilev, shot the generals and destroyed the whole Western Front. Now its sailors stoked the club's fireplaces with antique furniture and played fools on the surviving tables.
New times were coming, new players appeared on the scene...
For several decades, preference was considered “not our” activity. And although there was no official ban, many pulka lovers encountered wary, sometimes hostile misunderstanding on the part of the nomenklatura guardians of morality. Paradox - intellectual game implied immoral! Any careerist or drunk was considered “one of their own,” but someone who plays preference is already a bearer of the “birthmark of capitalism.”
Today we decide for ourselves how to organize our leisure time and what game to prefer. Many far-fetched prohibitions have become a thing of the past, which has led to a new increase in the popularity of preference and to the appearance of the first publications about it.
Purpose of the game
The goal of the game is to score as many points as possible in the overall score during the game. Points in the game are called whists, come in several types and are entered into the areas corresponding to the player bullets(see below). The total score is calculated from them.
Inventory and batch duration
Bullet for 4 players
The game uses a deck of 32 cards from seven (low) to ace (high) of each suit.
To record bonus and penalty points, a specially marked sheet of paper is used - bullet. Each player has pulque three areas:
- Bullet,
- Mountain
- Bist
Each preference game consists of a set of card distributions, in each of which occurs. The game is played until the conditions for its completion are met, which, in accordance with the preliminary agreement of the participants, can be:
- each player has scored a set number of points in the pool,
- players have accumulated a set number of points in the pool,
- the agreed time for the end of the game has arrived,
- the agreed number of rounds of card distribution have been played,
- a certain number of points are scored in the pool and the mountain of all players is “written off” to zero.
Dealing cards
The player who deals the cards in the first distribution of the game is determined by lot; in subsequent distributions, the cards are dealt by the players in turn, clockwise.
The dealer must carefully shuffle the cards, then place the deck on the table in front of his neighbor to the right for the mandatory “removal” of the deck. Having placed the remaining cards on the removed ones, he deals them out.
Cards are dealt two at a time, clockwise, starting with the left partner. Each of the three players is dealt 10 cards in five rounds. Two cards are placed separately in the “draw”. It is advisable to place the buy-in after the first round of dealing, but, in any case, not with the first or last pair of cards.
If 4 people play, then the role of the dealer in the game comes down to the following:
- when playing “raspas”, the dealer lays out the top card, indicating the suit of the move, or does not participate in the game if the buy-in is not opened during the spreads (for example, in the “Rostov” convention);
- if, after ordering a contract, two opponents of the player have passed, then the dealer can return the whist by looking at the cards of one of the players and draw the change for this player;
- When whisting in the open, the dealer has the right to take part in the discussion of the plan for playing the hand on an equal basis with the players who were whisting.
If the convention stipulates this in advance, the person who took the contract may refuse to buy in, in which case the player sitting on the buy-in will be charged the agreed fine; if there are 2 aces in the draw, then the player sitting on the draw will be credited with bonus points (with the exception of the minuscule draw).
If 2 or 3 people are playing, the dealer participates in the trading and drawing on a general basis.
Trade
After the distribution, bargaining occurs between the players, which determines the type of game. There are 3 types of games:
Calls are announced in clockwise order, with the player to the left of the dealer making the first call. The content of the application is either the word “pass”, which means refusal to trade, or the name of the minimum game allowed for announcement: from the minimum “6 of spades” to the maximum application of “10 without trump”, or the word “minuscule”. The player who says “pass” is eliminated from further trading.
During trading, the principle of increasing the seniority of games is observed: when making a “meaningful bid” (not a “pass”), the player is obliged to declare a game that is higher in seniority than those already announced. Exception: if there are 2 players left in the trade, then the player located on younger hand, may not raise the player’s request on the senior level, but confirm it by saying “here”. The seniority of hands is determined clockwise from the dealer in descending order of seniority. The seniority of games is from 6 to 10, the seniority of suits is in ascending order: spades, clubs, diamonds, hearts, no trump. Thus, the sequence of games in increasing order of seniority is: 6 spades - 6 clubs - 6 diamonds - 6 hearts - 6 no trump - 7 spades - 7 clubs - 7 diamonds, etc.
The “minor” bid means the player’s obligation not to take a single bribe. The type of game is minuscule in the “bonded” preference. This means that a “minor” bid can only be the first and only bid of a given player in the current hand and cannot come from a player who has already called another play in the draw or passed. A "minor" bid can be outbid by a bid for 9 or 10 tricks, after which trading stops (there are variations in the rules in which you can bid minuscule without purchase, which in turn can be outbid by an application or nine without purchase or ten.
If at least one player says a call other than pass, betting continues until two players say pass. The winning player in the trade becomes declarer.
If all three players said “pass” as the first word in the trade, passes are played.
Progress of the game
Game of bribes
In the bribe game, the winning player takes the buy-in cards, shows them to the other players and takes them for himself. After this, he makes a “demolition”: he discards, without showing anyone, two cards he does not need (any cards: both those dealt to him at the beginning of the game, and those contained in the draw).
Some conventions (for example, Rostov) also have the concept of “paid purchase”. This means that in the case when a player accepts a draw consisting of strong cards, the dealer (even the one “sitting on the draw”) writes whists on him, as a kind of “tax” from the player for a successful distribution. An ace in a draw costs 10 whists, a margin - 10, two aces - 20, an ace and a king of the same suit - 30. This applies only in games of bribes and is not used in minuscule situations.
The concept of “throwing a purchase in the face” is also used with this concept, that is, refusing a purchase in a public manner, telling the entire table that the same two cards that came in the draw are discarded. These two cards are left open and publicly known on the table, and the player writes 10 whists to the dealer as a penalty for a bad hand. This also applies in minuscule settings.
Then the player orders a game- finally announces the trump card (or lack thereof) and how many bribes he undertakes to take. In this case, the player is obliged to order a game no less than his last bid in the auction. For example, if the trade was won by the bid "7 of diamonds", then the player can order the game 7 of diamonds, 7 of hearts, 7 no trump, 8 of spades and so on, but not 7 of spades, 7 of clubs or 6 of hearts.
