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Historic Card Games explored and described by David Parlett

MAW (SPOIL FIVE)
The Groom Porter's Laws

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The following text is of a late 16th-century set of Laws for the game of Maw as controlled by the Groom Porter, the officer responsible for everything to do with games and gaming at the royal court (in this case of James I of England, aka James VI of Scotland). These Laws deal only with the irregularities and penalties of the game and do not adequately describe how it was played, but it is clear from their content and terminology that the essential features of Spoil Five, and of its modern version the Irish national game of Twenty-Five, were already in existence. They include the card called "five-finger", the position of the Ace of hearts, and the practice of "robbing the pack" by whoever holds the Ace of trumps. The Groom Porter's Laws appear in Ancient Ballads and Broadsides published in England in the sixteenth Century... as preserved in the Library of Henry Huth, London, 1867. There is a copy in the Bodleian Library. This text reproduces, as far as possible, the orthography and typography of the original.

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The Groome-porters lawes at Mawe,
to be obserued in fulfilling the due orders of the game

1. If you chaunge hands, it is the loſſe of the ſet.
2. If you renounce, it is the loſſe of the ſet.
3. If you leade when your mate ſhoulde, it is the loſſe of that game and vied cardes.
4. If you loſe dealing, it is the loſſe of fower cardes; but if the loſer of the dealing deale not againe, you aquite the fower, and no gain to either of both parties.
5. If you looke either upon the aſked carde or the bottome carde, it is the loſſe of that game and vied cardes, in whom the fault is found.
6. If you roub (not hauing the ace) you loſe fower and al the vied cardes, although you lay downe the ſame carde which you tooke vp.
7. If you make out the carde when your mate rubbeth, it is the loſſe of fower, for the roubber muſt make out the carde himſelf.
8. If you turne vp the ace of hartes, you gaine fower thereby.
9. If you turne vp the ace of hartes, and thereby make either partie above xxvj points, the contrary part muſt haue liuings; but if the contrary part bee xxv, by means whereof liuings ſets them out, then is he who turned vp the ace of hartes to make for the ſet, ſo that he make not one game nor the firſt tricke, without the conſent of both parties.
10. The partie that aſketh a carde may not vie any carde before the firſt tricke be played.
11. You may not vie it after your carde is led, but the contrary part may.
12. Three cardes croſſed, no carde by any meanes giuen backe.
13. Neither partie may giue backe his owne vied carde, though none be croſſed.
14. You may not aſke a carde to ſet the contrary parte or your ſelfe at liuings or out.
15. Prouided alwaies that, if the contrary partie bee xxiij or aboue, by reaſon that fower ſets the other partie behind the liuings, it ſhalbe [sic] lawfull for the partie which is behind to aſke a carde, although the carde ſo aſked put the other to liuings.
16. Prouided alſo that, if you meane to lead a helpe, you may vie it vpon your owne aſked carde, ſo as it be done before the helpe be out of your hand; the contrary part may pledge you a carde after he ſeeth your helpe vpon the boord, ſo as it be done before his owne carde be played.

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Updated 23 Dec 04

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