In 1909,
Meyers Lexicon described the talon as
"the cards left over after dealing..." In games of chance, such as
Pharo, it is
"the stock of cards which the banker draws on". The talon is usually a pack of cards, placed face down, in the middle of the
card table. In other games, there are however very different variations, for example in
Königrufen, talons may be placed face up or face down. Parlett describes a
kitty as "the pool or pot being played for" or "a dead hand or widow". He also equates
talon to
stock as the "cards which are not dealt initially but may be drawn from or dealt out later in the play". == Examples of usage ==