Ex Libris 
 C. K. OGDEN
 
 4 
 
 <^ r <o
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 BEING A FORECAST 
 
 SUBMITTING DEFECTS IN EXISTING 
 
 WHIST LAWS; 
 CONTAINING ARGUMENT 
 AGAINST THE AMERICAN LEADS 
 BEING APPLICABLE TO STRONG HANDS AND 
 WEAK HANDS ALIKE; AND ADVOCATING WITH 
 OTHER MATTERS THE ADOPTION OF THE SAME GAME 
 AND THE SAME LAWS FOR ALL COUNTRIES, SO 
 THAT INTERNATIONAL WHIST TOURNAMENTS, 
 ON THE DUPLICATE SYSTEM, MAY BE- 
 COME PRACTICABLE AND 
 FREQUENT. 
 
 BY 
 LIEUTENANT-COLONEL B. LOWSLEY 
 
 {Retired) Royal Engineers 
 
 LONDON 
 
 SWAN SONNENSCHEIN & CO LTD 
 
 PATERNOSTER SQUARE 
 1898
 
 BUTLER & TANNER, 
 
 THE SELWOOD PRINTING WORKS, 
 
 FROME. AND LONDON.
 
 SPECIAL NOTIFICATION. 
 
 In a Notice of this Book which was inserted 
 in The Field newspaper of the 5th February, 
 1898, there was a misrepresentation as regards 
 the author's forecast of WHIST OF THE FUTURE. 
 
 In order that the wrong impression conveyed 
 might to some extent be rectified, the letter 
 given below was sent for insertion in The Field 
 newspaper. 
 
 A WHIST FORECAST. 
 To THE EDITOR OF "THE FIELD." 
 SIR, In your notice of my Book WHIST OF THE 
 
 FUTURE in The Field dated 5th February, 1898, you state 
 
 that I advance, at p. 65, " The Whist of the Future is to 
 
 " be a game of intellectual enjoyment as qualified by 
 
 " luck." 
 
 I deny that I gave any such definition of Whist of the 
 
 future, or that there is any paragraph in my Book which 
 
 warrants such a deduction. 
 
 What I do say at p. 65, after quoting the authority of 
 
 Mr. R. F. Foster, is : 
 
 " The above note of Mr. Foster's decisively confirms 
 the important point which I would now submit : i.e., 
 That if Whist of the future is to be a game of intel- 
 lectual enjoyment as qualified by luck, there must be less 
 consideration given to the signallings and attempted 
 calculations supposed to be gleaned therefrom." 
 There is plainly here no attempt whateyer to define 
 
 " Whist of the Future " as advanced in your notice of the 
 
 1063369
 
 Book, and you have put inverted commas wrongfully to 
 wording which is not given by me. 
 
 The whole of my work leads up to the important con- 
 siderations affecting Whist of the future and the definite 
 conclusion is thus given at p. 161 : 
 
 " Perhaps a new system of play will be the outcome of 
 ' those which now exist, it may be a compromise. It 
 1 may have the simple old leads as the opening ones of 
 ' the hand, because these contain no excess of information 
 ' which would invite and involve disaster when the com- 
 ' bined hands might turn out to be weak. It may also 
 ' embody the main principle of American Leads (viz., to 
 ' show the length and strength of the suit to the utmost), for use 
 ' only at the stage of the play when the combined strength 
 ' has been ascertained to be sufficient to give prospect of 
 ' long suit establishment and bringing in." 
 
 The above, which is given at the close of the work, will 
 plainly show that what you have been pleased to quote as 
 my definition of Whist of the future was unwarranted. 
 
 After the above exposure of the inaccuracy of your 
 notice, I will add that in other cases also, where extracts 
 are cited with disparagement, the perusal of the argu- 
 ments I have advanced in my Work would alter the im- 
 pressions conveyed by your Review. 
 
 I am, Sir, 
 
 Your obedient Servant, 
 
 B. LOWSLEY, 
 
 Author of " Whist of the Future." 
 SOUTHSEA, 
 
 jth February, 1898. 
 
 The above letter was not inserted in The Field 
 newspaper, and a second communication sent 
 under registered enclosure, drawing attention to 
 the omission, and to the damage caused to the 
 work by the misleading statement, was un- 
 noticed. 
 
 Mj' readers have my Book submitted to their 
 consideration, and will be able to judge as to 
 the fairness or otherwise of The Field review. 
 
 THE AUTHOR.
 
 Preface 
 
 THE existing works on the Game of Whist leave no 
 necessity nor room for another treatise in the lines 
 which have generally been followed. 
 But the American system of leads at present in 
 favour, beautiful as it is in its precision, is not a 
 system of finality, and will in due course be supplanted by 
 strategy which is not when the combined hands are weak so 
 seriously open to attack. 
 
 The reasons for this conclusion are fully submitted, and 
 suggestions are made as regards modifications. 
 
 Each succeeding school of Whist is apt to look on the one 
 which has preceded it as of comparatively poor account ; 
 fresh systems, or developments of former ones, will be 
 inaugurated as long as the Whist World lasts, such is the 
 infinite scope afforded by the conditions of the game. 
 
 No apology for what is advanced is necessary, for our 
 American kinsmen always welcome honest criticism, and 
 give to adverse argument an earnest and impartial -consider- 
 ation. 
 
 American Whist is not so hard to learn as at first sight it 
 would appear to be, but in actual play strong brains are 
 required for drawing correct deductions, and for making 
 applications judiciously. 
 
 But Whist, as a game of luck influenced by perception, 
 requires tentative development in the earlier leads rather 
 than the immediate utmost exhibition of capabilities to 
 friend and foe alike. 
 
 The unreserved declaration of length and strength of suit 
 can only be of advantage when the aid given by one's 
 partner will fully counterbalance the damage likely to arise 
 from attacks. Therefore the extent of detail to be openly 
 announced should wholly depend on the distribution of 
 strength. 
 
 There are three cases for consideration : 
 
 When holding greatly superior strength, partners may 
 with advantage convey by their play the utmost information 
 possible, and thus gain a more crushing victory.
 
 VI PREFACE 
 
 When holding strength eqtial to that of their opponent s t 
 partners should be more reticent, and should give informa- 
 tion only to the limited extent required for immediate 
 success or for very promising tactics ; they should carefully 
 keep back Reserves required to meet the counter attacks. 
 
 With weakness the combined game consists in the partners 
 seizing such opportunities as may come to them individually 
 or otherwise. Any attempt at complete informatory com- 
 bination analogous to that which is advantageous to their 
 powerful adversaries would but present their weak array in a 
 consolidated form most suitable for annihilation. 
 
 Cavendish seems to lend support to the above-named 
 provisions when he lays down " The Modern System of 
 Leading (i.e. the American system) should be abandoned 
 when an opponent has shown such strength in trumps that it 
 is not advisable for you to let him count your hand pre- 
 cisely." From this it might fairly be inferred that the 
 modern system of lead should not be started when the weakness 
 pf the hand may render it probable that the opponents in com- 
 bination are the stronger side. 
 
 What then is the best general method of opening the 
 combined game ? One is at first quite ignorant as to the 
 nature of the support his partner may give ; yet the first lead 
 must of course be intelligible to him, and it should be from 
 the strongest suit, because that is the suit in which one could 
 generally obtain early successes, and also in which he would 
 be able, later in the hand, to win tricks, should tramp 
 strength be found to be favourable. 
 
 This old-time long-suit lead is excellent if it remains 
 pretty much as it has stood for a century and a half, but it 
 is rendered unsound when hampered by number-showing 
 'developments which are as likely to turn to the benefit of the 
 opponents as they are to the good of the combined game. 
 ' Dr. Pole has said, in his Theory of Whist : ' ' Many 
 players do not pay so much attention to their opponents' as 
 to their partner's indications." In Whist of the Future, it 
 will be an essential that, when weak, partners shall take 
 especial care to miss nothing of the hostile announcements ; 
 the saving of a game will often depend entirely upon this. 
 
 With other matters, attention is drawn to some blemishes 
 in the present Laws of the Game, with a hope for amend- 
 ments in the code of Whist of the Future. 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
 SOUTHSEA.
 
 Contents 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Introductory . . . . . . . . i 
 
 A parallel comparison between the Laws of English 
 Short Whist and the Laws of American Whist 
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 Showing some points in existing Whist Laws which 
 are open to controversy, with proposals for amend- 
 ment Suggestions for making penalties simple, 
 uniform, and just in application Anomalies in 
 the present DUMMY Laws . . . .31 
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 Proposed additions to the existing Whist Laws The 
 Etiquette of Whist Notes on Bad Habits 
 Dealer delaying Table with the Trump Card held 
 face downwards Showing Elation or Depression 
 on taking up one's Hand Requiring to see a 
 Trick which has been turned, as allowed by 
 English Law No. 91 Smokers and Non-Smokers 
 Beating the Devil's Tattoo Making Passes with 
 extended hands Ostentatiously counting Tricks
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 FAGS 
 
 already made Lookers-on to make no remark 
 whatever, and not to stand around the Table 
 Playing your Cards carefully to the centre of 
 the Table Hammering Tricks down with a 
 Click after collecting Throwing abandoned 
 Hands roughly on the Table Leading pre- 
 maturely Showing Disapproval of your Partner's 
 Play by Word or Gesture Finding Fault with your 
 Partner Courtesy as regards Willingness to form 
 a new Table Talking when other Whist Tables 
 are going on in the same Room Playing a Card 
 to a Trick and Gathering at the same time 
 Fingering or partly Drawing a Card before it is 
 one's turn to Play Lookers-on conversing with 
 Players Sitting squarely to the Table and hold- 
 ing the Cards perpendicularly Faced Cards in 
 Dealing are often due to want of care after cutting 
 for Partners Mannerism in Play Grumbling 
 Scoring Honours when not entitled to do so 
 Wrongfully presenting the Pack to be Cut Laws 
 and Etiquette Rules to be hung up conspicuously 
 in all Card Rooms .48 
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 The objects of American Leads and Signallings . . 60 
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 The origin of WHISK, afterwards called WHIST 
 Some English and American Whist differences
 
 CONTENTS IX 
 
 Scoring of Honours increases the chance for 
 brilliant Play Meanings of the Titles given to 
 the Honours Advantages and Disadvantages of 
 some Trans- Atlantic Innovations .... 66 
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 Lead Strategy of the Future 
 
 From the Strongest Suit Following with a Lead from 
 the Shortest Suit under certain conditions The 
 Singleton Lead Jumping the Lead to show desire 
 to Ruff Some general Observations bearing on 
 above -73 
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 Lead Strategy of the Future (continued) 
 
 The American Leads further discussed Successes by 
 Ruffing in Short Suits as compared with those 
 gained by bringing in Long Cards . . .81 
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 Lead Strategy of the Future (continued) 
 
 Selection of Card to Lead from some Combinations 
 
 From K. Q. From K. J. 10 Sequence Cards . 86
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 Lead Strategy of the Future (continued) 
 
 The Lead from Suit of Jack with Two Small The 
 Conditions which warrant a Trump Lead origin- 
 ally Tenderness towards one's Partner's Possi- 
 bilities The Crime of Leading from Weakness in 
 Trumps Lead from an A. Q. Suit ... 92 
 
 CHAPTER X 
 Lead Strategy of the Future (continued) 
 
 Calling for a Lead through an Honour turned up The 
 
 Trump-showing Lead 97 
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 
 Play of the Second Hand in Whist of the 
 Future 
 
 The Attack on American Leads by the Second Hand 
 
 Play of False Cards 101 
 
 CHAPTER XII 
 Play of the Third Hand 
 
 Non-Finesse if holding Ace and Queen in your 
 Partner's Suit Non- Return of Partner's Original 
 Lead under certain contingencies Unblocking . 108
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER XIII 
 Play of the Fourth Hand 
 
 Wilh Ace, Jack, hold up sometimes to King or Queen 
 Led Blocking the Adversary Signalling False 
 Play Trumping adverse Long Cards . . .118 
 
 CHAPTER XIV 
 Signals 
 
 The Call for Trumps If used, it should be as a 
 Reqnesf, not a Command The Echo of the Call 
 The Siib-Echo The Three-Echo The Four-Echo 
 
 Conventions 
 
 Illustration of what is meant by These Unfairness of 
 
 them . . . . . . . . .123 
 
 CHAPTER XV 
 Changing Suits 
 
 Partners working in Combination . . . .132 
 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 The Discard 
 
 The Principles which should Guide it When to accept 
 
 a Force 136
 
 Xll CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER XVII 
 
 The Post- Mortem Room Average Time occupied in 
 Playing a Hand, and a Rubber Some Notes on 
 Luck The Cards resent Grumbling at them . 144 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 Whist Matches by Telegraphic Correspondence In- 
 ternational Whist Tournaments The Attacks on 
 American Leads . 
 
 CHAPTER XIX 
 
 Whist Problems On Specimen Hands A Dealing 
 Machine Concluding Observations Appendix 
 giving Solutions of Problems . . . -155
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 INTRODUCTORY 
 
 OUR great English authorities on whist, 
 Hoyle, Mattheivs, Pole, Clay, Cavendish, 
 Mogul, Drayson, Whitfeld, and last, but 
 not least, Pembridge, are now supplemented by 
 American writers of the highest intellectual whist 
 power Hamilton, Work, Trist, Coffin, Ames, 
 Hoivell, Foster, and Miss Kate Wheelock, taking 
 a high rank amongst these. 
 
 The Americans have set themselves to work on 
 the development of the game with the vigour they 
 show in all they undertake. 
 
 Many English players are not prepared wholly 
 to frame their system of play upon the innovations 
 announced from across the Atlantic. But they 
 must be careful that they do not fall behind the 
 times. 
 
 The American average players would at the 
 present time probably beat our average players in 
 matches, simply because we do not promptly and 
 thoroughly master all they are perfecting and 
 originating, and because we have not sufficiently 
 
 B
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 studied the modes of attack to which their informa- 
 tory leads and signals are specially open. In Eng- 
 land we have no periodical Whist Literature. The 
 Field newspaper almost alone has columns for 
 Cards, answers Whist Queries, and inserts exhaus- 
 tive articles, correspondence, and specimen hands, 
 etc. 
 
 But in America very many of the leading news- 
 papers devote pages to the game, and the monthly 
 magazine Whist, published by the Whist Publish- 
 ing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is, both in 
 get-up and subject matter, as tasteful and sound 
 as any periodical in the world which treats of 
 pastimes or sciences. In England we shall remain 
 behindhand if we have not amongst us sufficient 
 energy and enterprise to start an equally high-class 
 Whist magazine. 
 
 There has not hitherto been made a parallel 
 comparison of the English and American Laws of 
 Whist. In supplying this, I have subsequently 
 submitted notes on points which may be for recti- 
 fication when an International Code shall be under 
 consideration. 
 
 The chapter on Bad Habits at Whist will gener- 
 ally be applicable only to those who have not 
 frequently had the advantage of playing with 
 others who are accomplished. 
 
 But we all sometimes observe cases of manner- 
 ism or of vagaries even amongst those who should 
 know better, and the attempt to draw attention to 
 some of the most obnoxious of these may be
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 beneficial. The Americans set us a fine example 
 as regards suppression of bad Whist habits. 
 
 In all matches we shall have to adopt Duplicate 
 Whist. We may not for this perhaps do better 
 than accept the existing well-organized American 
 arrangements. 
 
 A very large proportion of our leading men 
 whether political, professional, naval or military 
 recognise fully the importance of sound play in 
 Whist and Chess. They see that good players in 
 such games are, wherever they may be serving, of 
 higher social value, and perhaps of higher intellec- 
 tual capacity, than are those versed only in the 
 examination subjects which are rarely required to 
 the front except for examination purposes. 
 
 Dr. Pole records that a great man has said : 
 " In choosing a Prime Minister, his Whist-playing 
 would offer a sufficient test of his competency." 
 Undoubtedly a good Whist-player is always a man 
 of great ability, and there could hardly be shown 
 any better all-round qualification than proficiency 
 in our national games. I venture to hope that the 
 day may soon come when these shall generally be 
 included in an examination curriculum. 
 
 Indeed, the Americans have taken the initiative 
 in the lines indicated. 
 
 I have before me an American newspaper, stat- 
 ing that Whist is now made a subject of instruction 
 in some schools in New York, and that it is found 
 most effective in developing mathematical and 
 deductive powers.
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 The formation of an English Whist League 
 with an administrative staff must be preliminary to 
 an International Whist Congress. 
 
 In America there are professional teachers of 
 the game, and in England we should do well to 
 encourage a like institution. The time may not 
 be far off when those who desire to become good 
 players will deem it essential to commence by 
 undergoing a course of lessons, and when their 
 teachers will have been required to qualify by 
 passing a searching examination under arrange- 
 ments inaugurated by our National Whist Council, 
 before they are granted Diplomas. 
 
 Revived and increased popularity for Whist 
 would be ensured if English Ladies might take it 
 up with something of the fervour shown by Ameri- 
 can Ladies; skill in the game by them would 
 indeed be an additional intellectual attraction. 
 
 I trust that the argument I have advanced as 
 regards the American Leads and Signals being 
 often badly open to well-judged opposition tactics, 
 may induce players of high Whist perception to 
 study the attack rather than adopt or devise rami- 
 fications to the over-informatory system. 
 
 It will doubtless always be a very great comfort 
 to have partners who adopt the full-information 
 programme. You often hear such complaints as, 
 "How could I tell that you held such-and-such 
 a card?" but never, "You made the contents of 
 your hand too patent by your method of play ! " 
 It is pleasant to be protected by the Partner's
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 open declarations in play from the chance of your 
 strategy clashing with his, and it is a luxury that 
 your game may thus be so smoothed that you can 
 yourself do no wrong ; but with observant and 
 strong opponents who are taking careful note of 
 your regulation arrangements there will very often 
 happen trick-losing results.
 
 CMPTER I 
 
 A parallel comparison between the Laws of English Short 
 Whist and the Laws of American Whist. 
 
 THE laws of both nations are given below in 
 full, the English laws standing in their 
 numerical sequence, and the American 
 laws transposed, each one being put opposite to 
 the English law which has bearing on a similar 
 issue. 
 
 THE LAWS OF 
 
 ENGLISH SHORT 
 
 WHIST. 
 
 THE RUBBER. 
 
 1. The rubber is the best 
 of three games. If the first 
 two games be won by the 
 same players, the third game 
 is not played. 
 
 SCORING. 
 
 2. A game consists of five 
 points. Each trick above 
 six counts one point. 
 
 3. Honours, i.e. ace, 
 king, queen and knave of 
 trumps, are thus reckoned : 
 If a player and his partner 
 
 THE LAWS OF 
 AMERICAN WHIST. 
 
 THE GAME. 
 
 I. A game consists of 
 seven points, each trick 
 above six counting one. The 
 value of the game is deter- 
 mined by deducting the 
 loser's score from seven. 
 
 See American Law No. I. 
 
 No American Law ; the 
 Americans not allowing 
 honours to score.
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 either separately or con- 
 jointly, hold 
 
 I. The four honours they score 
 
 four points. 
 
 II. Any three honours they score 
 
 two points. 
 
 III. Only two honours they do 
 not score. 
 
 4. Those players, who, at 
 the commencement of a deal, 
 are at the score of four, can- 
 not score honours. 
 
 5. The penalty for a re- 
 voke takes precedence of all 
 other scores. Tricks score 
 next, honours last. 
 
 6. Honours, unless 
 claimed before the trump 
 card of the following deal - 
 is turned up, cannot be 
 scored. 
 
 7. To score honours is 
 not sufficient ; they must be 
 called at the end of the 
 hand ; if so called, they may 
 be scored at any time during 
 the game. 
 
 8. The winners gain, 
 
 I. A treble, or game of three 
 points when their adver- 
 saries have not scored. 
 
 II. A double, or game of two 
 
 points when their adver- 
 saries have scored less 
 than three. 
 
 III. A single, or game of one 
 
 point when their adver- 
 saries have scored three 
 or four. 
 
 No American Law. 
 
 See American Law No. 30. 
 
 No American Law. 
 
 No American Law. 
 
 See American Law No. i.
 
 8 
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 9. The winners of the 
 rubber gain two points, 
 commonly called the rubber 
 points, in addition to the 
 value of their games. 
 
 10. Should the rubber 
 have consisted of three 
 games, the value of the 
 losers' game is deducted 
 from the gross number of 
 points gained by their oppo- 
 nents. 
 
 11. If an erroneous score 
 be proved, such a mistake 
 can be corrected prior to the 
 conclusion of the game in 
 which it occurred, and such 
 game is not concluded until 
 the trump card of the follow- 
 ing deal has been turned up. 
 
 12. If an erroneous score 
 affecting the amount of the 
 rubber be proved, such mis- 
 take can be rectified at any 
 time during the rubber. 
 
 CUTTING. 
 