The rest of the players play together against him; each of them decides: to play (whistle) or not to play (pass). The whisting player also undertakes to take a certain number of tricks (if both whistle, then in total): 4 in the six game, 2 in the seven game, 1 in the eight and nine games. The game of ten, as a rule, is not whisted, but is checked openly by all players. If there are two whistlers, the game is played “in the dark” (that is, with hole cards). If one player is whisting, then, at his choice, the game can be played open-handed: both put cards on the table, and the whistler plays for himself and for the passer. If both opponents of the player decide to pass, then the game ends and the player receives points for the completed contract. The goal of the game is for everyone to fulfill their contract (take the required number of bribes) and, if possible, violate the opponent’s contract (that is, force them to take fewer bribes than ordered, or take meager bribes).
Miser
With a minimum amount, the player undertakes not to take a single bribe. Opponents play openly. Their goal is to force the player to take as many tricks as possible. The player takes the buy-in, shows (or names) his cards to his opponents (at this moment the cards can be rewritten), and then blindly demolishes two cards. Mizer is the only type of drawing where opponents can write down the player’s layout on paper - before the player takes away the extra cards. In all other cases, it is prohibited to keep auxiliary records during the drawing.
Passes (passing)
When passing, all suits are equal, there is no trump suit, each participant plays for himself, trying to take minimal amount bribes The draw cards either determine the coming suit of the first two tricks (in a three-player game), or belong to the dealer (in a four-player game), or are not revealed (“Rostov”, “gusarik”). If the passing player does not take a single trick (including the dealer), he, in addition to the fact that his opponents write penalties up the hill, receives a bonus in the form of points, either added to the bullet, or subtracted from the hill.
Raffle
The main action in preference is a draw bribes. Players, in clockwise order, starting with the player, place one card each on the table. The first player to move sets the suit. The rest must play the same suit, or a trump card if they do not have the given suit, or any card if they do not have any trump cards. The player who placed the highest card takes the trick. Only the number of tricks is important, but not the number or value of the cards in them. Experienced players, respecting each other, rarely play every rally to the end. Most often, the whistlers, “playing lying down” and putting the cards on the table, instantly calculate the result of the draw and the player agrees with them. Less often, immediately after identifying the whistler, the player puts the cards on the table and shows his tricks. If someone disagrees, the game continues, but this happens extremely rarely among experienced players. Therefore the game goes very quickly.
Check
For each game played for bribes or minuscule, the player writes down a certain number of points for himself in the bullet (and a certain number of points are deducted from the mountain (the “Rostov” convention)), and the whist - whists for the player. Exceeding the contract does not give anything to the player, but is dangerous for the defenders, since they are obliged to take no less than the number of bribes determined by the convention.
For example, the player ordered a 6 spades contract. And during the drawing he took 7 bribes. The two whistlers had to take 4 bribes. If both whistled, then the one who took less than two tricks will get the “uphill”. If there was only one whist, then he will get “uphill” without one (4-3=1), that is, as many as stipulated by the specific convention.
For each violation of the contract when playing for bribes or minuscule, players receive a certain number of points up the mountain. Tricks received on passes are also written up, or the player who took the least of all writes whists on others (Rostov convention).
Ending the game
The rules of the game, generally speaking, allow you to stop and sign the contract by agreement of the players at any time, as well as continue the game even after the bullet is closed. However, the ethics of the game dictate the requirement to play the bullet to the end (see the ending conditions above). The game can be stopped early only due to very serious circumstances, for example, the illness of one of the players. At the moment when all players reach the limit, the game stops and one of them “signs the bullet.” When playing for money, as a rule, the received number of whists is multiplied by the pre-agreed price of the whist and the players, according to the ethics of the commercial card game, must pay immediately.
Types of preference
There are several conventions defining the rules and evaluation of games - the most famous Sochi, Leningrad (Peter) And Rostov. Also known is the so-called classical option.
In preference there are many variations of the rules that can be introduced into any convention and must be specified before the start of each game, for example, “Stalingrad” (mandatory whist when playing 6 spades) or “playing dark” (if a player bids for 6 tricks before looking at his cards, his bid can only be outbid by a contract for 7 tricks, or “7 dark” can only be outbid by a bid for 8 tricks, and so on).
Sochi
This variety is characterized by responsible and whist. Because whist is difficult, it is considered a "game against the whist."
Leningrad (St. Petersburg)
Whist in this convention is semi-responsible and. Accordingly, this variety can be considered as a “whistler’s game”, “game against the player”. Gora and whist are double, the bullet can be limited in time. The individual pool is not closed, but is played to the total amount. For example, if four players play up to 50, then the total amount is 200, that is, one player can score 60, another 30, the third 70 and the last 40. The difference between the bullets and the maximum bullet is taken to the mountain in double size.
Rostov
When playing on passes, the buy-in does not open. The one who takes the least number of bribes records a certain number of whists on his partners. It is considered to be a game for master passers. For the game played, the player receives bullet points and reduces the mountain. The game ends when the bullet and the mountain are “closed”. Initially, the number of points in the pool required to finish the game and the number of mountain points initially available to the player are determined. Tricks collected during passes are not written uphill, but immediately into the whists of the player who took the least number of tricks.
Classic
The Code systematizes existing preference conventions, regulates all game procedures (distribution, trading, drawing) and liability for their violation, and also contains recommendations for the application of additional contractual rules and ethical behavior during the game.
Glossary of terms
- “Amnesty” is a technique when painting at the end of the game, when the size of the mountain for all players is reduced by the size of the smallest mountain among the players for ease of calculation.
- “Beskozyrka” (jarg.) - a game of bribes without a trump suit.
- “Blank card (blank, blank)” is the only card in a suit.
- “Big minuscule” is a minuscule without buy-in cards; at auction for a contract it is outbid only by totos or nine “without buy-in”.
- “Bomb” is the agreed value of a bribe when playing in secret. Depends on the negotiated progress of the pass (single, double, triple, etc.).
- “Helicopter” is the same as “Mill”.
