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LOO.
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Loo (or, as formerly it was sometimes called, Lue) is a very lively and popular round game, justly described as one of the best and yet one of the simplest known. Indeed, until the introduction of “Nap,” it was the most fashionable of its class in this country. The date of its origin is not on record, but that some amount of antiquity can be claimed for it may be inferred from the fact that a description of the game appears in works published at the beginning of the present century, when the method of playing it was virtually the same as is recognised at the present day, except that then the five-card variation was the most popular, whereas now the three-card game is in vogue.
Loo is usually played with an ordinary pack of fifty-two cards, but in some variations the thirty-two card pack is used. The number of players who can take part in it is practically unlimited within the range of the pack played with. A writer of thirty years since justly remarks that the game is good for any number up to a dozen, although the best game is played with five, or not more than seven persons. Five players are sometimes regarded as the limit, and if more than that number desire to take part, relief is sought by the dealer standing out of the play, neither paying nor receiving on the tricks of that hand. This arrangement, however, is one that can be decided at the option of the company playing. [17]
As is the case with Nap, a very short time is necessary for completing the hands in the game, and a finish may be made at any moment, either by an equal division of the amount in the pool among the players, or by releasing those who failed to win a trick in the previous deal from the penalty which usually attaches to such a result, and which is known as a “loo.” In this case all “stand” on the last round, and there is no “miss.” It is usual, however, to play on until what is known as a “single” occurs, i.e., when each of the players who declared to stand has secured a trick, and, as a consequence, no one has been looed. If, however, a finish is desired before a single occurs, it is best to arrange it so as to fall immediately before the original dealer’s turn to deal comes round again, as, in that case, all the players will have paid for an equal number of deals.
A player may withdraw from the game at any time when it is his turn to deal. In that case he pays for his deal (as explained later on), and also for his loo, if he was looed the previous hand, but he does not deal any cards to himself, or take any part in the play of that round.
DESCRIPTION.
Three-card Loo being the most popular at the present day, we shall devote ourselves more particularly to that game, leaving the five-card variety to be considered later on, under the heading of Variations. The object of each player is to win one, two, or all of the three tricks into which each deal is divided, and in doing so he is opposed by all the other players who have elected to stand, and who, in turn, try to secure the tricks for themselves.
The stakes are first decided on—usually three counters [18] or coins for the deal, and six for a loo. It is desirable that the amount in the pool should be divisible by three, so as to allow of its equal apportionment among the winners of the three tricks. The first dealer is then chosen, and he, having paid to the pool the agreed amount for his deal, proceeds to distribute the cards for what is termed a single, a term denoting that merely the dealer’s stake is to be played for.
The pack having been duly shuffled and cut, the dealer turns the top card face upwards in the middle of the table, and then distributes one card, similarly exposed, to each player. If either of the players receives a higher card of the same suit as the one turned up, he wins the amount in the pool. If two or more receive superior cards, the higher takes the stake. The others are looed, each having to contribute the agreed amount of a loo to the pool, for the next deal. It is usually agreed that the penalty for a loo on the single shall be half the amount of the ordinary loo, or the same amount as for a deal. If neither player receives a higher card of the same suit as that turned up all are looed, and the amount in the pool remains, being included in the stakes for the next deal. The amount of the loos having been placed in the pool, as also the sum agreed upon to be contributed by the next dealer, the cards are re-gathered, shuffled, and cut, and the second deal is proceeded with. Three cards are distributed to each player, and a spare hand, or miss, as it is generally called,¹ is left in the middle of the table.
¹ The spare hand is not always called the “miss.” Some players designate it the “cat”; the term possibly originating from its un-certainty; hence the expression, often used in connection with the spare hand—“Let us hope she will not scratch us.”
The top [19] card of the undealt portion of the pack is next turned up, to decide which of the suits shall be trump, and then each of the players—commencing with the one on the left hand side of the dealer—in turn looks at his cards, and decides whether he will stand, whether he will take the miss, or whether he will throw up his cards for that deal, unless the rule for “Club Law” shall have been previously decided upon, when all the players have to stand, and the miss is withdrawn—see page 26. If he decides to stand, the player retains the three cards originally dealt him, and says, “I play”; if he elects to throw up his cards, he places them, unexposed, on the top of the undealt portion of the pack, and takes no share in the remainder of that hand, neither paying nor receiving in connection with the play; while if he determines to take the miss, his original cards are added to the undealt portion of the pack, as before, and he takes up the spare hand. In this latter case he is compelled to stand, that is, it is not optional with him to throw up the miss, when once he has elected to take it.
The player on the dealer’s left having determined which course he will pursue, the one on his left has to decide, and so on, until the dealer is reached; he may, in like manner, stand, throw up, or take miss, provided the spare hand has not already been appropriated. If none of the players take the miss it is added to the pack, but in that case it must not be exposed, or looked at by any of the players.
Should it happen that each of the players in front of the dealer has thrown up his own cards, and neither has taken the miss, then the dealer is entitled to the amount in the pool, no matter what his cards are. Should it happen that only one player has declared to stand on his own hand, [20] then the dealer, if he cannot stand on his own cards, may take the miss. If he does not care to do either he must play the miss for the benefit of the pool, against the single player who declared to play on his own cards, and anything he may then win with the miss is left in the pool for the next deal. Should it happen that all the players in front of the dealer have thrown up their cards, and one has taken the miss, then the dealer may stand, or not, as he chooses; but if he also throws up his cards, then the holder of miss, being the only standing hand, takes the whole amount of the pool. These contingencies are seldom, if ever, met with in actual play, but being possible it is necessary to fix laws to govern them.