 13. The ace is the lowest 
 card. 
 
 No American Law. 
 
 No American Law. 
 
 No American Law. 
 
 14. In all cases, every one 
 must cut from the same pack. 
 
 No American La\v. 
 
 CUTTING. 
 
 7. In cutting, the ace is 
 the lowest card. All must 
 cut from the same pack. 
 If a player exposes more 
 than one card, he must cut 
 again. Drawing cards from 
 the outspread pack may be 
 resorted to in place of 
 cutting. 
 
 See American Law No. 7.
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 15. Should a player ex- 
 pose more than one card, 
 he must cut again. 
 
 FORMATION OF TABLE. 
 
 16. If there are more than 
 four candidates, the players 
 are selected by cutting, those 
 first in the room having the 
 preference. The four who 
 cut the lowest cards play 
 first, and again cut to decide 
 on partners ; the two lowest 
 play against the two highest, 
 the lowest is the dealer, who 
 has choice of cards and 
 seats, and having once made 
 his selection must abide by it. 
 
 17. When there are more 
 than six candidates, those 
 who cut the two next lowest 
 cards belong to the table, 
 which is complete with six 
 players ; on the retirement 
 of one of these six players 
 the candidate who cut the 
 next lowest card has a prior 
 right to any after-comer to 
 enter the table. 
 
 CUTTING CARDS OF EQUAL 
 VALUE. 
 
 18. Two players cutting 
 cards of equal value, unless 
 
 See American Law No. 7. 
 
 FORMING THE TABLE. 
 
 2. Those first in the room 
 have the preference. If by 
 reason of two or more 
 arriving at the same time 
 more than four assemble, 
 the preference among the 
 last comers is determined by 
 cutting, a lower cut giving 
 the preference over all cutting 
 higher. A complete table 
 consists of six, the four 
 having the preference play. 
 Partners are determined by 
 cutting, the highest two play 
 against the lowest two ; the 
 lowest deals, and has the 
 choice of seats and cards. 
 
 See American Law No. 2. 
 
 3. If two players cut in- 
 termediate cards of equal
 
 10 
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 such cards are the two 
 highest, cut again ; should 
 they be the two lowest, a 
 fresh cut is necessary to de- 
 cide which of the two deals. 
 19. Three players cutting 
 cards of equal value cut 
 again ; should the fourth 
 (or remaining) card be the 
 highest, the two lowest of 
 the new cut are partners, 
 the lower of these two the 
 dealer; should the fourth 
 card be the lowest, the two 
 highest are partners, the 
 original lowest the dealer. 
 
 value, they cut again ; the 
 lower of the new cut plays 
 with the original lowest. 
 
 4. If three players cut 
 cards of equal value, they 
 cut again. If the fourth has 
 cut the highest card, the 
 lowest two of the new cut 
 are partners and the lowest 
 deals. If the fourth has cut 
 the lowest card, he deals, 
 and the highest two of the 
 new cut are partners. 
 
 CUTTING OUT. 
 
 20. At the end of a rubber, 
 should admission be claimed 
 by any one or two candi- 
 dates, he who has, or they 
 who have, played a greater 
 number of consecutive rub- 
 bers than the others, is, or 
 are, out ; but when all have 
 played the same number they 
 must cut to decide upon the 
 outgoers ; the highest are 
 out. 
 
 5. At the end of a game, 
 if there are more than four 
 belonging to a table, a suffi- 
 cient number of the players 
 retire to admit those awaiting 
 their turn to play. In de- 
 termining which players re- 
 main in, those who have 
 played a less number of 
 consecutive games have the 
 preference over all who 
 have played a greater number; 
 between two or more who 
 have played an equal num- 
 ber the preference is deter- 
 mined by cutting, a lower 
 cut giving the preference 
 over all cutting higher.
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 II 
 
 ENTRY AND RE-ENTRY. 
 
 21. A candidate wishing 
 to enter a table must declare 
 such intention prior to any 
 of the players having cut a 
 card either for the purpose 
 of commencing a fresh 
 rubber or of cutting out. 
 
 22. In the formation of 
 fresh tables, those candidates 
 who have neither belonged 
 to nor played at any other 
 table have the prior right 
 of entry ; the others decide 
 their right of admission by 
 cutting. 
 
 23. Any one quitting a 
 table prior to the conclusion 
 of a rubber may, with the 
 consent of the other three 
 players, appoint a substitute 
 in his absence during that 
 rubber. 
 
 24. A player cutting into 
 one table, while belonging 
 to another, loses his right of 
 re-entry into that latter, and 
 takes his chance of cutting 
 in as if he were a fresh 
 candidate. 
 
 25. If any one break up a 
 table, the remaining players 
 have the prior right to him 
 of entry into any other ; and 
 should there not be sufficient 
 vacancies at such other 
 tables to admit all these 
 
 6. To entitle one to enter 
 a table he must declare his 
 intention to do so before 
 any one of the players has 
 cut for the purpose of com- 
 mencing a new game or of 
 cutting out. 
 
 See American Law No. 5. 
 
 No American Law. 
 
 No American Law. 
 
 No American Law,
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 candidates, they settle their 
 precedence by cutting. 
 SHUFFLING. 
 
 26. The pack must nei- 
 ther be shuffled below the 
 table, nor so that the face of 
 any card can be seen. 
 
 27. The pack must not be 
 shuffled during the play of 
 the hand. 
 
 28. A pack, having been 
 played with, must neither be 
 shuffled by dealing it into 
 packets nor across the table. 
 
 29. Each player has a 
 right to shuffle once only, 
 except as provided by Rule 
 32, prior to a deal, after a 
 false cut, or when a new 
 deal has occurred. 
 
 30. The dealer's partner 
 must collect the cards for 
 the ensuing deal, and has 
 the first right to shuffle that 
 pack. 
 
 31. Each player, after 
 shuffling, must place the 
 cards, properly collected and 
 face downwards, to the left 
 of the player about to deal. 
 
 32. The dealer has always 
 the right to shuffle last, but 
 should a card or cards be 
 seen during his shuffling, or 
 while giving the pack to be 
 cut, he may be compelled to 
 re shuffle. 
 
 SHUFFLING. 
 
 9. A pack must not be 
 shuffled during the play of a 
 hand, nor so as to expose 
 the face of any card. 
 
 See American Law No. 9. 
 
 8. Before every deal the 
 cards must be shuffled. 
 When two packs are used, 
 the dealer's partner must 
 collect and shuffle the cards 
 for the ensuing deal, and 
 place them at his right 
 hand. In all cases the 
 dealer may shuffle last. 
 
 See American Law No. 8. 
 
 See American Law No. 8. 
 
 See American Laws Nos. 
 and 9.
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 THE DEAL. 
 
 33. Each player deals in 
 his turn ; the right of dealing 
 goes to the left. 
 
 34. The player on the 
 dealer's right cuts the pack, 
 and in dividing it must not 
 leave fewer than four cards 
 in either packet ; if in cut- 
 ting, or in replacing one of 
 the two packets on the other, 
 a card be exposed, or if there 
 be any confusion of the 
 cards, or a doubt as to the 
 exact place in which the 
 pack was divided, there must 
 be a fresh cut. 
 
 CUTTING TO THE DEALER. 
 
 10. The dealer must pre- 
 sent the pack to his right- 
 hand adversary to be cut ; 
 the adversary must take a 
 portion from the top of the 
 pack and place it towards 
 the dealer ; at least four 
 cards must be left in each 
 packet ; the dealer must re- 
 unite the packets by placing 
 the one not removed in cut- 
 ting upon the other. 
 
 See also American Law 
 No. 13. 
 
 11. If, in cutting or re- 
 uniting the separate packets, 
 a card is exposed, the pack 
 must be re-shuffled by the 
 dealer and cut again. If 
 there is any confusion of the 
 cards or doubt as to the place 
 where the pack was sepa- 
 rated, there must be a new 
 cut. 
 
 13. When the pack has 
 been properly cut and re- 
 united, the dealer must dis- 
 tribute the cards, one at a 
 time, to each player in 
 regular rotation, beginning 
 at his left ; the last, which is 
 the trump card, must be 
 turned up before the dealer. 
 At the end of the hand, or 
 when the deal is lost, the 
 deal passes to the player
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 35. When the player 
 whose duty it is to cut has 
 once separated the pack, he 
 cannot alter his intention ; 
 he can neither re-shuffle nor 
 re-cut the cards. 
 
 36. When the pack is cut, 
 should the dealer shuffle the 
 cards, he loses his deal. 
 
 next to the dealer on his 
 left, and so on to each in 
 turn. 
 See American Law No. 13. 
 
 12. If the dealer re- 
 shuffles the pack after it has 
 been properly cut, he loses 
 his deal. 
 
 A NEW DEAL. 
 
 37. There must be a new 
 deal 
 
 I. If during a deal, or during 
 the play of a hand, the 
 pack be proved incorrect 
 or imperfect. 
 
 II. If any card excepting the 
 last be faced in the pack. 
 
 38. If while dealing a card 
 be exposed by the dealer or 
 his partner, should neither of 
 the adversaries have touched 
 the cards, the latter can claim 
 a new deal ; a card exposed 
 by either adversary gives that 
 claim to the dealer, provided 
 that his partner has not 
 touched a card ; if a new deal 
 does not take place, the ex- 
 posed card cannot be called. 
 
 14. There must be a new 
 deal by the same dealer 
 
 I. If any card except the last is 
 
 faced in the pack. 
 II. If during the deal or during 
 the play of the hand, the 
 pack is proved incorrect 
 or imperfect ; but any 
 prior score made with that 
 pack shall stand. 
 
 15. If during the deal a 
 card is exposed, the side not 
 in fault may demand a new 
 deal provided neither of 
 that side has touched a card. 
 If a new deal does not take 
 place the exposed card is not 
 liable to be called.
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 39. If during dealing a 
 player touch any of his cards, 
 the adversaries may do the 
 same without losing their 
 privilege of claiming a new 
 deal, should chance give them 
 such option. 
 
 40. If in dealing one of 
 the last cards be exposed, and 
 the dealer turn up the trump 
 before there is reasonable 
 time for his adversaries to 
 decide as to a fresh deal, they 
 do not thereby lose their 
 privilege. 
 
 41. If a player, whilst 
 dealing, look at the trump 
 card, his adversaries have a 
 right to see it, and may exact 
 a new deal. 
 
 42. If a player take into 
 the hand dealt to him a card 
 belonging to the other pack, 
 the adversaries, on discovery 
 of the error, may decide 
 whether they will have a fresh 
 deal or not. 
 
 See American Law No. 
 
 43- 
 deal. 
 
 A MISDEAL. 
 
 A misdeal loses the 
 
 44. It is a misdeal 
 
 I. Unless the cards are dealt 
 into four packets, one at 
 a time in regular rotation, 
 beginning with the player 
 to the dealer's left. 
 
 No American Law. 
 
 See American Law No. 
 17, Sect. V., whereby the 
 looking at the trump card by 
 the dealer constitutes a mis- 
 deal. 
 
 See American Law No. 
 19, opposite English Law, 
 No. 69. 
 
 MISDEALING. 
 1 7. It is a misdeal 
 
 I. If the dealer omits to have 
 the pack cut, and his ad- 
 versaries discover the 
 error before the trump 
 card is turned and before 
 looking at any of their 
 cards.
 
 i6 
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 II. Should the dealer place the 
 
 last card (i.e. the trump) 
 face downwards, on his 
 own or any other pack. 
 
 III. Should the trump card not 
 
 come in its regular order 
 to the dealer ; but he does 
 not lose his deal if the 
 pack be proved imperfect. 
 
 IV. Should a player have four- 
 
 teen cards, and either of 
 the other three less than 
 thirteen. 
 
 V. Should the dealer, under an 
 
 impression that he has 
 made a mistake, either 
 count the cards on the 
 table or the remainder of 
 the pack. 
 
 VI. Should the dealer deal two 
 cards at once, or two 
 cards to the same hand, 
 and then deal a third ; but 
 if prior to dealing that 
 third card the dealer can, 
 by altering the position 
 of one card only, rectify 
 such error, he may do so, 
 except as provided by the 
 second paragraph of this 
 law. 
 
 VII. Should the dealer omit to 
 have the pack cut to him, 
 and the adversaries dis- 
 cover the error, prior to 
 the trump card being 
 turned up, and before 
 looking at their cards, but 
 not after having done so. 
 
 45. A misdeal does not lose 
 the deal, if, during the deal- 
 ing, either of the adversaries 
 touch the cards prior to the 
 dealer's partner having done 
 
 II. If he deals a card incor- 
 rectly, and fails to correct 
 the error before dealing 
 another. 
 
 III. If he counts the cards on the 
 
 table or in the remainder 
 of the pack. 
 
 IV. If, having a perfect pack, he 
 
 does not deal to each 
 player the proper number 
 of cards, and the error is 
 discovered before all have 
 played to the first trick. 
 V. If he looks at the trump card 
 before the deal is com- 
 pleted. 
 
 VI. If he places the trump card 
 face downwards upon his 
 own or any other player's 
 cards. A misdeal loses 
 the deal, unless during 
 the deal either of the ad- 
 versaries touches a card 
 or in any other manner 
 interrupts the dealer. 
 
 See American Law No. 
 17, Sect. VI. ; and American 
 Law No. 15.
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 so ; but should the latter have 
 first interfered with the cards, 
 notwithstanding either or 
 both of the adversaries have 
 subsequently done the same, 
 the deal is lost. 
 
 46. Should three players 
 have their right number of 
 cards, the fourth have less 
 than thirteen, and not dis- 
 cover such deficiency until he 
 has played any of his cards, 
 the deal stands good ; should 
 he have played, he is as an- 
 swerable for any revoke he 
 may have made as if the mis- 
 sing card or cards had been 
 in his hand ; he may search 
 the other pack for it, or them. 
 
 47. If a pack, during or 
 after a rubber, be proved in- 
 correct or imperfect, such 
 proof does not alter any past 
 score, game or rubber ; that 
 hand in which the imperfec- 
 tion was detected is null and 
 void ; the dealer deals again. 
 
 48. Any one dealing out of 
 turn or with the adversary's 
 cards, may be stopped before 
 the trump card is turned up, 
 after which the game must 
 proceed as if no mistake had 
 been made. 
 
 See American Law No. 
 19, opposite English Law 
 
 No. 69. 
 
 See American Law No. 
 14, Sect. II., placed opposite 
 English Law No. 37. 
 
 1 6. Any one dealing out of 
 turn or with his adversaries' 
 pack may be stopped before 
 the trump card is turned, 
 after which the deal is valid, 
 and the packs, if changed, so 
 remain. 
 
 49. A player can neither 
 shuffle, cut nor deal for his 
 
 No American Law.
 
 i8 
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 partner without the permis- 
 sion of his opponents. 
 
 50. If the adversaries in- 
 terrupt a dealer while deal- 
 ing, either by questioning 
 the score or asserting that it 
 is not his deal, and fail to 
 establish such claim, should 
 a misdeal occur, he may 
 deal again. 
 
 51. Should a player take 
 his partner's deal, and mis- 
 deal, the latter is liable to 
 the usual penalty, and the 
 adversary next in rotation to 
 the player who ought to have 
 dealt then deals. 
 
 No American Law. 
 
 No American Law. 
 
 THE TRUMP CARD. 
 
 52. The dealer, when it 
 is his turn to play to the 
 first trick, should take the 
 trump card into his hand ; if 
 left on the table after the 
 first trick be turned and 
 quitted, it is liable to be 
 called ; his partner may at 
 any time remind him of the 
 liability. 
 
 53. After the dealer has 
 taken the trump card into 
 his hand it cannot be asked 
 for ; a player naming it at 
 any time during the play of 
 that hand is liable to have 
 his highest or lowest trump 
 called. 
 
 1 8. The dealer must leave 
 the trump card face upwards 
 on the table until it is his 
 turn to play to the first trick. 
 If it is left on the table until 
 after the second trick has 
 been turned and quitted, it 
 is liable to be called. After 
 it has been lawfully taken up 
 it must not be named, and" 
 any player naming it is liable 
 to have his highest or his 
 lowest trump called by either 
 adversary. A player may, 
 however, ask what the trump 
 suit is.
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 54. If the dealer take the 
 trump card into his hand 
 before it is his turn to play, 
 he may be desired to lay it 
 on the table ; should he show 
 a wrong card, this card may 
 be called, as also a second, 
 a third, etc., until the trump 
 card be produced. 
 
 55. If the dealer declare 
 himself unable to recollect 
 the trump card, his highest 
 or lowest trump may be 
 called at any time during 
 that hand, and, unless it cause 
 him to revoke, must be 
 played. The call may be 
 repeated, but not changed, 
 i.e. from highest to lowest, 
 or vice vend, until such card 
 is played. 
 
 CARDS LIABLE TO BE 
 CALLED. 
 
 56. All exposed cards are 
 liable to be called, and must 
 be left on the table ; but a 
 card is not an exposed card 
 when dropped on the floor or 
 elsewhere below the table. 
 The following are exposed 
 cards : 
 
 I. Two or more cards played 
 
 at once. 
 
 II. Any card dropped with its 
 face upwards, or in any 
 way exposed on or above 
 the table, even though 
 
 See American Law No. 18. 
 
 See American Law No. 18. 
 
 CARDS LIABLE TO BE 
 CALLED. 
 
 20. The following cards 
 are liable to be called by 
 either adversary : 
 
 I. Every card faced upon the 
 table otherwise than in 
 the regular course of 
 play, but not including a. 
 card led out of turn. 
 II. Every card thrown with the 
 one led or played to the 
 current trick. The player 
 must indicate the one 
 played or led. 
 
 III. Every card so held by a 
 player that his partner
 
 20 
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 snatched up so quickly 
 that no one can name it. 
 
 57. If any one play to an 
 imperfect trick the best card 
 on the table, or lead one 
 which is a winning card as 
 against his adversaries and 
 then lead again, or play 
 several such winning cards 
 one after the other, without 
 waiting for his partner to 
 play, the latter may be called 
 on to win, if he can, the 
 first or any of those tricks, 
 and the other cards thus im- 
 properly played are exposed 
 cards. 
 
 58. If a player, or players, 
 under the impression that 
 the game is lost, or won, or 
 for other reasons, throw his 
 or their cards on the table 
 face upwards, such cards are 
 exposed, and liable to be 
 called, each player's by the 
 adversary ; but should one 
 player alone retain his hand, 
 he cannot be forced to aban- 
 don it. 
 
 sees any portion of its 
 face. 
 
 IV. All cards in a hand lowered 
 
 or shown by a player so 
 that his partner sees 
 more than one card of it. 
 
 V. Every card named by the 
 
 player holding it. 
 
 22. If a player leads a 
 card better than any his 
 adversaries hold of the suit, 
 and then lead one or more 
 cards without waiting for his 
 partner to play, the latter 
 may be called upon by either 
 adversary to take the first 
 trick, and the other cards 
 thus improperly played are 
 liable to be called. It makes 
 no difference whether he 
 plays them one after the 
 other or throws them all on 
 the table together ; after the 
 first card is played the others 
 are liable to be called. 
 
 See American Law No. 22.
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 21 
 
 59. If all four players 
 throw their cards on the 
 table face upwards, the hands 
 are abandoned ; and no one 
 can again take up his cards. 
 Should this general exhibi- 
 tion show that the game 
 might have been saved, or 
 Avon, neither claim can be 
 entertained, unless a revoke 
 be established. The revok- 
 ing players are then liable to 
 the following penalties : they 
 cannot, under any circum- 
 stances, win the game by the 
 result of that hand, and the 
 adversaries may add three 
 to their score, or deduct 
 three from that of the re- 
 voking players. 
 
 60. A card detached from 
 the rest of the hand so as to 
 be named is liable to be 
 called ; but should the ad- 
 versary name a wrong card, 
 he is liable to have a suit 
 called when he or his partner 
 have the lead. 
 
 61. If a player, who has 
 rendered himself liable to 
 have the highest or lowest 
 of a suit called, fail to play 
 as desired, or if when called 
 on to lead one suit lead 
 another, having in his hand 
 one or more cards of that 
 
 ABANDONED HANDS. 
 27. If all four players 
 throw their cards on the 
 table, face upwards, no 
 further play of that hand 
 is permitted. The result of 
 the hand, as then claimed 
 or admitted, is established, 
 provided that, if a revoke is 
 discovered, the revoke pen- 
 alty attaches. 
 
 No American Law. 
 
 23. A player having a card 
 liable to be called must not 
 play another until the adver- 
 saries have stated whether 
 or not they wish to call the 
 card liable to the penalty. 
 If he plays another card 
 without awaiting the decision
 
 22 
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 suit demanded, he incurs the 
 penalty of a revoke. 
 
 62. If any player lead out 
 of turn, his adversaries may 
 either call the card errone- 
 ously led, or may call a suit 
 from him or his partner when 
 it is the next turn of either 
 of them to lead. 
 
