Basset in Italy
According to DELI (''Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana''), the word ''Basetta'' is first recorded in the first half of the 15th century. The game Basset is described by a few authors as having been invented in 1593 by a noble Venetian named Pietro Cellini, who was punished withBasset in France
Basset was first introduced into France by Signior Justiniani, ambassador of Venice, in 1674. The game was very popular at the court of King Charles II, and even after 15 January 1691 whenBasset in England
Basset migrated to England in about 1677, introduced by a croupier called Morin, but never caught on outside Court circles on account of its costliness and the heavy risks it entailed on the players. Its heyday seems to have been in the early 18th century. It has no place in Cotton's 1674 ''The Complete Gamester'', but rates a lengthy entry in the 1721 edition where the fierceness of the gambling is stressed. It is there described as a "French Game", presumably because it was imported from France. The game's high stakes, along with its devastations, is the subject of Susanna Centlivre's 1705 comedy ''The Basset Table''. The English made Basset quite different from what it was in France where, by royal edict, the public at large were not allowed to play at more than a franc or ten-penny bank, – and the losses or gains could not bring desolation to a family. In England the punters (gamblers) could do as they liked, staking from oneThe Edge
The play in Basset resulted in, basically, aGame play
The players sat round a table, the talliere (banker/dealer) in the midst of them, with the bank of gold before him, and the punters or players each having a book of 13 cards. Each laid down one, two, three, or more, as they pleased, with money upon them, as stakes. The talliere took the remaining pack in his hand and turned them up, with the bottom card appearing being called the fasse; he then paid half the value of the stakes laid down by the punters upon any card of that sort (rank). After the fasse was turned up, and the talliere and croupiere (bet collector, similar to a stickman) had looked round the cards on the table, and taken advantage of the money laid on them, the former proceeded with his deal; and the next card appearing, whether the king, queen, ace, or whatever it might be, won for the player (1–1 payout), the latter might receive it, or making paroli (parlay their bet), as before said, go on to sept-et-le-va (7–1 payout). The card after that won for the talliere, who took money from each player's card of that sort, and brought it into his bank, an obvious and prodigious advantage over the players. The talliere, if the winning card was a king, and the next after it was a ten, said (showing the cards all round): 'King wins, ten loses,' paying the money to such cards and taking the money from those who lost, adding it to his bank. This done, he went on with the deal: 'Ace wins, five loses; 'Knave (Jack) wins, seven loses;' and so on, every other card alternately winning and losing, till all the pack was dealt but the last card. According to the rules of the game, the last card turned up was for the advantage of the talliere; although a player might have one of the same sort, still it was allowed to him as one of the dues of his office, he paid nothing on it. The bold player who was lucky and adventurous, and could push on his couch with a considerable stake to sept-et-le-va (7–1 payout), quinze-et-le-va (15–1 payout), trente-et-le-va (30–1 payout), etc., must in a wonderful manner have multiplied his couch, or first stake; but this was seldom done; and the loss of the players, by the very nature of the game, invariably exceeded that of the bank; in fact, this game was altogether in favour of the bank; and yet it is evident that, in spite of this obvious conviction, the game must have been one of the most tempting and fascinating that was ever invented.Frauds
Of course there were frauds practiced at Basset by the talliere, or banker, in addition to his prescriptive advantages. The cards might be dealt so as not to allow the punter any winning throughout the pack; and it was in the power of the dealer to let the punter have as many winnings as he thought convenient.Glossary
By 1870 the game as described in England used a mixture of French and English words and spellings: *The ''tallière'' (banker), who laid down a sum of money to answer every winning card which might turn up. *The ''croupière'' (assistant of the former), standing by to supervise the losing cards, so that when there were many at play, he might not lose by overlooking anything which might turn up to his profit. *The punter: (in French, ''ponter'' – to bet), hence, each player. *The ''fasse'': the first card turned up by the tallière, by which he gained half the value of the money laid upon every card of that sort by the punters or players. *The couch (from ''couche'', stake): which was the first stake that each punter laid upon each card. Each player had a book of 13 cards before him, upon which he must lay his money. *The ''paroli'' (probably from ''parole'', to "give your word" - parlay the bet): whoever won the ''couch'', and intended to go on for another advantage, crooked the corner of his card to indicate he would let his money lie, without being paid the value by the tallière. *The ''masse'': when those who had won the couch, would venture more money on the same card. *The pay: when the player had won the couch, and, being doubtful of making the paroli, left off; for by going for the pay, if the card turned up wrong, he lost nothing, having won the couch before; but if by this adventure, fortune favoured him, he won double the money he had staked. *The ''alpieu'': when the ''couch'' was won by turning up, or crooking, the corner of the winning card. *The ''sept-et-le-va'' (seven and the go): the first great chance that showed the advantages of the game, namely, if the player had won the couch, and then made a paroli by crooking the corner of his card, and going on to a second chance, if his winning card turned up again, it became a ''sept-et-le-va'', which was seven times as much as he had laid upon his card. *The ''quinze-et-le-va'' (fifteen and the go): attending the player's humour, who, perhaps, was resolved to follow his fancy, and still lay his money upon the same card, which was done by crooking the third corner of his card. If this card came up by the dealing of the talliere, it made him win 15 (fifteen) times as much money as he staked. *The ''trent-et-le-va'' (''trente'' – thirty and the go): marked by the lucky player by crooking the end of the fourth corner of his card, which, coming up, made him win 30 (thirty) times as much money as he staked. *The ''soissante-et-le-va'' (''soixante'' -sixty and the go): the highest chance that could happen in the game, for it paid 60 (sixty) times as much money as was staked. It was seldom won except by some player who pushed his good fortune to the utmost.Mathematical calculations
Basset has been the object of mathematical calculations.Editor (1823) "Basset" ''Encyclopædia Britannica; or A dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature;'' (6th edition) pp. 449–45See also
*Notes
Sources
Steinmetz, Andrew (1870) "Chapter X: Piquet, Basset, Faro, Hazard, Passe-dix, Put, Cross and Pile, Thimble-rig" ''The Gaming Table: Its Votaries and Victims: In all times and countries, especially in England and in France'' Vol. II, Tinsley Brothers, London, ; online aExternal links
*ap Gwystl, Earl Dafyd