Equipment
Matrimony is played with a full whist card deck on a table divided into three compartments labeled "Matrimony," "Intrigue" and "Confederacy"” and two smaller spaces, "Pair" and "Best." These names indicate combinations of two cards, any king and queen being "Matrimony," any queen and knave (or jack) "Intrigue," and any king and knave "Confederacy"; while any two cards of the same denomination form a "Pair" and the ace of diamonds is "Best."
Play
The dealer distributes a number of counters to which an agreed value has been given upon the compartments and the other players do likewise. The dealer then gives one card to each player, face down, and a second, face up. If any turned-up card is the ace of diamonds, the player holding it takes everything on the space and the deal passes. If not turned up, the ace of diamonds has only the value of the other three aces. If it is not turned, the players, beginning with the eldest hand, expose their second cards, and the resulting combinations, if among the five successful ones, win the counters of the corresponding spaces. If the counters on a space are not won, they remain until the next deal.