Five-card Loo
This is the old-fashioned game, and we may go back to old books for a
description of it. It is said to be a much more amusing game than
three-card loo for a company not inclined to play for high stakes,
but is not suitable for more than six players, even if five should not be
regarded as the limit. Each of those engaged in the game has five cards
dealt him, either first three, and then two, or one at a time, the latter
method being by far the best, and the following card is turned up for
trump. There is no miss, but each player has the liberty of changing,
for others from the pack, all or any of the five cards dealt him, or of
throwing up the hand altogether. If he decides to change any of his
cards, the player, whose turn it is to declare, places the cards he wishes
exchanged, face downwards, on the table, and the dealer gives him a like
number from the top of the pack. No second exchange is allowable,
nor can a card once put out be taken back into the hand; neither may a
player who makes an exchange afterwards throw up his cards; he must play
them out. The knave of clubs generally, or sometimes the knave of the
trump suit, as agreed upon, is the highest card, and is styled Pam;
the ace of trumps is next in value, and the rest in succession,
as in the three card variation, where the cards rank in the ordinary way:
ace, king, queen, knave, ten, nine, etc., down to the two. Those who play
their cards, either with or without changing, and do not gain a trick,
are looed. When a flush occurs, that is, five cards of the same suit,
or four cards of a suit with Pam, the holder of the flush--who does not
declare it until all the players have settled whether they will stand or
not--besides taking the amount in the pool, receives from each of the
players, whether they stood or not, the amount of a loo, and the next deal
becomes a single, there being no payments to the pool, beyond the dealer's
fee. A flush in trumps is superior to a flush in any other suit, but if
there is more than one flush--neither of which is of the trump suit--then
the flush which includes Pam wins, or if neither contains that card then
the elder hand, that is, the player nearest the dealer's left hand, scores
the flush, and the holder of the other flush takes nothing; he, however, is
exempt from the loo, which is payable by the other players. When the ace
of trumps is led it is usual for the player of it to say, "Pam, be civil,"
in which case the holder of Pam must pass the trick, if he can do so
without revoking; but if he has no trump he may win the trick with Pam.
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Irish Loo
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Mixed Loo
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