- “Whist” is a) the smallest unit for recording the results of a drawing in preference; all other units (points uphill and bullet) are ultimately converted into whists. Since the number of whists is the result, the participants negotiate the price of one whist before the start of the game. To record the whists themselves, subsections are allocated on the bullet drawing according to the number of opponents; b) a statement from partners to whist (play) against the player who declared one of the games; c) this is a card (cards) that gives the defenders the opportunity to take a bribe in a given game; d) a bribe received by the defender during the game against the player.
- Whist “standing (in the dark)” - play without showing the cards of the whistlers (with two whistlers or with one whistler at his request);
- Whist “lying down (in the light)” - play by placing open cards the defender and his partner on the table (with one defender at his request);
- “Whist” is a partner, with the exception of the player who declared the whist in this game.
- “Gentleman’s” whist - in the case of a player’s remise, the distribution of whists equally between the active and passive whists in a given game.
- “Second (covered) king” is a combination of king-lower cards of the same suit. When played correctly, the defenders usually do not play, except in extreme cases such as ace blank.
- “Release” - allow the opponent to successfully play a contract that he has obviously lost.
- “Guaranteed whist” is a card(s) that guarantees a trick in a given game, for example an ace of trumps.
- “Blue (pure) minuscule” is a minuscule that is theoretically impossible to catch.
- “Naked King” - the king is the only card in the player’s suit.
- “Mountain” is an area on the bullet for recording a player’s penalty points, as well as the current value in it.
- “Gusarik” is a type of preference that allows two partners to play. When playing "Gusarik" the "Sochi" and "Leningrad" variants are usually used.
- “Double whist” is a combination of cards of the same suit, which gives two tricks on whist in the vast majority of cases: a) ace, king of the same suit; b) trellis: king, queen, jack of the same suit; c) closed margin: margin with a small one; d) ace, queen, small; e) ace, jack, small; f) ace, ten, nine, eight; g) king, jack, small; h) king, ten, nine, eight; i) queen, ten, nine, eight.
- “Berg's double strike” is an exit on passers successively with an ace and then a king of the same suit, with the goal of “taking away your own.” Among experienced players, this is often done by placing both an ace and a king on the table at once.
- “Yolka” is a section used in classical preference to register bribes, played “bomb” games, and dark games.
- A table game is a joint game between the defenders and the player.
- “Bet” (on any layout) - order a small number of bribes, assuming the presence of an unlikely layout of cards among the defenders or a “pistol” in trump cards.
- “Here” is the agreement of the player who declared the game first to accept the terms of the second or third player during the bidding for an increase.
- “Zubr” (jarg) is a professional player who has been playing for many years and has not only a clear strategy, but also extensive experience
- “Playing” is a partner who, as a result of bargaining, received the right to play from 6 spades to minuscule.
- “Game” or “prank” is a process when the defenders prevent the player from completing the stated number of tricks.
- “Heart attack minuscule” (jarg) - a minuscule, during the game of which the player can experience a heart attack, since the result of the game, depending on the situation, can be either positive or negative and depends mainly on chance.
- “Cards for orders” (jarg) - advice to keep the cards closer to your chest, that is, not to give your colleagues the opportunity to fulfill the commandment: “look at your neighbor’s cards - you’ll have time to do yours.”
- “To trump” is to go out on passes with a suit that the partners no longer have, and give them the opportunity to make an arbitrary demolition. It is considered a mistake that is unacceptable for a more or less experienced player.
- “Wheel” is the Ø sign in the bullet, indicating 100 whists.
- “Consolation” - bonus points to the player’s opponents (including the one who passed) in the event of his being tricked.
- “Sledgehammer” (jarg) - ace and king of the same suit.
- “Catching” is the process of playing partners against the player.
- “Leader” is the winning partner at this stage of the game.
- "Malka" is the same as "foska".
- “Mariage” is the king and queen of the same suit.
- “Mill” is a method of play and a certain alignment in which the defenders manage to beat the opponents with their small trump cards. large cards playing, especially several in a row.
- “Miser” is a game with the goal of not taking a single bribe.
- Playing “on one hand” or “on the paw” is a designation for a cheating technique when two players previously agree to play against a third player. Expressed in wrong moves in favor of each other.
- “Gaming” is to give a bribe to the enemy where there would not be one if the game was played correctly, or not to give a bribe when it is minimal.
- “Carry” - discard cards of the same suit when moving to the renaissance suit. As a rule, on a minuscule level with the goal of “catching” the player, or on passes.
- “Nebitka” (jarg) - the player’s cards, for which he receives all the remaining tricks.
- “Leg” is a small card in the same suit with a big one or two big ones (usually with margin).
- “Obligatory whist” - the whistlers are obliged to win back their whists from the player; how much depends on the announced game. Responsibility for selecting compulsory whists lies with the active whist.
- “Single whist” is a combination of cards of the same suit, which gives one trick in whist in the vast majority of cases: blank ace, second king, third queen, fourth jack.
- “Steam Locomotive” is a series of bribes for a meager amount. It arises because it is impossible for the player to pass the move after a bribe, because all the cards that could have been used for this have been successfully played to him. The reason for the biggest losses is preference.
- “Game” is a game that continues until its end after one deal of cards.
- "Pass" - refusal active play in this batch.
- “First hand” is the player on the left of the dealer, then the numbering is clockwise.
- “Over-mortgage” (“under-order”) - the player orders a smaller number of bribes than he can be guaranteed to receive in any situation. Some companies penalize this type of behavior, but reasonable rules dictate that the player has the right to demand strict proof of under-ordering. In some conventions (“Rostov”) it is almost impossible, because the player’s winnings in the case of “said 7 and played 7” are higher than in the case of “said 6, took 7 and hooked the whistler.”
- “Gun” (jarg) is the same as “wall”.
- “Support” is the same as “leg”.
- “Subversion” (jarg) - failure to fulfill a contract.
- “Half a whist” or “your own whists” is a possible statement by a partner in six and seven games after the other has passed. Not present in all conventions.
- “Help” - after reaching the maximum bullet size (agreed before the game), the player begins to “help” close the bullet to other players according to the current convention.
- “Pref” (jarg) is the abbreviated name for the game of preference, used in colloquial speech.