 63. If any player lead out 
 of turn, and the other three 
 have followed him, the trick 
 is complete, and the error 
 cannot be rectified ; but if 
 only the second, or the second 
 and third, have played to 
 the false lead, their cards, 
 on discovery of the mistake, 
 are taken back. There is 
 no penalty against any one 
 excepting the original offen- 
 der, whose card may be 
 called, or he, or his partner, 
 when either of them has next 
 the lead, may be compelled 
 to play any suit demanded 
 by the adversaries. 
 
 cf the adversaries, such other 
 card also is liable to be 
 called. 
 
 38. If a player is lawfully 
 called upon to play the 
 highest or lowest of a suit, 
 or to trump or not to trump 
 a trick, or to lead a suit, and 
 unnecessarily fails to comply, 
 he is liable to the same 
 penalty as if he had revoked. 
 LEADING OUT OF TURN. 
 
 24. If any player leads 
 out of turn, a suit may be 
 called from him or his 
 partner, the first time it is 
 the turn of either of them to 
 lead. The penalty can be 
 enforced only by the adver- 
 sary on the right of the 
 player from whom a suit can 
 be lawfully called. 
 
 If a player so called on 
 to lead a suit has none of it, 
 or if all have played to the 
 false lead, no penalty can be 
 enforced. If all have not 
 played to the trick, the cards 
 erroneously played to such 
 false lead are not liable to 
 be called, and must be taken 
 back.
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 2 3 
 
 64. In no case can a 
 player be compelled to play 
 a card which would oblige 
 him to revoke. 
 
 65. The call of a card 
 may be repeated until such 
 card has been played. 
 
 66. If a player called on 
 to lead a suit have none of 
 it, the penalty is paid. 
 
 CARDS PLAYED IN ERROR, 
 
 OR NOT PLAYED TO A 
 
 TRICK. 
 
 67. If the third hand play 
 before the second, the fourth 
 hand may play before his 
 partner. 
 
 68. Should the third hand 
 not have played, and the 
 fourth play before his part- 
 ner, the latter may be called 
 on to win or not to win the 
 trick. 
 
 69. If any one omit play- 
 ing to a former trick, and 
 such error be not discovered 
 until he has played to the 
 next, the adversaries may 
 claim a new deal. 
 
 21. All cards liable to be 
 called must be placed and 
 left face upwards on the 
 table. A player must lead 
 or play them when they are 
 called, provided he can do 
 so without revoking. The 
 call may be repeated at each 
 trick until the card is played. 
 A player cannot be pre- 
 vented from leading or play- 
 ing a card liable to be called. 
 If he can get rid of it in the 
 course of play, no penalty 
 remains. 
 
 PLAYING OUT OF TURN. 
 
 25. If the third hand plays 
 before the second, the fourth 
 hand also may play before 
 the second. 
 
 26. If the third hand has 
 not played, and the fourth 
 hand plays before the second, 
 the latter may be called upon 
 by the third hand to play his 
 highest or lowest card of the 
 suit led, or, if he has none, 
 to trump or not to trump the 
 trick. 
 
 IRREGULARITIES IN THE 
 
 HANDS. 
 
 19. If at any time after all 
 have played to the first trick, 
 the pack being perfect, a 
 player is found to have 
 either more or less than his 
 correct number of cards, and
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 Should they decide that 
 the deal stand good, the 
 surplus cards at the end of 
 the hand is considered to 
 have been played to the im- 
 perfect trick, but does not 
 constitute a revoke. 
 
 70. If any one play two 
 cards to the same trick, or 
 mix his trump or other card 
 with a trick to which it does 
 not properly belong, and the 
 mistake be not discovered 
 until the hand is played out, 
 he is answerable for all con- 
 sequent revokes he may have 
 made. If, during the play 
 of the hand, the error be 
 detected, the tricks may be 
 counted face downwards, in 
 order to ascertain whether 
 there be among them a card 
 too many. Should this be 
 the case, they may be searched 
 and the card restored. The 
 player is, however, liable for 
 all revokes he may mean- 
 while have made. 
 
 THE REVOKE 
 
 71. Is when a player, 
 holding one or more cards of 
 the suit led, plays a card of 
 a different suit. 
 
 72. The penalty for a re- 
 voke : 
 
 I. Is at the option of the ad- 
 versaries, who, at the 
 
 his adversaries have the right 
 number, the latter, on the 
 discovery of such surplus or 
 deficiency, may consult and 
 shall have the choice 
 
 I. To have a new deal, or 
 II. To have the hand played 
 out, in which case the 
 surplus or missing card 
 or cards are not taken 
 into account. 
 
 If either of the adversaries 
 also has more or less than 
 his correct number of cards, 
 there must be a new deal. 
 
 If any player has a sur- 
 plus card by reason of an 
 omission to play to a trick, 
 his adversaries can exercise 
 the foregoing privilege only 
 after he has played to the 
 trick following the one in 
 which such omission oc- 
 curred. 
 
 REVOKING. 
 
 28. A revoke is a re- 
 nounce in error not corrected 
 in time ; a player renounces 
 in error when, holding one 
 or more cards of the suit 
 led, he plays a card of a 
 different suit. 
 
 A renounce in error may
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 end of the hand, may 
 either take three tricks 
 from the revoking player 
 or deduct three points 
 from his score, or add 
 three to their own score ; 
 1 1. Can be claimed for as many 
 revokes as occur during 
 the hand ; 
 
 III. Is applicable only to the 
 
 score of the game in 
 which it occurs ; 
 
 IV. Cannot be divided, i.e. a 
 
 player cannot add one or 
 two to his own score and 
 deduct one or two from 
 the revoking player ; 
 V. Takes precedence of every 
 other score, e.g., the 
 claimants two, their op- 
 ponents nothing ; the 
 former add three to their 
 score, and thereby win a 
 treble game, even should 
 the latter have made thir- 
 teen tricks and held four 
 honours. 
 
 73. A revoke is established 
 if the trick in which it occur 
 be turned and quitted, i.e. 
 the hand removed from that 
 trick after it has been turned 
 face downwards on the table ; 
 or if either the revoking 
 player or his partner, whether 
 in his right turn or other- 
 wise, lead or play to the 
 following trick. 
 
 74. A player may ask his 
 partner whether he has not 
 a card of the suit which he 
 has renounced. Should the 
 
 be corrected by the player 
 making it before the trick in 
 which it occurs has been 
 turned and quitted, unless 
 either he or his partner, 
 whether in his right turn or 
 otherwise, has led or played 
 to the following trick, or 
 unless his partner has asked 
 whether or not he has any 
 of the suit renounced. 
 
 30. The penalty for re- 
 voking is the transfer of two 
 tricks from the revoking 
 side to their adversaries' ; it 
 can be enforced for as many 
 revokes as occur during the 
 hand. The revoking side 
 cannot win the game in that 
 hand. If both sides revoke, 
 neither can win the game in 
 that hand. 
 
 See American Law No. 
 28. 
 
 See American Law No. 
 28, which is prohibitory as 
 regards asking this question.
 
 26 
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 question be asked before the 
 trick is turned and quilted, 
 subsequent turning and quit- 
 ting docs not establish the 
 revoke, and the error may 
 be corrected, unless the 
 question be answered in the 
 negative, or unless the re- 
 voking player or his partner 
 have led or played to the 
 following trick. 
 
 75. At the end of the 
 hand the claimants of a re- 
 voke may search all the 
 tricks. 
 
 76. If a player discover 
 his mistake in time to save 
 a revoke, his adversaries, 
 whenever they think fit, may 
 call the card thus played in 
 error, or may require him to 
 play his highest or lowest 
 card to that trick in which 
 he has renounced. Any 
 player or players who have 
 played after him may with- 
 draw their cards and substi- 
 tute others ; the cards with- 
 drawn are not liable to be 
 called. 
 
 77. If a revoke be claimed 
 and the accused player or 
 his partner mix his cards 
 before they have been suf- 
 ficiently examined by the 
 adversaries, the revoke is 
 established. The mixing of 
 
 See American Law No. 
 
 32. 
 
 29. If a player corrects 
 his mistake in time to save a 
 revoke, the card improperly 
 played by him is liable to 
 be called. Any player or 
 players who have played 
 after him may withdraw 
 their cards and substitute 
 others. The cards so with- 
 drawn are not liable to be 
 called. 
 
 32. At the end of a hand 
 the claimants of a revoke 
 may search all the tricks. 
 If the cards have been 
 mixed, the claim may be 
 urged and proved, if possi- 
 ble ; but no proof is neces-
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 the cards only renders the 
 proof of a revoke difficult, 
 but does not prevent the 
 claim and possible establish- 
 ment of the penalty. 
 
 78. A revoke cannot be 
 claimed after the cards have 
 been cut for the following 
 deal. 
 
 79. The revoking player 
 and his partner may, under 
 all circumstances, require 
 the hand in which the revoke 
 has been detected to be 
 played out. 
 
 80. If a revoke occur, be 
 claimed, and proved, bets on 
 the odd trick, or on amount 
 of score, must be decided by 
 the actual state of the latter 
 after the penalty is paid. 
 
 8 1. Should the players on 
 both sides subject themselves 
 to the penalty of one or 
 more revokes, neither can 
 win the game ; each is pun- 
 ished at the discretion of his 
 adversary. 
 
 82. In whatever way the 
 penalty is enforced, under no 
 circumstances can a player 
 win a game by the result of 
 
 sary, and the revoke is es- 
 tablished, if, after it has been 
 claimed, the accused player 
 or his partner mixes the 
 cards before they have been 
 examined to the satisfaction 
 of the adversaries. 
 
 33. The revoke can be 
 claimed at any time before 
 the cards have been pre- 
 sented and cut for the fol- 
 lowing deal, but not there- 
 after. 
 
 31. The revoking player 
 and his partner may require 
 the hand in which the revoke 
 has been made to be played 
 out, and score all points 
 made by them up to the 
 score of six. 
 
 No American Law. 
 
 See American Law No. 30, 
 opposite English Law No. 
 
 72. 
 
 See American Laws Nos. 
 30 and 31.
 
 28 
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 the hand during which he 
 has revoked ; he cannot 
 score more than four. 
 CALLING FOR NEW CARDS. 
 
 83. Any player (on paying 
 for them) before, but not 
 after, the pack be cut for the 
 deal, may call for fresh cards. 
 He must call for two new 
 packs, of which the dealer 
 takes his choice. 
 
 GENERAL RULES. 
 
 84. Where a player and 
 his partner have an option 
 of exacting from their 
 adversaries one of two 
 penalties, they should agree 
 who is to make the elec- 
 tion, but must not consult 
 one another which of the 
 two penalties it is advisable 
 to exact ; if they do so con- 
 sult, they lose their right ; 
 and if either of them, with 
 or without the consent of his 
 partner, demand a penalty 
 to which he is entitled, such 
 decision is final. This rule 
 does not apply in exacting 
 the penalties for a revoke ; 
 partners have then a right 
 to consult. 
 
 85. Any one during the 
 play of a trick, or after the 
 four cards are played, and 
 before, but not after, they 
 
 No American Law. 
 
 39. In all cases where a 
 penalty has been incurred, 
 the offender must await the 
 decision of the adversaries. 
 If either of them, with or 
 without his partner's con- 
 sent, demands a penalty to 
 which they are entitled, such 
 decision is final. If the 
 wrong adversary demands a 
 penalty, or a wrong penalty 
 is demanded, none can be 
 enforced. 
 
 34. Any one, during the 
 play of a trick and before 
 the cards have been touched 
 for the purpose of gathering
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 are touched for the purpose 
 of gathering them together, 
 may demand that the cards 
 be placed before their re- 
 spective players. 
 
 86. If any one, prior to his 
 partner playing, should call 
 attention to the trick, either 
 by saying that it is his, or by 
 naming his card, or without 
 being required so to do, by 
 drawing it towards him, the 
 adversaries may require that 
 opponent's partner to play 
 the highest or lowest of the 
 suit they led, or to win or 
 lose the trick. 
 
 87. In all cases where a 
 penalty has been incurred, 
 the offender is bound to give 
 reasonable time for the de- 
 cision of his adversaries. 
 
 88. If a bystander make 
 any remark which calls the 
 attention of a player or 
 players to an oversight 
 affecting the score, he is 
 liable to be called upon, by 
 the players only, to pay the 
 stakes and all bets on that 
 game or rubber. 
 
 them together, may demand 
 that the players draw their 
 cards. 
 
 35. If any one, prior to 
 his partner playing, calls 
 attention in any manner to 
 the trick or to the score, the 
 adversary last to play to the 
 trick may require the offen- 
 der's partner to play his 
 highest or lowest of the suit 
 led, or if he has none, to 
 trump, or not to trump the 
 trick. 
 
 36. If any player says, " I 
 can win the rest," "The 
 rest are ours," "We have 
 the game," or words to that 
 effect, his partner's cards 
 must be laid upon the table, 
 and are liable to be called. 
 
 See American Law No. 
 39, placed opposite English 
 Law No. 84. 
 
 No American Law.
 
 3 
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 89. A bystander, by agree- 
 ment among the players, 
 may decide any question. 
 
 90. A card or cards torn 
 or marked must either be 
 replaced by ngreement, or 
 new cards called at the ex- 
 pense of the table. 
 
 91. Any player may de- 
 mand to see the last trick 
 turned, and no more. Under 
 no circumstances can more 
 than eight cards be seen 
 during the play of the hand, 
 viz., the four cards on the 
 table which have not been 
 turned and quitted, and the 
 last trick turned. 
 
 No American Law. 
 
 No American Law. 
 
 37. When a trick has been 
 turned and quitted, it must 
 not again be seen until after 
 the hand has been played. 
 A violation of this law sub- 
 jects the offender's side to 
 the same penalty as in the 
 case of a lead out of turn.
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 Showing some points in existing Whist Laws which are open to 
 controversy with proposals for amendment. Suggestions 
 for making penalties simple, uniform, and just in applica- 
 tion. Anomalies in the present DUMMY Laws. 
 
 JWILL now investigate some of the main 
 differences between the laws of English Whist 
 as published in the latest edition of Cavendish, 
 and the laws of American Whist as published in 
 Whist of To-day, by Mr. Milton C. Work, which 
 have been given parallel arrangement in the last 
 chapter. 
 
 There are ninety-one separate English laws as 
 against only thirty-nine American laws. 
 
 The question which first suggests itself is, " How 
 can such reduction be made in the American Code 
 with due regard to efficiency in working ? " 
 The answer is threefold : 
 
 1. Since the Americans play a game of seven 
 
 points instead of a rubber, and also since 
 they do not score honours, they can at 
 the outset dispense with most of our first 
 twelve laws. 
 
 2. The Americans when formulating their Code 
 
 had before them for information and con- 
 si
 
 32 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 sideration our ninety-one laws, laboriously 
 framed. From these they have extracted 
 all that they believed to be useful and 
 necessary, and have left out the remainder. 
 Our English laws were getting a little bit 
 prolix, and the time had come for over- 
 haul, and the Americans have to a great 
 extent shown us the right way. 
 3. In some cases the Americans have certainly 
 embodied the gist of two or three of our 
 laws into one of theirs; but they have 
 generally done so advisedly, for there is 
 no use in separating and lengthening when 
 condensation and sequence in a single law 
 may better serve the purpose. 
 The American Code does not altogether follow 
 our own in the arrangement of the subject matter. 
 We both start on the same lines. In our law 
 No. i we define our Rubber^ and in their law No. i 
 they define their Game which is analogous to our 
 Rubber. 
 
 We follow with instructions and regulations as 
 to scoring and cutting (Laws 2 to 15), whereas the 
 Americans follow with the rules for Forming the 
 Table. 
 
 At first thought it would appear that the 
 Americans have taken the most common-sense 
 view, because "Formation of the table" would 
 seem to take priority of anything else. But it 
 must be recognised that formation of the table 
 has sometimes to be decided by cutting, and there-
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 33 
 
 fore the rules as regards cutting ought first to be 
 given. 
 
 There are other cases also where the laws of the 
 two countries vary in their order of insertion ; but 
 practically these differences are of little importance. 
 
 In the International Whist Congress which may 
 be assembled to arrange uniformity, it is hoped 
 that the following points in the Whist Laws may 
 be considered : 
 
 (a) By American law, No. 10, "the adversary 
 
 must cut a portion from the top of the 
 pack, and place it towards the dealer." 
 Many in England do not cut this way. 
 Our law should specify the right way. 
 
 (b) A new deal is required, very properly, both 
 
 by American law No. 14 and by English 
 law No. 37, "If any card except the last 
 be faced in the pack " ; but why the ex- 
 ception ? 
 
 (c) The vior&pack as applied in English law No. 
 
 44, II., is inaccurate as regards " a hand 
 dealt to a player." It would be far better 
 to use the American description, viz., "any 
 other player's cards" vide their law No. 
 17, VI. But the part of this law running 
 "place the trump card, face downwards, 
 on his own or any other pack," would be 
 better if the word touching be substituted 
 for the word on. In the magazine Whist 
 for October, 1897, a case is cited of an 
 old gentleman who placed the last card
 
 34 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 [/.<?. the trump card] face downwards under 
 his cards ; of course such a proceeding 
 would not be tolerated, but the word 
 touching most completely covers all the 
 issues. 
 
 (tf) Under American law No. 1 7, V., it is a misdeal 
 if the dealer should look at the bottom or 
 trump card before the deal is completed. 
 This is far better than the English law 
 No. 41, which gives the adversaries the 
 right also to see the card, and then the 
 option of afresh deal. 
 
 (<?) Law No. 44, Section V. of the English Code 
 says : 
 
 " Should the dealer, under the impression that he has 
 made a mistake, either count the cards on the table 
 or the remainder of the pack, it is a misdeal." 
 
 American law No. 17, Section III., says : 
 
 "If he counts the cards on the table or the remainder of 
 the pack." 
 
 The dealer should by law be prohibited from 
 moving any dealt card except where he 
 may have delivered two at once, or may 
 inadvertently not have dealt a card to its 
 proper position ; and as regards those 
 cards remaining for dealing he should 
 only uncover as in turn required for that 
 operation. Any attempt at counting would 
 then be impossible.
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 35 
 
 (/) English law No. 44, Section IV., says : 
 
 "It is a misdeal should a player have fourteen cards and 
 either of the other three less than thirteen." 
 
 This law as worded allows carelessness by 
 partners, one of whom may pick up fourteen cards 
 and the other only twelve cards, and who may 
 both have neglected to count their hands, to go 
 unpunished. 
 
 This is not just to two opponents who may 
 each have picked up and held thirteen cards, and 
 American law No. 19 recognises this fact, and 
 capably legislates thus : 
 
 " If at any time after all have played to the first trick, the 
 pack being perfect, a player is found to have either more or 
 less than his correct number of cards, and his adversaries 
 have their right number, the latter upon the discovery of 
 such surplus or deficiency may consult, and shall have the 
 choice : 
 
 "I. To have a new deal ; 
 
 "II. Or to have the hand played out, in which case 
 the surplus or missing card or cards are not taken 
 into account." 
 
 General Drayson records 1 that he, seventeen 
 years ago, recommended in The Art of Practical 
 Whist the law as adopted by the Americans. It 
 is certainly time that the amendment should also 
 be made in the English Code. 
 
 (g) In a footnote to Law 52 in Cavendish, it is 
 stated that "it is not usual to call the 
 
 1 Whist Laws and Whist Decisions, by Major-General A. W. 
 Drayson. Published by Harper Brothers, New York.
 
 36 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 trump card if left on the table." Then 
 why make a law giving such penalty ? 
 Far better abolish the idea of penalty, and simply 
 say that the trump card must be taken into the 
 hand on notification by any of the players. The 
 American law No. 18 makes no reservation about 
 " not usual," but only allows the trump card to be 
 treated as an exposed card after the second trick 
 has been turned. 
 
 (K) In a footnote to law No. 53 (but why not 
 embodied in the law itself?), Cavendish says, 
 " any one may enquire what the trump 
 suit is at any time," and American law 
 No. 1 8 embodies this. But why should 
 such a puerile question be allowed ? Any 
 man finding it necessary to ask for such 
 information cannot be an attentive Whist- 
 player, and should hardly be accorded 
 special privilege in the questioning line. 
 (/) Our law No. 54 provides that if a player 
 may take up into his hand the trump card 
 before he should do, he may be required 
 to lay it on the table. That is right, but 
 there are penalties, not quite easy to 
 remember by us all, attached to showing 
 the wrong card, or to inability to remem- 
 ber the trump card. Now I wish specially 
 to submit that there should be simplicity 
 and uniformity as regards all Whist 
 penalties. It will, I am sure, be conceded 
 by Whist-players generally that the existing
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 37 
 
 penalties are a little difficult of adjustment 
 in some cases, that they sometimes give 
 rise to disputes, and above all that they 
 work most unevenly in degree of punish- 
 ment for similar offences. In many cases 
 they may amount to no punishment at all, 
 whereas sometimes they may bring loss of 
 a hardly fought rubber. Therefore, in all 
 cases except a revoke, I submit that the 
 penalty should be deduction of one game 
 point from the offender's score, or of two 
 game points if, when playing the English 
 game, that score be four. 
 
