A “delightful reader’s companion” (The New York Times) to the great nineteenth-century British novels of Austen, Dickens, Trollope, the Brontës, and more, this lively guide clarifies the sometimes bizarre maze of rules and customs that governed life in Victorian England. For anyone who has ever wondered whether a duke outranked an earl, when to yell “Tally Ho!” at a fox hunt, or how one landed in “debtor’s prison,” this book serves as an indispensable historical and literary resource. Author Daniel Pool provides countless intriguing details (did you know that the “plums” in Christmas plum pudding were actually raisins?) on the Church of England, sex, Parliament, dinner parties, country house visiting, and a host of other aspects of nineteenth-century English life—both “upstairs” and “downstairs. An illuminating glossary gives at a glance the meaning and significance of terms ranging from “ague” to “wainscoting,” the specifics of the currency system, and a lively host of other details and curiosities of the day.

“Proficiency in whist implies capacity for success in all these more important undertakings where mind struggles against mind.” —Edgar Allan Poe, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” “Ha, ha, fool, ya lost! Rise and fly, %@#*!” —Uncle Ralph after running a Boston, Jones family reunion, 2002 Here’s a rollicking celebration and guide to bid whist, the official game of family reunions, cookouts, backyard barbecues, and house parties. In Rise and Fly, veteran journalists Greg Morrison and Yanick Rice Lamb explore the deeper secrets of the game, including: • strategies for beating the stuffing out of your opponents • hints for successful trash-talking • the official rules and exotic variations to keep things interesting • tips for organizing tournaments • resources for taking your game to the next level • a whole slew of recipes for whist-worthy snacks Full of history, lore, and the personal recollections of celebrities and regular folks alike, this is the first all-in-one book of bid whist, a treasure for anyone who’s ever pulled up to the table and been dealt in.

One of the joys of being a baseball fan is the uncovering of some of the bizarre and unusual happenings that occur each year in the game of baseball. This book explores those instances where a major league player, famous or obscure, does something never before done, and to this day has not been duplicated. Whether it be heroic, record-shattering or embarrassing it has found its way into the annals of baseball history and is brought out in this book.

The Penguin Book of Card Games is the authoritative up-to-date compendium, describing an abundance of games to be played both for fun and by serious players. Auctions, trumpless hands, cross-ruffing and lurching: card players have a language all of their own. From games of high skill (Bridge) to games of high chance (Newmarket) to trick-taking (Whist) and banking (Pontoon), David Parlett, seasoned specialist in card games, takes us masterfully through the countless games to choose from. Not content to merely show us games with the conventional fifty-two card pack, Parlett covers many games played with other types of cards - are you brave enough to play with Tarot? With a 'working description' of each game, with the rules, variations and origins of each, as well as an appendix of games invented by the author himself, The Penguin Book of Card Games will delight, entertain and inform both the novice and the seasoned player.

Do you enjoy Playing Whist? Who doesn't? That's the reason we've created the BEST personal WHIST Score Sheets so you can easily track of all the scores. Features: 130 Score Pages. Large print, 8.5 x 11. Printed on Bright white paper. Double sided Non perforated Record all your scores. GET IT NOW and START HAVING FUN!

Whist is one of the original classic card games. It predates Bridge, Pinochle, Poker and Hearts. The last 50 years has seen a resurgence of many variations of Whist - especially the Bid version, which uses Jokers. The 14 illustrative hands will focus on mastering hand analysis, bidding, play of the hand, defensive strategy, and partnership skills. This book includes a complete history of Whist, rules for Whist variations, and a full glossary of terms and definitions.