- “Preference” is a state in the game that occurs after trading (with the exception of trading to a minuscule amount) if the player has twelve uncontested tricks in his hands (along with the buy-in). There is a contractual rule according to which the game ends, the player closes his bullet, writes off his mountain, closes the rest of the participants and writes 100 whists for them. Professional players consider it a cheating rule, since it is not difficult for an experienced cheater to give preference to his partner. The probability of receiving preference in a fair game is (12!*20!)/32! , that is, approximately one in 226 million hands. With continuous play and one hand per minute, on average, a player would have to wait 430 years for such a situation.
- “Punch the suit” is a move from the defender, in which he enters his long suit under the short ace of the player, with the aim of reducing the trump cards of the player by entering this suit next time (see “Evening the Trumps”). It is used when it is important to reduce the number of trump cards of the player, but there is no direct approach for this.
- “Cover” (jarg) is the same as “leg”.
- “Purchase” is a pair of cards set aside separately when dealt. The player who wins the trade takes the purchase.
- “Pick-up layout” is a card layout in which almost any cards in the draw-up will strengthen the player’s hand.
- “Flip” - play a different card than was intended due to excitement or fatigue. The term "to wrap oneself" may also be used, from " Queen of Spades» Pushkin.
- "Promotion" (from English. promotion- increase (in rank)) - playing an additional trick in trump cards when moving from the defenders. For example, a queen-malka pair usually does not take a bribe from the defenders. But in a certain situation and the trump jack of another defender (passer) can turn this combination into a bribe.
- “Cutting through” is a move under the player, depriving him of the opportunity to take extra tricks (for example, with the second king).
- “Bullet” - a) an area on the drawing for recording points for games played and zero tricks on the pass, as well as the current value in it; b) more in a broad sense, in general, a game of preference: “play a bullet”, “paint a bullet”.
- “Robber” (jarg) - the partner was left alone with an unwritten mountain, and the game time was not up.
- “One” (jarg) - the minimum possible application for the game (six spades).
- “Disposition” - a combination of cards from a) the player; b) for all players.
- “Paint the bullet” - play preference.
- "Remiz" - shortfall in bribes.
- “Renounce” is the absence of cards in one of the suits.
- “Evening trump cards” - moving in such a way as to knock out trump cards from the player in order to take over the game.
- “Bullet painting” - calculation of the game.
- “Hand” - a) player, see “first hand”; b) the same as “layout” (in 1 value)
- “Your bribes” are those bribes that will inevitably be received. The expression is associated with the technique of playing on the pass, in which the player strives to take “his bribes” at the beginning of the game, so as not to receive others along with them in the end. Also used when catching minuscule to give the player a ride on a steam locomotive (expensive).
- “Own whist” - the whistlers refused to actively whist, one of them agrees to his own whist if the player allows him (his own whist is possible only in the 6th and 7th games).
- “Own game” is a draw, as a result of which the players took the ordered bribes.
- “Dealer” - a) a passive defender when playing with four partners; has the right to actively whistle if two partners refuse; also has the right to play miser in pairs with any of the players, if offered; also has the right to participate in the discussion of the game plan against the player when “playing prone” b) the player responsible for the correct deal of cards, buy-in; controls the course of the game, the correct recording by partners after a given game.
- “Soroka” (jarg) is the same as “marriage”.
- “Stalingrad” (jarg) - a contractual rule, requiring all players to whist when ordering 6♠. Some players consider this rule to be an unnecessary gambling component.
- “Wall” (or “pistol”) is a layout in which one of the players has several cards of the same suit. As a rule, a “wall” is 4 or even 5 trump cards for the defender (or passer), which promises a hedge for the player. There is a saying - an adaptation of Shakespeare: "There is no sadder story in the world than four by four trump cards."
- “String” (or “three-string”, or playing “on a string”) is the player’s layout when in each suit (and trump card) he has no more than three cards, that is, 3-3-3-1 (3-3-3 -3 before the purchase is demolished).
- "Table" - partners.
- “Surkup” is a technique in which one defender plays a non-trump card, and the player and the other defender each play a trump card.
- “Trade” is the struggle of partners for the right to assign the game.
- “Torchilnik” (jarg.) - the same as “Stalingrad”
- “Totos” (jarg) is a ten-fold game.
- “Third Queen” is a combination of cards queen-jack-malka or queen-malka-malka of the same suit.
- “Triple whist” is a combination that gives three tricks on whist in the vast majority of cases: a) ace, king, queen; b) ace, king, jack (if someone else is moving); c) ace, king, nine, eight; d) closed trellis (king, queen, jack, eight); e) margin closed by two small ones without a seven; e) king, jack, two small ones without a seven.
- “Guessing game”, “fifty percenter”, “pharmazon” (jarg) - a situation when a “minuscule” is caught, when it is logically impossible to determine the demolition of the player because all options for the demolition are equivalent and, therefore, equally probable. The main thing is that the demolition cannot be checked during the game and you have to guess. The chances of playing or not playing are equal to 50%. If the whistlers guess correctly, they often end up with a “locomotive”. In this case, the player is often offered to count the game with one trick without the game itself, and often the player agrees. Experienced players, in the event of a threat from the “locomotive,” as a rule, do not take risks and agree to one bribe.
- “False replay” is an erroneous discard of a card that is not in the suit. Serious violation, fined.
- “Festival” (jarg) is the same as “String”.
- “Chips” (jarg) - cards. Also “chipA” with an emphasis on “A”. “Throw chips” - play preference. “Draw a chip” - fan out the dealt cards in your hand, sorting them by suit and seniority.
- "Flag" - 100 points in the mountain (or pool).
- “Lantern” (jarg) is the same as “wheel”.
- “Fosca” or “foshka” is a non-playing card, most often one of the low cards in the suit.
- “Fourth jack” is a combination of cards: jack and 3 malki of the same suit.
- “Suitcase” (slang) - 100 points on the mountain.
- “Master of the Mountain” - the partner who scored on mandatory passes at the beginning of the game greatest number points, the “owner of the mountain” orders the game.
