BACK-GAMMON. 



179 



two bring two men from the five placed in your ad- 

 versary's tables. 



4. 1. Cinque-ace, play the cinque from the five 

 men placed in your adversary's tables, and the ace 

 from your adversary's ace-point. 



5. * 2. Quatre-ace, play the quatre from the five 

 men placed in your adversary's tables, and the ace 

 from those on your adversary's ace-point. 



6. * 3. Deuce-ace, play the deuce from the five 

 men placed in your adversary's tables, and the ace 

 from your adversary's ace-point. 



N. B. The three last chances are to be played in 

 this manner, because, by laying an ace down in your 

 adversary's tables, you have a probability of throw- 

 ing deuce-ace, trois-deuce, quatre-trois, or six-cinque, 

 in two or three throws ; in any of which cases you 

 are to make a point, which gives you the better of 

 the hit ; and observe by the directions already given, 

 that you are to play nine chances out of the thirty- 

 six in a different manner, for a single hit, to. what 

 you would do when playing for a gammon. 



General Observations. 



1. By the directions given to play for a gammon, 

 you are voluntarily to make some blots ; the odds 

 being in your favour that they are not hit ; but 

 should that so happen, in such case, you will have 

 three men in your adversary's tables ; you must then 

 endeavour to secure your adversary's cinque, quatre, 

 or trois-point, to prevent a gammon, and must be 

 very cautious how you suffer him to take up a fourth 

 man. 



2. Take care not to crowd your game, that is, 

 putting many men either upon your trois or deuce- 

 point in your own tables ; which is, in effect, losing 

 those men by not having them in play. Besides, by 

 crowding your game, you are often gammoned ; as 

 when your adversary finds your game open, by being 

 crowded in your own tables, he may then play as he 

 thinks fit. 



3. By referring to the calculations, you may know 

 the odds of entering a single man upon any certain 

 number of points, and play your game accordingly. 



4. If you are obliged to leave a blot, by having 

 recourse to the calculations for hitting it, you will 

 find the chances for and against you. 



5. You will also find the odds for and against be- 

 ing hit by double dice, and consequently can choose 

 a method of play most to your advantage. 



6. If it is necessary to make a run, in order to win 

 a hit, and you would know who is forwardest, begin 

 with reckoning how many points you must have to 

 bring home to the six-point in your tables the man 

 that is at the greatest distance, and do the like by 

 every other man abroad ; when the numbers are 

 summed up, add for those already on your own tables 

 (supposing the men that were abroad as on your six- 

 point forbearing), namely, six for every man on the 

 six, and so on respectively for each ; five, four, three, 

 two, or one, for every man, according to the points 

 on which they are situated. Do the like to your ad- 

 versary's game, and then you will know which of 

 you is forwardest, and likeliest to win the hit. 



Observations and Directions for a Learner to bear 

 his Men. 



1. If your adversary is greatly before you, never 

 play a man from your quatre, trois, or deuce points, 

 in order to bear that man from the point where you 

 put it, because that nothing bu high doublets can 

 give you any chance for the hit : therefore, instead of 

 playing an ace or a deuce from any of the aforesaid 

 points, always play them from your highest point ; by 

 which means, throwing two fives, or two fours, will, 

 upon having eased your six and cinque points, be of 

 great advantage : whereas, had your six-point re- 

 mained loaded, you must, perhaps, be obliged to play 

 at length those fives and fours. 



2. Whenever you have taken up two of your adver- 

 sary's men, and happen to have two, three, or more 

 points made in your own tables, never fail spreading 

 your men, either to take a new point in your tables, 

 or to hit the man your adversary may happen to 

 enter. As soon as he enters one, compare his game 

 with yours ; and if you liud your game equal, or 

 better, take the man if you can, because it is 25 to 

 11 against his hitting you ; which being so much in 

 your favour, you ought always to run that risk, when 

 you have already two of his men up : except you 

 play for a single hit only, and playing that throw 

 otherwise gives you a better chance for the hit, then 

 do not take up that man. 



3. Never be deterred from taking up any one maa 

 of your adversary by the apprehension of being hit 

 with double dice, because the fairest probability is 5 

 to 1 against him. 



4. If you should happen to have five points in your 

 tables, and to have taken up one of your adversary's 

 men, and are obliged to leave a blot out of your 

 tables, rather leave it upon doublets than any other, 

 because doublets are 35 to 1 against his hitting you, 

 and any other chance is but 17 to 1 against him. 



5. Two of your adversary's men in yourtabi' 

 better for- a hit than any greater number, provided 

 your game is forwardest ; because having three or 

 more men in your tables gives him more chances to hit 

 you, than if you had only two men. 



6. If you are to leave a blot upon entering a man 

 on your adversary's tables, and have your choice 

 where, always chuse that point which is the most dis- 

 advantageous to him. To illustrate this, suppose it is 

 his interest to hit or take you up so soon as you enter : 

 in that case leave the blot upon hi3 lowest point ; 

 that is to say, upon his deuce, rather than upon his 

 trois, and so on, because all the men your adversary 

 plays upon his trois or his deuce-points are in a great 

 measure out of play, those men not having it in their 

 power to make his cinque-point, and consequently his 

 game will be crowded there and open elsewhere, 

 whereby you will be able also much to annoy him 



7. Prevent your adversary from bearing his men to 

 the greatest advantage, when you are running to save 

 a gammon : suppose you should have two men apon 

 his ace-point, and several others abroad ; though you 

 should lose one point or two in putting the men into 

 your tables, yet it is your interest to leave a man 

 upon the adversary's ace-point j which will prevent 



