t each of the players in front of the dealer has
thrown up his own cards, and neither has taken the miss, then the dealer
is entitled to the amount in the pool, no matter what his cards are.
Should it happen that only one player has declared to stand on his own
hand, [20] then the dealer, if he cannot stand on his own cards, may take
the miss. If he does not care to do either he must play the miss for the
benefit of the pool, against the single player who declared to play on his
own cards, and anything he may then win with the miss is left in the pool
for the next deal. Should it happen that all the players in front of the
dealer have thrown up their cards, and one has taken the miss, then the
dealer may stand, or not, as he chooses; but if he also throws up his
cards, then the holder of miss, being the only standing hand, takes the
whole amount of the pool. These contingencies are seldom, if ever, met
with in actual play, but being possible it is necessary to fix laws to
govern them.

The players who have decided to stand, either on their own cards, or on
the miss, then proceed to play the tricks, the one nearest the dealer's
left having to lead. It is, however, sometimes agreed that the holder
of miss for the time being shall lead, but this is hardly a desirable
departure from the more regular course of leaving the lead to the elder
hand, and we cannot recommend its adoption. If the leader holds the
ace of trumps he must lead it, and similarly, if the ace is turned up,
and he holds the king, he must start off with that card. If he has two or
three trumps (of any denomination) he must lead the highest. "Two or more
trumps, lead _one_," is the rule of some players, but unless this matter
is specially decided upon before the commencement of play the rule to lead
the _highest_ of two or three must govern the point. In all other cases
the leader may start off with whichever card he chooses.

The play proceeds from left to right, and each player, in turn, has to
follow suit if he can; as it is his desire to secure the trick for himself
he will play as high as possible [21] if he has the power to head the
trick. If he cannot follow suit he must play a trump if he has one,
provided his trump is higher than any previously played to the trick,
but it is not compulsory to trump a suit when it is not possible to head
the trick by doing so. Failing the ability to head the trick, he may
discard as he chooses. It is compu