Lansquenet

This game is said to have been popular with German mercenaries in the 1600s. Its name derives from Landsknecht, the German word for mercenary. It is closely related to Ziginette and Skinball.

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

Two or more.

Players aim to bet on a card that has not been matched by the time the banker's card is matched. A card is matched, when a card of the same denomination is dealt from the pack.

Dealer is by deal: first Ace to appear.

Standard.

Dealing the Layout Provided that none of the cards dealt matches, the procedure is as follows. The banker deals the top two cards from the pack (the hand cards) face up onto the table. He then deals one card face up to himself (the banker's card), followed by another one face up (the player's card).

Matching Cards in the Layout

The following procedure must be observed, if matching cards are turned up while dealing the layout.

1) If the card dealt for the second hand card matches the first, it is placed on top of it. A further card is then dealt as the second hand card. If necessary, this process is repeated until the hand cards do not match.

2) If the card dealt as the banker's card matches one of the hand cards, it is placed on top of that card, and a new banker's card is dealt. This process is repeated, if necessary, until the banker's card is of a different denomination from those of the hand cards.

3) If the card dealt as the player's card matches one of the hand cards, the procedure is as for the banker's card. If the player's card has the denomination as the banker's card, the deal is void, and a new deal is made.

These are decided by each banker for the duration of his hand.

Each player places his bet alongside the player's card. If all chips are of the same colour. the bets may be placed at different corners of the card, to distinguish them.

The banker deals one card from the top of the pack face up onto the table. If the dealt card does not match any card on the layout, it is placed face up next to the player's card.

It is now a further player's card, on which players may place bets. If the dealt card matches one of the hand cards, it is placed on top of the matched card. This denomination is now out of play. The hand cards have no effect, except to remove two denominations from the betting.

If the dealt card matches the player's card, the banker wins the players' bets. There is then no further betting on the matched denominations for the rest of the deal.

The matched and matching cards are dead, but are left on the layout, on top of each other, as a reminder that this denomination is out of play. Any further cards of that denomination are placed on top of the matched cards.

If the dealt card matches the banker's card, the banker pays all bets at even money, i.e., each winning player receives his stake plus an equal amount from the bank. Play on this deal then ceases, and the bank and deal pass one player to the left.

If the banker's card is not matched immediately, play continues in the same way until it has been matched — when the banker pays all outstanding bets.

A card is dalt in each turn — and either matches a card on the layout, or becomes a new player's card.

Each time one of the players' cards is matched, the banker collects the bets on that card.

Between turns, players may place new bets on the players' cards. A bet that has once been placed, however, may not be removed or transferred to another card.

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