 (/) As regards exposed cards, referred to in 
 English law No. 56. It is certain that no 
 gentleman would ever purposely expose a 
 card for the benefit of his partner ; the 
 whole question therefore resolves itself 
 into " whether the partner has or has not 
 seen any card believed to have been in an 
 exposed position ? " and the simple and 
 straight way of ascertaining is to ask that 
 partner ; if he should say he has not seen it, 
 there is an end of the matter ; but if he 
 says that he has seen it, let there be no 
 calling of the card, but simply the penalty 
 of deducting one point from the game 
 score or two points if that score be at four. 
 The present laws may have been framed with 
 some idea of exacting such penalties as would 
 impress on the offender the nature of his offences.
 
 38 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 But let justice be simple and uniform in degree and 
 in application, and the penalties be of one descrip- 
 tion only, and so not hard to be remembered by 
 those who strive to be sound Whist-players rather 
 than experts in interpretation of difficulties arising 
 from fanciful alternative legal provisions. The 
 continual calling of an exposed card is an un- 
 necessary piece of nonsense; if that penalty of 
 calling be ruled to continue in its present appli- 
 cations, let the law stand that any singly exposed 
 card is to be played whenever there shall first be 
 opportunity without revoke ; there will then be no 
 calling for it. 
 
 (K) An authority on Whist has advanced, " By 
 the English code you may lower the whole 
 of your hand, so that your partner may see 
 nearly every card in it, but there is no 
 penalty for doing so." 
 
 This view seems hardly justified. Law No. 56 
 deals quite decisively with such cases. This law 
 lays down that the penalty for exposure is due if a 
 card be " in any way exposed on or above the table." 
 Nothing can be more explicit than that, and any 
 one would understand that lowering his cards so 
 as to show them to his partner is most carelessly 
 committing the offence of exposure, and therefore 
 is more deserving of punishment than the inadver- 
 tent dropping of a card on the table. 
 
 There is practically no difference as to advan- 
 tage derivable between lowering the hand so that 
 it can be seen, and presenting it face displayed
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 39 
 
 for inspection, and it is difficult to understand how 
 in either case, the fact of exposure could ever have 
 been questioned. 
 
 (/) By English law No. 56, each of two or more 
 cards played at once is treated as an ex- 
 posed card and is liable to be called. 
 By American law No. 20, when cards are played 
 as above, the player may indicate the one he in- 
 tended to play, and the others only are exposed cards. 
 The American law is best, being a proper and 
 gentlemanlike settlement of what was pure accident. 
 (iii) It has been asserted by some, that if a 
 player may place his hand of cards upon 
 the table, face upwards, but so that only 
 the top card can be seen, the whole of the 
 twelve cards hidden below it are exposed, 
 and can be called. 
 
 This supposition is not only contrary to common 
 sense, but also is not borne out by our law No. 
 56, nor by any law whatever, either English or 
 American. 
 
 The cards thus laid down are neither dropped on 
 the table, nor in any way exposed on or above the 
 table, nor are they faced (i.e. the face shown) on 
 the table. In fact, although the top card, and that 
 only, is palpably an exposed card, and therefore 
 liable to be called, the others being completely 
 covered by it may actually be lying face upwards 
 or face downwards, nobody can say which without 
 touching or removing the top card for inspection, 
 and the owner of the hand would hardly permit that.
 
 40 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 An exposed card is a card placed in such a 
 position that the partner could see it, and to call 
 any other card by that name is quibbling and un- 
 sound, and often originates specious questioning 
 of Whist laws. Moreover, all exposed cards should 
 be named. If a card cannot be named by either of 
 the three players not possessing it, it cannot be 
 said to have been exposed to view, and Section II. 
 of law No. 56 is at variance in its application with 
 our very peculiar law No. 60, which latter requires 
 a card to be named. 
 
 Professor W. W. Skeat, in his Dictionary of the 
 English Language, gives the word exposed 'as coming 
 to us through the French and Latin, and the only 
 meaning " laid open to view." 
 
 If a player might indulge in the freak of putting 
 his handkerchief over his cards and so laying them 
 face upwards [though covered over] on the table, 
 he would be doing a silly thing, but would cer- 
 tainly not have exposed his hand. 
 
 (ii) English law No. 57 is defective as compared 
 with American law No. 22. The last 
 paragraph in the American law clears 
 away all doubt as to the penalty which a 
 player, impatient of success in the usual 
 way, renders himself liable to. The 
 American law says : " It makes no differ- 
 ence whether he (the confident one) plays 
 the cards one after the other, or throws 
 them all on the table together ; after the 
 first card is played the others are liable to 
 be called."
 
 WHIST OK THE FUTURE 41 
 
 In illustration : Suppose a player to have A, 
 K, and J of trumps left as his three last cards, 
 and an opponent has Q and but one other trump ; 
 then if the A, K, J be led in quick succession in 
 that order without waiting for others to play, or if 
 they be thrown on the table as declaring winning 
 of the three last tricks, the first only, viz., the ace, 
 stands good as a lead, and to this the opponent 
 plays his small trump, and then calls the J and 
 wins it with his Q : after the first card led, viz., the 
 ace, the impatient one has to play the other two 
 as they may be called by the adversaries. 
 
 (o) With reference to our law No. 58, no player 
 should easily throw down his cards to show 
 that a game is ivon it will not take a 
 moment to prove this in the ordinary- 
 course of leads, and he might hold up his 
 triumph for that moment. The penalty, 
 however, may in fairness simply be that he 
 shall take his hand back and play it with 
 his partner's hand hors de combat. 
 If a player throws down his hand as signifying 
 that the game is lost, he should himself be hors de 
 combat ; there need be no discussion on such 
 action, but simply the playing out of the cards 
 which are not hors de combat, if so required by the 
 offender's partner. At the same time the penalty 
 of calling the exposed cards if retained at all might 
 be well retained for the above offences. 
 
 (p) Our law No. 60, respecting a card detached 
 so as to be guessed at, with a penalty
 
 42 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 going the other way if the opponent makes 
 a wrong shot at naming, savours of the 
 game of Pitch and Toss, and not of Whist ; 
 any man who contracts the bad habit of 
 fingering and detaching the cards in his 
 hand before it is his turn to play should 
 confine himself to a very tolerant domestic 
 rubber. 
 
 (q} English law No. 62 provides that where a 
 player leads out of turn his adversaries 
 may either call the card erroneously led as 
 being an exposed card, or may call a suit 
 from him or his partner when next it is 
 the turn of either of them to lead. 
 American law No. 24 allows only the last- 
 named of these penalties, and also provides 
 that it can only be enforced by the player 
 on the right hand of the one from whom 
 the suit is called. 
 
 The American law has the advantage of simpli- 
 city ; it is far best to avoid complications which 
 arise from giving option of two or more penalties. 
 Even the American single penalty, however, 
 works very unequally in punishment, and it would 
 be far more just to make it, for English Whist, 
 deduction of one point from the game score, or of 
 two points when the score may be standing at four. 
 (r) For such offences as indicated by our law 
 No. 86, the simple penalty proposed in 
 clause (/) of this chapter would also pro- 
 perly meet the conditions, and would be
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 43 
 
 far more easily remembered than the 
 alternative penalties now in force. 
 
 (s) American law No. 36 wisely provides that if 
 any player says " the game is ours," or 
 words to that effect, his partner's cards 
 must be laid on the table, and are liable to 
 be called. Such observations are unwar- 
 rantable, and there should be punishment 
 provided for them in the English code, 
 perhaps a fine of two game points. 
 
 (/) All existing penalties, except that for the 
 Revoke, may thus perhaps give way to the 
 one indicated in paragraph (i), but the 
 Revoke is a greater Whist crime than any 
 other ; happily it rarely occurs amongst 
 good players, but when it does happen, let 
 the English penalty enforced be the loss of 
 the game; also let there be added to the laws : 
 " If the revoking player and his partner may 
 lose the rubber, the player committing the 
 Revoke shall pay the points lost by his part- 
 ner ; he shall not, however, be responsible 
 for bets made by any one." The Americans 
 lay down for this offence the transfer of two 
 tricks from the revoking side to their 
 adversaries, and as with ourselves, do not 
 allow the revoking side to win the game in 
 that hand. As the American game takes 
 the place of our rubber, the penalty I pro- 
 pose above would not generally be greater 
 than the existing American penalty.
 
 44 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 It may be here noticed that in English law 
 No. 59 the citing of the penalties for the Revoke 
 seems superfluous ; it would be quite sufficient to 
 refer to them only in general terms. These Revoke 
 penalties are properly enunciated in law No. 72. 
 English law No. 59 omits mention of the option 
 of taking three tricks from the Revoking player ; it 
 is therefore incomplete as well as redundant. 
 (u) Law No. 91 should be expunged. Pembridge 
 says he has never met with a good Whist- 
 player who did not agree that this law 
 should be abolished. They have done 
 away with it in America and Australia, 
 and why cannot we do likewise ? The 
 thing is a standing scandal to our Whist 
 intelligence. 
 
 At the point when one is giving one's short two 
 seconds to make sure of the next lead being 
 sound, one should not be liable to be put out by 
 a request to see a trick that is just turned and 
 done with, and to which all the intellectual capa- 
 city of the players was presumably given when 
 the cards composing it were delivered, and lying 
 faced on the table. 
 
 There are men who inflict themselves at a Whist 
 table who continually time after time ask to see 
 the trick just turned, and disturb one's neatly- 
 stored property and one's thought in a most 
 troubling way. 
 
 If, on account of quickness of the delivery one 
 may not quite note who played any particular card,
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 45 
 
 the request, ere the trick is collected, to place the 
 cards is fair and reasonable, and nobody objects ; 
 but that should certainly terminate all such refer- 
 ence during play of the hand. 
 
 There is no Whist Law which would prevent 
 any player from noting on a piece of paper the 
 fall of each card in the tricks, and referring to these 
 notes during the subsequent play ; but of course 
 no one attempting such a thing would be toler- 
 ated ; yet the man constantly referring to the last 
 trick is practically a worse nuisance. 
 
 (v) American law No. 39 provides: 
 
 " If the wrong adversary demand a penalty, or a wrong 
 penalty is demanded, none can be enforced." 
 
 This is a wise provision, and should be em- 
 bodied in the English Code. The demand of a 
 wrong penalty from opponents who are inexperi- 
 enced may cause injustice ; moreover, those who 
 demand penalties should themselves be free from 
 error. 
 
 DUMMY. 
 
 Anomalies in the existing D UMMY Laws. 
 
 The existing Dummy laws, short as they are, 
 certainly appear to require considerable overhaul- 
 ing. Dummy is treated with too little consideration 
 by some writers on Whist. A great deal of the 
 "setting-up drill" so essential in the education of 
 young Whist-players can be well compassed by 
 play with Dummy or even Double Dummy. More-
 
 46 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 over, all who are keen players, and who have at 
 times found themselves at stations where they 
 could not always raise a fourth, will remember 
 many pleasant Whist hours with dummy taking the 
 vacant chair. Let none, therefore, speak disre- 
 spectfully of him ; he behaves better than many 
 partners ; he neither reproaches you if you make 
 a mistake, nor grumbles when he may hold bad 
 cards ; he is for the time of partnership your alter 
 ego, and legislation for him should convey that 
 acknowledgment rather than rudely assert that he 
 is blind and deaf. He is neither, for he works by 
 the eyes and the ears of his partner, viz., of your- 
 self, when you have the advantage of cutting in 
 with him. The main anomalies in the laws 
 deemed sufficient for Dummy are now referred 
 to. 
 
 It is laid down that : 
 
 " Dummy is not liable to the penalty for a revoke, as the 
 adversaries can see the cards." 
 
 Yet by the next law : 
 
 "If a card be led from Dummy's hand when Dummy's 
 partner should have led from his own hand, or vice versa, a 
 suit may be called from the hand which ought to have led." 
 
 Why should Dummy or his partner be punished 
 for the second offence and not for the revoke ? 
 
 Both are offences which can equally be noticed 
 and rectified by the opponents at the time, and 
 both are offences from which Dummy and his 
 partner might derive advantage !
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 47 
 
 Again : why should Dummy's partner be al- 
 lowed to declare that he can win the game, or 
 the remainder of the tricks, etc., and yet not be 
 liable to the penalty that may be exacted therefor 
 at ordinary Whist? It is true that Dummy cannot 
 profit by hearing such statements, nor can he 
 derive benefit by seeing exposed cards ; but it 
 should be recognised that these irregularities may 
 detrimentally mislead either or both of the adver- 
 saries, who cannot know the contents of each 
 other's hand, nor of the hand of the offender. 
 Such breaches of law or etiquette deserve no 
 pardon ; they should be punished just as in 
 ordinary Whist. 
 
 With a perfect partner, Dummy's play is perfect, 
 and, highest amongst his virtues, he neither stops 
 to think nor confuses you by requests to inspect 
 tricks which are turned and quitted.
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 Proposed additions to the existing Whist Laws. The Etiquette 
 of Whist. Notes on bad habits. Dealer delaying table 
 with the trump card held face downwards. Showing elation 
 or depression on taking up one's hand. Requiring to see a 
 trick which has been turned, as allowed by English Law 
 No. 91. Smokers and non-smokers. Beating the Devil's 
 Tattoo. Making passes with extended hand. Ostenta- 
 tiously counting tricks already made. Lookers-on to 
 make no remark whatever, and not to stand around the 
 table. Playing your cards carefully to the centre of the 
 table. Hammering tricks down with a.click after collecting. 
 Throwing abandoned hands roughly on the table. Lead- 
 ing prematurely. Showing disapproval of your partner's 
 play by word or gesture. Finding fault with your partner. 
 Courtesy as regards willingness to form a new table. 
 Talking when other Whist tables are going on in the same 
 room. Playing a card to a trick and gathering at the same 
 time. Fingering, or partly drawing a card before it is 
 one's turn to play. Lookers-on conversing with players. 
 Sitting squarely to the table and holding the cards perpen- 
 dicularly. Faced cards in dealing are often due to want 
 of care after cutting for partners. Mannerism in play. 
 Grumbling. Scoring honours when not entitled to do so. 
 Wrongfully presenting the pack to be cut. Laws and 
 Etiquette rules to be hung conspicuously in all card rooms. 
 
 THE boundaries between legal rulings and 
 the obligations of etiquette need some re- 
 adjustment. It has been often said that it 
 would be best to leave nothing to etiquette 
 that could be clearly and properly dealt with by 
 
 48
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 49 
 
 law, because those who would commit breaches of 
 etiquette are the very ones who require to be 
 tightly bound by regulations. 
 
 I would propose that the following Laws be 
 added to the Code : [vide also Chapter II.] 
 
 (a) Any flayer, on becoming aware that he has 
 made a revoke, shall forthwith declare the 
 same to the table. Cavendish says, " It 
 is unfair to revoke purposely ; having 
 made a revoke, a player is not justified in 
 making a second to conceal the first." 
 Certainly one who makes a revoke should 
 be bound by Whist Law as well as in 
 honour to announce the fact as soon as 
 he may discover it, and not tacitly pocket 
 the proceeds of his sinful conduct if his 
 unobservant opponents may happen not 
 to find him out. 
 
 (ft) On the turn coming for any player to play 
 his card, he must do so without hesitating' 
 more than ten seconds. 
 
 Pembridge has said, " Never think ; ktiowf" If 
 you don't know, thinking won't often mend matters. 
 Whist is a game for prompt decision and action 
 not for senseless hesitation. It is annoying to- 
 three good players to have the fourth cast his eyes- 
 upwards with an air of superior wisdom and keep- 
 the table waiting. Moreover, it is unfair. By 
 such a procedure the partner of the thinker can 
 gather what the doubts are about, and this is not
 
 cjO WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 a lawful method of conveying or acquiring infor- 
 mation. 
 
 It may be convenient to limit precisely the time 
 of delay in playing. Ten seconds, or whilst one 
 may count ten, would be as long as others should 
 ever be kept waiting. 
 
 If a man hesitates when he has only one of a 
 suit to play, or where there is no doubt whatever 
 as to the card he ought to play, he acts unfairly, 
 and should be excluded from the Whist room. 
 (c) Any one who plays out a winning card with 
 marked emphasis, should on the agreement 
 of the three other players composing the table 
 that this offence was committed, be fined two 
 points, the same to go to club funds. 
 This offence is a bad one ; it should not, how- 
 ever, be visited on the partner by reason of any 
 penalty affecting the score ; he should have a voice 
 equally with the opponents in condemnation and 
 punishment of the offender. 
 
 There are bad habits which cannot be dealt with 
 by penalties. What follows is intended for those 
 only who have hitherto played the game where poor 
 Whist form prevails. But such players are in a great 
 majority ; many in humble social position play an 
 extremely shrewd game ; the time will come when 
 they will make it a point to study such leading 
 authorities as Cavendish, Pole, and Drayson, and 
 to learn the game afresh.
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 51 
 
 Let every one of these take himself to task, and 
 then if he may unwittingly have been a sinner, let 
 him reform. 
 
 When dealing, holding the trump card face down- 
 wards, and thus keeping the table waiting whilst 
 conversing with some one on the play of the last hand, 
 etc. 
 
 This is an annoying habit as delaying others who 
 want to be sorting their cards. In turning up the 
 trump card, cast it to your front. A shortsighted 
 player and there are many cannot see it well if 
 you deposit it close to your waistcoat pocket. 
 
 Allowing any appearance of elation when holding 
 a good hand, or of depression with a bad hand. 
 
 It is a little hard with some natures to avoid this, 
 but it must be striven against and quite conquered. 
 It is unfair. 
 
 It is hoped that Law 9 1 will soon be abolished. 
 Meanwhile those who in their present legal right 
 require reference to a turned trick should recognise 
 that they are thereby often upsetting the minds of 
 the more competent members of the table ; they 
 would then in courtesy and fairness refrain from 
 this practice. 
 
 Any who look over hands of players should, 
 when smoking, take note as to whether the holder 
 of the hand they look over is also a smoker, and 
 see that the smoke cloud created does not envelope 
 a non-smoker to his confusion. 
 
 The veteran Whist-player, General Drayson, a non- 
 smoker, tells how his play has been quite stopped
 
 52 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 by the thoughtlessness of smoking lookers-on. At 
 the same time, Whist is perhaps more a smoker's 
 game than is any other ; it is only from lookers-on 
 that non-smokers can reasonably ask forbearance 
 that way. 
 
 Some play the Devils Tattoo on the Whist table, 
 as showing they are in a fix as to which card 
 to play, or perhaps to hurry up a player who thinks 
 he is thinking; such a performance is in the first 
 case as silly as it is unfair, and in the latter case 
 would not be necessary if the " ten seconds " rule 
 be adopted. 
 
 Not less ridiculous is the habit some players have 
 of ivaving the hand when feeling uncertain what to 
 lead ; it is difficult to understand that making grace- 
 ful passes with extended fingers can really be of 
 intellectual assistance, and this mannerism as indi- 
 cating the conditions of the cards held is manifestly 
 unfair. 
 
 There are those who, during the play of a hand, 
 count the tricks they have secured, by touching each 
 one in succession with the forefinger, or by palpa- 
 bly thus counting the cards still remaining in hand 
 which they estimate to be good for tricks. Such 
 habits are both childish and unfair. 
 
 No looker-on should ever put in a word at a Whist 
 dispute unless he may be specially asked for his 
 opinion, and even then he will sometimes get only 
 about as much thankfulness as he would do if 
 arbitrating in a case of domestic differences. No 
 one should stand closely around a Whist table ; it
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 53 
 
 disconcerts many players to have persons standing 
 or sauntering near them ; ask permission to look 
 over one hand, and then quietly sit aside or else 
 stand well back. 
 
 It is due to one's partner and to the other players 
 that cards should be carefully played to the centre of 
 the table, and neither put down just in front of one 
 where others will have to reach forward to collect 
 them, nor pitched across to some distance with risk 
 of dropping to the floor. 
 
 Hammering each trick down after gathering it, so 
 as to make a loud click, is unnecessary ; the trick 
 can be squared without this. 
 
 When a player may consider the game to be won 
 or lost, he should never pitch down the remaining 
 cards in his hand so that they may cause confusion 
 by becoming mixed with tricks or with another 
 abandoned hand ; he should simply place his hand 
 face upwards on the table. Many disputes arise 
 from cards being thrown roughly, and also faced 
 cards are likely to arise thereby in the subsequent 
 deal. 
 
