The court-gamester, or, Full and easy instructions for playing the games now in vogue, after the best method, as they are played at court and in the assemblées, viz. ombre, picquet, and the royal game of chess

First published in 1720, The Court-Gamester was a significant manual in the early 18th-century social landscape of Great Britain. Produced during a period when parlor games were essential to high-society social currency, the book sought to codify the rules for popular pastimes like ombre, piquet, and chess. It reflected the rising demand among the gentry for standardized instructional literature that allowed them to participate confidently in the sophisticated gatherings, or assemblies, that defined the era.

The volume was issued by Edmund Curll, a publisher notorious for his opportunistic approach to the London book trade and his involvement in various literary controversies. While Richard Seymour is credited as the author, historical analysis suggests the name may have been a pseudonym or an editorial brand used by Curll to capitalize on the intellectual prestige of the 'court' label. By presenting the games as they were played by the elite, the work successfully positioned itself as an indispensable guide for social climbers and serious players alike.