Card player - WikiHQ

Card players are those participating in a card game. Various names are given to card players based on their role or position.

Position

thumb|Bidding sequence in a four-player game of [[Schafkopf: 1 is Forehand and leads to the first trick; 2 is Middlehand; 3 is Rearhand and cuts the pack; 4 is Dealer]]

thumb|Forehand, middlehand and rearhand in a three-player game. This time rearhand is also the dealer.

Games of Anglo-American origin

In games of Anglo-American origin played in English-speaking countries, age refers to the order of priority in which players make the first lead, bid or bet, based on their position at the table. This changes constantly as the dealer rotates either clockwise or anticlockwise around the table. They are traditionally referred to as follows:

; Eldest hand (or elder hand): the player who enjoys greatest priority and e.g. is the first to receive cards in the deal. or the player on the dealer's right, who cuts the cards, e.g. in Vingt-Un i.e. youngest hand.

Alternatively the players are simply numbered as follows:

;First hand: the player who leads to the first trick and who leads any bidding. Same as eldest hand or forehand.

;Second hand: the player who bids or plays second.

;Third hand: the player who bids or plays third.

;Fourth hand: the player who bids or plays fourth.

Games of European origin

In games originating in Europe, the following terminology indicating the players' priority is used:

;Forehand: the player who leads to the first trick and who leads any bidding. Same as eldest hand.

;Middlehand: the player between forehand and rearhand in a three-person game. In Skat and similar 3-hand games, the second player in turn to bid. In four-hand games, middlehand is the player after forehand so the order is: forehand, middlehand, rearhand, dealer.

;Rearhand: the player with least priority, e.g. the last to bid or play.

;Declarer: the highest bidder, who declares and then strives to make good the stated contract.

;Opponent: a player of the opposing side; a defender (q.v); or any other player in a round game.

;Partner: a player who plays co-operatively in a team and who shares the winnings or losses. Partnerships may be fixed for the whole session or vary from deal to deal.

Other duties

The duties of a dealer differ from game to game. Their job usually involves distributing cards for games such as poker, contract bridge, blackjack, roulette or skat but may also involve other duties, for example:

Contract bridge: the dealer is an opener who opens the auction and makes the first call, after which the auction progresses clockwise.
In poker, the dealer controls the action during a hand and manages the pot.
In blackjack, a player plays against a dealer, or "house". If the hand of a player is closer to 21 than the dealer's, without going over, the player wins.
In a three-player skat game, the dealer takes on the role of rearhand. The player sitting on the left of the dealer is called the "forehand", and the player sitting to the dealer's right is called middlehand.

Casino dealers

Casino dealers must have a comprehensive and accurate knowledge of the games for which they deal. They should know the rules of the different card games, understand the odds of winning in various situations, and they must be able to communicate this information correctly to all levels of players. It is also the responsibility of the dealer to watch the play carefully and check to make sure that no one is cheating.

Footnotes

References

Literature

Schütze, Johann Friedrich (1800). Holsteinisches Idiotikon. Hamburg: Heinrich Ludwig Villaume.