The game of Vingt-un, or twenty-one, may be played by two or more people; and, as the deal is advantageous, and often continues long with the same person, it is usual to determine it at the commencement by turning up the first ace, or any other mode that may be agreed upon.

The cards must all be dealt out in succession, unless a natural Vingt-un occurs, and in the meantime the pone, or youngest hand, should collect those that have been played, and shuffle them together, ready for the dealer, against the period when he shall have distributed the whole pack. The dealer is first to give two cards, by one at a time, to each player, including himself; then to ask every person in rotation, beginning with the eldest hand on the left, whether he stands or chooses another card, which, if required, must be given from off the top of the pack, and afterwards another, or more, if desired, till the points of the additional card or cards, added to those dealt, exceed or make twenty-one exactly, or such a number less than twenty-one as may be judged proper to stand upon; but when the points exceed twenty-one, then the cards of that individual player are to be thrown up directly, and the stakes to be paid to the dealer, who also is, in turn, entitled to draw additional cards; and, on taking a Vingt-un, is to receive double stakes from all who stand the game, except such other players likewise having twenty-one, between whom it is thereby a drawn game; and when any adversary has aVingt-un, and the dealer not, then the opponent so having twenty-one, wins double stakes from him. In other cases, except a natural Vingt-un happen, the dealer pays single stakes to all whose numbers under twenty-one are higher than his own, and receives from those who have lower numbers; but nothing is paid or received by such players as have similar numbers to the dealers; and when the dealer draws more than twenty-one, he is to pay to all who have not thrown up.

Twenty-one, whensoever dealt in the first instance, is styled a Natural yingt-un, should be declared immediately, and entitles the possessor to the deal, besides double stakes from all the players, unless there shall be more than one natural Vingt-un; in which case the younger hand or hands, so having the same, are excused from paying to the eldest, who takes the deal of course.

Observe: An ace may be reckoned either as eleven or one; every court-card is counted as ten, and the rest of the pack according to their points.

The odds of this game merely depend upon the average quantity of cards likely to come under or exceed twenty one: for example, if those in hand make fourteen exactly, it is seven to six that the one next drawn does not make the number of points above twenty-one, but if the points be fifteen, it is seven to six against that hand have it would not, therefore, always be prudent to stand at fifteen, for as the ace may be calculated both ways; it is rather above an even bet that the adversary's two first cards amount to more than fourteen. A natural Vingt-un may be expected once in seven coups, when two, and twice in seven, when four people play, and so on, according to the number of players.