This popular game is played by four, five, or six persons with a full
pack of cards, which take the same value as in Whist. The object of
the game is to make tricks, which are paid to or received from the
dealer at a fixed rate, a penny or more a trick, as previously
arranged. The deal being decided in the usual way, the pack is cut and
five cards are dealt one at a time to each player, beginning at the
left. After every round the deal passes. Each player looks at his
cards, the one to the left of the dealer being the first to declare.
When he thinks he can make two or three tricks he says, "I go two," or
"I go three." The next may perhaps think he can make four tricks; and
if the fourth believes he can do better he declares Napoleon, and
undertakes to win the whole five tricks. The players declare or pass
in the order in which they sit; and a declaration once made cannot be
recalled. The game then, proceeds. The first card played is the trump
suit; and to win the trick, a higher card than that led in each suit
must be played. The winner of the first trick leads for the second,
and so on till each of the five tricks are played out. Each player
must follow suit, but he is not bound to head the trick or to trump.
Each card as played remains face upwards on the table. Supposing the
stake to be a penny a trick, the declarer, if he win all the tricks he
declared, receives from each of his adversaries a penny for each of
the declared tricks; but if he fail to win the required number, he
pays to each of them a penny a trick. For Napoleon he receives double
stakes from each player; but failing to win the five tricks, he pays
them single stakes. The game, though simple, requires good judgment
and memory to play it well. In some companies it is varied by the