One & Thirty

Number of players: 2+
Type of game: Card
Period: 15th Century

History

One of the games mentioned by Bernadine of Sienne in his anti-gaming
sermon in 1440, and is one of the many ancestors to modern Blackjack (See also,
Bone-Ace), and was popular in both Spain and Ireland. It evolved into
Twenty-one in the 18th century.

Rules

The dealer distributes three cards; face down, to each
player, starting on his left. Starting with the eldest hand, each player may discard
one card (face-up), and replace it with top card on the deck, or the previous card on
the top of the discard pile. The goal is to come closest to 31. Aces are worth 11, Face cards are 10, and all other cards are worth their face value. A 3-of-a-kind

Players may continue discarding and replacing one card at a time until a
player knocks twice on the table. After a player knocks, all others may discard and
replace one last time. The hands are shown and the hand closest to 31 wins. A
player who reaches 31 exactly wins automatically and does not have to
knock to halt the discards.

• Cards