- “Closet” (jarg) - a situation at the pass, similar to a “locomotive” at a meager minimum. Among experienced players, the "cluttered" player usually "falls with the cabinet" - placing all his cards face down on the table, declaring "all other tricks are mine." Since this convention can be used in the "closet", in case of mutual distrust, other players may require a check of the "closet". In some societies there is a tradition after a “wardrobe” of 8 or more bribes to stand up, symbolically seeing off the laden “in last way" Experienced players, in the event of the likelihood of a large “cabinet”, often order a play to get out of passes, since a small remise may be less unprofitable than a “cabinet”.
- “Sword” (jarg) - a bribe at a minimum.
Cultural influence
Preference is a topic for many jokes, sayings, and catchphrases. Some sayings mean mnemonic rules, developed tactics. Others are simply an expression of folk humor.
Preference is often mentioned in Soviet and Russian feature films and TV series. For example, the heroes of the films “The Understudy Starts to Act”, “Courier”, “Preference on Fridays”, “Streets of Broken Lanterns” paint a bullet during the course of the plot. In the film “Criminal Quartet,” the course of the game itself is essential to the plot of the film.
The hero of Vladimir Vysotsky’s song “Invisible” plays preference.
Many celebrities speak of preference as their favorite hobby. Famous players were and remain: Armen Dzhigarkhanyan, Georgy Arbatov, Arkady Arkanov, Leonid Yakubovich.
In the 1960-1970s, a trio of gamblers who spent more than one night shooting was widely known among actors.
Card game. Also known as "bullet". Appeared in Russia in mid-19th century. The predecessors of preference were whist and other card games. It is played by three, four (one in turn “on the side”) or two (husarik).
Preference is a commercial game, that is, a game for money in which winning or losing is determined by to a greater extent skill of the player rather than luck, unlike games of chance. However, in preference, money is not an element of strategy (unlike poker, for example), which makes it not a necessary part of the game.
Rules of the game
Inventory and batch duration
The game uses a deck of 32 cards from seven (low) to ace (high) of each suit.
To record bonus and penalty points, a specially marked sheet of paper is used - a bullet. Each player has three areas in the pool: whists,
bullet,
mountain
The game is played until all players have received the agreed number of points in the pool, or by the number of laps.
Dealing cards
The dealer shuffles the deck and deals three piles of 10 cards in pairs and puts 2 cards in the draw, and this should not be the first or last pair of cards.
Trade
After which there is a bargaining between the players, which determines the type of game. Calls are announced in a clockwise order, with the player next to the dealer making the first call. The trade begins with the minimum game (6 spades) and each next player calls the game higher than the previous one, or folds, leaving the trade. The seniority of games is from 6 to 10, the seniority of suits is spades, clubs, diamonds, hearts. The "no trump" game is older than any other trick game with the same number of claimed tricks. A minuscule bid cannot come from a player who has already called another game in the draw or has passed, and can be outbid by a bid for a nine play, after which trading stops (there are variations in the rules in which you can declare minuscule without purchase, which in turn can be outbid by an application nine without purchase). If all players have passed, passes are played. If neither minus nor passes are played, betting continues until only one player remains.
Types of games
There are 3 types of games: bribe game,
minuscule,
passes .
Game of bribes
In a game of bribes, the winning player undertakes to play with a certain trump card (or without a trump card) and take a certain number of bribes. He takes the buy-in and discards two unnecessary cards. He then orders the game, that is, he finally announces the trump card (or lack thereof) and how many tricks he undertakes to take. You cannot order less than what you agreed to in the auction. For example, a player who has committed to playing 7 of diamonds in a trade can order to play 7 of diamonds, 7 of hearts, 7 no trump, 8 of spades, etc., but not 7 of spades or 6 of hearts.
Other players play together against him; each of them decides to check (whistle) or not check (pass). The whistling player also undertakes to take a certain number of tricks. If both whistle, then the game is played closed. If one player whistles, then the game can be played open-handed, that is, both put cards on the table and the whistler plays for himself and for the passer. The goal of the game is for everyone to fulfill their contract (take the required number of bribes) and, if possible, violate the opponent’s contract (that is, force them to take fewer bribes than ordered in the game of bribes and give as many bribes as possible to the one who announced the minuscule).
Miser
With a minimum amount, the player undertakes not to take a single bribe. Opponents play openly and without a contract. Their goal is to force the player to take as many tricks as possible. The player takes the buy-in and discards two cards.
Passes
When passing, everyone plays for himself, trying to take the minimum number of tricks, or less than his partner (in the Rostov convention). The buy-in cards either determine the coming suit of the first two tricks, or belong to the dealer (in a four-player game), or are not revealed (“Rostov”, “Gusarik”).
Raffle
The main action in preference is the drawing of a bribe. Players place one card each in a certain order. The first player to move sets the suit. The rest must either carry cards of the same suit, or trump, if they do not have a given suit, or any card, if they do not have trump. The player who placed the highest card takes the trick. Bribes are counted by their number, regardless of the number and value of cards in them.
Check
For each game played for bribes or minuscule, the player writes down a certain number of points for himself in the bullet, and the whist - whists for the player. Exceeding the contract is recorded only by the defenders. For each violation of the contract when playing for bribes or minuscule, players receive a certain number of points uphill. Tricks received on passes are also written up, or the player who took the least of all writes whists on others (“rises”).
Types of preference
There are several conventions that determine the evaluation of games - the most famous are Sochinka, Leningradka and Rostov. The so-called classic version is also known.
In preference there are many variations of the rules that can be introduced into any convention and must be discussed before the start of each game, for example Stalingrad (mandatory whist when playing tricks at 6 of spades).
Sochinka
This variety is characterized by responsible whist. Because whist is difficult, it is considered a "game against the whist."
Leningrad (St. Petersburg)
Whist in this convention is semi-responsible. Accordingly, it can be considered as a “whistler’s game.”
Rostov
When playing on passes, the buy-in does not open. The one who takes the least number of bribes records a certain number of whists on his partners. It is considered to be a game for master passers.
Classic
Game with bombs. The ability to use "bombs" introduces a large element of randomness into the game.
