PIQUET, ItC.'kA' (Fr.. picket, peg). A game of cards. of great antiquity and considerable scientific possibilities. Its laws, as published in lloyle's Short Tr«itise on the Game of Piquet in 1744. remained iu force until the adoption of the rule, of the Portland Club in 1873. It is played by two persons with a euchre pack. Ace is high est and counts eleven, the other cards ranking as in whist. After cutting, the dealer gives the t WO top cards to his adversary, then 'IWO to himself, and so on until each has twelve cards. If the hand of either player contains no face card, it is called curie blanche (white ecrd), and he scores 10 at once. The "elder hand" (the non dealer) must discard one of his cards and take another from stock. but he may discard as 11111113' as live and take a like quantity. The younger hand must discard one also and may discard three. Tlw playett then announce the combina tions of their cards, and each replies according to whether he has, or has not, an equal or greater number. "equal," or "not good." and scores "the point" according to the number of points the rules apportion to his combination.
The play then proceeds. the leader of a counting card (ace, king, queen, knave, or ten) counting one for each card led, whether he wins the trick or not, and the winner of ea oh trick leading for the next, as in most card games. The younger band must. if possible, follow suit. If the leader wins the trick, the opponent counts noth but if he wins the trick he counts one. The winner of the last trick counts two. If one player wins more than half the tricks he adds ten to his count. If he wins all he adds forty. The variation. of scoring and play for carte Nanette, or a hand of only plain cards. Point, the strongest suit, sequence, quat tom trio, pique and repique, are too intricate to he described except by the laws of the game. for which consult Cady. Piquet (New York. 1896) ; "Cavendish," The of Piquet. with a Treatise on the Game (London, 1882) ; "Aquarius." Piquet and Crib bage ( London, 1883).