Editing Bezique (section)

==History==
An early theory that appeared in the 1864 edition of ''The American Hoyle'' was that bezique originated in [[Sweden]] as the result of a royal competition.<ref>"Trumps" (1864), p. 137.</ref> This much repeated, but unsubstantiated, tale is recounted thus:

{{poemquote|The Royal Game of Bézique

This interesting game is supposed to have originated in Sweden. It is said that during the reign of the First Charles (presumed to mean [[Charles I of England]] who reigned from 1625 to 1649)--a reward having been offered by that monarch for the best game of cards, to combine certain requirements--a poor schoolmaster, by name Gustave Flaker, presented for the prize the game of cards which he called Flakernuhle, which was accepted by his royal master, and he made the recipient very happy with the promised purse of gold. The game became very popular in Sweden, and was finally introduced to Germany, changed in some respects, and called Penuchle. There it also acquired great popularity.

It is only a few years since it was first introduced in Paris, but it has also become a favourite game with all classes there. The French gave it the name Bézique.<ref name="Bezique">{{cite book |last1=Camden |title=The Standard Rules of the Royal Game of Bezique |date=1872 |publisher=Charles Goodall & Son |location=London |edition=12}}</ref>}}

What is known is that the first rules – for a game played with a single pack of 32 cards – appeared in Paris in 1847 where Méry described it as a new game.{{sfn|Méry|1847|p=}}<ref name=AJO>[https://salondesjeux.fr/besigue.htm ''Le Bésigue''] at Académie des jeux oubliés website.</ref> Another early theory was that bezique was developed in France from [[piquet]] and that the word "bezique", formerly ''bésique'' or ''bésigue'', was known in France in the 17th century,<ref name=PhilSoc /> coming probably from the Italian card game '''bazzica'''. However, more recently, [[French historians]] have traced the origins of bezique to a game called ''bezi'' or ''bezit'' which descended through a form of '''single bezique''' also known as '''cinq cents''' or '''binage''' to early modern bezique.{{sfn|Parlett|2008|pp=287&293}} This appears to be corroborated by Anton (1879) who tells us that ''Besigue'' originally came from the regions of [[Angouleme]], [[Poitou]], and [[Saintonge (region)|Saintonge]] on France's Atlantic coast where it was called ''besit''.{{sfn|Anton|1879|p=43}}

The word ''bezique'' once meant "correspondence" or "association".<ref>''Cassell's household guide'', pg. 40 - Cassell, Ltd., 1881</ref> In English-speaking nations, Binocles, meaning eyeglasses with this pronunciation, became the name for Bezique with minor rule variations, ultimately evolving into Pinochle.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Gorman P. S.|author2=Kunkel J. D.|author3=Vasko F. J.|title=Using Pinochle to motivate the restricted combinations with repetitions problem|journal=International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology|volume=42|issue=5|pages=679–684|date= October 2009}}</ref> Two-handed [[Pinochle]], two-handed bezique and two-handed binokel are almost identical, the main difference is that the last-named is played with two packs of 24, German-suited, cards, instead of two packs of 32, French-suited, ones. The former, together with six-pack bezique and Rubicon bezique, is still played in the United States.

The game achieved its greatest popularity in Paris by 1860 and had reached England by 1861.<ref>D. H. Lawrence, Dieter Mehl, [[Christa Jansohn]] [https://books.google.com/books?id=mLfrIT7C9uEC&dq=bezique+popular+england+nineteenth+century&pg=PA588 ''The First and Second Lady Chatterley Novels''], pg. 588, Cambridge University Press (2002) {{ISBN|0-521-00715-1}}</ref><ref>Brownsmith (1869), pp. 117–119, states that "''MacMillan'' had an article on [Bézique] in 1861, by W.P. (we assume Professor Pole).</ref> Perhaps the most famous proponent of the game was [[Winston Churchill]], an avid player and early expert of six-pack, or "Chinese" bezique.<ref>Rodney P. Carlisle [https://books.google.com/books?id=7DiB3z2fBpAC&dq=bezique+Winston+Churchill&pg=PT114 ''Encyclopedia of Play in Today's Society''], pg. 74 Sage Publications (2009) {{ISBN|1-4129-6670-1}}</ref> There is some evidence that the English writers [[Wilkie Collins]] and [[Christina Rossetti]] were also enthusiasts.<ref>Christina Georgina Rossetti [https://books.google.com/books?id=T0rnN9FCMDEC&dq=bezique+Christina+Rossetti&pg=PR66 ''The Poetical Works of Christina Georgina Rossetti''], pg. xvi, Kessinger Publishing (2004) {{ISBN|1-4179-7280-7}}</ref> However, since the late nineteenth century the game has declined in popularity.

Although the original 1847 game was played with a single [[piquet pack]] of 32 cards,<ref name=AJO/> the rules already suggested that the game might be played with two packs which would double the number of available points.{{sfn|Méry|1847|p=65}} and, by no later than 1864 in the US, the standard two-hand game had evolved to use two or even three [[euchre]] packs (also 32 cards).<ref>"Trumps" (1864), p. 138.</ref>}