Customizable options
The following options may vary from company to company. Always check them before you start playing. Ten game (whistled/checked)
Exit from passes (simple/difficult/difficult, 6/6/6, 6/7/7, 6/7/8, respectively)
The price of a bribe at the races
Progression of the price of a bribe on passes (absent/arithmetic/geometric)
Limit for the progression of the price of a bribe on passes (growth stops after the first/second increase/never stops)
Six game is mandatory/optional
Exit of the player in the dark/in the light during prone whist
Possibility of caring for a half-wist (whist-pass-half-wist)
Does the person who sells bribes receive whists in the purchase?
Rules of conduct for players
In 1996, the Code of Preference was developed.
Glossary of terms
“Blank card” is one card in a suit.
A big “minuscule” is a minuscule without buy-in cards.
“Bomb” - the player receives when declaring “pass” in the dark. The size of the bomb depends on the progress of the dark pass; it can be single, double, triple, etc.
“Whist” - a) is the absolute winnings of the players. The price of whist is agreed upon before the start of the game. To record it in the drawing, three (two) subsections are highlighted; b) a statement from partners to whist (play) against the player who declared one of the games; c) this is a card (cards) that gives the defenders the opportunity to take a bribe in a given game; d) a bribe received by the defender during the game against the player.
Whist “standing” - whist closed.
Whist "prone" - whist openly.
“Whistler” - partners, with the exception of the player, in a given game.
“Gentleman’s” whist - in the case of a player’s remise, the distribution of whists equally between the active and passive whists in a given game.
“Guaranteed whist” is a card(s) that guarantees a bribe in a given game.
A “blue minuscule” is a minuscule that cannot be caught.
“Mountain” is an area on the drawing for recording player penalties.
“Gusarik” is a type of preference that allows two partners to play. When playing “Gusarik”, it is recommended to use the “Sochi” and “Leningrad” variants.
“Double whist” - a) ace, king of the same suit; b) trellis: king, queen, jack of the same suit; c) closed margin: margin with a small one; d) ace, queen, small; e) ace, jack, small; f) ace, ten, nine, eight; g) king, jack, small; h) king, ten, nine, eight; i) queen, ten, nine, eight.
“Yolka” is a section used in classical preference to register bribes, played “bomb” games, and blind games.
A table game is a joint game between the defenders and the player.
“Lay down” - order a small number of bribes, assuming the presence of an unlikely alignment of cards among the defenders.
“Playing” is a partner who, as a result of trading, received the right to play from 6 spades to minuscule.
“Game” or “prank” is a process when the defenders prevent the player from completing the stated number of tricks.
“Cards for orders” - closer to the chest, that is, not giving your colleagues the opportunity to fulfill the commandment: “look at your neighbor’s cards - you’ll have time to do yours.”
"Wheel" - 100 points.
“Consolation” is a penalty for remise.
“Catching” is the process of playing partners against the player.
“Leader” is the winning partner at this stage of the game.
"Malka" is the same as "foska".
"Mariage" - king, queen of the same suit.
“Mill” is the name of the technique in which the defenders manage to kill the player’s large cards with their small trump cards.
“Miser” is a game with the goal of not giving up a single bribe.
“Carry” - discard cards of the same suit when moving to the renaissance suit. As a rule, at a minuscule level in order to “catch” the player, or on passes.
“Nebitka” - the player’s cards, on which he receives all the remaining knits.
“Leg” is a small card in the same suit with a big one or two big ones (usually with margin).
“Obligatory whist” - the whistlers are obliged to win back their whists from the player; how much depends on the announced game. Responsibility for selecting compulsory whists lies with the active whist.
“Single whist” - ace without other cards, second king, third queen, fourth jack.
“Steam Locomotive” is a series of bribes for a meager amount.
“Game” is a game that continues until its end after one deal of cards.
“Pass” is a refusal to actively play in a given game.
“First hand” is the player to the left of the dealer, then the numbering goes clockwise.
“Support” is the same as “leg”.
“Soothing” - failure to fulfill a contract.
“Purchase” is any pair of cards, with the exception of the first and last. The buy-in is kept by the dealer and is given to the partner who declared the game.
“Cut through the player” - the defender, located to the right (left) of the player, makes a small move through him.
“Bullet” is an area on the drawing for recording points for games played, as well as incentive points for zero tricks on the pass.
“Robber” - the partner was left alone with an unwritten mountain, and the game time was not up.
“One” or “spades” is the minimum possible order (six spades).
“Paint the bullet” - play preference.
“Remiz” - shortfall in bribes and whists.
“Renance” - a) discarding a card that is not in the suit; b) absence of cards in one of the suits.
“Bullet painting” - calculation of the game.
“Own whist” - the whistlers refused to actively whist, one of them agrees to his own whist if the player allows him (his own whist is possible only in the 6th and 7th games).
“Dealer” - a) a passive defender when playing with four partners; has the right to actively whistle if two partners refuse; b) the player responsible for the correct deal of cards; controls the course of the game, the correct recording by partners after a given game.
“Soroka” is the same as “marriage”.
"Table" - partners.
“Surkup” - This is a technique in which one defender plays a non-trump card, and the player and the other defender each play a trump card.
“Trade” is the struggle of partners for the right to assign the game.
“Triple whist” - a) ace, king, queen; b) ace, king, jack (if someone else is moving); c) ace, king, nine, eight; d) closed trellis (king, queen, jack, eight); e) margin closed by two small ones without a seven; e) king, jack, two small ones without a seven.
“Guessing game”, “fifty percenter”, “thirty-three percenter”, etc. - a situation on the “minuscule”, when the whistlers must guess which suit the player blew. Very often, seeing a “guessing game”, the player takes down the cards randomly in order to exclude the influence of psychological factors.
"Flag" - 100 points in the mountain (or pool).
"Lantern" - designation of 100 whists.
"Fosca" is one of the low cards in the suit.
“Master of the Mountain” is the partner who scored the most points at the beginning of the game on mandatory passes; the “Master of the Mountain” orders the game.
Sayings and proverbs
Don't think for more than an hour.
Jack is not a piece - hit with a queen.
To take a bribe is to sit down without a bribe.
Whist without greed, do not interrupt your neighbor's bribes.
He let the player out and went into his pocket.
