Put

The reference has currently been misplaced.  If you locate it, let me know.

Putt is a trick-taking game.  The rank of the cards is slightly odd. The highest card is the 3, followed by 2, A, K, Q, etc.  (By-the-by, the jack is called the knave.)  A small number of players is suggested, as the deck can be easily depleted with larger groups.  Each player is dealt one more card then the number of players.  The eldest person at the table plays first, all follow.  The player who plays the highest ranking card takes the trick.  If there is a tie, nobody gets the trick.  Anybody capturing two tricks gets a point.  As seems to be the custom, the number of points to achieve is determined before the game.

The twist to this game is the player's ability to call "Put".  Any player at any time may rap on the table and announce "Put".  If another player says "I see it", then the person who takes the trick wins the game.  The one who called "Put" wins the current deal and a point if nobody answers his challenge.

The gamsters at MacGregor Historic Games have a different take on the rules.  They suggest the game is played with only three cards, and the betting is based solely on ones belief that they will take the most tricks.  If nobody accepts the bet, the player wins the ante.  Those that accept the bet play using trick-taking rules, like those above.