BEZIQUE, a game at cards played with two similar packs from which the twos, threes, fours, fives, and sixes have been rejected, shuffled together and used as one (probably from Span. besico, little kiss, in allusion to the meeting of the queen and knave, an important feature in the game). It is modelled on a group of card games which possess many features in common; the oldest of these is mariage, then follow brusquembille, l'homme de brow, briscan or brisque, and cinq-cents. Bezique (also besi and besigue) is, in fact, brisque played with a double pack, and with certain modifications rendered necessary by the introduction of additional cards. The cards rank as follows :—Ace, ten, king, queen, knave, nine, eight, seven.
The usual game is for two players. The players cut for deal, and the higher bezique card deals. The objects of the play are : (1) to promote in the hand various combinations of cards, which, when declared, entitle the holder to certain scores; (2) to win aces and tens, known as "brisques"; (3) to win the so-called last trick. The dealer deals eight cards to each, first three, then two, and again three. The top card of those remaining (called the "stock") is turned up for trumps. As sometimes played, the first marriage, or the first sequence, decides the trump suit ; there is then no score for the seven of trumps (see below). The stock is placed face downwards between the players and slightly spread. The non-dealer leads any card, and the dealer plays to it, but need not follow suit or win the trick. If he wins the trick by playing a higher card of the same suit led, or a trump, the lead falls to him. In case of ties the leader wins. Whoever wins the trick leads to the next; but before playing again each player takes a card from the stock and adds it to his hand, the winner of the trick taking the top card. This alternate playing and drawing a card continues until the stock (including the trump card or card exchanged for it, which is taken up last) is exhausted. The tricks remain face upward on the table, but must not be searched during the play of the hand.
The scores are shown as follows:— Table of Bezique Scores. Seven of trumps, turned up, dealer marks . . . . io Seven of trumps, declared (see below) or exchanged, player marks so Marriage (king and queen of any suit) declared . 20 Royal marriage (king and queen of trumps) declared . . . 40 Bezique (queen of spades and knave of diamonds) declared . 40 Double bezique (all the four bezique cards) declared . . 500 Four aces (any four, whether duplicates or not) declared . . 100 Four kings (any four) declared . 80 Four queens (any four) declared . . . . . . . 6o Four knaves (any four) declared . . • . Sequence (ace, ten, king, queen, knave of trumps) declared . 250 Aces and tens, in tricks, the winner for each one marks . 10 Last trick of all (as sometimes played, the last trick before the stock is exhausted) the winner marks 10 A "declaration" can only be made by the winner of a trick immediately after he has won it, and before he draws from the stock. It is effected by placing the declared cards (one of which at least must not have been declared before) face upwards on the table, where they are left, unless they are played, as they may be. A player is not bound to declare. A card led or played cannot be declared. More than one declaration may be made at a time, provided no card of one combination forms part of another that is declared with it. Thus four knaves and a mar riage may be declared at the same time ; but a player cannot declare king and queen of spades and knave of diamonds to gether to score marriage and bezique. He must first declare one combination, say bezique; and when he wins another trick he can score marriage by declaring the king. A declaration cannot be made of cards that have already been declared. Thus, if four knaves (one being a bezique knave) and four queens (one being a bezique queen) have been declared, the knave and queen already declared cannot be declared again as bezique. To score all the combinations with these cards, after the knaves are declared and another trick won, bezique must next be made, after which, on winning another trick, the three queens can be added and four queens scored. Lastly, a card once declared can only be used again in declaring in combinations of a different class. For ex ample : the bezique queen can be declared in bezique, marriage, and four queens ; but having once been declared in single bezique, she cannot form part of another single bezique. Two declarations may, in a sense, be made to a trick, but only one can be scored at the time. Thus with four kings declared, including the king of spades, bezique can be declared and scored, but the spade marriage cannot be scored till the holder wins another trick. The correct formula is "Forty, and 20 to score." The seven of trumps may be either declared or exchanged for the turn-up after winning a trick, and before drawing. When exchanged, the turn-up is taken into the player's hand, and the seven put in its place. The second seven can, of course, be declared. A seven when declared is not left on the table, but is simply shown.
