Commerce

The method of this game, possibly ancestral to Poker and Brag, particularly resembles Whisky Poker and Bastard Brag, not to mention the game of Thirty-One. It can be happily played by children for buttons.

If played strictly, the order of play is anti-clockwise, eldest hand being the player on the dealer's right, as in most continental European games.

The objective is to acquire the best Commerce hand. These rank from high to low as follows:
Tricon Three of the same rank, Aces highest, Twos lowest.
Sequence Three cards in suit and sequence, from A-K-Q high to 3-2-A low.
Point The greatest pip value on two or three cards of the same suit, counting Ace as 11, court cards as 10, other cards at face value. If hands are equal, a three-card beats a two-card flush. If still equal, the tied player nearest in turn after the dealer wins, dealer himself, however, having absolute priority.

Flushes and pairs may be introduced, but one might as well play with Brag hands.

As normal. Ace can rank high or low.

Each player contributes an equal amount to a pool.

Three cards are dealt to each player, and three face up to the table to form a widow.

Dealer may start by exchanging his whole hand for the widow. Whether he does or not, eldest hand, and each in turn after him, exchanges one card of his hand for one card of the widow.

When a player is satisfied with his hand, he knocks on the table, and ceases play. When two have knocked, all play ceases, and the player with the best hand wins the pool.

Variant

Trade or Barter

No widow is dealt. Starting with eldest hand, each player in turn may trade or barter.

To trade, he gives the dealer a card, face up, and a counter, which does not go to the pool, but is profit to the dealer. Dealer then deals him a card face down from the pack, and the turn passes.

To barter, he offers a card face down to the player next in turn, who must accept or refuse without seeing what it is. If he accepts, he takes it in exchange for an unwanted card from his own hand, and it is then his turn to play. If not, he knocks on the table to indicate that he is satisfied with his hand, and play ceases.

Play continues until someone knocks, when the best hand wins the pool.

If the dealer does not win the pool, he pays one counter to the winner. If he has point, sequence or tricon, and still fails to win, he pays one to every player.

A player, dealt a good hand, may knock immediately, and prevent any trading.

From 'The Penguin Book of Card Games'
© David Parlett 1979