AMBIGU  , a

French game of cards, composed of the characteristic elements of whist, bouillotte and piquet . A whist pack with the court cards deleted is used, and from two to six persons may play . Each player is given an equal number of counters, and a limit of betting is agreed upon . Two cards are dealt, one at a time, to each player, after each has placed two counters in a pool . Each player then either keeps his hand, saying " Enough," or takes one or two new cards from the top of the stock; after which the stock is reshuffled and cut, and each player receives two more cards, one at a time . The players then either " play " or " pass." If a person " plays," he bets a number of counters and the others may equal this bet or raise it . Should no player meet the first bet, the bettor takes back his bet, leaving the pool intact, and receives two counters from the last player who refuses to play . When two or more bet the same number, they again draw cards and " pass or " play " as before . If all " pass," each pays a counter to the pool and a new deal ensues . The player betting more than the others call wins the pool . He then exposes his hand and is paid by each adversary according to its value . The hands rank as follows:—" Point," the number of pips on two or more cards of a suit (one counter) .

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Prime," four cards of different suits (two counters) . " Grand Prime," the same with the number of pips over 30 (three counters) . " Sequence," a hand containing three cards of the same suit in sequence (three counters) . " Tricon," three of a kind (four counters) . " Flush," four cards of the same suit (five counters) . "Doublet," a hand containing two counting combinations at once, as 2, 3, 4 and 7 of spades, amounting to both a " sequence " and a " flush " (eight counters) . " Fredon," four of a kind (the highest possible hand), ten or eleven counters, according to the number of pips . Ties are decided by the number of pips .