ECARTE, it'kEir'til' (Fr.. discarded, p.p. of c'earter, to disca•d, from Lat. ex, out charts, Gk.xciprns,eharti.S, paper). A game of cards usually played two persons, though, in the form called pool three or even more may take part in it. In this case the third player takes the place of the loser in the first pune, and the pool aeeumulates until one player wins two (or three) games in succession. In French (.ca•t6, bystanders are permitted to advise, and the player losing leaves the table. his adviser taking his place. lf, however, the loser is play ing In rhouctte (i.e. taking all bets offered), he need not retire on losing. The sixes, fives, fours, threes, and twos are' removed from a pack, and the player cutting highest deals. lie gives five cards, by two and three at a time, to his opponent and himself, and turns up the eleventh card for trumps. The trump card, if a king. counts ma. for the dealer. His adversary. if satisfied with his hand, plays; if not satisfied, proposes, which means, briefly, that he wishes to get rid of poor cards and take up others from the stock, and the dealer can accept or refuse. Should he accept, each may discard, face down ward. as many cards as he may choose, receiving
fresh ones from the cards yet undealt, these being given first to the non-dealer till his hand is com plete. A second proposal and a third may be made, and so on till the player is satisfied; but if the dealer refu-e, the hand must be played without discarding. The king of trumps seores one if in either hand. The non-dealer being satis fied with his hand. leads; the dealer follows, and the trick is taken by the highest card or the trump. The king is the highest. The win ner of a trick leads to the next. The' second player must follow suit. and must win the trick if he can. The game is scored by the king, as explained, and the majority of tricks. Three tricks score one for the point: all five tricks won by one player score two for the role. When the non-dealer does not propose. or his proposal is refused. and he fails to gain three tricks, the dealer scores two, but no more, even though he win the role. The game is five up. Consult: `Cavendish,' Pocket Guide to Ecurte (London, 1870) ; The Laws of Ecarte Adopted by the Turf Club (London, 1878).