BOSTON

Requirements

1. Fours online poker players, each playing for himself.
2. Two standard 52-card decks; one is used for play, the other names the trump suit.

The Deal and Bid. Each player receives 13 cards; four rounds of three cards, and a final single card to all. The player opposite the dealer cuts the unused cards and the top card of the bottom portion is turned up for trump or “preference.” The other suit of the same color is known as “color.” The remaining two suits are plain suits.
Bidding begins with the player at the dealer’s left, and each player, in turn to the left, bids or passes. The bids rank (from lowest to highest ) as follows:

1. To win five tricks playing alone in a plain suit. This is called Boston.
2. To win six tricks.
3. To win seven tricks.
4. To lose 12 tricks after each player discards one card not shown to others. This is known as little misery.
5. To win eight tricks.
6. To win nine tricks.
7. To lose every trick. This is known as grand misery.
8. To win ten tricks.
9. To win 11 tricks.
10. To play little misery with all the cards in one’s hand exposed. This is known as little spread.
11. To win twelve tricks.
12. To play grand misery with all the cards in one’s hand exposed. This is known as grand spread.
13. To win all 13 tricks. This is known as grand slam.

In bids number, 1,2,3,5,6,8,9,11, and 13, the calls rank as follows: in plain suits (low), in color, in preference (high).
The Play. The same as in American Whist .
Scoring. If the bidder fulfills his bid, he collects from each player according to the following table. The bidder is paid by each of the others just what he bid and made, by this scale:

When the bidder fails, he is said to be “put in for” so many tricks, and he pays as follows:

Bidder collects or pays four chips for little misery, eight for grand misery, 16 for little spread, and 32 for grand spread. Each puts up two chips for the pot at the beginning the player winning on a bid of seven tricks or better collects the pot, in addition to the regular payments. If any opponent will not concede a bid under seven and forces the bidder to play out the hand, the bidder must play; but he gets the pot besides the regular payments if he makes seven tricks or more. If a pot goes over 50 chips, the excess is put into the next pot.
If all pass a deal, each chips in to the pot or they play general misery (no-trumps), the player taking the most tricks paying each other player ten chips for each trick difference between them. A misdeal loses the deal, and the dealer places one chip in the in the pot as penalty. A revoke pays eight chips into the pot, besides losing the hand. losing on a bid of seven or more requires the loser to double the pot.

Boston de Containable

This variant is played the same as Boston, except as follows:

1. There is no cut for “preference,” the suits ranking diamonds (highest), hearts, clubs, spades (lowest)
2. The bids rank (from low to high): (a) Boston, to win five tricks; (b) to win six tricks; (ac) little misery; (d) to win seven tricks; (e) to win exactly one trick at no trump after having discarded a card that no one sees, called piccolissimo; (f) to win eight tricks; (g) grand misery; (h) to win nine tricks; (i) little spread; (j) to win ten tricks; (k ) grand spread; (l) to win 11 tricks; (m) to win 12 tricks; (n) grand slam; (o) to win all 13 tricks playing with all cards exposed, called spread slam. The payments are the same whether the bidder wins or loses. Overtricks are paid for at the rate of one chip per trick.
3. A player who has once passed cannot bid later; nor can he increase his own bid, unless he is overcalled. The suits must be named in the bidding: diamonds rank highest, then hearts, clubs, and spades. The successful bidder may ask for a partner, and if one accepts him, their joint score must be three tricks more than the bid.
4. A general misery gives the pot to the player who takes the least number of tricks. In case of a tie, the pot is divided. There are no other payments. The pot is made up by one chip from each dealer in turn, plus such penalties as increase it. There is no limit to its size. Any successful bid wins the pot; any call that fails requires the caller to pay into the pot the amount he pays to each opponent. Partners whose bid succeeds divide the pot equally; partners whose bid fails each pay one opponent, and put half that amount into the pot. If the opponents agree to pay before playing to the second tricks, this does not save the pot; but it prevents the chance of overtricks.

Russian Boston

In this variation of Boston de Containable, a player who does not hold any trumps may declare chicane before play begins and collect two chips from each of the other play poker players .