 No player should lead until the previous trick has 
 bven gathered off tJie centre of the table or perhaps 
 better still, not before it is turned and quitted; 
 there is danger of confusion and of getting the cards 
 mixed if there be premature lead. 
 
 No matter how outrageously you may consider 
 your partner to have played, you must neither look 
 reproachfully nor show by the delivery of your own 
 card that your mind is troubled within you ; any
 
 54 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 offence in this groove should be punished by a fine 
 of a point value to go to the club funds. 
 
 There is really not much use in finding fault with 
 your partner after the play of the hand is over for 
 any blunder he may have committed. If he has in 
 him the making of a Whist-player, he will himself 
 probably have seen the error of his ways, and if he 
 be a hopelessly bad subject, you but ruffle yourself 
 to no good purpose. Moreover, he has certainly 
 done his best. 
 
 If a player may see that his partner is, under 
 a misapprehension, palpably preparing to lead out 
 of turn, it is allowable to raise the hand and say 
 "hold "or "stop." 
 
 Above all things, manners in the card rooms 
 should be sincerely courteous. When a rubber of six 
 players is made up, it not infrequently occurs that 
 two or three enter the room with a wish to form 
 another table ; perhaps the two who are sitting out 
 of the rubber already formed prefer not to join a 
 fresh rubber because they rather like their set, or 
 because they are sure of playing two rubbers in 
 sequence by staying at the first table. This refusal 
 is, however, sometimes not quite considerate to the 
 new-comers, who may have to wait a long time for 
 fresh arrivals, and, to obviate the difficulty to some 
 extent a regulation might very well be introduced 
 to the effect : " When a player comes from a rubber 
 already formed in order to make up a fresh table, 
 he shall be entitled to play two rubbers in succes- 
 sion at the new table."
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 55 
 
 Some experienced players do not care to cut into a 
 rubber ivhere they see a poor player is included, 
 but their objection has little sympathy from men 
 of larger minds. A close observation and study 
 of the ways of an erratic player is very interesting 
 and instructive; moreover, those who consider 
 themselves superior players should remember that 
 there was once a time when their partners did not 
 always approve of their system of play ; and further, 
 if the consideration of winning or losing be of 
 importance, the good player is more likely to win 
 where a bad player forms one of the table because 
 it is two to one that the bad player will be cut as 
 a partner by some other member. 
 
 The Americans are silent over their Whist. 
 
 We Englishmen break out a little into speech 
 sometimes. I know a card room where there are 
 two or three good fellows as well as good Whist- 
 players who sometimes forget that there are other 
 tables going, and who once in a way express their 
 interest in hands just played very audibly indeed ; 
 then the fellows at other rubbers hammer their 
 knuckles on the tables to enjoin silence. The 
 noisy ones immediately comply, but keep a keen 
 look-out for the remarks or ejaculations that may 
 in due course come from the lips of their late cor- 
 rectors, and then in turn they come down hard 
 with their knuckles. This good-humoured way of 
 directing attention to little weaknesses does no 
 harm, and when retaliating there is but the idea of 
 showing that human nature is not of much better 
 quality at one Whist table than at another.
 
 56 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 Some, as fourth players, when winning a trick 
 have a habit of playing their card in combined 
 movement with gathering the trick together, and 
 the third player thereby finds it difficult to see the 
 card played last, the opponent's fingers being in 
 the way. A card played should always be cast 
 from the hand, and not thus held and gathered in 
 the trick in one movement. Moreover, by our Law 
 No. 85, a player is only allowed to demand that 
 the cards of a trick may be placed prior to their 
 being touched for the purpose of gathering them 
 together ; manifestly, if gathering together be made 
 in combination with the play of the last card of the 
 trick, players are debarred from what is conceded 
 by Law No. 85. 
 
 Where play has been specially quick, or one's 
 attention unexpectedly diverted for a second or 
 two, it may be required to ask that the cards be 
 placed. It is hardly necessary to say that this re- 
 quest for placing the cards is to be made wholly 
 and solely because one did not himself catch the 
 fall of them, and proper attention to the play 
 should render the request a very rare one. 
 
 A player should not partly draw his card before 
 it comes to his turn to play ; this premature action 
 might be construed to indicate that the winning or 
 losing of the trick is a foregone conclusion, no 
 matter what the previous player may put down, 
 and such an intimation is unfair. 
 
 Lookers-on must not talk with players. Even if 
 the player addressed may permit this, it is very
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 57 
 
 probable that his partner and opponents would 
 much prefer that there should be nothing outside 
 to distract attention. 
 
 Players should sit squarely to the table, and not 
 allow their cards to slope forward, so that they 
 might possibly be seen ; the hand of cards should 
 be held perpendicularly, or as nearly so as con- 
 venient. It would be well if all Whist recruits were 
 put through a course of Position Drill. 
 
 Many of the cases of ' faced cards " in dealing 
 arise from carelessness in mixing the cards of the 
 two packs when "cutting out," followed by "cut- 
 ting for partners." Care should be taken to put the 
 pack first cut from quite aside before using the 
 second pack to cut for partners ; also in gathering 
 a pack together after thus cutting there is often 
 want of care in turning back the cards which have 
 just been exposed. ; 
 
 Mannerism, or peculiar affectation in playing, 
 should be avoided. If a player purses his lips, 
 wrinkles his brows, or swings a card around before 
 casting it to the table, etc., accomplished players 
 will not desire to play with him. 
 
 Grumbling shows a poor nature ; it is more 
 specially referred to in Chapter XVI. , as it is 
 assumed to be concomitant with bad luck. 
 
 Discussion between partners as to their right to 
 score honours is a necessity ; but claiming them 
 wrongfully is a nuisance, and really a careless 
 mistake to make, and might occasion unfair loss to 
 opponents. A law should be introduced that if
 
 58 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 two players wrongfully score honours, they shall, on 
 conviction, take down this score, and the oppo- 
 nents be entitled to score two points as a set-off 
 against the wrong which might have been done 
 to them. Major A,, writing sixty years ago, 
 records that this rule was observed in two or three 
 London clubs, and adds that "if is a rule that 
 ought to become general." 
 
 All Whist- players fully recognise that a dealer's 
 partner should, after shuffling the other pack, be 
 very careful to place it at his right hand, so that 
 it may be in proper position for the dealer next in 
 turn ; and if any other member of the table may 
 elect to shuffle, he should be particular to put the 
 cards back in their place. Strict attention to this 
 obviates necessity for the question, " Whose deal is 
 it ? " There is a very bad habit begotten of gross 
 carelessness or inattention, which should be met 
 by a penalty ; i.e. some players will, on the pack 
 being duly presented by the dealer to be cut, take 
 it up, and absently commence to shuffle it ; after 
 completing the shuffling, such a delinquent then 
 presents it to the member on his right, to cut it for 
 himself, and in that case gets two deals in succes- 
 sion. This sort of carelessness may cause wrongful 
 loss of the deal, and should be punished by Whist 
 Law. There should also equally be penalty 
 against one who, on the time arriving for a deal, 
 takes up the pack, properly placed at his right liana ', 
 and presents it to be cut for himself to deal. 
 
 Of course in all Whist rooms Cavendish and
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 59 
 
 other standard works are available for reference; 
 but publicity as regards both the Laws and the 
 Regulations for Etiquette (as prohibiting bad 
 habits) would be best insured by having a copy of 
 each framed and hung conspicuously on the walls 
 in each room, just as in the case of the Laws for 
 Billiards being exhibited in a billiard room. A man 
 who will not study books greatly, will, when stand- 
 ing by the fireplace with his cigar, waiting for his 
 turn to cut in, often read regulation boards, and I 
 believe that such increased advertisement of laws 
 and regulations as I have suggested would do 
 more to promote Whist Law knowledge than any- 
 thing else that could be devised.
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 The objects of American Leads and Signallings. 
 
 THE avowed object is, by the cards played 
 to convey to one's partner the utmost de- 
 tailed information possible ; in fact, to 
 enable him to read the remaining cards in one's 
 hand, both as regards value and length of suit 
 
 Now, it will be seen that, if the opponents adopt 
 the same system, the two sides would be on a par 
 in strategy, and, with equality in card-holding, suc- 
 cess would rest with those who best worked the 
 scheme ; but what happens if the two opponents 
 thankfully observe all these signallings, and use the 
 knowledge gained for aggressive purposes, but them- 
 selves concede no such corresponding information in 
 return? The reply seems plain and conclusive ; the 
 signallers must, unless possessing such a preponder- 
 ance of strength, as to ensure getting command late 
 in the hand, bring defeat upon themselves ! The 
 case is analogous to that of two allied armies which 
 are separated by a tract of country, signalling across 
 it to each other; and with the enemy in equal force 
 lying hidden on each side quietly taking in all the 
 signalled information, keeping their own move- 
 ments dark, and preparing to strike when the most 
 
 60
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 6 1 
 
 favourable opportunities arrive. In the event of 
 the signallers being in such force as to be able to 
 crush their opponents, the information they give 
 may originate combined movements which will 
 render their victory more decisive and complete 
 than it would otherwise be ; but a most disastrous 
 defeat will but be invited, when the well-informed 
 enemy may prove to be of superior strength to the 
 signallers. 
 
 Some Whist-players have been riding the hobby 
 of signalling and early declaration of long cards 
 to a very trick-losing extent. Signalling has 
 always been looked upon doubtfully by sound 
 Whist- players of the old school. Pembridge in 
 his most clever work, Whist or BumblepuppyJ- 
 speaks contemptuously of the greatest and first 
 of all signals, Blue Peter. In this and many 
 other instances Pembridge has shown how well 
 he can hit an objectionable and obstructive 
 Whist nail precisely on the head and drive it 
 home. There is a true ring in all his arguments 
 that alike dusts Whist orthodoxy and squashes 
 quick-growing, harmful fungi. 
 
 2 Professor W. Pole, F.R.S., of whose works on 
 Whist Cavendish* says: "These books exhibit the 
 game both theoretically and practically in the 
 
 1 Whist or Bumblepuppy, by Pembridge. Published by Mudie & 
 Sons, Coventry Street, London, W. 
 
 * The Theory of Whist, by Dr. William Pole, F.R.S., etc. 
 Published by Messrs. Longmans, Green & Co,, London; 
 
 8 The Laws and Principles of Whist, by " Cavendish." Published 
 by Thomas de La Rue & Co., London.
 
 62 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 perfect state at which it has arrived during the 
 last two centuries," does not now seem to think 
 much of the Blue Peter. 
 
 I will submit by a fully illustrative example, 
 showing how it is that excessive signalling and 
 early conveyance of information for use at a 
 remote period cannot prove successful as a rule. 
 
 As previously referred to, the whole aim of 
 American Leads, Trump-showing Leads, etc., is 
 stated to be to give the utmost information to your 
 partner, even although you at the same time give the 
 same full information to two opponents. 
 
 It follows that when such a lead as the fourth 
 best of a suit is made, the leader plays his card 
 with the object of showing the table as far as 
 possible what he holds in that suit. Let him have 
 his desire, and let his suit be forthwith thrown face 
 upwards on the table; but, of course, with no 
 penalty of call as exposed cards. 
 
 Similarly, let the signaller or his partner, each 
 time he commences to show further details, lay 
 on the table all the information cards under 
 reference. We shall thus very early in the play 
 have the two signalling hands wholly exposed ; or 
 if a few cards be held up, it would not be very 
 difficult for shrewd opponents to infer exactly what 
 these are. 
 
 Thus, there are two exposed hands playing in 
 partnership against two adversaries' hands held up. 
 Now each of the last-named players knows, by 
 what he sees exposed^ precisely what cards are
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 63 
 
 remaining in his partner's hand, and can lead 
 through strength or up to weakness with certainty 
 as to advantageous result, whereas the exposed 
 hands playing in partnership are wholly ignorant 
 as to which of the adverse hands may contain the 
 cards to be fought against ! 
 
 Nothing can more clearly demonstrate the grave 
 disadvantages of signalling and giving over-in- 
 formation when practised against shrewd enemies 
 capable of profiting by what is gratuitously made 
 patent to them. 
 
 In the magazine Whist ^ for April, 1896, in a 
 communication regarding a late Inter-City Tourna- 
 ment at Brooklyn, the following note respecting 
 the play of the Manhattan Whist Team, which 
 took the first prizes, is inserted : 
 
 "The Mahattans use no number-showing leads and no 
 plain suit echoes and no unblocking tactics, no calls through 
 honours turned ; and on the advice of their Captain (Mr. R. 
 F. Foster) they discarded the lead of the fourth best and 
 with it the Eleven rule, which made him famous." 
 
 This was rather a startling announcement ! I 
 will give another extract as indicating the limited 
 scope of application of the American leads as 
 considered judicious by one of the most zealous 
 promoters of them. Mr. Milton C. Work, one 
 of the latest great American Whist Authorities, 
 whilst generally upholding American leads, trump- 
 showing leads, etc., candidly says : 
 
 1 Whist, a monthly journal. Editor, Cassius M. Paine, Milwaukee, 
 Wisconsin, U.S.A.
 
 64 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 1 " The conclusion which the writer has reached upon the 
 question of leads is, that for players of moderate abilities 
 the system of old leads is the best, because it is the most 
 simple. To such a player the intricacies of the system of 
 American leads are most confusing, and often, in trying to 
 determine some subtle question of how to show the number 
 of cards in a suit, some point of play of the greatest practical 
 value is overlooked." 
 
 Just so, and Mr. Work might have added that 
 the deep-lying schemes intended to be built up by 
 American leads constantly crumble to pieces before 
 the stage is reached for chance of any advantageous 
 result. 
 
 The issue sought to be here presented would 
 be incomplete without the extract given below. 
 Speaking of the new system of leads, Mr. R. F. 
 Foster, of New York, in his Whist Manual* says, 
 (p. 141) : 
 
 "This new system withholds the important information 
 as to the establishment of the suit until the second round, 
 substituting often useless details as to numbers of small 
 cards. The delay often prevents your partner from coining 
 to your assistance with his trumps, and by the time your 
 information is complete, the adversaries have probably 
 taken the lead and are masters of the situation. Having an 
 extensive acquaintance amongst the strongest players, I find 
 that they have tried and have abandoned these leads as a 
 trick-losing game ; in theory they are very pretty, in practice 
 they are a failure." 
 
 1 Whist of To-Day, by Milton C. Work. Published by Dreka, 
 Philadelphia, U.S.A. 
 
 * Foster's Whist Manual, by R. F. Foster, of New York. Pub- 
 lished by Messrs. Mudie & Sons, Coventry Street, London, W.
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 65 
 
 Now most English Whist-players would say that 
 the Whist Manual of Mr. Foster is quite suffi- 
 ciently advanced as regards advocating leads which 
 show precise numerical strength ; and further, that 
 whilst this manual is second to none in thoroughly 
 sound instruction in the game, starting as it does 
 from the very earliest stages, yet the combinations 
 it provides for mastery by a young Whist-player are 
 rather much for the brain of an average English 
 student to tackle. 
 
 The above note of Mr. Foster's decisively con- 
 firms the important point which I would now 
 submit; i.e., that if Whist of the Future is to 
 be a game of intellectual enjoyment as qualified by 
 luck, there must be less consideration given to the 
 signallings and attempted calculations of numerical 
 details supposed to be gleaned therefrom. 
 
 The signals most generally recognised in 
 America are specially discussed further on, in 
 Chapter XIV.
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 The origin of WHISK, afterwards called WHIST. Some 
 English and American Whist differences. Scoring of 
 Honours increases the chance for brilliant play. Meanings 
 of the titles given to the Honours. Advantages and 
 disadvantages of some Trans- Atlantic innovations. 
 
 OTH Cavendish and Pole have in their 
 works made careful investigation as to 
 the origin of the word WHIST. 
 
 The game was first written WHISK in verses 
 by Taylor in the year 1621. It may be likely that 
 this name was chosen on account of the brisk 
 manner of dealing the pack of cards as compared 
 with the deliberate apportionment of them [they 
 often being slowly counted out two or three at a 
 time] adopted for the other card games then in 
 vogue. Halliwell, in his Dictionary of Archaisms, 
 gives as a meaning of the word Whisk, "to do 
 anything hastily," and Skeat says, " to sweep round 
 rapidly." 
 
 For forty-two years the name was Whisk 
 solely, and for most of that period the game was 
 probably rather a noisy one, as being played 
 principally in low taverns and open to the free 
 comments of the onlookers. When such a game 
 as this was first started there could hardly have 
 
 60
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 67 
 
 been any idea of silence connected with the name 
 to be conferred upon it. 
 
 The spelling Whist first occurs in 1663, thus : 
 
 " But what is this? A game of Whist 
 Unto our Plowden-Canonist." 
 
 This might almost appear to have been a shift of 
 the poet to make rhyme, but that a little later [ in 
 1674] we find Cotton in his Book of Games not 
 only writing Whist, but also explaining that the 
 game is so called from the silence to be observed 
 in the play. 
 
 Thus it may be that the game was first named 
 Whisk from the activity connected with it, and 
 then, by a very easy and natural substitution of a 
 letter of the alphabet, altered to Whist as the 
 necessity for silence during play became re- 
 cognised. 
 
 * * * * 
 
 Some important differences between English 
 Whist and American Whist will now be dealt with, 
 and with fair consideration of the good points 
 of each system modifications might be agreed 
 upon internationally, and uniformity and harmony 
 arranged and settled. Players who are well versed 
 in the American game are already fully acquainted 
 with the definitions, etc., contained in this chapter, 
 and can omit perusal ; but I write also for those 
 who may not yet thoroughly have investigated the 
 differences which exist. In America the game 
 has been altered or adjusted with the hope to
 
 68 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 make it purely a game of skill and to eliminate 
 the element of luck. This result, however, can 
 never be completely attained. 
 
 We all know how, in our English game, the 
 scoring of Honours comes in overwhelmingly 
 sometimes, and the victory is thereby wrested 
 in cases where strong cards and skilful adverse 
 play might otherwise have won Certainly a game 
 may be influenced by honours, just as much as 
 it would be by favourable or unfavourable cards 
 generally; but as regards the average holding of 
 them, one side is as likely to benefit as the other. 
 And now comes the point, that as the play de- 
 velops the positions of honours, the scope for 
 effort to save or win the game, is broadened and 
 yet intensified. 
 
 The present generation can have no memories 
 of the glory of Long Whist, how with the score 
 arrived at eight the partners would, when each 
 holding an honour, look for the welcome " Can ye 
 one?"; or how when a partner with two honours in 
 his hand would challenge, the third honour might 
 perchance be contributed and the game claimed. 
 
 This "Can ye one?'' brought about most inter- 
 esting and instructive situations, for the known 
 possessor of two honours would be badly led 
 through, and his weak partner would be led up 
 to and finessed against ; it is unfortunate that the 
 practice was abolished by the conditions of Short 
 Whist. 
 
 The Americans, in their idea of reducing the
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 69 
 
 element of luck, have, by the non-scoring of 
 honours, done away with positions where success 
 would fall to players of the very best class, viz., 
 to those who most quickly grasp situations of 
 exceptional scoring possibilities, and who adapt 
 the further play of their hand accordingly. There- 
 fore honours should still maintain their influence 
 over the game by scoring accompanying the 
 holding of them. Thereby the highest degrees 
 of skill and of Whist perception are accorded their 
 special chances. 
 
 Perhaps, however, it would be a considerable 
 improvement if the holding of the four honours 
 might only be allowed to count as three in the 
 game score. When partners hold four by honours 
 they are usually pretty sure to win the odd trick, 
 and many players are apt, rather easily, to throw 
 up their hands with the adverse honours thus 
 shown ; but if the holders might have to gain two 
 by cards to secure the game, the result would 
 frequently be vigorously contested. Thus three 
 honours with partners should score two as at 
 present, and four honours should score three, 
 * * * * 
 
 As regards derivation of the names given to 
 the honours, Ace simply means "one." Professor 
 Skeat, M.A., in his Dictionary of the English 
 Language? notes that it is said to be the Tarentine 
 
 1 An Etymological Dictionary of the English Language, by the 
 Rev. Walter W. Skeat, M.A. Published at the Clarendon Press, 
 Oxford.
 
 70 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 pronunciation of the Greek word having that 
 signification. The word King coming through 
 Anglo-Saxon to us means Chief Ruler; the word 
 Queen, a Lady Sovereign ; and the word Knave, a 
 servant boy; Chaucer defines him as one "washing 
 the dishes." The Americans call the knave Jack, 
 which word signifies a military coat worn over the 
 coat of mail. This seems very appropriate as 
 regards the dress of that face card, and, moreover, 
 the initial letter J is distinctive when writing down 
 note of the Face cards : otherwise we must intro- 
 duce at least two letters to show whether we refer 
 to the King or to the Knave, and even then the 
 distinction is not too clear. So in this book I 
 write J for Jack instead of Kn for Knave. 
 