Beat your lady and someone else's.
Two passes, miracles in store.
Two spades come to him, two spades are of no use to him.
Two peaks are not one peak.
Keep calm. Be nervous after the payback.
Smoke more - your partner is going crazy.
For a game without a demolition - at the top without two.
Worst Enemies preference - wife, tablecloth, noise and greed.
If I knew the purchase, I would live in Sochi.
The player is not a climber - he will not climb the mountain on his own.
The card is not a horse, you'll be lucky in the morning.
The cards are closer to the orders.
Miseras go in pairs.
Minor as a tram - one left, another will come.
When you're passing the ball, grab yours, otherwise they'll give you everything.
Don't win every time, you'll lose your partner.
No money - don't sit down.
There is no “better” layout in the world than four by four.
No move - don't whine.
Mistakes happen - cards are not made of glass.
The first heddle is gold.
Place your cards in front of the defender, don’t think twice about it.
Cry more - the card loves a tear.
Under the player - from the ace, under the player - from the semak.
Under the whistler with a large and long suit.
Under the player - with a small and short suit.
If you learn preference, you will make interesting friends.
By helping your partner, you are actually undressing him - this is American help.
A preference specialist, like an athlete, must be of a high class. The weak usually lose.
When someone else's move is on the minuscule scale, the eight is your enemy.
Invited in the dark - take care of the long suit.
The bullet is not a date - don’t be late for the start.
The fifth player is under the table.
Passed - help the table.
If you sit down, don’t get upset, but play it off skillfully.
First pass it, then light it.
Look at your neighbor's cards first, you can always make your own.
A hundred grams for a robber, what a roach is for beer.
Cowards don't play cards. Risk is a noble cause.
No move - move with diamonds, no diamonds - move with hearts.
Jokes
A man comes to the bank and withdraws a large sum money. Cashier: - You probably want to make a big purchase: an apartment or a car. - No, I already bought it. Two aces on the minuscule.
Vasily Ivanovich went to England and a year later returned a millionaire. Petka asks how he did it. “You see, says Vasily Ivanovich,” I somehow decided to write in bullets. We play, then one lord says “10”. I am “checking”. He - “The lords are not checked!” And then I started to get lucky...
A policeman sees a man walking down the street wearing only shorts. - Man, what's wrong with you - Just say: 7, 9, the jack is caught on the minuscule - No, of course! - That's what I thought...
Funeral. They are burying a preference worker who died of a heart attack after a steam locomotive on a minuscule train. In the front rows of the procession are friends in black, mournful music, everyone is silent and looking at their feet. One quietly touches the other’s sleeve: “Listen to what I thought, if we had gone with hearts then, he would have taken not 4, but 6 bribes!” Second: “stop it, it turned out so well...”
Preference is a classic card game that was born in Russia in the 19th century. It is similar in complexity and fun to chess. That's why it was valued by aristocrats. Writers, musicians, and artists were passionate about it. Currently, the number of people who are interested in preference is growing every day. For them this is an entertaining hobby. Overall, quite an interesting preference. The rules of the game here are unique. More on this below.
Rights and obligations of the depositor
There are many nuances in this regard. It does not depend on who deals the cards what goes into the draw. But the meaning affects its reward or punishment. If the participant is not satisfied with the purchase and he returns it to the dealer, then he is punished with penalty points up the mountain. Their number depends on what game was ordered. This is important to know. Premium points or whists also depend on the game ordered. The depositor is entitled to:
- For an ace in the draw, whists are equal to one trick. It corresponds to the game ordered.
- For a queen and a king of the same suit, whists amount to one bribe. This combination playing cards called "marriage".
- For an ace and king of the same suit, whists are equal to two tricks.
- Two aces are also worth certain points. They are like for three bribes.
- For an unplayed order there is a penalty for deception.
The dealer can participate in an order called “minor”. This is when you cannot take bribes at all. If he is invited by the partner playing this game. This happens when the cards dealt for the “minor” are not very successful, but there is hope that the draw is suitable. Although this may not be the case. It all depends on the case. The loss is then signed for two. However, victory points are also divided in half. This is very attractive for the seller in the invitation to the meager. If he agrees to play, then he is allowed to familiarize himself with the layout of the customer’s cards.
The dealer is obliged to ensure that the purchase is not revealed until the end of the auction. Nor should he watch it himself. Special meaning has when the dealer is invited to play “in half”. This is important to remember.
Classification
The minimum game in preference is “six”. This is when a participant must take a certain number of bribes. Namely six. The remaining four are shared by his partners. In this case, the distribution of bribes between the defenders does not matter: each has two; one has three and the other one; or all in one hand. In any case, the game will be considered played. It will also be certified when the participant took more bribes than he obliged. Only in this case there is a certain condition. Namely, the defender, who has less than two tricks, scores a mountain of points for himself. This should be remembered. The game is unplayed if the participant has less than the ordered bribes. In this case, he is fined and he gets points for the mountain. And the whistlers receive points for additional bribes and for baiting.
Then follow the games, named according to the number of bribes ordered. Namely: “ten”, “nine”, “seven”, “eight”, or “totus”. This is also important to know. “Totus” is a game absolutely opposite to “miser”. It was mentioned earlier. There is also the highest game. But card combinations for her happen extremely rarely. This is what is called “preference”. It is announced when the participant, after receiving the buy-in, has three cards of the highest value of the same suit in his hands. Or four of the youngest. This is also in the same suit.
The conditions for the “six” and “nine” variations in preference are quite strict. The rules of the game here should also be strictly followed. That is, the defenders must take the declared bribes. Namely: four in a six-player game and one in a nine-player game. Variations such as “seven” and “octagon” have more flexible rules. That is, the defenders may have a certain number of bribes. Two in the seventh game and one in the eighth.
Dealing cards
IN in this case everything is quite simple. The deck of cards is shuffled by the dealer. This was stated above. Cards are dealt in pairs. That is, three players have 10 pieces and 2 in addition. In this case, the last pair of cards must be middle. Namely, not the first and not the last.
