CASSI'NO, a game at cards played by two or more persons. Four cards are dealt, one at a time, to each player, and four are turned face up on the table. After the bands are played the greatest number of cards counts the holder three, the greatest number of spades one, big C. (the ten of diamonds) two, little C. (the deuce of spades) one, and each ace one, so that nine can be possibly counted by one person; the whole game is 21. The play is to take from the table as many cards as possible, preferring spades, or aces, or big or little Cassino. The cards are taken by the num ber of their spots; thus a ten will take a ten, or a nine and an ace, or four aces and a. six, or any combination of spots that make just ten. Another part of the game is " building;" for example, a player puts a four on a six to make up ten, meaning to take both when it again collies his turn; but any one having a ten may take them before him; or if he builds a six, the next player may make it a nine, and the next still may put on an ace and call it ten; but in building, the one who makes any par ticular number must hold the card that will take it. Some persons make a progressive
build; that is, if one has a nine and cannot at the time make a nine, he puts a Your on a two and calls it six, having of course a three to make nine when it is next his turn to play. But this kind of building is generally ruled out as irregular. A modern varia tion of the game is now coinmon, in which the knave counts eleven, the queen twelve, the king thirteen, the ace one or fourteen as the players may choose, and the " joker ". fifteen. This plan greatly enlarges the number of combinations, and makes the game more intricate; as, for instance, an ace may possibly take three other aces, four deuces. and a tray, making fourteen spots; or the flee may take the big and little C. and two aces, which would make six points in the game.