 Even should it still be asserted by some that the 
 scoring of honours proves adverse to winning by 
 skill, it must be borne in mind that matches are 
 now usually settled by Duplicate Whist [i.e., that 
 each hand is recorded when first played, and then 
 again played by reversed opponents], so that the 
 scoring of the honours would go equally to each 
 of the contesting teams, and successful result 
 would rest with the side that might be most 
 prompt to grasp a fortuitous or unfortunate situa- 
 tion and to show tactical ability accordingly. 
 
 The play of the hands for the second time in 
 Duplicate Whist is called Overplay.
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 71 
 
 We all like to have a second chance before we 
 give in ; a game of seven points without honours 
 counting is not quite to the average Englishman's 
 mind the same thing as a Rtibber, viz., the best two 
 out of three. Short Whist was introduced because 
 Long Whist was found a little bit too long, and did 
 not quickly enough give the resultant reward due 
 to brilliant coups as played in a single hand. Our 
 present Short Whist Rubber would be hard to beat 
 in that respect, combining as it does the changes 
 in tactics arising from the gradually ascertained 
 positions of honours, and the intensity of the final 
 struggle over each of two or three games com- 
 posing the rubber. We get all this pleasant 
 excitement, and incitement to intellectual successes 
 in the same time as occupied by an American 
 game of seven points. 
 
 In the case where the hands are played and 
 then done with, just as we do in our ordinary 
 rubbers, the Americans .apply the term Straight 
 Whist as distinguishing from Duplicate Whist. 
 
 Undoubtedly, in Duplicate Whist the results 
 will roughly average the skill displayed by the 
 contesting teams, provided no hobbies as regards 
 signalling, long-suit system, short-suit system, 
 trump-showing leads, leads from fourth best, etc., 
 etc., be ridden too extensively by either side ; 
 hobbyists would in the end always get worsted. 
 
 In truth, each system seems to get beaten in 
 turn mainly because it is carried to an extreme-, 
 the good game of orthodox Whist will not bear
 
 72 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 outrages of systematizing. The opening leads of 
 Whist should, however, be as clearly defined as 
 the opening moves at Chess ; but very shortly the 
 fall of the cards and the tactics inaugurated by 
 opponents will originate complications which can 
 only be successfully dealt with by men of Whist 
 Perception. This gift can but be acquired and 
 improved by most careful practice and observa- 
 tion.
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 Lead Strategy of the Future. 
 
 From the strongest suit. Following with lead from the shortest 
 suit under certain conditions. The Singleton Lead. 
 Jumping the lead to show desire to ruff. Some general 
 observations bearing on above. 
 
 THE Evening Telegraph of Philadelphia, 
 U.S.A., inaugurated newspaper Whist con- 
 tests, specifying the cards happening to be 
 held in different hands actually dealt, and offering 
 prizes to those who reported the greatest number 
 of successful original leads as determined by the 
 repeated actual play out of the hands. 
 
 The result appeared almost a foregone conclu- 
 sion, because the first lead would usually be from 
 the strongest plain suit, unless the general strength 
 and especial strength in trumps might warrant an 
 original lead of trumps. Moreover, the card which 
 should be thus led from the combinations in any 
 suit is defined in all Whist Books. With the 
 strongest suit first declared you give your partner 
 the most valuable information whereupon to frame 
 combined strategy. 
 
 But having done correctly so far, it becomes of 
 the greatest importance next to tell him what he 
 should do if he may prove to be not strong enough 
 
 73
 
 74 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 to play a combined forward game on the lines of 
 your strong suit lead as announced to him. 
 
 This is often best done by showing him, in the 
 second suit you have to lead, your shortest suit. 
 He then at once understands that you wish to be 
 forced to trump that second suit led, and that he 
 may with advantage, whilst forcing you, hold back 
 his high cards therein with a view to stand over the 
 opponents in case they draw trumps and try to 
 establish it for themselves. 
 
 Thus the leading hand, on appreciating that the 
 Establishment Game would be trick-losing, could, 
 by the second lead, show the general alternative 
 tactics proposed, and the principle involved is so 
 simple that there could usually be no room for 
 misunderstanding. 
 
 THE SINGLETON LEAD. 
 
 Hoyle advocates that with weak trumps a sin- 
 gleton may be led even originally. He says : 
 
 " If only one card of any suit and but two or three small 
 trumps, lead the single card." 
 
 Cavendish says : 
 
 "The original lead of a singleton is in no case defen- 
 sible." 
 
 The word original in the above has the highest 
 significance; undoubtedly the strong suit should 
 generally be led from first, and the shortest plain
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 75 
 
 suit should often then follow if a forward game of 
 establishment cannot be undertaken. 
 
 The clear exponent of the present American 
 system of leads, Mr. C. E. Coffin, in his work The 
 Gist of Whist^ says (p. 24) : 
 
 "Lead a singleton never as an original lead. A singleton 
 may be led later if weak in trumps. " 
 
 Pembridge, in the earlier part of his work, Whist 
 or Bumblepuppy, denounces the original lead of a 
 singleton ; but later on, in a footnote on page 96, 
 he says : 
 
 "Matthews, with considerable limitations, advocates 
 leading singletons. Now-a-days the practice is decried, 
 but I regret to say that, as far as my experience goes, the 
 principal obstacle to leading a singleton is not having a sin- 
 gleton to lead." 
 
 Mr. Milton C. Work says, at page 93 : 
 
 " Many players think they make a very foxy play when 
 they lead a winning face card in their long plain suit, and 
 then jump to a singleton, hoping for a ruff. Of course this 
 play often produces a gain, but it does so at a great risk, " etc. 
 
 Such play as the above usually pays, however, if 
 you are weak in trumps. Your partner would 
 generally be able to secure a lead or two before 
 your trumps could be wholly drawn, and would 
 then promptly give you the chance of ruffing with 
 your otherwise useless trumps. 
 
 1 The Gist of Whist, by C. E. Coffin. Published at Brentano's, New 
 York, U.S.A.
 
 76 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 Those who advocate the universal lead of the 
 long suit to the extent of its full establishment before 
 they have ascertained that this strategy suits the 
 combined game, cordially dislike a singleton lead, 
 because it cuts across their signalling and echoing 
 and marking of cards. 
 
 Mr. Howell 1 shrewdly says : 
 
 " I believe in the long suit game when [and only when] it 
 will probably, or with a reasonable degree of probability, do 
 what it is intended to do namely, establish and bring in the 
 long suit. Establish and bring in, mind you. We short- 
 suiters don't care a fig about merely clearing a suit ; we must 
 also do some business afterward in order to gratify our 
 covetous inclinations. We would rather take tricks in a suit 
 without establishing it, than establish it without taking 
 tricks." 
 
 But with reference to the above it must be fully 
 recognised that the lead out of a short suit will 
 sometimes enable the adversaries quickly to estab- 
 lish it, and perhaps finally to gain tricks in it. 
 
 A main issue for consideration, therefore, 
 stands : Will the ruffing you may secure probably 
 be more profitable to the combined game than the 
 assistance you may render opponents as regards 
 establishment ? I think the answer to this is Yes, 
 because your ruffing is all clear gain, whereas the 
 adversaries would only occasionally derive estab- 
 lishment benefit from your lead of your short suit. 
 
 Mr. Milton C. Work, at page 128, lays down that 
 
 1 Whist Openings, byE. C. Howell, Boston, U.S.A.
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 77 
 
 it is an advantage at once to return your partner's 
 suit : 
 
 "When you have but one card remaining in it, are weak 
 in trumps, and are desirous of ruffing." 
 
 And at page 129 : 
 
 "The fourth hand on winning the trick should at once 
 return the suit through the original leader if he has ' but one 
 card left of the suit led, is weak in trumps, and desires to 
 ruff.' " 
 
 Surely such a return lead as the above is wholly 
 analogous to the lead of a singleton. The lead of 
 the singleton, however, at the period I have indi- 
 cated, viz., next after declaration of the long suit, 
 involves and guides important combined strategy 
 of the entire hand ; whereas the return lead in that 
 direction, viz., of a single remaining card, which 
 Mr. Work rules to be sometimes advisable, is but 
 a secondary effort as wrung from weakness. 
 
 Hoyk seems even to think that the lead of 
 a singleton gives the partner the best trick-making 
 chances in the suit. He says : 
 
 ' ' It gives your partner an equal chance of having a better 
 card in it than the last player ; whereas, had he led that suit 
 to you, which is probable had been his strong suit, the 
 adversaries would have made the discovery of your attempting 
 a saw, they would trump out, and so prevent your making 
 your small trumps." 
 
 Undoubtedly, as Hoyle advances, your sin- 
 gleton, by being led, may do your partner good 
 service. It is better for him than if he be left to
 
 7 8 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 work the suit by his own leads alone, because one 
 of the opponents' hand is led through by you, 
 instead of both of them being led up to by him. 
 
 If your partner has shown trump strength by 
 calling or by leading trumps, and you hold a 
 singleton together with weak trumps, it is a win- 
 ning policy on first getting the lead to play your 
 singleton; your partner would then give you the 
 opportunity for a ruff or two, and hold back his 
 good cards in your short suit. 
 
 The greatest drawback to the lead of a singleton 
 at any stage of the play is that you thereby publish 
 your poorness in trumps, but this drawback almost 
 disappears when your partner declares strength in 
 them. 
 
 But is the original lead of a singleton really dis- 
 advantageous under some other conditions of cards 
 held ? I venture to think not t and very frequently 
 one holds a hand where the original lead of a sin- 
 gleton will gain by ruffing the fifth trick required 
 to save the game when the opponents are holding 
 two by honours and require three by tricks to win. 
 
 On ruffing after your singleton lead, you have 
 choice of two plain suits to lead for your partner to 
 win a trick in ; it is, therefore, about even chances 
 that he can win, and give back to you for a second 
 ruff. The idea that your partner will mistake your 
 first lead to indicate such great strength in the suit as 
 to warrant him in plunging into a trump lead on 
 that account is an exaggerated one. He would, 
 indeed, be a risky player if he thus hastily jumped
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 79 
 
 to such a conclusion. He would often, from his 
 own hand, be able shrewdly to guess that you 
 are leading a singleton, and would promptly give 
 back a tentative return lead of a strengthening or 
 winning card in the suit to ascertain. 
 
 When you happen to hold a singleton together 
 with weakness in trumps, and do not lead out your 
 singleton, it often happens that there is sufficient 
 trump strength elsewhere to cause trump-drawing 
 to be started, and thus you never get a chance of 
 a ruff; but on the other hand, if you are able to 
 make a ruff through numerical weakness in a plain 
 suit without having invited it, your opponents are 
 not thereby assured of your trump weakness as 
 they are when you lead a singleton, and they do not 
 so freely venture on trying to draw your trumps. 
 
 Why should the original lead of a singleton be 
 looked upon as almost a shady performance, and 
 by some be classed with "Potting the White" at 
 billiards ? It is in truth a most spirited lead. It 
 is made because you have not in your hand the 
 amount of brute force sufficient to meet your ad- 
 versaries on equal give-and-take terms, and it sets 
 up their bristles to such extent that they will fre- 
 quently rush rashly to a trump lead to the great 
 satisfaction of your partner if he may happen, as is 
 very likely, to hold a good share of the trumps. 
 
 Moreover, with a careful partner you cannot very 
 well lose anything by the singleton lead; you will 
 probably have made one small trump by ruffing 
 before your weakness is discovered by your op-
 
 8o WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 ponents, and that is a great matter where your hand 
 is so poor as to render it likely that the saving of 
 the game hangs on the gaining of such a trick. 
 
 It is submitted, therefore, that in Whist of the 
 Future the original lead of a singleton will not be 
 tabooed quite as it has been hitherto. 
 * * * * 
 
 Mr. Milton C. Work advances as regards the 
 American leads at page 52 
 
 " It is claimed for this system of leads that it is the most 
 perfect ever conceived by the mind of man." 
 
 Yet in the April number, 1896, of the American 
 magazine Whist, Mr. R. F. Foster, who has 
 achieved a Whist reputation perhaps second to none 
 in America, writes " The long-suit game is rotten." 
 
 Mr. R. F. Foster is doubtless correct in declaim- 
 ing the long suit game when pressed to ends and 
 continued in hands where it is not applicable. There 
 are hands in which the long-suit system may best 
 be pursued, and hands where the short-suit system, 
 promptly adopted, will give trick-winning results. 
 When not strong in trumps the alternative capabil- 
 ities and possibilities of the hand should be shown 
 to one's partner as quickly as possible in the order 
 before indicated, as a rule giving the long-suit 
 programme the first place ; you will thereby get 
 your strategy soon in the field. The original lead 
 thus becomes an advantage which often fully 
 counterbalances the average value of the trump 
 card turned up.
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 Lead Strategy of the Future (continued). 
 
 The American leads further discussed. Successes by ruffing in 
 short suits as compared with those gained by bringing in 
 Long Cards. 
 
 WITH further reference to the American 
 leads if you have A, K, Q, & J, you are 
 told that with four in suit you must lead 
 King and follow with Jack ; with five in suit you 
 leady<wv and follow with Ace ; with six in suit you 
 lead Jack and follow with King ; with seven in suit 
 you \esudijadk and follow with Queen. 
 
 Now with such a very strong plain suit in one's 
 hand it is generally unwise to publish extreme 
 details before one knows how the trump strength is 
 distributed, and also what strategy may suit one's 
 partner and receive adequate support from him. 
 
 It is, of course, 2 to i that opponents may first 
 run short and have the chance of trumping this 
 strong suit, and it is also quite certain that if the 
 great strength and length be shown early in the 
 hand both opponents will take special measures 
 i.e. they will, if either be strong enough, draw 
 trumps and bring in a suit of their own, and you 
 may have the vexation of seeing the proclaimed 
 
 81 r.
 
 82 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 high and long cards fall to it, or, should the hand 
 on the right of the long-suit proclaimer fail in that 
 suit, the hand to left may secure the lead and con- 
 fidently give the suit for a ruff or two. 
 
 There is never practically much to be gained by 
 such number indicating variations in leads as those 
 above quoted ; Cavendish remarks on this at page 
 30 of Whist Developments. He says : 
 
 "In actual play it will seldom be of much use to show the 
 precise number of small cards remaining, when such great 
 commanding strength is led from, and the leader has more 
 than five cards in the suit." 
 
 " What is particularly insisted on is, that the leader is not 
 to go on with the K or Q [after he has first led Knave, hold- 
 ing A, K, Q, etc., also] when he led from exactly five cards." 
 
 The great thing for a player to be informed and 
 satisfied about is that his partner has a strong suit 
 -iU/ierein he can certainly gain a trick at any time 
 when led to. 
 
 If with A, K, Q, J, you play out the King and 
 follow with Queen, he knows that you have still 
 remaining the command of that suit with the Ace, 
 and that is enough information for his immediate 
 purposes ; he will with that much in his mind then 
 perhaps try to show you his own suit, leaving you 
 to go on with yours when you consider it advisable. 
 You had better not show the minor and utmost 
 details of your long-suit resources before you have 
 ascertained that there is probability of bringing in 
 that suit later on. If your hand contains strength 
 enough to give reasonable hope of bringing in your
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 83 
 
 long suit, you may always advantageously show 
 that you hold five cards in the suit by one of the 
 following recognised leads : ist, A followed by 
 any card except Q. 2nd, Q followed by K when 
 holding K, Q, and three small cards. 3rd, Q fol- 
 lowed by 10 when holding Q, J, 10 with two small 
 cards. 4th, J followed by A when holding a quart 
 Major and one small card, or Q followed by A 
 when holding a tierce Major with two small cards. 
 5th, J followed by K when with K, Q, J and two 
 small cards. 6th, 10 followed by J when with K, 
 J, 10 and two others. 7th, the penultimate from all 
 other arrangements of five in suit. 
 
 Many sound players prefer that the J or penul- 
 timate should be originally led from_the combina- 
 tion given above as 6th. 
 
 Bringing in long cards pays better than anything 
 else when it comes off, and it very often is a doubt- 
 ful point at the early part of the play of the hand 
 how far one should adopt and follow on strategy 
 to that end. You must remember that the short- 
 suit leads sometimes give very important quick 
 returns, and when you can see that the game is 
 saved, you are free to start on new and bolder 
 lines of aggression with a cheery heart. 
 Mr. E. C. Howell lays down : 
 
 " The ruffing game per se, apart from its supporting quali- 
 ties, calls for quick action. Partner having bid for it, don't 
 start another suit yourself until you have got out of the ruff 
 all there is in it." 
 
 If before leading for your partner's ruff, you can
 
 84 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 safely indicate to him another plain suit in which 
 you could gain the lead for giving him a second 
 opportunity also, as by leading out a K from A, 
 K, the trick-winning results are often increased 
 thereby ; also when strong in trumps, you should, 
 if holding but two or three of the commanding 
 cards in your strong plain suit, which your partner 
 ruffs, lead him a small card and retain your high 
 ones it can do the combined game no harm for 
 him to expend his small trumps, and you will 
 finally, with the help of your own long trumps, the 
 more surely bring in fully the suit you have held 
 up. 
 
 With regard to results : if the trick-making value 
 of the Long-suit and the Short-suit Systems may be 
 for judgment from the aid given each by trumps 
 i.e. the Long-suit from the cards made to win by 
 trump-drawing and forcing the strongest opponent ; 
 and the Short-suit by the ruffing early in the 
 hand of adverse winning cards with small and other- 
 wise useless trumps many players would maintain 
 that ruffing has really paid best. The long-card 
 programme, as held to be persistently applicable, 
 has perhaps of late years been accorded too much 
 adoption ; it has been prosecuted for all sorts and 
 conditions of hands, and the short-suit successes 
 have been treated almost as lucky piracies. When 
 a long card or two may have laboriously, at the end 
 of the play of a hand, won tricks, there has been 
 gratulation ; but these successes may hardly exceed 
 in number those secured earlier by trumping, and
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 these last-named would be greatly increased if the 
 habit of following on with a long-suit game when 
 it is showing little chance of ultimate benefit had 
 not been advocated by some writers, who seem 
 reluctant to accord the short-suit system any impor- 
 tant part in Whist strategy.
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 
 Lead Strategy of the Future (continued). 
 
 Selection of card to lead from some combinations. From K, 
 Q. From K, J, 10. Sequence Cards. 
 
 AN original lead from a plain suit contain- 
 ing only King, Queen, and small cards, 
 is always liable to be disadvantageous. 
 If you lead out the King so as to ensure that the 
 Queen shall make in the second round, you are 
 not, with one trick only secured in the suit, getting 
 the full average value of these two high face 
 cards, and after making the Queen in the second 
 round you may with but that one trick gained, 
 hand the command of this originally strong suit 
 entirely over to your opponents. 
 
 It is hardly necessary to say that with K and Q 
 and one small card you should not lead the suit at 
 all unless as a forced lead ; with four, or five, or 
 even six in the suit you should lead a small card, 
 originally provided you have trump strength in 
 your favour, for you may then have fair hope of 
 bringing in your long small cards, and this you 
 could not so well ensure if you freely lose your 
 King by leading it out to draw the Ace in the first 
 round. 
 
 86
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 87 
 
 Shortly put : if you lead out King, it is 2 to 
 i the Ace will capture it. If you hold it back, it 
 is probable that it will eventually make ; moreover, 
 with strength in trumps it is of great importance 
 that you should also hold up your Queen as a 
 commanding card for the third round of your 
 strong plain suit, and this third round often 
 leaves your small cards in the suit as " long cards." 
 To lead out King from a suit of King, Queen, and 
 small cards is frequently a sacrifice, except where 
 you wish to make certain as quickly as possible of 
 one trick only in that suit, and can give up all 
 other chances in it for that result, or where your 
 suit is so long and strong that you may expect es- 
 tablishment of it in two rounds. 
 
 In the Philadelphia Evening Telegraph of 
 February 8th, 1896, appears the following: 
 
 "The leads of fourth best from King, Jack, Ten, and of 
 Ten from Queen, Jack, Ten, have gained another, and this 
 time a most important convert. Miss Kate Wheelock, the 
 Whist Queen, now advocates these leads and teaches them 
 to her advanced pupils. No whist innovation was ever 
 taken up so universally by the thinking and conservative 
 element of players in so short a time. It shows the differ- 
 ence between the Whist-players of this country and England ; 
 here, when a good thing comes along it is eagerly taken up ; 
 there, changes, no matter how trick-winning, are unwelcome 
 and unconsidered." 
 
 The lead of ten from King, Jack, and ten has 
 become a weak lead on the over-information lines.
 