The winner of the last trick can declare anything hitherto un declared in his hand. After this all declarations cease. The winner of the last trick takes the last card of the stock, and the loser the turn-up card (or seven exchanged for it). All cards on the table, that have been declared and not played, are taken up by their owners. The last eight tricks are then played, but the second player must follow suit if able, and must win the trick if able. Finally, each player counts his tricks for the aces and tens they may contain, unless (as is often done) they are scored at the time. If a player revokes in the last eight tricks, or does not win the card led, if able, the last eight tricks belong to his adversary. The deal then passes on alternately until the game (I,000) is won. If the loser does not make 500, his opponent counts a double game, or double points, according as they have agreed. The score is best kept by means of a special bezique marker.
If a player has a chance of a double declaration he can declare both, but can only score one at the time. As in other variations of bezique he announces, say, "4o, and 20 to score." He should repeat, "20 to score," after every trick, until he can legally score it, but if he plays a card of the combination he cannot score the points. To the last nine tricks, after the stock is exhausted, the second player must follow suit and win the trick by trumping or over-playing, if it is p6ssible for him to do so. The winner of the odd trick scores 5o.
The game consists of one deal. In reckoning the score all frac tions of too are neglected; the winner scores soo for game in addition to the difference between his own points and his op ponent's. The loser is "rubiconed" if he does not score t,000 points, in which case the winner adds the loser's points to his own, takes 30o for brisques and i,000 for game; but the loser may claim his brisques to save a rubicon, though they are not reckoned among his points. If a rubiconed player has scored less than too the opponent counts the score as too.
Six packs of 32 cards, each, from ace to seven, are used. The cards rank as follows :—ace, ten, king, queen, knave, nine, eight, seven.
Twelve cards are dealt to each player, one at a time. If a player has a hand dealt to him without a king, queen, or knave, he declares carte blanche before playing a card. Carte blanche must be shown by exposing all the cards one at a time, and picking them up again. A player holding carte blanche scores 25o points, and he can go on scoring 25o points every time that he draws another plain card on showing the card drawn to his adversary.
A player is not obliged to follow suit or to trump, until the final play.
The suit of the first marriage which is declared becomes the trump suit. If a sequence is declared before any marriage the suit of the sequence is the trump suit.
The declarations and their values are as follows:— Points Carte blanche . . . . . . . . . . 25o Royal marriage (in trumps) . . . . . . . 4o Common marriage (in other suits) . . . . . 20 Sequence (ace, ten, king, queen, knave of trumps) . 25o Backdoor sequence (not in trumps) . . . . iso Bezique (queen of spades and knave of diamonds) . 4o Double bezique ( two of each) . soo Treble bezique (three of each) . . . . . . 1500 Quadruple bezique (known as the grand coup) . . 4500 Four aces of trumps . . I000 Four tens of trumps . . . . . . . . . goo Four kings of trumps . . . . . . . . . . 800 Four queens of trumps . . . . . . . . . . 600 Four knaves of trumps . . . . . . . . 400 Four aces Ioo Four kings . . . . . . . . . 8o Four queens . . . . . . . . . . . . 6o Four knaves . . . . . . . . . 4o The last trick . . . . 25o The game is won by the player who scores the most points. The winner deducts the score of the loser from his own score, and adds i ,000 points for the game. If the loser fails to score 3,00o points he is rubiconed; i.e., the winner adds the two scores together with the addition of the ',coo points for winning the game. If neither player scores 3,00o points, the one who scores the greater number of points wins a rubicon.
After both players have played to a trick they each draw another card from the stock. The winner of the trick draws first.
After a player has won a trick he may make any declaration that he has. Declared cards must be exposed, face upwards, on the table and must remain so until they are played.
If a declared card be played, and a card which restores any declared combination be substituted, the combination may be declared again and scored again at its full value :—thus, if a player has declared four aces he may play one of them and score points again on putting down another ace. If he has de clared a sequence he may part with any card of the sequence in play and score another 25o points on putting down a card similar to the one played.
After the stock is exhausted the players take their declared cards into their hands and play them out. Each player must follow suit when able and must head the trick if he can. If he has none of the suit led he must trump. The winner of the last trick scores 25o points.
See Charles Goodall & Co., The Royal Game of Bezique (i868) ; Scribner, Complete Guide to the game of Bezique (1874) ; The International Card Co., Rubicon Bezique (19o5) ; F. Jessel, The Laws of Six Pack Bezique (1921). (W. DA.)