The Man of Auvergne

The Man of Auvergne is a very old card game closely related to Triomphe. Its rules, none too clear, published in the mid-17th century in La Maison des jeux académiques, were interpreted in various ways over the course of the 18th century, with errors that, combined with a simultaneous enrichment of the game of la Bête through two principles – the réjouissance and the king of the turned-up suit – borrowed from L'Homme d'Auvergne, meant that from 1725 onward (Académie universelle des jeux) the difference between la Bête and L'Homme d'Auvergne became slight. The rules presented here are an annotated restoration of the original ones, allowing us to rediscover the distinctive features of a game that, though modest, was a source of inspiration for others such as Écarté for the importance it places on the king of trumps.

Commentary :
The 1665 rules (Maison des jeux académiques) do not directly state the number of players, but refer in a general way to Triomphe, for which it is written that « one may play it with as many or as few people as one wishes ». L'Académie universelle des jeux in 1718 and 1721 sets the minimum at two players and the maximum at 4, then, starting with the 1725 edition, raises the maximum to 6. In this last case, however, a playability problem arises, since the number of cards needed is equal to 5 per player plus 4 more for possible turned-up cards, making a total of 34 cards, whereas the deck specified is only 32 cards. To play with 6 players, a 36-card deck would have been needed, by adding the sixes to a 32-card deck.

Commentary :
Starting in 1725 (Académie universelle des jeux), the rule applied concerning turned-up cards was substantially modified, probably owing to a difficulty in interpreting the original rule: from then on the dealer alone turns up the top cards of the stock, up to possibly the third réjouissance, in order to offer them to the players as trump. Yet the original rule contained in La Maison des jeux académiques of 1665, « [...] each of the players is given five cards, and it is up to the players to turn up the card, once each has been given his cards, to see what suit it is. », leaves no ambiguity as to the fact that it is not always the dealer who turns up the card, but indeed the first player who takes the decision to do so. This original rule is reinforced in the Académie universelle des jeux of 1718: « Once each of the players has his cards in hand, he is permitted according to his rank to see what suit is turned up. »

The same holds true for the procedure of turning up cards for the réjouissances, as indicated by the 1665 rule: « When the players agree to pass, that is, not to play, they réjouir themselves, that is, they draw the card underneath, to see what suit it is, and then whoever believes he has a good hand puts himself forward to play. [...] One is permitted to go into réjouissance up to three times. » Thus the players declare themselves once the first card of the stock has been turned up, and if all pass, they are again permitted – they are not obliged to – to turn up the next card to declare themselves again. The expression « the card underneath » does not mean the card underneath the stock, but rather the one underneath the first turned-up card.

In 1725 (Académie universelle des jeux), the principle of the réjouissance, under the more fitting name of curieuse, was added to the rules of la Bête, formerly called the game of the Man. In la Bête, the first turned-up card is dealt unconditionally by the dealer, and if all pass, he turns up the next card called « curieuse ». One may go into curieuse only once.

Commentary :
« Whoever turns up the king scores one, whoever holds it in hand scores the same, and indeed if he had three or four of that suit, he would count as many as he holds. » This rule, printed in 1665 (Maison des jeux académique), caused a problem of understanding regarding the expression « if he had three or four of that suit », so much so that in 1718 (Académie universelle des jeux) it becomes « if he had three other kings along with the trump king » and in the 1725 edition (Académie universelle des jeux) the rule reads: « Whoever holds in hand the king of the turned-up suit, wins a game for that king, and would count as many as he had other kings along with the trump king ». Since 1718, the rules printed in the rulebooks have thus awarded a point for each king accompanying the one of the turned-up suit in the same hand. This gives excessive importance to the kings, given the single point that the game itself can otherwise provide. The interpretation of the original rule ought to have been: each time a player holds a king in hand of the turned-up suit, he scores a point. Thus, a player can hold several kings of the turned-up suit, given that one may end up going as far as three times into réjouissance. The turned-up suit is to be understood here in the broad sense and not as referring to any one particular turnup.

The interest of the king rule lies in the fact that turning up a card is not compulsory but left to the players' will according to their rank. It encourages players to turn up the top card of the stock in the hope of quickly winning a point outright, which can prove decisive for ending a game without having to play out the hand.

It was only starting in 1725 (Académie universelle des jeux) that la Bête, formerly called the game of the Man, took up this feature of the king – limited to the trump king and thus only if the hand is played – of winning a chip per player. In the 19th century, the game of Écarté would take up the idea of scoring a point outright for the trump king, turned up or held in hand.

Commentary :
The 1665 rules are not exhaustive on play of the cards, but at the same date, those for Triomphe and for l'Homme, then also called la Bête, are a little more explicit. Since the rule of L'Homme d'Auvergne refers to Triomphe, and l'Homme being an offshoot of Triomphe, the rules for play of the cards presented here are drawn from those of Triomphe and l'Homme in the Maison des jeux académiques, 1665.

In these rules, trump is regarded as an extension above the king of the suits missing from a player's hand. This is the reason why not playing trump when one does not have the suit led is here equivalent to an illegal revoke.

The 1665 rule concerning the point scored by the opposing players in the event of the Man's loss is not clear: « Whoever calls the play and loses the game, is scored against, and one is deducted for the benefit of his side. » By game, one should understand hand. Scoring was done in games, that is, one mark for a game, and a king of the turned-up suit was worth the equivalent of a game – a game normally being one hand of cards, that is the five tricks. His side seems here to designate the opposing players. The problem remains in understanding the meaning of « is scored against ». Starting in 1718, by writing « Whoever calls the play, and loses the game, has one mark deducted for the benefit of the one who wins. »,  the Académie universelle des jeux comes down in favor of a single winner. However, since the Man plays alone against all the other players who combine their efforts to bring him down, it seems more fair to consider that it is this team that scores a point, and that the « one » of « is scored against » refers to each of the opposing players.

From a tactical point of view, if at the moment of beginning play of the cards, a player finds himself alone one point away from winning the game and being the Man, it will be in the interest of the other players to bring him down. If, however, he were among the opponents, the others would have every interest in letting the Man win.

Commentary :
While the 1665 rule (Maison des jeux académiques) recommends playing to 5 points, starting in 1718 (Académie universelle des jeux) the rules recommend 7 points. Adjusting the number of points by agreement is accepted in all versions of the rules.