Trade
After familiarizing themselves with the cards, players begin to bargain for the type of game. The first to submit an application is the participant sitting behind the dealer in a clockwise direction. Trading begins with a minimum game. Namely “6 spades” and beyond. Each player declares a game higher in suit than the previous one. Or he folds and exits the trade. Games increase from 6 to 10. The seniority of suits is in a certain order. Namely: spades, clubs, diamonds, hearts. A game without a trump card is higher than any suit. Although the number of bribes remains the same as stated. It is impossible to declare “minor” if the player has already bargained for another game or passed. But this can be interrupted by an application for a nine game. Then the bargaining stops with preference. The rules of the game also provide for other options. Namely, when a minuscule amount without a buy-in is announced, it can be outbid by an application for nine. When “passing,” all participants play “passes.” This is also something you should know. If “minuscule” and “passes” are not carried out, then the participants bargain until the last player. Let's look at this in more detail next.
Varieties of the game
There are three variations:
- For bribes.
- Miser.
- Passes.
Their detailed description will be given below.
Playing cards preference for bribes
There are certain conditions here. That is, whoever wins the auction is obliged to play with the declared trump card (or without it). He must also collect as many bribes as he ordered. The participant, having taken the buy-in and discarded two cards he does not need, says which trump card he will play with (or without it). He also reports how many bribes he undertakes to take. In this case there is a certain limitation. It lies in the fact that you cannot order bribes less than what was stated during the bargaining. For example, a player who has traded up to 7 diamonds can play from 7 diamonds and higher, 8 spades, etc. However, he cannot play 7 spades or 6 of any other suit. The rest all play together against him. However, each of them decides for himself whether to whistle or pass. It all depends on the desires and capabilities of the participants. The defender also undertakes to take the number of tricks determined by the game. If both partners do this, then the game is closed. If there is only one whistler, then you can play openly. Then both show their cards. The whistler plays for two. That is, for yourself and for the one who passed. The goal of the game is always and for everyone to fulfill their obligations. That is, you need to collect a specified number of bribes. And also try to force the enemy to recruit less than he ordered. Or give as many bribes as possible if the game is minimal. This is a certain tactic.
Miser
It is also a distinctive look. A game without bribes is called "minuscule". The whole essence of it is visible from the name. Many people use this type as “minuscule”. Preference in this regard has a certain criterion. That is, opponents play openly and without obligations. Their goal is to hand over as many bribes as possible to the enemy.
Passes
In this case, everyone plays for themselves. At the same time, you should try to take as few bribes as possible. Or at least no more than a partner. This is the “Rostov” option. The buy cards can determine the suit of the first two tricks. They may also belong to the dealer. This is when playing with four players. Or they may not open at all (“Rostov”, “Gusarik”).
Raffle
This is also something you should know. It is very important to play a bribe in preference! Players each place one card in a certain order. It's clear. The first card determines the suit. Next they put the rest. That is, a card of the same suit. Or they play a trump card. This is if the required suit is not available. Or any other card. This is if there is no trump card. The player who placed the highest card takes the bribe. This is a definite fact. Bribes are counted by their number. This is regardless of the value of the cards.
Check
For the game played, the player records a certain number of points in the bullet for himself, and the whistler records a certain number of points for him. The excess of the obligation is recorded only as the last one. For each violation of the order, players are credited with a certain number of points. Bribes received at “passas” are also entered there. Or the player who took them least of all records whists against other participants (“rosts”).
Games for seven to ten
Let's consider these variations in preference. The rules of the game in this case are quite simple. Whists in the “seven” are required to take one trick each. This is a definite condition. Both of them rarely whistle on the eight ball. One usually says: “Pass.” However, he still whistles. Although he does not receive any reward for this. If both defenders pass, then they do not throw their cards. They play for free. That is, for the sake of testing the opponent. This is called forced whist.
This test combination is required for “nine” and “ten” games! In this case, the winner is debited as much as he ordered. And the whistlers receive points for bribes, which depend on what kind of game was played. "Nine" and "ten" are rare.
"Seven" or "eight" becomes controversial when two participants wish to play it at the same time. In this case, the highest suit has the advantage.
No trump game
Here the name itself speaks for itself. This preference, the photo of which is provided in this text, lies in the denomination of the cards. In this case, there are no trump cards. The cap interrupts any game. They charge 60 “puans” for it.
You can order a game without trump cards if the player has the following set of cards in his hands:
Preference with giveaways
Preference has many tricks. Numerous varieties with new rules were developed later. For example, initially, with three passes, the change was not counted. On new game The deck of cards passed to the next participant. It wasn't fair. Since the first dealer “lost” his hand. And mixed cards were instantly hidden. Revision of the game was not allowed. This is if one of the players with good cards did not play, but passed in the hope of “burdening” his partners. There are others like that.
To prevent this, they came up with a certain condition. Namely: when making general passes, do not throw cards, but play a game of giveaway. In this case, the winner is the one who did not take any bribes. This is also important to know. In this case, you should try not to take more than three bribes. They are subject to amnesty.
For each bribe over three, 10 remits are given. For 4 tricks - 10. For 5, respectively, 20, etc. For a reversal - the absence of any suit on the hands - they also give 10 heddles. The testing game instills some caution in players. Not everyone likes this. That's why she's not popular.
Computer version
This is also an entertaining variation. Currently, the computer version of preference is such that beginners can quickly learn certain rules and play online. A detailed training manual has been developed for them. A game with hints is also possible. Professionals in this field will be able to choose an option of any complexity and strong computer opponents. Also, in the “problem solver” mode, you can draw up the cards yourself and play games. The artificial intelligence in the game is such that when bidding for a purchase, your opponents will behave in accordance with the one you have chosen. These are either cautious or risky opponents. The advantage of the game is a set of sayings loved by preference players. During the game, its subtleties and at the same time card “wisdom” are comprehended. There are details of the bullet painting, which reflects the entire gameplay, as well as the meaning of playing cards. Automatic calculation of winnings will appeal to beginners. After everything comes the “completing the game” section. The achievements of the participants are also highlighted there.
Conclusion
In general, there are various popular card games. Preference is one of them. You just have to carefully read the certain criteria of the game. You will learn about this by reading the contents of this text.