Belisha: the card game

Last week we went looking for some of the places pictured in the 1938 road-themed card game Belisha. This week you can play it for yourself.

Published by Castell Brothers, as part of their range of Pepys Games, “Belisha” was a pre-war card game based on Rummy that had the admirable, if rather difficult, aim of educating young people about road safety. Its cards were all different, each bearing a scene from a long-way-round journey between London and Oban.

In our previous blog post we took a closer look at some of the more obscure places pictured on the cards to see what had become of them in the intervening 85 years. It's believed to now be out of copyright, so this week we’re publishing the whole card game so you can see the full set, and even play it yourself.

The cards are available here as a printable PDF file, with both front and back of the cards.

If you’re going to have a go, of course, you’ll need the rules. The tiny 16-page booklet of rules (and other information about the game) is reproduced below.

Introduction

“BELISHA” is a new and improved form of the universally popular game of Rummy.   
It is as easy to play as the parent game but offers more scope for intelligent play and is quicker and more interesting.

“BELISHA” has been produced with a sincere desire to make a helpful contribution to the “Safety First” Campaign.

It has been carefully designed to stimulate road consciousness, especially among young people.

Without doubt “BELISHA” will achieve its purpose while providing an artistically produced game - of educational value - and of absorbing interest.

Rules

A card game for 2, 3, 4, or more players. The pack consists of 52 cards and a Joker. These depict a motor journey from London to Oban with some humorous sketches interposed. There are 13 sets of 4 traffic signs, depicted in the left top corner and in the right hand top corner serial numbers 1 to 13 in each of 4 colours; Yellow, Green, Red, and Blue. These numbers are repeated under the traffic signs for easy reference.

The game is similar to Rummy and proceeds as follows: Cut for dealer who plays first, the rest following in turn clockwise. The player cutting the highest number deals. If two or more cut alike they cut again until one picks a higher number.

After each hand is played out the deal passes to the player on the left of the previous dealer.

If 2, 3 or 4 players, deal 7 cards to each. When more than 4 players, deal one card less. If desired, two packs may be used simultaneously when more than four players, in which case deal 7 cards.

The top card when the deal is finished is placed face upwards beside the stack of undealt cards, which are placed face down in the centre of the table.

Play commences by the dealer picking up the exposed card or the top card of the pack. He then discards one card face upwards alongside the centre stack.

Before discarding the dealer may lay down a sequence of 3 numbers of the same colour, or 3 cards of the same number in any colours, or 3 traffic signs of one kind if able to do so. This is not compulsory but at discretion. Once a discard has been made it becomes the turn of the next player.

The game continues by player on the left taking either the exposed card or the top card from the undealt pack and proceeding as above.

The Joker

A Joker is included and can be used if desired. If used the Joker may be substituted for any other card in the pack; for example, player having numbers 8, and 10 of one colour can play the Joker as number 9. If having numbers 3, and 4 the Joker can be played at number 4 end and counted as 5 or at the 3 end and counted as number 2. If laying down two cards of a number or two traffic signs the Joker can be counted as the third card of the same kind.

Any subsequent player when his turn to play comes can exchange the Joker card by playing in its place the correct card that the Joker had been made to represent. This exchange of the Joker counts as a completed turn and no cards can be laid on the table by that player until the next round.

The Joker cannot be substituted for a card that has already been laid on the table. For example, if four tens have been laid down and a player holds 8 and 9 of a colour the Joker cannot be played as a ten but only as a 7. There can never be more than 4 cards of a kind laid on the table.

Laying Down Cards

Once a player has laid down either a sequence or cards of one kind he can either at that turn or any later turn of his add a card or cards to any other sequences or cards of a kind previously played by an opponent or himself- before discarding a card on the centre pack.

Cards cannot be added to those of an opponent until the player has laid three cards on the table.

Play goes on until one has discarded his last card when he calls “OUT." The purpose of the game is to get rid of cards quickly to avoid the penalty for cards in hand when the round ceases.

When any player discards his last card and calls "OUT," all the other plavers count the numbers in the top right hand corners of the cards in hand and the total of those numbers count against them- Joker counting 10.

The game ends when any player has a score of 250 or more. (For a shorter game it can be agreed before commencing to end at 100).

At the close of the game the total scores of each player are added up and the one with the lowest score is the winner.

Two Alternative Methods of Scoring

If desired by the players an alternative method of scoring can be adopted as follows :

1. When a player wins a round by playing or discarding his last card and calling "OUT," the numbers of all the other players' cards remaining in hand are counted and scored to the winner of the round.
   
   In this case the game ends when one player has scored 250-he being the winner. If using counters the losers pay the difference between each player's score and that of the winner.
2. Each player laying down a card or cards scores the numbers on those cards as the game proceeds. (If the Joker is included in a sequence of cards of the same number player scores the number of the card it represents, but if played as a Traffic Sign counts 10).
   
   When "OUT" is called the total count of all cards in the losers' hands is added to the score of the winner of the round, Joker counting 10. The final winner of the game is the one first scoring 250 points when the game ends, even although a hand is not played out at the time.

Counters

If counters are used it is simpler to use large and small counters, the large ones representing 10 and the small ones 1.

The winner is then paid by each player the difference between his score and that of the other players, the maximum score being 250, or if a shorter game has been agreed, 100.

Fewer counters are required if it is agreed to pay one counter for each ten points. For example, if the winner scores 250, B scores 100, C 136, and D 225 ; B pays 15, C pays 12, and D pays 3. Ignore fractions of 10 before subtracting.

A Different Game

“BELISHA” can be learned in a few minutes, but for any who want an even simpler game players may decide to ignore the traffic signs altogether and lay down a sequence of three numbers of one colour or three cards of any one number. This makes the game exactly the same as ordinary Rummy.

Whichever game is preferred the generally accepted method of playing Rummy is followed, viz.:

No player may lay down more than three cards at one time except when holding a card or cards that can be added to the sequence or cards of any kind already exposed upon the table by any other player. Such cards can be played in addition to the maximum of three cards and at the same time.

If holding a sequence of more than three of a colour or of a kind, the extra card or cards can only be played when next in turn to play.

Even should a player have a double sequence or sets of three dealt he must lay down one set of three cards only, on the first lay down.

There is no limit to the total number of cards that can be added to opponents' exposed cards at one turn after first laying down a set of three on the table, but no card can be so played once a discard has been made.

It then becomes the turn of the next player, and no discarded card once laid on the table can be taken up again or exchanged.