Overview edit
The following description is based largely on The Game of Quadrille (TGQ) published in 1728 when the game was at its height in France, being the "favourite at the French court", and was becoming popular in England.[1]
Quadrille is a game for four players playing in changing alliances that involves bidding to become the Ombre ("Man") i.e. the declarer with the right to choose trumps and, in the normal game, a partner. In certain circumstances, a player may also opt to play alone against the other three players. A game session[a] comprises an agreed number of tours (rounds), usually ten, which are marked on a card by notching it.[1]
Cards edit
The 8s, 9s and 10s are removed from a standard 52-card pack to leave a shortened pack of 40 cards. There are always three top trumps, known as matadors, which have a special privilege and which also attract bonus points if held in sequence.[1]
- Spadille ♠A – always the highest trump
- Manille – ♠2, ♣2, ♥7 or ♦7 – lowest card promoted to 2nd highest trump
- Basto – ♣A – always the 3rd highest trump
Thus the overall card ranking depends on the colour of the suit and whether it is trumps or not:
| ♥ and ♦ (trump) | ♠A | 7 | ♣A | A | K | Q | J | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||
| ♥ and ♦ (plain) | K | Q | J | A | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | ||||
| ♠ and ♣ (trump) | ♠A | 2 | ♣A | K | Q | J | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | |||
| ♠ and ♣ (plain) | K | Q | J | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
The three matadors have the special privilege that if a lower trump is led, a player does not have to play a matador even if it is the only trump held. However, if a higher matador is led, this privilege does not apply and the lower matador must be played if unguarded. The trump Ace in a red suit is called Punto and is promoted to the fourth highest card, but is not a matador.[1]
Stakes edit
Each player begins with a quantity of counters called prises[b] consisting of 20 or 30 fiches[c] and a quantity of jetons.[d] The monetary value of a fiche is agreed by the players before the game begins. Each fiche is worth 10 jetons. At the start of each deal, the dealer antes one fiche to the pool[e] and each player, including the dealer, antes one jeton, thus the basic stake being played for is 14 jetons.[1]
Sometimes an ivory counter was used called the mille was used which was equal to 10 fiches. - Pigott?
Deal edit
Deal and play are anticlockwise. The dealer shuffles the pack and offers it to the left for cutting, before dealing to the right, beginning with eldest hand, 10 cards each in two packets of 3 cards and one packet of 4 cards each. The packets may be dealt in any sequence e.g. 3-3-4, 3-4-3 or 4-3-3. All subsequent deals must follow the order decided by the first dealer. The cards may not be dealt singly or in pairs. If the cards are misdealt or the pack found to be wrongly configured, the same dealer deals again without penalty.[1]
Auction edit
There is now an auction in which players passing or bid for the right to become the Ombre and play one of three possible games:[1]
- Alliance – Ombre names trumps and calls a King, the player with that King becoming his secret partner.[f]
- Sans-prendre or Sans-appeller – a solo game in which Ombre names trumps and plays alone against the rest.[g]
- Vole - a solo game in which Ombre has to win all 10 tricks. An announced Vole (as opposed to a silent Vole) is only an option in TGQ.
Eldest opens by passing ("I pass") or 'asking leave' of the others to play by saying e.g. "I play"[1] or "I ask leave to play".[3] If eldest passes, subsequent players have the same options. Once a player asks leave, a later player must either pass or overcall the earlier bid by saying e.g. "I play Sans-prendre", i.e. I'll play "without calling" a King. If a bid is overcalled, the earlier bidder must now pass or bid Sans-prendre in which case he or she has priority; this is a Forced Sans-prendre. Unless 'forced' by a later player, a bidder may not raise his game to Sans-prendre on winning the auction. If agreed, a player may overcall a bid of Sans-prendre with a Vole by saying e.g. "I play a Vole". A player who has passed may not play unless the Spadille is held and everyone else passes. Likewise, a player who has asked leave to play, cannot change his mind, unless overcalled by a bid of Sans-prendre.[1]
The winner of the auction becomes Ombre (i.e. the declarer) and, in a partnership game, names the trump suit and calls a King. The player with that King becomes Ombre's partner,[h] but must not disclose this. They must take six tricks between them to win. In the case of Sans-prendre, Ombre must take 6 tricks alone to win; in a Vole the target is all 10 tricks.[1]
If all pass, a Forced Spadille is played, whereby the player with the Spadille is forced to become Ombre and call a King. A player with four Kings may call a Queen in any suit but trumps. A player may call a King he or she holds, but must then take 6 tricks single-handed to win and then cannot claim the bonus for Sans-prendre.[1]
The King of the trump suit may not be called.[1]
A player who intends to play alone only needs to name trumps by saying e.g. "Spades are trumps". Once named, the trump suit cannot be changed, even if a mistake were made.[1]
Play edit
Eldest leads to the first trick. Players must follow suit if able, otherwise may play any card. The only exception is the privilege of the matadors which do not have to be played when a lower trump is led, even if they are unguarded. The trick is won by the highest trump or the highest card of the led suit if no trump is played. The trick winner leads to the next trick.