 88 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 With Ace and Queen apportioned between them 
 the opponents, knowing what the lead of the ten 
 plainly indicates, win two tricks for certain, and 
 one of them will be very likely to trump the third 
 lead of that suit. Moreover, with a 10 led from 
 K, J, 10, the second hand holding A, Q could 
 with safety put down the Q or if he holds the Q 
 singly guarded he would put down the Q with an 
 even chance of winning the trick. If the suit of 
 King, Jack, 10 be led from, the card played 
 should be small if there be trump strength at back ; 
 but if not, the Jack would draw the Ace from the 
 second player more often than does the ten. 
 
 One's partner would probably hold either the A, 
 Q, or 9, and thus would with a small card led 
 freely unblock and assist in establishment. If short 
 in the suit the partner would later trump the ad- 
 verse winning cards should these be held up. 
 
 As regards the lead from Q, J, 10, the issue 
 entirely rests with the number of cards you hold 
 in the suit ; if you have only these three cards, or 
 a small one added, lead out the Queen, because 
 you would wish your partner to hold up his King 
 or Ace, and your lead of Q indicates this ; but if 
 you have five or more in the suit you would prob- 
 ably do just as well to lead the ten, because your 
 partner would then perhaps play his Ace or King 
 and so unblock for you. 
 
 The present American lead from the combina-
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 89 
 
 tion Q, J, 10, is Q, followed by J, if holding four 
 cards in the suit, and Q followed by 10 if holding 
 more than four; this play, however, sometimes delays 
 establishment on account of the partner holding 
 up his A or K to Q led when these had better 
 be got out of the way quickly. If it might be 
 clearly recognised that the lead of 10 always 
 shows presence of Q, J and at least two small cards, 
 and that this lead shows no other combination 
 ivhatever, the third hand having A might at discre- 
 tion hold it up in the first round, just as when the 
 Q is led, in hope of catching the King if that face 
 card may happen to be lying second hand ; at all 
 events, the third hand would know his partner's suit 
 by the very first lead, whereas at present he only 
 gets details when the J or 10 is led for the second 
 round. 
 
 There may arise objection to the lead of 10 on 
 the above-named lines as being too informatory to 
 adversaries ; it would, perhaps, on that account 
 only prove trick-winning when backed by trump 
 strength or sufficient power of re-entry. 
 * * * * 
 
 SEQUENCE CARDS. 
 
 It may here be convenient to speak of the 
 general principle which influences the lead from 
 sequence cards. For the most simple case, as with 
 a sequence headed by the Ace ; when the King is 
 first led, and on winning is followed by the Queen, 
 you show that you still retain the highest, and your
 
 90 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 partner understands your reserved command of 
 that suit accordingly. 
 
 But when you have a high card sequence which 
 is not headed by the Ace, the conditions of your 
 lead depend wholly on the number of cards you 
 hold in sequence and in the suit. 
 
 With two of such high cards in sequence and 
 not more than one other of the suit, you are told 
 (if forced to open the suit) to lead out the highest 
 because it is a strengthening card for your partner 
 who will probably let it pass, and at the same time 
 this lead helps to clear the suit for your own 
 hand. 
 
 But there is an important exception to this lead 
 of Q from Q, J, and one small card, or of J 
 from J, 10, and one small card, and that is when 
 you wish to establish in your hand a re-entry 
 card in the suit ; in that case you should lead the 
 small card and hope your partner will give adequate 
 assistance. 
 
 With three or more high cards in sequence and 
 not less l\\an.five cards as the total in the suit, the 
 lead of the lowest of the sequence often makes 
 your partner, who does not know at your first lead- 
 off for certain how the other cards lie, unblock by 
 playing out any higher card he may hold, and 
 thus he will not stand in your way if trumps may 
 be drawn and you have your chance of bringing 
 in the suit. 
 
 With American leads sequence cards are jumped, 
 as before referred to, in order to declare the pre-
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 91 
 
 else number of cards in suit ; thus with A, K, Q, 
 J, 10, you are told to lead J, and then A, with A, 
 K > Qi L 10, 2, to lead J, then K: with K, Q, J, 
 10, 2, to lead J, and then K ; with K, Q, J, 4, 3, 
 2, to lead J, and then Q. 
 
 This arrangement to show numerical strength is 
 however in sacrifice of sequence information. 
 
 With good strength for combined operations it 
 is best clearly to demonstrate to your partner the 
 entire span of even a sequence in spot cards by 
 playing both the lowest and the highest on the 
 first safe and convenient opportunities ; thus if 
 you hold 10, 9, 8, 7, and third hand play the 7 as 
 heading the trick, when you subsequently play the 
 i o your partner is assured that you hold the two 
 intermediate cards. 
 
 * * * * 
 
 There are but two cards which, when led origin- 
 ally, can express forthwith to the table possession 
 of not more than four in suit, viz., the K and the 
 Q. The K led proclaims this fact conventionally, 
 and the O announces it from not being penultimate. 
 
 ERRATUM. 
 
 Page 91, last line but one and last line, 
 For Q, read 2 (two).
 
 90 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 partner understands your reserved command of 
 that suit accordingly. 
 
 But when you have a high card sequence which 
 is not headed by the Ace, the conditions of your 
 lead depend wholly on the number of cards you 
 hold in sequence and in the suit. 
 
 With two of such high cards in sequence and 
 not more than one other of the suit, you are told 
 (if forced to open the suit) to lead out the highest 
 because it is a strengthening card for your partner 
 who will probably let it pass, and at the same time 
 this lead helps to clear the suit for your own 
 hand. 
 
 But there is an important exception to this lead 
 of Q from Q, J, and one small card, or of J 
 from J, 10, and one small card, and that is when 
 you wish to establish in your hand a re-entry 
 card in the suit ; in that case you should lead the 
 small card and hope your partner will give adequate 
 assistance. 
 
 With three or more high cards in sequence and 
 not less ihanfive cards as the total in the suit, the 
 
 Cmerican leads sequence cards xtt jumped, 
 as before referred to, in order to declare the pre-
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 91 
 
 cise number of cards in suit ; thus with A, K, Q, 
 J, 10, you are told to lead J, and then A, with A, 
 K > Qi J, 1, 2, to lead J, then K: with K, Q, J, 
 10, 2, to lead J, and then K ; with K, Q, J, 4, 3, 
 2, to lead J, and then Q. 
 
 This arrangement to show numerical strength is 
 however in sacrifice of sequence information. 
 
 With good strength for combined operations it 
 is best clearly to demonstrate to your partner the 
 entire span of even a sequence in spot cards by 
 playing both the lowest and the highest on the 
 first safe and convenient opportunities ; thus if 
 you hold 10, 9, 8, 7, and third hand play the 7 as 
 heading the trick, when you subsequently play the 
 i o your partner is assured that you hold the two 
 intermediate cards. 
 
 * * * * 
 
 There are but two cards which, when led origin- 
 ally, can express forthwith to the table possession 
 of not more than four in suit, viz., the K and the 
 Q. The K led proclaims this fact conventionally, 
 and the Q announces it from not being penultimate.
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 Lead Strategy of the Future (continued). 
 
 The lead from suit of Jack with two others. The conditions 
 which warrant a trump lead originally. Tenderness to- 
 wards one's partner's possibilities. The crime of leading 
 from weakness in trumps. The lead from A, Q suit. 
 
 JN the forced lead from a suit of three cards, 
 headed by Jack, it is sometimes advocated 
 that you should lead out the Jack to show 
 number, and with a view to strengthen your 
 partner. 
 
 But in half the cases, such a strengthening card 
 proves a difficulty to him; he finds it hard to 
 decide whether he should put down his Ace or his 
 King, or let the Jack pass; and when he lets it pass, 
 he often sees the trick lost to the Queen, and feels 
 that the predicament in which he was placed could 
 hardly have been the outcome of sound, combined 
 Whist. Should he play his big card on his part- 
 ner's Jack, and win the trick, he has qualms that 
 the trick might quite likely have been gained had 
 he allowed the Jack to pass. 
 
 Such difficulty would be obviated if the Jack 
 were given his proper status as an honour, and the 
 small card led in this emergent opening of a suit of 
 three thus headed. 
 
 92
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 93 
 
 Usually at the stage of the game when you lead 
 from a Jack with two small, your partner would 
 have gathered some inkling of your all-round 
 weakness, and would specially study his own game 
 in his play. If, on your leading a small card, his 
 King or Queen might be beaten, your protected 
 Jack would still be a valuable card, and, with your 
 otherwise poor hand, might become extremely ser- 
 viceable as perhaps enabling you to gain a trick 
 that would allow you to give a later lead which 
 your partner might specially desire, or that would 
 otherwise be very advantageous. 
 
 * * * * 
 
 The important question of the strength which 
 warrants a trump lead early in the play of the 
 hand has been much discussed by Whist authori- 
 ties. 
 
 Professor Pole, in his work, The Theory of Whist, 
 says : " Whenever you have five trumps, what- 
 ever they are, or whatever the other components 
 of your hand, you should lead them" 
 
 I have seen so many games lost by leading 
 trumps from five, that I submit that the above rule 
 seems too sweeping. Even when you hold five 
 trumps, it does not follow that you should always 
 draw from your partner his power of making one or 
 two tricks by ruffing. How often, after the regulated 
 lead from five trumps, does one get the reproach : 
 " Ah, partner, if you had not drawn my trumps, I 
 could have helped you by ruffing your small card 
 suit, and so won the game." It is certainly true
 
 94 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 that, with five trumps, a trump lead is generally best 
 for the greatest success of one's own hand ; also 
 you thereby prevent the opponents from trumping 
 your strong plain suit, and you may, with your long 
 trump get command late in the play and give your 
 partner the plain suit lead he wishes for. All that 
 is great argument indeed ; yet, practically, I believe 
 it pays best before persistently drawing trumps to 
 the end to try to ascertain whether your partner 
 cannot ruff some suit, and so allow you to hold 
 back your strong cards therein, and then when a 
 little later the best time arrives for prosecuting the 
 trump lead, you would, with your partner's trumps 
 already made, draw two to one. What I have sub- 
 mitted is much open to question, for it may be that 
 the opponents will be able to make a ruff or two 
 which could not have been done had trumps been 
 vigorously drawn from the first; one would, however, 
 generally get an early inkling of the probability that 
 way ; and even if the adverse ruff be made, you 
 may thereby be left with one long trump the more ! 
 It is most important to recognise that when you 
 are so strong in trumps as to have the power to draw 
 them, every ruff by your partner is a clear gain of 
 a trick, whereas every ruff by an opponent may tend 
 towards strengthening your already strong trump 
 hand. 
 
 Therefore it is clear that with trump strength, 
 it is often very advantageous to try to give your 
 partner an opportunity of making his otherwise 
 useless trumps by ruffing. With five moderate or
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 95 
 
 small trumps you should not originally prosecute 
 a trump lead unless you have other suits fairly pro- 
 tected, or can pretty surely bring in two long 
 cards. 
 
 Great tenderness towards one's partner's possi- 
 bilities certainly pays, and unless one has a very 
 grand game in one's own cards a partner's trumps 
 should not generally be fully drawn until his re- 
 sources in the other suits may, to some extent, have 
 been ascertained. 
 
 Even should you, when holding five trumps, 
 happen to be obliged to ruff, you may comfort 
 yourself by the fact that, as you have not previously 
 declared trump strength, your opponents will pro- 
 bably conclude you are weak therein, and trump 
 out, as Hoyle expresses it, with the hope of ex- 
 hausting you ; they will thus, perhaps, catch a 
 
 Tartar. 
 
 * * * * 
 
 There seems no Whist lead so worrying to a 
 sound player as the partner's lead from weakness 
 in trumps ; it upsets his game, and is, as an early 
 lead in the hand, and without signal for it, entirely 
 inexcusable. If Blue Peter be signalled, you must, 
 however, under the present practice, obey orders, 
 and with weakness in trumps, still lead out your best 
 one forthwith ; but in any other case a lead from 
 weakness in trumps, except to stop the opponent's 
 cross ruff, constitutes play against your partner. 
 
 It is unwarrantable (if you have an alternative) 
 to lead from a suit so destitute of high cards as
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 to kill your partner's King or Queen, without 
 substantially promoting cards remaining in your 
 own hand ; his King or Queen, if left alone by you, 
 would probably win a trick in due course. 
 
 Cavendish has spoken of " Partners who some- 
 times open the hand with the ridiculously bad 
 strengthening Queen, from Queen and another. 
 [It should be called weakening Queen]." He 
 knocks one of the worst leads of poor players a 
 hard blow, for such a lead is of little use to the 
 partner, unless he may happen to hold the King, 
 and it is 2 to i against that ; and it is much 
 greater odds in favour of it lending help to 
 establishment of the adversaries' suit. 
 
 The original lead from a plain suit headed by 
 Ace with Queen, does not differ from the regulation 
 lead in a suit headed by the Ace alone ; i.e., if you 
 have four in the suit, lead a small card ; if holding 
 five or more, lead Ace and then a small card. It 
 would not be for consideration to lead a suit thus 
 headed if you have numerical weakness in it. 
 
 In any case, where one trick might be important, 
 as saving or winning the game, the lead would be 
 ruled accordingly, and the Ace would, of course, 
 be first played. With power to draw trumps 
 and then to obtain re-entry, a small card of the 
 A, Q suit would always first be led, unless your 
 partner has the greater numerical strength therein, 
 and you desire to unblock.
 
 X 
 
 Lead Strategy of the Future (continued). 
 
 Calling for a lead through an honour turned up. The trump- 
 showing lead. 
 
 I N dealing with original leads, it is essential to 
 \ treat of difficulty occasioned by an honour 
 ^ being turned up on one's right. Now where 
 the considerations as regards leading a trump are 
 rather evenly balanced, the sight of an honour 
 turned up to the opponent who plays last may 
 stop the strategy one would have liked to adopt. 
 To lead up to that honour may be knocking one's 
 head against a brick wall, whilst on the other 
 hand, if one's partner would but lead through it, 
 the very tactics desired would be started. 
 
 But how are you to let your partner know that 
 you wish him to lead through the honour? If 
 you are yourself so strong in trumps as to render a 
 trump lead advisable, it is probable that he is not 
 strong enough to make this his own original lead,, 
 unless so invited by you. If he should wait for 
 you to signal Blue Peter, this may cause loss of 
 important time as regards putting into operation) 
 the best plan of combined attack. You cannot 
 say in words, " Please lead through that honour ! '* 
 
 97 H
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 Yet your request should be wholly conveyed by 
 the first card you play. 
 
 In America, with an honour turned up, it is 
 understood that if the original leader shall make 
 an irregular lead, this gives command to his 
 partner to lead through the honour on the first 
 opportunity. 
 
 An irregular lead means the lead of a card in 
 its wrong order, i.e. in other order than laid down 
 by the principles of ordinary American leads. 
 
 Now it is clear from this definition that there 
 must always be at least two rounds of a suit before 
 one's partner could be sure that the lead first 
 made is an irregular one, because there are condi- 
 tions under which the original lead of any card in 
 the pack may be quite regular and correct. This 
 fact almost entirely upsets and nullifies the value 
 of the signal as conveyed by an irregular lead. 
 
 If there must be signalling by the card played, it 
 had better be so clear and direct as to admit of no 
 misunderstanding, and it should also, if possible, 
 be of a nature that one lead only shall fully 
 announce what is wanted. 
 
 Therefore, with an honour turned up on the 
 right, \hzfirst lead of the 2, 3, 4 or 5 in any plain 
 suit might be universally accepted as indicating 
 that a lead through that honour is requested. 
 
 There is no beating about the bush in such a 
 signal. If you do not desire the honour to be led 
 through, you can quite surely find a card to lead 
 originally which is higher than as. As a means
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 99 
 
 for making the call you would nearly always have 
 a 2, 3, 4 or 5 in your strongest plain suit. 
 
 It is so much the custom with ardent advocates 
 of signalling to try to prove that their signals are 
 but far-sighted natural inferences and deductions, 
 that I trust my effort that way as given below may 
 be favourably received by them. 
 
 Thus stands my proposition and argument : 
 Firstly. You want lead made through the 
 
 honour turned up to your right. 
 Secondly. For that purpose you try forthwith to 
 
 give your partner the lead. 
 Thirdly. You therefore don't commence by 
 leading your own face cards, or fourth 
 best, or a strengthening card, because he 
 might possibly pass any of these without 
 attempt to win. 
 
 Fourthly. But your lead of 2, 3, 4 or 5 could 
 be interpreted in no other way than that 
 you wish him to try to win the trick, and 
 the honour lying displayed under his nose 
 (a little to his left) would clearly convey 
 to him what he must do next. 
 These be inferences ! No signalling by the card 
 led could be more simple and legitimate than as 
 above described. 
 
 Trump showing leads have been adopted to 
 some extent by American Whist-players ; the idea 
 is to signal by the high card one first leads of a
 
 100 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 plain suit the number of trumps held in the hand. 
 One would think that the information might more 
 conveniently and plainly be given by leading a 
 card with pips corresponding to the number of 
 trumps held ; or failing holding such low card, by 
 allowing the 7 to do duty for the number 2, the 
 8 for the 3, and 9 for the 4. With duplicates 
 thus provided for the purpose, one would be sure 
 to have a numerical trump-showing card. But 
 is such trump-showing expedient? It surely 
 stands to reason that if you are not strong enough 
 in trumps to lead them, it would be a most dan- 
 gerous thing off-hand to inform the whole table 
 of the exact number you hold ! The chances are 
 2 to i that one of your opponents may hold 
 the strongest trumps of the other three hands, and 
 publication of your precise resources when failing 
 commanding strength in trumps is but an an- 
 nouncement to your disadvantage. 
 
 " Signals have come to stay" say many Whist- 
 players. If any leader's signal could stay, it would 
 be such an one as calls for a lead through the 
 honour turned up by the original lead of a very 
 low and valueless card in a plain suit. 
 
 For the signals which are made by other players 
 than the leader, see Chapter XIV.
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 
 Play of the Second Hand in Whist of the Future. 
 
 The attack on American leads by the second hand. Play of 
 false cards. 
 
 WHERE players adopt the lead of the fourth 
 best, and trump-showing leads, etc., the 
 information thus openly given will enable 
 the second hand to take up opposition tactics to a 
 greater extent than hitherto done by that hand ; 
 and this fact must be recognised as a serious ob- 
 jection to some information leads. 
 
 Cavendish, the highest Whist authority, has for 
 the past thirteen years been in favour of the 
 American leads ; but in his work, Whist Develop^ 
 ments, he points out that they are not successful 
 where the combined hands making use of them 
 are weak. He says as regards this exception : 
 
 "It is only true that these leads may be of assistance to 
 opponents who hold very strong cards ; it is then undoubt- 
 edly to their [the opponents'] advantage to be able to place 
 the unplayed cards." 
 
 With the lead of the fourth best from oppon- 
 ents, the second hand can often calculate closely 
 from the cards in his own hand those of import- 
 ance which may remain divided between his left- 
 101
 
 102 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 hand adversary and his partner. He can thus some- 
 times play to win, or finesse to great advantage, or 
 hold back with trick-making result. 
 
 For example : 
 
 The lead is a seven ; your hand (second hand) 
 is A, Q, 10 and 8 ; you can with perfect safety put 
 down your eight to win the trick, because you know 
 from the fourth best information lead that the high 
 cards not in your own hand must all be held by 
 the original leader, i.e. that he held K, J, 9 and 8. 
 
 The above simple case is a typical one, admitting 
 of extensive variation and application, and the old- 
 time maxim of second hand play low, or play the 
 lowest of a sequence, would be modified to "second 
 hand should calculate how he can most profitably 
 arrange to cover the card led, or to hold back over 
 the three high cards advertised by the original lead 
 of his right hand opponent." 
 
 Also the value of the card led will greatly affect 
 the question of what to play second hand when 
 holding an honour and only one other card of the 
 suit. 
 
 With most players there is reluctance to unguard 
 an honour at second hand. With King or Queen 
 and but one small card, the play of the small 
 card often leaves the honour bottled up to fall in 
 the second round to the superior card in the hand 
 of the original leader, and that is a poor prospect. 
 
 Now with the original leader declaring details 
 of his strongest suit, your King or Queen should, 
 if played second hand, stand an even chance of
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 103 
 
 winning, and I believe that you will probably, 
 therefore, get better trick-making value as regards 
 immediate result by playing the honours to a 
 moderately high card led. The full-information 
 advocates have in this predicament of holding an 
 honour singly guarded stood by the policy of 
 concealment. They point out that if you put 
 on the honour second hand you at once expose 
 your weakness and enable the original leader to 
 
 finPSSP Jicrninst vmi r>n thf cprnnrl rrmnrl Kiif oc 
 
 ERRATUM. 
 Page 102, line 10, 
 
 For 8, read 7. 
 
 ian v,uauv-c ui getting me iCitU ttl LUC CiUiy IU11C 
 
 when declaration of strategy is very important ; 
 and that you enable your partner to hold back 
 in the suit in which you show yourself to be 
 numerically weak ; your left hand opponent could 
 not subsequently give your partner more than a 
 single lead through for a chance of adverse finesse 
 by the original leader, because you would stand as 
 last player with a ruff. 
 