The players who have decided to stand, either on their own cards, or on the miss, then proceed to play the tricks, the one nearest the dealer’s left having to lead. It is, however, sometimes agreed that the holder of miss for the time being shall lead, but this is hardly a desirable departure from the more regular course of leaving the lead to the elder hand, and we cannot recommend its adoption. If the leader holds the ace of trumps he must lead it, and similarly, if the ace is turned up, and he holds the king, he must start off with that card. If he has two or three trumps (of any denomination) he must lead the highest. “Two or more trumps, lead one,” is the rule of some players, but unless this matter is specially decided upon before the commencement of play the rule to lead the highest of two or three must govern the point. In all other cases the leader may start off with whichever card he chooses.
The play proceeds from left to right, and each player, in turn, has to follow suit if he can; as it is his desire to secure the trick for himself he will play as high as possible [21] if he has the power to head the trick. If he cannot follow suit he must play a trump if he has one, provided his trump is higher than any previously played to the trick, but it is not compulsory to trump a suit when it is not possible to head the trick by doing so. Failing the ability to head the trick, he may discard as he chooses. It is compulsory, however, for each player, in turn, to head the trick if he is able to do so, and herein lies one of the greatest differences between Loo and Nap, for in the latter game, as we have shown, it is optional with a player whether he will head the trick, or pass it. The trick is won by the player who plays the highest of the suit led, or, if trumped, the highest trump. As winner, he has the privilege of leading for the next trick, which is conducted on similar lines to the first. This applies also to the third trick, the only stipulations being that if the player who won the first trick has a trump he must lead it, and if he be left with two trumps he must play the higher of the two as the lead for the second trick. The three tricks having been disposed of the amount in the pool is divided equitably among the winners, while those who stood—either on their own hand or on miss—and did not succeed in winning a trick are looed. If all who stood succeeded in making one or more tricks, so that neither of the players was looed, it becomes a single again, and the cards are dealt as already described for that round (see p. 18).
A player infringing any of the rules, or playing in an irregular manner, is looed, and the amount of his winnings, if any, is left in the pool. The hands must, however, be replayed in proper order, and if then the tricks are secured by different players, that must be considered the result of the hand, and the losers by the proper play are looed, even though by the first and erroneous method they secured one [22] or more of the tricks. Briefly, no player can he looed, or secure any part of the pool through the irregularity of either of the other players. In any case the player who transgressed the law does not win anything. If his cards secure one or all of the tricks the amount of his winnings is left in the pool for the next deal, and he is looed. This does not apply to penalties for looking at the hands, or declaring out of turn, or making a misdeal. In those cases the offending player pays the penalty into the pool for the current deal, and stands an equal chance with the others in fighting for the tricks. The cards as played are left in front of the players, not being turned or otherwise interfered with until the completion of the three tricks, when, as already described, they are gathered up for the next round.
We will now proceed to consider the various points of the game not touched upon in the description already given.
STAKES.
For the reason already mentioned the stakes should be so arranged that the amount in the pool can always be divided by three. Thus, supposing that three counters, or coins, are fixed as the amount for the deal, and six for a loo, there cannot possibly be any surplus after the division among the winners of the three tricks, no matter how many may have paid in. If, however, the pool consists of such an amount as to render equal division impossible, the division is made as nearly equal as can be, and the winners of the first and second tricks have the preference.
It is not necessary that the loo should be twice the amount of the deal, indeed any sum may be fixed for either the one or the other, and it is not unusual when the [23] deal is settled at 1½d. for the loo to be 6d., or when the one is 6d. for the other to be 2s. 6d., and so on. Another method is to make the stake for a loo unlimited, and yet another to make it somewhat of a combination, unlimited up to a certain amount (see Variations), but the more general course is to have a definite price fixed (a) for the deal, (b) for an ordinary loo, and (c) for a single loo, which latter is generally half the amount of the full loo.
Before commencing play in the game, it is desirable to settle whether Club Law (see Variations) is to be enforced, and whether any alteration is to be made in the law compelling the holder of two or more trumps to lead the highest on the original lead. The modification of this rule is “two or more trumps lead one.”
DEALING.
The deal is settled in the same way as already described in connection with Nap, and the cards having been shuffled and cut, the single is dealt, as described on page 18. In other rounds the dealer must distribute the cards to the players one card at a time, in regular order from left to right, and must deal to the spare hand, or miss immediately after dealing his own card each time. With some players deviation is permitted, the dealer being allowed to distribute the cards in any order he likes, and either singly or three at a time; or the miss is left until last, when the three cards for the spare hand are dealt at once. These departures are not desirable, and we strongly recommend the enforcement of the rule compelling the regular distribution of cards, as herein set out.
In the event of a misdeal, an irregular distribution of the cards, or the exposure of a card during the dealing, the dealer is looed—the amount of the loo in this, and most [24] other cases of penalty prior to the commencement of the playing of the cards being the same as settled for a single loo—and he immediately places the amount in the pool. The whole pack is collected, re-shuffled, and dealt again by the same player, and the game proceeds.
Any player interfering with the cards during the deal is looed, but the cards are not re-dealt, unless they have been mixed, or a card has been exposed.
