Free The Penguin Book of Card Games: Everything You Need to Know to Play Over 250 Games by David Parlett Page A

The fol owing scores are al doubled in the case of a no
    trump bid. If successful, Declarer’s side scores 1 point per book
    contracted. If not, they lose 1 point per book contracted; and if the
    opponents win seven or more, they score 1 point per book won
    above six. The game ends when one side wins by reaching the
    target score, or loses by reaching minus the target score.
    Winning al 13 books is a ‘Boston’, and scores quadruple.
    Variants With two Jokers, the lowest bid is sometimes ‘Four’. Some
    play with only one Joker and a five-card kit y. Some play without
    Jokers and either a four-card kit y or none at al . In the lat er case,
    13 books are played and the lowest bid is ‘One’.
    Original Bid Whist
    Deal thirteen each from a 52-card pack. Each bids a number of odd
    tricks from onetoseven, without mentioning trumps. Bidding
    continues until three pass in succession, when the last bidder
    announces trumps and his left opponent leads. A successful contract
    scores 1 point per odd trick taken, otherwise the opponents score 1
    point per odd trick they took and the declarers deduct the amount
    of their bid.
    Contract Whist
    (4pp,52c)DevisedbyHubertPhil ipsinthe1930s,thisunjustlyneglected
    game combines the trick-play of Whist with the bidding of Bridge.
    game combines the trick-play of Whist with the bidding of Bridge.
    In ef ect, it is Bridge without a dummy: al players are active and
    their hands remain concealed.
    The preliminaries, deal and auction proceed as at Contract
    Bridge.
    Bidding systems and conventions employed in Bridge are
    applicable, except in so far as there is no scoring distinction
    between major and minor suits, and no bonus for slams. Scores are
    made above and below the line as at Bridge, and only tricks
    contracted and won count towards game. The opening lead is made
    by the left-hand opponent of the declarer who first named the suit
    of the final contract. Play proceeds as at Bridge, except that
    declarer’s partner plays from his own hand concealed instead of
    laying it face up as a dummy.
    For a successful contract, declarers score (below the line) 3 points
    per contracted odd trick in a trump suit, 4 at no trump, doubled or
    redoubled as the case may be. Al overtricks score (above the line)
    2 each, or 5 or 10 if doubled or redoubled. There is also a flat
    bonus of 5 for fulfil ing a doubled contract, or 10 if redoubled.
    For a defeated contract, defenders score (above the line) 10
    points for each undertrick, or 20 if doubled, 40 if redoubled.
    Game is 10 below the line, a rubber is the best of three games,
    and the rubber bonus is 50.
    Spades
    4 players (2 × 2), 52 cards
    This game is remarkably popular in America, where it is the subject
    of numerous clubs, tournaments and websites. Named from the fact
    that spades are always trumps, it strikes me as having been derived
    from the pat ern of Hearts by changing a suit of penalty cards into a
    suit of trumps. Itis usual y played by four in partnerships, but is
    easily adaptable for other numbers. As befits a genuine folk game
    easily adaptable for other numbers. As befits a genuine folk game
    of recent origin, it is ful of variations and not subject to universal y
    accepted of icial rules. Preliminaries Four play crosswise infixed
    partnerships, usinga 52-card pack ranking AKQJT98765432 in each
    suit. Deal thirteen each in ones. Trumps Spades, always.
    Bidding There is no competitive auction. Instead, each partnership
    contractstowinacertain minimum numberoftricks. First, the
    members of the non-dealer partnership discuss how many tricks
    they think they can win between them. They may say how many
    certain, probable or possible tricks they think they can win
    individual y, but may not give direct information about specific suit
    holdings. When their contract number is agreed, it is noted down,
    and the dealer’s side embark on the same process.
    A player who thinks he can lose every trick individual y may
    declare ‘Nil’. In this