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OMBRE

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Originally appearing in Volume V20, Page 101 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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OMBRE , a card See also:

game, very fashionable at the end of the 18th See also:century, but now practically obsolete. The following recommendation of the game is taken from the See also:Court Gamester, a See also:book published in 1720 for the use of the daughters of the See also:prince of See also:Wales, afterwards See also:George II: " The game of Ombre owes its invention to the Spaniards, and it has in it a See also:great See also:deal of the gravity See also:peculiar to that nation. It is called Ombre, or The See also:Man. It was so named as requiring thought and reflection, which are qualities peculiar to many or rather alluding to him who undertakes to See also:play the game against the See also:rest of the gamesters, and is called the man. To play it well requires a great deal of application, and, let a man be ever so See also:expert, he will be See also:apt to fall into mistakes if he think of anything else or is disturbed by the conversation of them that look on. . . . It will be found the most delightful and entertaining of all See also:games to those who have anything in them of what we See also:call the spirit of play." Ombre is played by three players with a See also:pack of 40 See also:cards, the 8, 9 and to being dispensed with. The See also:order of value of the hands is irregular, being different for trumps and suits not trumps. In a suit not trumps the order is, for red suits: K, Q, Kn, See also:ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7; for See also:black suits: K, Q, Kn, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. In See also:trump suits the ace of spades, called spadille, is always a trump, and the highest one, whichever of the four suits may be trumps. The order for red suit trumps is; ace of spades 7 (called manille), ace of clubs (called baste), ace (called ponto), K, Q, Kn, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. For black suit trumps: ace of spades (spadille), 2 (manille), ace (basto), K, Q, Kn, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3.

There is no ponto in black trumps. The three highest trumps are called matadores (or mats). The holder of them has the See also:

privilege of not following suit, except when a higher See also:mat is played, which forces a See also:lower one if the See also:hand contains no other trump. Cards are dealt See also:round, and the See also:receiver of the first black ace is the dealer. He deals (towards his right) nine cards, by threes, to each player. The remaining 13 cards See also:form the stock or talon, as at See also:piquet. Each deal constitutes a game. One hand plays against the other two, the See also:solo player being called the Ombre. The player at the dealer's right has the first See also:option of being Ombre, which entails two privileges: that of naming the trump suit, and that of throwing away as many of his cards as he chooses, receiving new ones in their See also:place, as at See also:poker. If, with these advantages in mind, he thinks he can win against the other two hands, he says, " I ask leave," or " I play." But in this See also:case his right-hand See also:neighbour has the privilege of claiming Ombre for himself, providing he is willing to play his hand without See also:drawing new cards, or, as the phrase goes, sans prendre. If, how-ever, the other player reconsiders and decides that he will himself play without drawing cards, he can still remain Ombre. If the second player passes, the dealer in his turn may ask to play sans prendre, as above.

If all three pass a new deal ensues. After the Ombre discards (if he does not play sans prendre) the two others in turn do likewise, and, if any cards are See also:

left in the stock, the last discarder may look at them (as at piquet) and the others after him. But if he does not look at them the others lose the privilege of doing so. The manner of play is like See also:whist, except that it is towards the right. The second arid third players combine to defeat Ombre. If in the sequel Ombre makes more tricks than either of his opponents he wins. If one of his opponents makes more than Ombre the latter loses (called codille). If Ombre and one or both of his opponents make the same number of tricks the game is See also:drawn. When Ombre makes all nine tricks he wins a See also:vole. The game is played with counters having certain values, the See also:pool being emptied by the winner. If all pass, a See also:counter of See also:low value is paid into the pool by each player. If Ombre wins he takes the entire pool.

If he draws he forfeits to the pool a sum equal to that already in it, i.e. the pool is doubled. If either of his opponents makes the See also:

majority of the tricks (codille), Ombre pays him a sum equal to that in the pool, which itself remains untouched until the next game. When the pool is emptied each player pays in three counters.

End of Article: OMBRE

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