English III Serrano

Name ____________________

The Rules of Ombre1

Ombre (Hombre, or "The Man") is a trick-taking card game er! similar to the modern games o" S#ades and $earts% It is also a direct ancestor o" the modern game o" &ridge% It 'as er! #o#(lar among the )ondon elite in *o#e+s time, and the game that he describes in "The ,a#e o" the )ock" obe!s its r(les #er"ectl!% The com#lete r(les o" the game are some'hat com#le- and are described in great detail here, b(t the "ollo'ing #oints sho(ld hel# !o( get a handle on the game that is described in the #oem%

The game is (s(all! #la!ed 'ith three #la!ers 'ith a standard deck o" cards that has the .+s, /+s, and 01+s remo ed% Each #la!er is dealt / cards, and the remaining 02 cards are #laced in the talon% The #la!ers bid on 'ho 'ill be able to take a ma3orit! o" the tricks ("i e o" nine)% The 'inning bidder becomes the declarer (the $ombre) and m(st #la! against both o" the other t'o #la!ers% The 'inning bidder is allo'ed to declare 'hich s(it 'ill be tr(m#% (")et s#ades be tr(m#s she said, and tr(m#s the! 'ere)% Three cards are called "Matadors," 'hich means that the! are the highest three cards in an! game% The black aces are al'a!s Matadors4 the 5ce o" S#ades is spadille and is al'a!s the highest tr(m# card and the 5ce o" 6l(bs is basta, 'hich is al'a!s the third highest tr(m#% The second highest card, manille, is the card that 'o(ld other'ise be the lo'est card in the tr(m# s(ite% Each #la!er #la!s a card in a co(nter-clock'ise rotation% &lack and red s(its ha e a slightl! di""erent ranking% I" the the tr(m# is a black s(it (s#ades or cl(bs), the ranking o" the s(it is S 2 B K Q J 7 6 5 4 3 (S 7 Spadille, or the 5ce o" S#ades8 & 7 Basta, or the 5ce o" 6l(bs)8 i" the tr(m# s(it is red (hearts or diamonds), the cards are ranked S 7 B A K Q J 2 3 4 5 6. Similarl!, cards in the black s(its ('hen not tr(m#) are ranked K Q J 7 6 5 4 3 2 A and cards in red s(its ('hen not tr(m#) are ranked K Q J A 2 3 4 5 6 7% To 'in the hand, the declarer m(st take "i e tricks% I" another #la!er takes "i e tricks, the res(lt is called codille, 'hich is a loss "or the declarer% It is #ossible to achie e a sort o" a tie, or a bte b! taking e-actl! as man! tricks as one other #la!er (9-9-0 or 2-2-2)% 5nd, in e-tremel! rare cases, it is #ossible to achie e a Tout b! taking all nine tricks%

In the game described in ",a#e o" the )ock," &elinda is the declarer and m(st 'in "i e tricks% Once she declares s#ades as tr(m#s, she has the "o(r highest cards #ossible (the three Matadors and the :ing o" the tr(m# s(it), so she is g(aranteed to 'in at least "o(r tricks--and since she has t'o kings it is er! #ossible that she 'ill be able to 'in "i e% $o'e er, the o(tcome is not certain, since, 'hen the &aron sei;es the lead, &elinda is o(t o" tr(m# cards and m(st "ollo' his lead% E er!thing comes do'n to 'hether or not her king o" hearts in the last trick is met 'ith another heart (in 'hich case she 'ins) or an! other s(it (in 'hich case she looses)%

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English III Serrano

Name ____________________

The Han s from Ra!e of "he #o$%

I% &elinda leads S#adille% The &aron #la!s the 9 and the Third #la!er the 2 o" S#ades% (&elinda 'ins the trick and dra's o(t t'o tr(m# cards)% II% &elinda leads Manille% The &aron #la!s the = o" S#ades and the Third *la!er the > o" S#ades% (&elinda 'ins the trick and dra's o(t t'o tr(m# cards) III% &elinda leads &asto, 'hich co(nts as a tr(m# card, the third highest% The &aron m(st, there"ore, #la! a S#ade and #la!s the ?, kee#ing back the @(een and the :na e in ho#es o" e ent(all! taking tricks 'ith them% The Third *la!er thro's a'a! a card, #robabl! the ? o" Aiamonds% (&elinda 'ins the trick and dra's o(t a tr(m# card)% IB% &elinda leads 'ith the :ing o" S#ades% The &aron m(st no' #la! his :na e o" S#ades, and the Third *la!er, 'ho 'ishes to kee# his r(n o" hearts (nbroken #la!s the :na e o" 6l(bs, 'hich is called "*am" in another game (Ci e-card )oo) b(t is not an im#ortant card in Ombre% (&elinda 'ins the trick and dra's o(t the :na e o" S#ades, de#ri ing the &aron o" one o" the tricks that he had ho#ed to 'in%) B% 5t this #oint, &elinda has 'on the "o(r hands that she 'as g(aranteed to 'in, b(t she m(st 'in "i"th to 'in the game% She has t'o kings remaining and needs to 'in a trick 'ith at least one o" them% $o'e er, the &aron still has a tr(m# card and a relati el! strong hand, so the o(tcome is er! m(ch in D(estion% her best chance is to lead 'ith a :ing and ho#e that the #la!er 'ho has the tr(m# card has a card in the s(it o" her king so that he cannot #la! tr(m#% She leads 'ith the :ing o" 6l(bs, b(t the &aron does not ha e an! cl(bs, so he is allo'ed to #la! his remaining tr(m# card (the @(een o" S#ades) 'hich takes the trick and the lead a'a! "rom &elinda% The Third *la!er ('hose hand is des#eratel! 'eak) thro's a'a! another card--#robabl! the > o" $earts% (The &aron 'ins the trick) BI% The &aron no' has the lead and leads the :ing o" Aiamonds% The Third *la!er is (nable to "ollo' s(it and #la!s the 9 o" $earts% &elinda can "ollo' s(it and #la!s her > o" Aiamonds% (The &aron 'ins the trick)% BII% The &aron, still leading, leads 'ith the @(een o" Aiamonds% The Third *la!er #la!s his 2 o" $earts% &elinda #la!s the @(een o" 6l(bs% (The &aron 'ins the trick)% BIII% The &aron leads 'ith the :na e o" Aiamonds% The Third *la!er #la!s the E o" $earts% &elinda #la!s the @(een o" $earts% (The &aron 'ins the trick)% IF% It is no' the "inal hand o" the game% &oth &elinda and the &aron ha e 'on "o(r tricks, and this hand 'ill decide the game% &elinda has the :ing o" $earts, 'hich is the highest card in the s(it in Ombre, b(t i" the &aron leads 'ith an!thing other than a $eart he 'ill 'in the trick, since &elinda 'ill not be able to "ollo' s(it% $o'e er, all o" the remaining cards 5,E hearts% The &aron leads 'ith the 5ce o" $earts, the Third *la!er "ollo's 'ith the :na e o" $earts, and &elinda 'ins the hand b! #la!ing the :ing o" $earts% Is there an! s!mbolism in this "inal tri(m#h o" heartsG *robabl!%