Card Put-and-Take

This is a private banking game in which one person takes on the wagers of all other players. The banker also has a different role to other players in play. But, unlike in casino banking games, no one person is banker continuously. Instead, to equalise players' chances, the role of banker moves around, often after every hand.

a) One standard pack of 52 cards;
b) Betting chips or cash.

From two to eight.

On the take deal each player aims to hold, and on the put deal not to hold, cards of the same rank as those turned up by the banker.

Dealer is by high cut.

Standard.

The banker deals five face-up cards to each player except himself, dealing them one at a time in a clockwise direction.

Payments are 1 to 16 chips. One chip's value is agreed beforehand.

1) Players look at their cards.
2) The put deal is made. The banker deals five cards face up one at a time onto the table. After each card is dealt, any player holding a card of the same rank must pay chips into a pool. The payment doubles with each card: 1 chip for the first card turned up; 2 for the second; 4 for the third; 8 for the fourth; and 16 for the fifth. A player with two or more cards of the same rank as the banker's card must pay for each one. The banker makes no payments.
3) The banker takes the five cards from the table, and places them face up at the bottom of the pack.
4) The take deal is made, for which the banker deals five more cards as before. This time each player takes chips from the pool for each of his cards of the same rank. The number of chips taken increases exactly as in the put deal.
5) Any chips left in the pool after the five cards have been played go to the banker. Any chips still owing are paid by the banker from his own chips.

After each hand the bank and deal pass to the player to the banker's left.

Variants

Sometimes each player except the banker puts one chip into the pool before each hand.

Easy Go has an additional payment and claim. Players pay (and take) one additional chip for each card that, besides being of the same rank as the card played by the banker, is also of the same colour.

Red and Black has an additional payment and claim for any player with three or more cards of the same suit as the card played by the banker. Players pay (and take) 1 chip for the first card the banker turns up; 2 for the second; 3 for the third; 4 for the fourth; and 5 for the fifth, in addition to the regular payments.

Up and Down the River has a different payment and claim system. Each player pays (and takes) according to the rank of the matching cards, not according to whether it is the first, second, third, fourth, or fifth card turned up. Payment for an Ace is 1 chip; for a Jack, 11 chips; for a Queen, 12 chips; and for a King, 13 chips. Payments on other cards match their face value.

From 'The Official World Encyclopedia of Sports and Games'
© Diagram Visual Information Ltd 1979