HAZARD, a game on dice, without ta bles. It is played with only two dice ; and as many may play at it as can stand round the largest round table.
Two things are chiefly to be observed, viz. main and chance ; the latter belong ing to the caster, and the former, or main, to the other gamesters. There can be no main thrown above nine, nor under five ; so that five, six, seven, eight, and nine, are the only mains flung at hazard. Chances and nicks are from four to ten : thus four is a chance to nine, five to eight, six to seven, seven to six, eight to five; and nine and ten a chance to five, six, se ven, and eight : in short, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, and ten, are chances to any main, if any of these nick it not. Now nicks are either when the chance is the same with the main, as five and five, or the like ; or six and twelve, seven and eleven, eight and twelve. Here observe, that twelve is out to nine, seven, and five ; eleven is out to nine, eight, six, and five ; and ames-ace and deuce-ace, are out to all mains whatever.
But to illustrate this game by a few ex amples: suppose the main to be seven, and the caster throws five, which is his chance ; he then throws again, and if five turn up, he wins all the money set him ; but if seven is thrown, he must pay as much money as there is on the board : again, if seven be the main, and the cast er throws eleven, or a nick, he sweeps away all the money on the table ; but he throws a chance, as in the first case, he must throw again : lastly, if seven be the main, and the caster throws ames.ace,
deuce-ace, or twelve, he is out : but if he throws from four to ten, he bath a chance ; though they are accounted the worst chances on the dice, as seven is re puted the best and easiest main to .flung. Four and five are bad throws (the former of which being called, by the tribe of nickers, little dick-fisher) as hav ing only two chances, viz. trey-ace and two deuces, or trey-deuce and quatre ace : whereas seven bath three chances, viz. cinque-deuce, five-ace, and quatre trey. Nine and ten are in the like condi tion with four and five; only two chances. Six and eigt have indeed the same number of chances with seven, viz. three ; but experienced gamesters never theless prefer the seven, by reason of the difficulty to throw the doublets, two qua tres, or two treys. It is also the opinion of most, that at the first throw the caster bath the worst of it. On the whole, haz ard is certainly one of the most bewitch ing and ruinous games played on the dice. Happy, therefore, the man, who either never heard of it, or who has re solution enough to leave it off in time. See CHANCES and GAMING.