Fortune Telling Game / Poker Ball Pin Game

Dit fraaie knikkerspel dateert uit de jaren 30-40 van de vorige eeuw en is geproduceerd door de firma Lindstrom Tool & Toy Co. uit Bridgeport, Connecticut, met het patent 1,995,263. Het frame is gemaakt van metaal, het spelbord van hout en de onderkant van hardboard. Ondanks de hoge leeftijd en het feit dat er veel mee is gespeeld, ziet het spel er nog opmerkelijk goed en gaaf uit. Het spel kan volgens de spelregels (op de achterkant van het bord) op 3 manieren worden gespeeld, als “Fortune telling game”, als “Poker ball pin game” of als “Bagatelle”. Hieronder de uitleg/regels.

Fortune Telling Game:

Hearts and Diamonds are “good” cards. Clubs and Spades are “bad” cards. Of the picture cards, red are blonde and black are brunette. King – a married man; Queen – a woman; Jack – an unmarried man; Ace – a letter; 2 – a divorce; 3 – the health card (if red, good; if black, poor); 4 – a surprise (if black, a disappointment; 5 – a change; 6 – pertaining to business; 7 – marriage; 8 – travel; 9 – love; 10 – money.

For example:

Ace of Diamonds, Jack of Clubs, 4 of Hearts – you will receive a letter from a dark young man,      which will be a pleasant surprise.

Queen of Diamonds, 5 of Spades, 9 of Diamonds, King of Spades – a woman will cause a change in the affection of a dark man.

10 of Diamonds, 6 of Hearts, 5 of Hearts – you will receive a sum of money, you will travel, and make a change for the better.

Jack of Spades, 9 of Clubs, Jack of Hearts – two young men are in love with you; one is blonde, one dark; both are unhappy.

Ace of Hearts, 6 of Diamonds, 10 of Hearts – you will receive a business letter, which will result in money for you; the entire transaction is a fortunate one for you.

8 of Diamonds, 3 of Hearts, 5 of Clubs, 6 of Spades – you will travel, your health will improve, there will be a change in your business affairs (to the worse).

Poker Ball Pin Game:

The principle of this game is the same as draw poker. But instead of drawing a card the player shoots a marble. Each player shoots 5 marbles, one at a time. Just as in poker the player may discard as many as he pleases (but not more than four) and then re-shoot new marbles.

Bagatelle:

This game can also be played like BAGATELLE in which case the players disregard the cards and total the score as indicated by the GOLD numbers.

M’f’g (= manufacturing) by Lindstrom Tool & Toy Co.

Dat er wel meer spellen zijn met speelkaarten en op kaartregels gebaseerde spelregels laat onderstaand “Bridge Bagatelle” game board van John Jaques & Sons Ltd uit Londen zien. Het dateert uit de vroege jaren 1900.

Rules of Jaques’ “HIT-A-PIN” BRIDGE BAGATELLE.

1. There are 13 steel and 4 black spot balls.
2. Each player selects his own trumps by drawing a card from a pack and declaring the suit shown by the card he has drawn. If he draws a picture card he must play for “no trumps”.
3. The first player then places the four black spot balls on the spots at the top of the board and proceeds to play the thirteen steel balls one at a time by striking them with the cue at the foot of the chute on the right hand side of the board. Each ball must be made to hit the steel pin at the top left hand side of the board and on rebounding it may either hit and displace one or more of the spot balls and/or it may run into one of the scoring areas, preferably, of course, the one representing the player’s declared trump suit.
4. After the player has played the thirteen balls, the score is added up and the next player takes his turn.

SCORING

An ordinary bridge scoring pad is used.

Balls which run into the scoring area of the trumps declared by the player score BELOW the line. Thus two balls in clubs, if clubs are the trump suit, score 2 x 6 = 12 below the line. Three balls score 3 x 6 = 18. Two balls in no trumps score, if “no trumps” are declared, 2 x 10 = 20, and so on. Each spot ball running into the area of the trumps declared entitles the player to double the score in this area. Two spot balls multiply the score by 4, 3 spot balls by 8, and 4 spot balls by 16.

Balls which run into any of the other scoring areas, including the suits not declared as trumps, or into the cups, score ABOVE the line. Spot balls into those areas entitle the score in those areas to be doubled for each spot ball in the same area. 

Spot balls in any area without steel balls in the same area do not score; neither do they score in any of the cups. In fact, spot balls only count when they are in the same area as steel balls, when, in each case, the score is doubled for each spot ball in the area.

As in bridge, a score of 80 below the line constitutes a game and the winning of 2two games wins the rubber. The winning of the rubber entitles the player to add 250 to his score above the line.

Manufactured by JOHN JAQUES & SON, LTD.

Kirby St., Hatton Garden, London E.C.1