Winning edit
In an Alliance, the declaring side (Ombre and his or her partner) must make 6 tricks to win. If they only take 5 tricks, it is a remise (lit. "re-stake") and they must double the pool in addition to any other payments due. If they take 4 or fewer tricks, they lose codille which incurs further penalties. In a lost game, Ombre must take at least 3 tricks personally to avoid bearing the entire cost of losing.
In a Sans-prendre, the onus is entirely on Ombre to make 6 tricks alone against the three defenders. Again, the game may end in a remise or be lost codille.
In an announced Vole, Ombre must make all 10 tricks to win.
If a silent Vole is lost, whether in partnership or not, winnings for the game and any bonuses may still be claimed even though the loser(s) of the Vole must pay out for the loss.
Settlement edit
Payments in settlement at the end of each deal comprise the following:
- Game – the stakes in the pool being played for in the current deal plus any penalties (beasts or remises) from earlier deals.
- Rewards – payment of 2 jetons per defender.
- Matadors – bonus payment of one counter per defender from the loser(s) to the winner(s) for each trump held by the winner(s) in sequence from the top.[i]
- Beast or remise- a penalty paid for losing equal to the stakes in the current pool and added to the stakes for the next deal.
Alliance and Forced Spadille edit
If an Alliance or Forced Spadille is won by the declaring (Ombre's) side, they divide the pool (Game) between them and are paid for Rewards plus Matadors if they qualify. They also divide any beasts between them being played for in the current deal.
If the result is a remise (5 tricks each), the declaring side has lost and doubles the pool by paying a beast into it. They also pay the defenders for Rewards and for Matadors if earned. If Ombre and partner take 4 tricks or fewer, the declaring side has lost codille, they pay as in a remise, but in addition the defenders divide the current pool between them.[j]
Normally the declaring side share the winnings if they win and payments if they lose. However, if they lose an Alliance – whether remise or codille – and Ombre fails to take at least 3 tricks personally, the partner is exempt from any payments and Ombre bears the entire cost alone. In a Forced Spadille, Ombre need only take 1 trick to escape bearing the entire cost.
Sans-prendre and announced Vole edit
For winning a Sans-prendre, Ombre sweeps the current pool and is paid 2 counters for Rewards, 5 counters for the Sans-prendre and any counters for Matadors by each defender.
The payments for winning an announced Vole are the same except that 10 counters are paid by each defender for the Vole instead of the 5 counters for the Sans-prendre.
If the result is a remise, Ombre has lost and doubles the pool, paying a beast into it. The defenders are each paid by Ombre for Sans-prendre or Vole as applicable, for Rewards and for Matadors if earned. If the result is a codille, the defenders are also entitled to divide the current pool among themselves.[k]
Vole edit
If the player with the called King plays (leads) Spadille, Manille, Basto or the called King to show he is the partner, he is not to be allowed to go for the vole and is beasted if he does so.
Footnotes edit
- ^ Also known as a party or partie.
- ^ TGQ: prizes.
- ^ TGQ: "fishes". Fiches were long rectangular gaming chips.
- ^ TGQ: "counters", probably circular in shape. The number is unspecified; it could be that players had, say, 20 fiches "worth of counters", e.g. 15 fiches and 50 jetons.
- ^ TGQ: Poule or "stake".
- ^ "Alliance" is Parlett's term;[2] TGQ just refers to it as 'asking leave'.
- ^ As Pigott points out, Sans appeller is "commonly though erroneously called the sans prendre". the former is more accurate since the game is played "without calling" a King. Sans prendre, "without picking up", stems from games where a talon is used which may not be picked up in a solo game. Nevertheless Sans-prendre appears to have prevailed in English sources and is even used in some French sources such as Académie universelle des jeux.
- ^ TGQ: also "friend".
- ^ The winner(s) must hold the Spadille earn any payment for Matadors.
- ^ This appears to be the settlement for codille described by TGQ; Parlett's rules concur except that the losers pay a double beast to the pool instead of a single one.[2]
- ^ Again Parlett has Ombre putting up a double stake for the next deal.[2]
References edit
Bibliography edit
- Pigott's 1800 Hoyle - the earlier Hoyle's largely comprise tactics and infractions
- Quadrille Elucidated (1825) by Quanti is much clearer and used by Parlett.
- The Game of Quadrille (1728) is also quite good and much earlier. It describes the rules as played at the French court.