BEZIQUE, a game at cards (probably from Sp. besico, little kiss, in allusion to the meeting of the queen and knave, an important feature in the game). There is a group of card games which possess many features in common. The oldest of these is mariage, then follow brusortembille,l'hanzme de bras', briscan or brisgue, and cing-cents.

Bezique (also called besi and besigue) appears to have been founded on these ; it is, in fact, brisque played with a double pack, and with certain modifications rendered necessary by the introduction of additional cards.

In playing bezique, two packs of cards from which the twos, threes, fours, fives, and sixes have been rejected, are shuffled together and used as one. The packs should have backs similarly coloured or ornamented.

The players cut far deal, and the highest bezique card deals. The cards rank as follows : - Ace, ten, king, queen, knave, nine, eight, seven.

The non-dealer cuts the pack to the dealer, who reunites the separated packets, and deals three cards to his adversary, three to himself, then two to each, and again three to each. The top card of those remaining (called the stock) is turned up for trumps. The stock is placed face downwards between the players, and slightly spread. The players then take up the cards dealt to them, and the non-dealer plays any card out of his hand, and the dealer plays a card to it from his hand, the two cards thus played constituting a trick. There is no restriction as to the card to be played ; the second player need not follow suit, nor win the trick. If he wins the trick by playing a higher card of the suit led, or a trump, the lead falls to him. In case of ties the leader wins. Whoever wins the trick leads to the next ; but before playing again each player takes a card from the stock, and adds it to his hand, the winner of the trick taking the top card of those face downwards, and Isis adversary the next card. This alternate playing and drawing a card each continues until the stock (including the trump card or card exchanged for it, which is taken up last) is exhausted. The tricks remain face upwards on the table, but must not be searched during the play of the hand.

The objects of the play are-1. To promote in the hand various combinations of cards, which when declared entitle the holder to certain scores; 2. To win aces and tens ; 3. To win the so-called last trick.

A declaration can only be made by the winner of a trick immediately after he has won it, and before he draws from the stock. It is effected by placing the declared cards (one of which at least must not have been declared before) face upwards on the table. Declared cards are left face up on the table ; but they still form part of the hand, and can be led or played just as though they had not been declared. A player is not bound to declare, although he may win a trick and hold scoring cards. A card led or played cannot be declared. /gore than one declaration may be made to one trick, provided no card of one combination forms part of another that is declared with it. Thus four knaves and a marriage (see table of scores) may be declared at the same time ; but a player cannot declare king and queen of spades and knave of diamonds tcgether to score marriage and bezique with those three cards. He must first declare one combination, say bezique ; and when he wins another trick he can score marriage by declaring the king. A declaration cannot be made of cards that have already all been deelared. Titus, if four knaves (one being a bezique knave) and four queens (one being a bezique queen) have been declared, the knave and queen already declared cannot be declared again as bezique. To score all the combinations with these cards, after the knaves are declared and another trick won, bezique must next be made, after which, on winning another trick, the three queens can be added, and four queens scored. Again, if a sequence in trumps is declared, marriage of the king and queen on the table cannot afterwards take place. To score both, the marriage should be declared first, and after winning another trick the remaining sequence cards should be added. Lastly, a card once declared can only be used again in declaring in combinations of a different class. For example the bezique queen can be declared in bezique, marriage, and four queens ; but having once been declared in single bezique, she cannot form part of another single bezique ; having been married once, she cannot be married again ; and having taken part in one set of four queens, she cannot take part irr another.

The seven of trumps may be either declared or exchanged far the turn-up after winning a trick, and before drawing. Wen exchanged, the turn-up is taken into the player's hand, and the seven put in its place. The second seven is, of course, declared, as it would be absurd to exchange one seven for another. A seven when declared is not left on the table, but is simply shown.

Table of Bezique Scores.

Bezique2 (queen of spades and knave of diamonds) deThe winner of the last trick can declare anything in his hand (subject to the limitations with regard to declaring already explained). After this all declarations cease. The winner of the last trick takes the last card of the stock, and the loser the turn up card (or seven exchanged for it). All cards on the table, that have been declared and not played, are taken up by their owners. The last eight tricks are then played. but the rules of play alter. The winner of the last trick leads. The second player must follow suit if able, and must win the trick if able, and if' not able to follow suit, he must win the trick if he can by trumping. The winner of the trick leads to the next. The tricks are only valuable for the aces and tens they may contain. If a player revokes in the last eight tricks, or does not win the card led, if able, the last eight tricks belong to his adversary.

When a deal is over, the non-dealer in the previous hand deals, and so on alternately until the game is won by one of the players reaching 1000. All the scores are reckoned by tens, but there is no reason why they should not be reckoned by units, the game in that case being 100 up. The score may be kept by means of a bezique board and pegs, or by a numbered dial and hand, or by counters.