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Ambigu is an historical French vying game, composed of the characteristic elements of
Whist Whist is a classic English trick-taking card game which was widely played in the 18th and 19th centuries. Although the rules are simple, there is scope for strategic play. History Whist is a descendant of the 16th-century game of ''trump'' ...
,
Bouillotte Bouillotte is an 18th-century French gambling card game of the Revolution based on Brelan, very popular during the 19th century in France and again for some years from 1830. It was also popular in America. The game is regarded as one of the games ...
and
Piquet Piquet (; ) is an early 16th-century plain-trick card game for two players that became France's national game. David Parlett calls it a "classic game of relatively great antiquity... still one of the most skill-rewarding card games for two" but ...
. A Whist pack with the
court cards In a deck of playing cards, the term face card (US) or court card (British and US), and sometimes Royalty, is generally used to describe a card that depicts a person as opposed to the pip cards. They are also known as picture cards, or until the e ...
removed is used, and from two to six persons may play. Each player is given an equal number of counters, and a limit of betting is agreed upon.


History

The rules of Ambigu first appear in 1656, the game being much in vogue at the time of Louis XIV who reigned from 1643 to 1714. ''Ambigu''at the ''Academie des Jeux Oubliées''. Retrieved 3 September 2021. It continued to be recorded in French gaming compendia throughout the 19th century and, occasionally, up to the present century.Gerver (2007), pp. 32–34.


Gameplay

Two cards are dealt, one at a time, to each player, after each has
anted Anted is the name of the coins issued by Antedios Antedios or Anted
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two counters in a
pool Pool may refer to: Water pool * Swimming pool, usually an artificial structure containing a large body of water intended for swimming * Reflecting pool, a shallow pool designed to reflect a structure and its surroundings * Tide pool, a rocky pool ...
. Each player then either keeps his hand, saying "Enough," or takes one or two new cards from the top of the stock; after which the stock is reshuffled and cut, and each player receives two more cards, one at a time. The players then either "play" or "pass." If a person "plays," he bets a number of counters and the others may equal this bet or raise it. Should no player meet the first bet, the bettor takes back his bet, leaving the pool intact, and receives two counters from the last player who refuses to play. When two or more bet the same number, they again draw cards and " pass " or "play" as before. If all "pass," each pays a counter to the pool and a new deal ensues. The player betting more than the others call wins the pool. He then exposes his hand and is paid by each adversary according to its value. The hands rank as follows: "Point," the number of pips on two or more cards of a suit (one counter). "Prime," four cards of different suits (two counters). "Grand Prime," the same with the number of pips over 30 (three counters). "Sequence," a hand containing three cards of the same suit in sequence (three counters). "Tricon," three of a kind (four counters). "Flush," four cards of the same suit (five counters). "Doublet," a hand containing two counting combinations at once, as 2, 3, 4 and 7 of spades, amounting to both a "sequence" and a "flush" (eight counters). "Fredon," four of a kind (the highest possible hand), ten or eleven counters, according to the number of pips. Ties are decided by the number of pips.


See also

*
Auction Pitch Pitch (or "High Low Jack") is an American trick-taking card game derived from the English game of All Fours (Seven Up). Historically, Pitch started as "Blind All Fours", a very simple All Fours variant that is still played in England as a pub game ...
* All Fours *
Reversis Reversis, or more rarely, Réversi, is a very old trick-taking card game of the Hearts group whose origin is supposed to be Italian, transformed into Spain and then in France. It is considered one of the two probable ancestors of Hearts, Black La ...
*
Put (card game) Put, occasionally Putt, is an English tavern game first recorded in the 16th century and later castigated by 17th century moralists as one of ill repute.Parlett (1995), pp. 27–28. It belongs to a very ancient family of trick-taking card games and ...
*
Gilet A gilet () or body warmer is a sleeveless jacket resembling a waistcoat or blouse. It may be waist- to knee-length and is typically straight-sided rather than fitted; however, historically, gilets were fitted and embroidered. In 19th-century dre ...


References


Further reading

* (in French). * Gerver, Frans (2007)
966 Year 966 (Roman numerals, CMLXVI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * 23 June - Arab-Byzantine Wars, Byzantine-Arab War: Arab-Byzantine ...
''Tous Les Jeux Des Cartes'' (reprint of first edition). Spain: Marabout.


External links


''L'Ambigu''
at the Academy of Lost Games (''Academie des Jeux Oubliés) website. {{Historical card games Comparing card games French card games 17th-century card games Multi-player card games