When the Ombre plays Sans-Prendre, his opponents have more cards
from which to draw, and the first who discards is even free to
change all his nine cards; but he usually limits his discard to six
or seven, and avoids encroachment on the share of the next player.
The two who play against the Ombre are only half in the position of
partners at whist, because one of them, when his hand is strong
enough, can be the only winner.

The hands having been thus settled, the game begins, from the hand
on the right of the dealer. After a trick has been taken, the lead,
as at other games, is with the winner of the trick, the order of
play being still from left to right.

As at whist, a suit led must be followed, and a player who cannot
follow suit is not obliged to play a trump unless he please.

If the first player who follows the Ombre's lead with a better card,
and has in his hand so good a game that he desires, by winning the
trick, to obtain the lead, he declares that aloud by saying Gano,
that is, "I win." His partner then lets him win, if he can. Thus,
Ombre has played a spade, which the next player wins with the Queen,
saying Gano when he does so. If the third player has the King in
his hand he refrains from playing it, unless he have no spade in his
hand of smaller value, in which case he is obliged to follow suit
and win the trick against his partner. Where the lead is urgently
desired, not for a personal gain of more tricks than the Ombre,
which is called Codille, but to defend the stake, and the third
player is seen to hesitate, Gano may be pressed for, three times,
"Gano, if possible." When Ombre was played by gambling courtiers
under Queen Anne and George I., all such words spoken in the game