Quadrille is a card game that was highly popular in the 18th century at the French court and among the British nobility, especially women. A variant of the three-player, Spanish card game Ombre, it is played by four players, both in varying alliances and solo games, using a pack of 40 cards (the 8's, 9's and 10's being removed). Developed in southern France in the late 17th century, it took off in Paris and London in the early 19th century, it being "to the good taste of the French nation" and to women, principally of the middle and upper classes, among whom it became their favourite game.^[1] Having become "one of the great European games for about a hundred years" by the mid-19th century, Quadrille had fallen out of fashion, superseded by Whist and Boston.^[2]

History and culture

Quadrille was introduced to the "southern provinces of France" around 1685 and, "several years later...into Paris and most of the provinces of the Kingdom."^[3] The jeu de Quadrille quickly caught on, appearing in a French dictionary in 1715 which explained that a remise is the declarer only takes five tricks and the current stake is played for in the next hand.^[4] Having been established in Paris, the game evidently travelled quickly to Britain for its first rules in English appear in a 1720 treatise called The Game of Quadrille; or Ombre by Four which, nevertheless, suggests it is translated from the French, has been around for about two years and is "the favourite game at the French Court".^[5] Meanwhile a French counterpart, Les Jeux de Quadrille et de Quintille, appeared in 1724 and notes with surprise that "in the last few years that Quadrille has been played, no one has taken the trouble to publish its rules."^[6]

The 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen includes four references to Quadrille being played by an upper class character, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and her guests.^[7] In the Diary of Thomas Vernon,^[8] which was written by a loyalist from Newport, Rhode Island, during the American Revolution in 1776, the author mentions playing quadrille frequently during the war while exiled in Glocester, Rhode Island. It is also frequently mentioned in The Diary of a Country Parson 1758-1802 kept by James Woodforde, edited by John Beresford. In Ireland, it was extremely popular in the 1730s. A pamphlet written in Dublin in 1736, supposedly proposing new rules for the game, caused uproar when it became clear that it was simply a pretext for a vicious attack by the author, Archbishop Josiah Hort, on his enemy Richard Bettesworth MP.

Rules

The following rules are summarised from "Quanti" (1822).^[9]

Players and cards

Quadrille is played by four players using a pack of 40 Quadrille cards made by removing the 8s, 9s and 10s from a Whist pack. Thus the ranking of the cards in the black suits is K > Q > Kn > 7 > 6 > 5 > 4 > 3 > 2. However, in the red suits, for historical reasons, the order of the pip cards is reversed: K > Q > Kn > A > 2 > 3 > 4 > 5 > 6 > 7.

The Ace of Spades is called Spadille and is always the highest trump. The Ace of Clubs is called Basta and is always the third highest trump. Thus when a red suit is entrumped, there are twelve trumps and when a black suit is entrumped, eleven. The second highest trump, Manille, is always the lowest card of its suit, a Deuce in the black suits and a 7 in the red suits. The fourth highest trump is called Ponto and is the Ace in red suits or the King in black suits.

Aim

The player who wins the auction becomes the Hombre ("The Man") or declarer, names the trump suit and aims to make six of the ten tricks.

Stakes

Originally, each player anted an agreed stake in counters or fishes to the pool at the start of each deal. Later, four stakes were anted by the dealer alone. If successful, Hombre wins the pool; if unsuccessful Hombre becomes the Beast, is said to be beasted, must double the pool and pay what would have been earned by winning.

Deal

The dealer shuffles the pack and places it down in front of the player to the left for cutting. After the cut, the dealer deals the whole pack around to the right and in 3 rounds of 3, 3 and 4 cards, being free to deal the 4-card round first, second or last. The deal rotates to the right during the game.

Auction

There is then an auction in which players bid for the following contracts in ascending order:

• Alliance. The declarer names trumps and plays with the aid of a partner. The declarer calls a non-trump King and the owner of that card becomes the partner, but may not reveal this except by the play of the cards. Holding all four Kings, the declarer calls a non-trump Queen. They aim to make six tricks between them.
• Dimidiator. The declarer calls for a card, usually a King, and exchanges a card with the player holding the King. The declarer names trumps and plays alone aiming to make six tricks.^[a]
• Casco. May be called when the player has both black Aces, Spadille and Basta, in hand. It is bid by placing them both on the table and saying "Casco" or "Respect". The declarer calls a King and the called player names trumps.
• Solo. The declarer plays alone, names trumps and aims to take six tricks.^[b]

If all pass a Forced Spadille is played in which the player holding Spadille becomes the Hombre and nominates a partner by calling a King. Hombre may name trumps or leave that privilege to the partner. The declarer's team aims to make six tricks. They may not go for a vole.^[c]

Eldest opens the auction by saying "I pass" or bidding a contract.

Quanti mentions that, in some circles, the additional contracts of Grandissimo and Nemo are added, "forming a pleasing diversity". Another recent addition was the concept of a favourite suit.^[10] Parlett sees these, along with Dimidiator and Casco, as forming the elaboration of Quadrille known as Mediateur.^[2]

Play

Eldest hand leads to the first trick. Players must follow suit; otherwise may play any card. The trick is won by the highest trump or the highest card of the suit led if no trumps are played.

An exception is that Spadille, Manille and Basta have the privilege that they may be held back when trumps are led, even if they are the only trump a player has in hand; this privilege is only waived if a higher trump is led. Thus if Spadille is led, neither Manille nor Basta may be withheld.

Settlement

The following rates assume the basic stake is four units.

Hombre wins

• Alliance: the declaring team divide the pool and earn any honours due. The opponents receive nothing. There is no premium.
• Dimidiator is paid at half the Solo rate i.e. one unit.
• Casco: both players share the winnings or losses and the premium is the same as for Solo, one opponent paying the Hombre and the other paying Hombre's partner. A vole is not excluded.

Solo: the declarer sweeps the pool and is paid the Solo premium as well as honours, matadors and premiers where applicable. The Solo premium is usually equivalent to a double stake and is paid by each opponent to the declarer if he wins.

• Forced Spadille: the declaring team divide the pool and the opponents receive nothing. If lost, they share the penalty. There is no premium.

In addition to the game payments there are three bonus payments:

• Matadors. If the three highest matadors (trumps) are held by the same side at the start, one unit is earned.
• Double Matadors. If the four highest matadors are held by the same side at the start, two units are paid.
• Premiers. If Hombre or Hombre's team make six tricks before the opponents take one, they are paid for Premiers at the same rate as Matadors.

Hombre loses

If Hombre loses with five tricks, this is Remise; the loser(s) double the pool which becomes a triple stake in the next deal. If Hombre makes four or fewer tricks, it is Codille; The opponents share the pool if it contains a triple stake and the penalty for Hombre is double that of Remise.