"Three cards are dealt out to each player. The highest hand counting by pips is that which contains the greatest number of pips after the tens are deducted. Thus a knave, ten, and nine is a good hand. "The best hand is three aces, Sat tiga. "The next best is three court-cards, Kuda; naik kuda. "The next is nine. "The next is eight. "All these four hands are known as terus. A hand of three threes is really a good hand, being nine, but it is considered a propitiation of good luck to throw it down (without exposing it), and announce that one is buta, in the hopes of getting good luck afterwards. "Each player makes two stakes--kapala and ekor. They may be of equal value, or the ekor may be of greater value than the kapala. "The kapala must not be of greater value than the ekor; that is called tual ka ujong (tual = berat). "Or there may be a single stake only, which is called podul. "Betting between players is called sorong, or tuwi, or sorong tuwi. "A pool, tuwi tengah. "The ekor stake is only paid to the dealer if he holds one of the hands called terus, and if a smaller hand is held by a player, then the dealer takes both kapala and ekor (mengelong). "A player who holds thirty exactly (except when he has three court-cards, kuda) is said to be out (buta). "Any one except the player on the right of the dealer may cut. The player who cuts looks at the bottom card of those that he lifts, and if he thinks it is a lucky cut he accepts it and puts down the card he has lifted (pengerat). "The dealer then puts the rest of the pack on top of the cut, and in his turn lifts a portion of the pack (pengangkat), and looks at the bottom card. "There are all sorts of names for different cards and combinations of cards of various degrees of luck, and these are quoted by the cutter and dealer, each declaring his confidence in the luck coming to him by reason of the cutting or lifting of a particular card. Five of clubs, Tiang ampat Penghulu chelong. Chukup dengan gambala-nia. Nine of diamonds, Bunga kachang raja budiman. Ten of clubs, Gagak sa-kawan raja di-hilir. Singgah makan pedindang masak. Masak pun lalu muda pun lalu. Ace of diamonds if cut, Buntut kris Raja Bandahara. Do. if the hands of the dealer, Anak yatim jalan sa'orang. Satu pun tidak marabahaya. Two of diamonds, Semut ginting Che Amat pelak. Two of hearts, Batang jamban. Six is an unlucky card, Daun anam jahanam. Nine of hearts, Hari panas kubang ber-ayer.