86 A NATURALIST IN THE GUIANAS 



I had never heard of before I travelled in Venezuela ; so 

 a short description of the game may not be out of place 

 here. In Venezuela golfo is played with a pack of 

 Spanish cards out of which the ones, twos and threes, 

 eights, nines, and tens, have been removed, the knaves, 

 queens, and kings counting as the last three. 



Five players are the limit, and even then the dealer 

 can only come in if he chooses when one of the players 

 drops out. There is a good deal in common in poker and 

 golfo, the element of bluff, as it is called, being a powerful 

 factor in both games. 



The cards are taken from the bottom of the pack and one 

 deal of two cards to each player is made, beginning with 

 the one on the right of the dealer. Up to this part of the 

 game no money has been staked. Each of the players 

 may come in or drop out as he chooses, the first to declare 

 saying ' I pass ' or ' I play,' and in the latter case staking 

 the sum for which he opens the game. It is the privilege 

 of any of the other players to raise the sum originally 

 staked, just as in poker. As in poker also, the person next 

 the dealer, but on the right, has the last say, although he 

 does not have to put up an ante. There are three deals 

 in all, the players taking each time as many cards as they 

 may have discarded. The whole object of the game is to 

 make the highest point in one suit, and the highest point 

 possible is thirty-four. Thus the seven, knave, queen, and 

 king of clubs, let us say, would represent thirty-four. If 

 five cards of the same suit be held, the hand is called 

 golfo; but the lowest does not count, as the hand is 

 reckoned on four cards only. At first sight the game 

 appears exceedingly simple, but on reflection it will be 

 seen that a good golfo player requires to pay a great deal 

 of attention to the drawings of the other players, while he 



