Home Page

Edmond  HOYLE

 Edmond Hoyle nacque a Londra nel 1672, città dove si spense quasi centenario nel 1769.

 Fu in assoluto il primo insegnante professionista di giochi guadagnandosi un grande prestigio presso la nobiltà londinese.

 Nel 1736, assieme ad altri gentiluomini inglesi che si riunivano abitualmente al Crown Caffe House di Londra, decise di abbandonare il popolarissimo gioco del Picchetto, per dedicarsi allo studio ed alla diffusione del Whist.

 Hoyle fu per il Whist quello che Culbertson fu per il bridge; autorità indiscussa del suo tempo, nel 1742 pubblicò "A Short Treatise on the Game of Whist" che rese popolare il gioco in tutta l'Inghilterra.

 Dopo altri fortunati tentativi editoriali, pubblicò un libro sui giochi di carte "Hoyle's Games" che ebbe tanto successo da divenire un best seller che, quasi mezzo secolo più tardi, varcò l'oceano e conquistò anche i lettori americani e che, ancor oggi, viene considerato un testo di riferimento in materia.

 Per quanto riguarda il suo "Breve trattato sul Gioco del Whist", Hoyle ebbe il merito di stabilire un Codice di Gara così illuminato che, oltre a fare la fortuna del Gioco, due secoli più tardi, fu ripreso quasi integralmente dagli estensori del Codice di Gara dell'Auction Bridge.

Edmond Hoyle (1672-1769) was an authority on card games and is often referred to as the "Father of Whist." Although he did not invent the game, with the publication of his systematized book of rules and procedures, the game became widely popular, especially among the English aristocracy. He also published rules on backgammon, brag, quadrille, piquet, and chess.

Hoyle's books became so popular that all rulebooks for card, table, and board games became known as "Hoyles." The phrase "According to Hoyle" was used to describe the correct rules or procedures in any activity or game. A Short Treatise on the Game of Whist became such a success that it spawned a play in 1743, The Humours of Whist. The skit provided a comical look at Hoyle and his pupils and the downfall of card sharks whose secrets Hoyle exposed. References to Hoyle can also be found in literature, including Fielding's Tom Jones, Alexander Thomson's poem "Whist, "and Lord Byron's Don Juan.

His name was widely pirated to signify authority of other writers on games, who often used "Hoyle" in the title of their publication. Even after his death, many misconceptions arose regarding what Hoyle actually wrote. According to Albert A. Ostrow in The Complete Card Player (1945), "Many people believe that Edmond Hoyle himself promulgated most of the card rules attributed to him. Even some writers on cards have fallen into the same error and in taking issue with Hoyle have, for example, learnedly discussed 'his' rules on poker. The fact of the matter is this - Edmond Hoyle never heard of poker. " Even to this day, books of rules for card, table, and board games are published under the name of Hoyle. Even though the games were unknown to Hoyle himself, his name continues to represent the ultimate authority on game rules. Hoyle died in London on August 29, 1769; he was 97.