 Also as regards the question of exposure of 
 weakness : it must be remembered that if you pass, 
 the third hand has an equal chance with your 
 partner of winning the trick, and thus fully showing 
 up your partner's weakness in addition to the ex- 
 posure of yours which must shortly follow. 
 
 Undoubtedly the great disadvantage of putting
 
 102 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 hand adversary and his partner. He can thus some- 
 times play to win, or finesse to great advantage, or 
 hold back with trick-making result. 
 
 For example : 
 
 The lead is a seven ; your hand (second hand) 
 
 is A, Q, 10 and 8 ; you can with perfect safety put 
 
 down your eight to win the trick, because you knoiv 
 
 from the fourth best information lead that the high 
 
 - 1 i uniir own hand must all be held by 
 
 hand snouiu 
 
 arrange to cover the card led, or to hold back over 
 the three high cards advertised by the original lead 
 of his right hand opponent? 
 
 Also the value of the card led will greatly affect 
 the question of what to play second hand when 
 holding an honour and only one other card of the 
 suit. 
 
 With most players there is reluctance to unguard 
 an honour at second hand. With King or Queen 
 and but one small card, the play of the small 
 card often leaves the honour bottled up to fall in 
 the second round to the superior card in the hand 
 of the original leader, and that is a poor prospect. 
 
 Now with the original leader declaring details 
 of his strongest suit, your King or Queen should, 
 if played second hand, stand an even chance of
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 103 
 
 winning, and I believe that you will probably, 
 therefore, get better trick-making value as regards 
 immediate result by playing the honours to a 
 moderately high card led. The full-information 
 advocates have in this predicament of holding an 
 honour singly guarded stood by the policy of 
 concealment. They point out that if you put 
 on the honour second hand you at once expose 
 your weakness and enable the original leader to 
 finesse against you on the second round ; but as 
 a set-off against this it must be noted that in 
 addition to the information you give your partner 
 of your shortness in the suit (which may be most 
 valuable to combined operations if you desire to 
 ruff as being weak in trumps) you also stand a 
 fair chance of getting the lead at the early time 
 when declaration of strategy is very important ; 
 and that you enable your partner to hold back 
 in the suit in which you show yourself to be 
 numerically weak ; your left hand opponent could 
 not subsequently give your partner more than a 
 single lead through for a chance of adverse finesse 
 by the original leader, because you would stand as 
 last player with a ruff. 
 
 Also as regards the question of exposure of 
 weakness : it must be remembered that if you pass, 
 the third hand has an equal chance with your 
 partner of winning the trick, and thus fully showing 
 up your partner's weakness in addition to the ex- 
 posure of yours which must shortly follow. 
 
 Undoubtedly the great disadvantage of putting
 
 IO4 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 down the singly guarded honour second hand is 
 that, // beaten by the third player the suit is gener- 
 ally practically established for the leader's hand in 
 the first round of it, whereas if you hold the 
 honour back you keep up concealment for awhile, 
 for if the third player may win the trick he would 
 probably lead from his own strong suit before 
 returning that of his partner. This last-named 
 disadvantage, viz., by playing the honour aiding 
 to promptly establish the opponent's suit, is cer- 
 tainly a very strong one. 
 
 All points considered, I believe the following to 
 be the best rule : If the second hand may be 
 weak in trumps, and see his best chances to be by 
 ruffing, he should with any honour (except the ace) 
 and but one other in the suit cover with his 
 honour; his partner will then scheme to give a 
 chance for a ruff, for the fall of the cards would 
 usually explain the situation to him. 
 
 The information conveyed by your play of the 
 honour would thus be recognised as a timely 
 declaration of strategy. 
 
 Of course with Ace and one other, the Ace 
 would never be played second hand unless to 
 cover . an honour, or for some very exceptional 
 reason; but, as above referred to, the King, Queen, 
 or Jack might, when accompanied by only one 
 other card, be advantageously played second hand 
 when it would best suit you to ask your partner 
 for a chance of a ruff as being the way in which 
 you could most likely help the score.
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 105 
 
 When a J is led and you hold K or Q you 
 should not cover, because the other two honours 
 are in hands playing after you. When holding both 
 K and Q you cover the J led ; and with A and 
 more than one small you also cover. When having 
 the A and Q you put on the A because you know 
 that the J could not have been led from the combin- 
 ation of K, Q, J, but that it must be the highest 
 card held by the leader in that suit, so that the K 
 is certainly in one of the two hands behind you. 
 
 When trumps are led, the play of the second 
 hand is influenced greatly by the probable chance 
 of a winning cross ruff, or a ruff to the weaker in 
 trumps of himself or partner. In those cases the 
 second hand would often win the trump led, in 
 order to give his partner the timely opportunity of 
 ruffing, or else with a view to lead a plain suit in 
 which his partner might win a trick in order to lead 
 back the suit which he himself (the second hand) 
 desires to trump. 
 
 It is sad to touch on the terribly distressing, 
 deceptive and false play now being begotten of the 
 over-information system of leads. 
 
 Mr. Milton C. Work stands high as a close 
 reasoner in proving the great advantages claimed 
 for the American leads ; he points out how essen- 
 tial it is that reliable information should be freely 
 given by selection of the card to be played ; yet at 
 page 95 of Whist of To-day he advocates play 
 second hand of false cards in the opponent's suits. 
 He says :
 
 I06 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 ' ' The writer firmly believes that with such combinations 
 as Ace, King ; King, Queen ; or Queen, Jack second hand, 
 considerable advantage may be obtained by frequently play- 
 ing the higher rather than the lower of the respective 
 sequences. Of course a player should not always play a false 
 card under such circumstances. To make his play truly 
 deceptive he should vary it, so as to keep his opponents 
 guessing whether the play is false or not." 
 
 No doubt what Mr. Work lays down above is 
 often trick-winning; but then if the cleverly devised 
 rules for play, with illustrative hands showing 
 numerical marking of cards, are admitted in im- 
 portant practical cases to fail before deceptive 
 opposition tactics, the question naturally suggests 
 itself as to whether the principle of " Deception " 
 may not be for extension and perhaps for formula- 
 ting just as systematically as the signalling leads 
 which have rendered the deceptive play a neces- 
 sity. 
 
 As regards play to opponents' suits, it may be 
 advanced : Deceive your adversaries as much as 
 possible in these; if they play fourth best, take care- 
 ful note for your own guidance of the information 
 they give, and mislead them in their dediictions by 
 the cards you play. 
 
 But when thus resolving on attempts to mislead 
 adversaries, the question of involved deception to 
 your partner must be most carefully considered ; 
 this issue must be regulated by your strength and 
 by the fall of the cards, and there should be a 
 keen look-out for the moment when you may with 
 advantage show him that your temporary false play
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 107 
 
 was but lawful and laudable strategy for the con- 
 fusion and defeat of number-showing tactics. 
 
 With the game working round in your favour 
 you drop deception, and revert to the simple and 
 recognised combined operations advocated by Mr. 
 James Clay, Dr. Pole, and other authorities. 
 
 In the thoroughly gentlemanlike game that 
 Whist is, one feels regret that deceptive play 
 should be greatly introduced. The word deceit 
 is not a pleasant one; of course, however, it is here 
 but used in connection with such ruses or artifices 
 as may be perfectly legitimate in hostile operations 
 whether at Whist or War. 
 
 For the weaker side to beguile the enemy into 
 an ambush, to mislead him as to numerical 
 strength, or as to the location of the various com- 
 ponents of the force at command, may seem but a 
 lawful exercise of strategical judgment. 
 
 The attempt to convey by the cards played the 
 utmost detailed information to one's partner may 
 be fitly and fairly met by every effort on the part 
 of adversaries to play their cards so as to destroy 
 these advertised lines of communication and 
 assault.
 
 CHAPTER XII 
 
 Play of the Third Hand. 
 
 Non-finesse if holding Ace and Queen in your partner's suit. 
 Non-return of partner's original lead under certain con- 
 tingencies. Unblocking. 
 
 WHIST authorities have laid down the law 
 that you should never finesse in your 
 partner's original strong suit lead except 
 when you hold A, Q, of the suit ; but in that 
 case you ought to finesse the Q. I have in vain 
 tried to discover any sound reason advanced for 
 this exception. 
 
 If the suit is to be treated as your partner's 
 strong suit, and if you have A, Q, only or A, Q, and 
 but one other, it appears that a finesse of Queen 
 may be especially detrimental to prompt establish- 
 ment of the suit. 
 
 The case of holding these two high cards is so 
 common, and the issue so important, that I pro- 
 pose to submit the conditions in detail. 
 
 The leader would be sure to have four or five 
 cards in his strong suit, almost certainly headed by 
 the K or J, or perhaps holding both of them. 
 Prompt establishment is what he has played for. 
 
 If the second hand should hold the King and 
 
 108
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 109 
 
 one or more small cards, he would play a small 
 card and hold back his King ; with the King and 
 another still held up he blocks establishment. 
 
 The only reason for finessing the Queen third 
 hand seems to be that the Ace shall, perhaps later 
 on, catch the King if that card should happen to 
 remain in the second hand; but the whole pro- 
 gramme of quick establishment is sacrificed to such 
 an idea as that. Even should the second hand 
 hold the King, and, considering that your partner 
 led the suit, it is odds against this, it is generally 
 of more advantage to be certain of extracting it in 
 the second round than to allow it to remain in 
 opposition and as blocking the long suit after the 
 second round. 
 
 If the King may happen to be with the fourth 
 hand, the third hand would, by finessing the 
 Queen, lose a trick at a very important stage of 
 the game, and without showing establishment of 
 his partner's suit ; and that is a very great matter 
 indeed, for the fourth player thereby secures 
 opportunity for declaration of his own strategy 
 earlier than he could otherwise have done ; and 
 moreover, the original leader, with his strong suit 
 not established, still remains in doubt as to the 
 position of the Ace. 
 
 Now this uncertainty to the original leader is 
 obviated if the third hand, as holding Ace, Queen, 
 and not more than one other, would to the first 
 lead put down the Ace and lead back the Queen. 
 By so doing he absolutely clears the suit to his
 
 110 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 partner in two rounds. It is true that a trick is 
 temporarily lost if the original second-hand player 
 may happen to hold the King and so win the 
 Queen thus led out; but balanced against this 
 chance there remains the fact that you have 
 promptly, at the second round, probably fully 
 established your partner's long suit, and that you 
 have by your play also informed him of your 
 numerical weakness therein. 
 
 Further, by winning with the Ace you secure the 
 power to show your own strong suit before you 
 return the Queen to your partner, though you 
 would not, of course, thus postpone leading back 
 if you retained the Q unguarded. 
 
 There may therefore be hope that in Whist of 
 the Future there will be no exception made as 
 regards original non-finesse in a partner's declared 
 strong suit. If your own strength in the suit as, 
 for instance, holding A, Q, J, and others may 
 warrant your at once adopting it as your own, you 
 then, in taking it over, finesse as may be advan- 
 tageous, and your partner would understand and 
 loyally unblock to you accordingly. 
 
 Cavendish rules : 
 
 " If ten or nine is led and you [third hand] hold A, Q 
 only, you play A and return Q, and are marked with no 
 more. If you hold A, Q, and one small, you play Q and 
 return A. " 
 
 But the above has reference specially to un- 
 blocking the lead of 10 declaring possession of
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE III 
 
 K, J, 10, and the 9 being fourth best. What I 
 wish to advance is that there should never be any 
 finesse card played on a partner's original lead, 
 though a strengthening card led by him would, of 
 course, often be passed under finesse conditions. 
 
 The third hand should bear in mind that his 
 partner rarely for his own benefit wishes his 
 original lead forthwith returned unless that lead 
 may be a trump, or unless the return may be with 
 a high strengthening or a winning card as assisting 
 to complete the establishment of the suit. Very 
 often the original lead is perforce but from a 
 single face card held with three or four small 
 ones. If the third hand may win the first trick, 
 he should not adopt the narrow-minded policy of 
 leading back at once, unless he wins with a high 
 card and can play another good card to assist in 
 establishment, or can hold back strength as de- 
 claring the suit to be his own strong one, or unless 
 he has but one of the suit remaining, and, being 
 weak in trumps, desires to ruff it. 
 
 Carefulness to avoid sacrifice of the high cards 
 his partner has led from should be uppermost in 
 the mind of the third-hand player when his own 
 turn comes to lead. 
 
 Even the partner's trump lead should not always 
 be returned by the original third hand in the arbi- 
 trary lines that some have laid down. If at the 
 first round the third hand held but two or three
 
 112 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 small ones, and thus did nothing towards clearing 
 the high cards, he should sometimes, unless he 
 sees that the lead was made to prevent ruffing, 
 allow the question of trump-drawing under such 
 conditions to rest with his partner and await 
 further indication. 
 
 Mr. Milton C. Work has advanced that if the 
 third hand holds K, Q, and two others in his 
 partner's first declared strong suit, he may with 
 advantage, if he intends to return the suit at once, 
 put down the King (a false card) to the first trick, 
 and, on winning, return a small one. The reason 
 given in favour of this is that the original second 
 hand adversary, if he may have but two in the suit, 
 would at the third round from the first leader 
 credit his own partner with the Queen, and so not 
 trump. 
 
 That is true, but I submit that it is still a very 
 unsound false play, and therefore a losing game in 
 the end. 
 
 Here are the reasons : 
 
 By playing your K third hand you clearly tell 
 your partner that you have not the Q. On your 
 leading back a small one your partner wins with the 
 Ace ; and concluding that the Queen is certainly 
 against him, is obliged to frame his strategy of the 
 hand accordingly. 
 
 If he had not been told by your play of the 
 King third hand that the Queen was certainly 
 against, he would, with enough strength in trumps, 
 perhaps adopt a trump lead at this second oppor-
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 113 
 
 tunity, especially on noting that his partner might, 
 from his return of a small card, have four of the 
 suit. 
 
 Whatever may be ruled to be expedient as 
 regards play of false cards to circumvent the 
 Information game, it may not in Whist of the 
 Future be for adoption that the third hand shall 
 thus mislead his partner in his declared suit at the 
 very opening of the combined strategy. 
 
 Reverting to the question of lead back of the 
 original third hand on winning a trick in his 
 partner's suit, I think understanding as follows 
 might obtain with trick-winning result : (a) That 
 if the third hand wins the trick and forthwith leads 
 back a small card of the suit, his partner may con- 
 clude that he has no other, and desires to ruff; 
 (b) the immediate lead back of a strengthening 
 card should show three of the suit to have been held 
 originally; (c) and the postponement of a lead 
 back in favour of opening another suit would 
 show that the original third hand considered, from 
 his own cards, that the strategy of the combined 
 hands required development also in another suit 
 
 If the third hand, on winning the trick, should 
 play out a trump, he would declare power to sup- 
 plement his partner's strong plain suit by a forward 
 game. 
 
 The third hand must always treat the lead of a 
 strengthening card by his partner with great con- 
 sideration. When it is clear that such a card led 
 as the J, 10, or 9 is his partner's best in the suit, 
 
 i
 
 114 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 he must often let it pass in finesse where he would 
 not himself have played this card in finesse had his 
 partner led a small one. The reason is plain : 
 When the partner originally leads a low card, the 
 third hand understands that he is expected to do his 
 utmost to aid towards clearing and establishing the 
 suit for his partner ; but when the strengthening 
 card is led, the third hand must, recognise that his 
 partner has thus shown the utmost he is capable of 
 doing, and he must himself therefore judiciously 
 hold up reserves. 
 
 * * * * 
 
 UNBLOCKING. 
 
 Cavendish has in his advanced work, Whist 
 Developments, thoroughly investigated and systema- 
 tised the conditions of unblocking. 
 
 The scope for immediate commencement of un- 
 blocking by the third hand is very clearly defined. 
 He only usually begins to do so in the first round 
 when he holds exactly four cards of the suit, all of 
 them being lower than the one originally led by his 
 partner. 
 
 Suppose, for instance, his partner first leads an 
 Ace, whilst third hand holds J, 9, 7, 4 ; the 7 is 
 played to the A, and when another card of the suit 
 is led, the third hand still holds up the 4 and puts 
 down either the J or the 9, according as he may 
 try to win the trick or have to throw a losing card. 
 He must play a card higher than the 7 in order to 
 avoid making a call for trumps. Also since the 
 Ace led (unless followed by Q) shows at least five
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 cards in suit, the third hand would at the third 
 round get rid of his J and still hold up the 4, 
 unless either the second or the fourth hand had 
 originally not held any of the suit. 
 
 The above comprises exemplification of the main 
 issues involved in commencing unblocking on the 
 first round of the partner's original lead. 
 
 When holding less than four cards in the partner's 
 declared suit, you still try to hold up a small card 
 whereby to give him re-entry later on, and play out 
 your winning or supporting cards on the first safe 
 or effective opportunity. 
 
 The illustrations of the conditions of unblocking 
 given in Whist Developments are, as a matter of 
 course, most accurately and instructively presented. 
 They will form an important element in the game 
 as it will be taught in its classic and best form ; but 
 the holding up or play out of false cards by oppo- 
 nents, and the doubt to the leader as to whether 
 the presumed unblocker may hold 2, 3, or 4 
 cards of the suit (and this cannot be known 
 for certain until the third round) will generally 
 render the unreserved adoption of the system 
 somewhat unpopular in actual play. 
 
 Mr. Milton C. Work says : 
 
 " The majority of rules on unblocking are unnecessary, as 
 no thorough Whist-player, with or without rules, will permit 
 himself to block his partner's suit." 
 
 It certainly is a somewhat dangerous thing, as 
 being liable to be misunderstood, to commence 
 unblocking at the earliest stage possible, for the
 
 Il6 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 leader may, on seeing rather high pip cards fall 
 from you, conclude that you are running short, and 
 should be given a chance for a ruff, and then find 
 that the ruff is with the adversaries. Moreover, 
 opponents would often deceive the long-suit leader 
 on this matter by keeping back small cards. Also, 
 before you unblock at all, you should be rather 
 confident that the trick you will forego holding up 
 for is of more importance in your partner's hand 
 than in your own ; your partner may wish to throw 
 a lead to you for return to his tenace in another 
 suit, or for other reasons, and may still have a 
 trump or other card of re-entry to bring in his own 
 long cards, and your blocking card may be the only 
 one with which you could win ; or you may have 
 a long card of your own suit to play out, and have 
 no other way of winning a trick than by the blocking 
 card. Your partner would generally be pretty sure 
 that the block card is with you, and is held up by 
 you for a good reason. 
 
 Unblocking must practically remain almost en- 
 tirely a matter dependent on Whist Perception and 
 Observation, the careful study of the conditions 
 being an important chapter in Whist education. In 
 that direction carefully consider : 
 
 1. Whether your partner's strength in the suit is 
 
 great enough to warrant the waste of the 
 possible blocking card. 
 
 2. Whether the blocking card would not later, if 
 
 held back, help your partner to establish 
 the suit.
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 3. Whether the blocking card would be likely 
 finally to stop your partner in the play out 
 of his long cards ; for it might interim get 
 a lead for you, and enable you to do good 
 service. 
 
 Many tricks are thrown away by over-generous 
 and badly judged attempts at unblocking play, and 
 the feelings are as sorely hurt by seeing that the 
 unblocking has made a present of a trick to the 
 adversary, as they are by being obliged to win a 
 trick which had better have been won by the 
 partner. 
 
 Inexperienced players should be very careful that 
 their unblocking may not be for interpretation as a 
 call for trumps. Cavendish gives the warning : 
 
 " All unblocking play is liable to cause a careless leader to 
 draw false inferences."
 
 CHAPTER XIII 
 
 Play of the Fourth Hand. 
 
 With Ace, Jack, hold up sometimes to King led. Blocking the 
 adversary. Signalling. False Play. Trumping adverse 
 long cards. 
 
 THERE is the straightforward maxim that the 
 fourth hand should, in the earlier part of the 
 play at all events, win the opponents' trick 
 if able to do so. 
 
 But perhaps in Whist of the Future the excep- 
 tions to this rule will be more numerous than 
 heretofore. 
 
 There is one combination at present adopted as 
 a lead, which is best under certain conditions 
 treated with waiting tactics by fourth hand (and 
 second hand). I allude to the lead of King, from 
 K, Q, and two small cards, with the second or 
 fourth hand holding A, J, and only one or two 
 small ones. 
 
 With this last-named combination and also 
 strength in trumps in the fourth (or second) hand, 
 it almost invariably pays best to allow the King led 
 to win. If the original leader should then venture 
 on the suit a second time, you stand over him with 
 the tenace, and also observe whether it is a suit that 
 you (being strong in trumps) can give back to your 
 
 118
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 119 
 
 partner for a ruff; you very rarely would lose a trick 
 in the end by thus allowing the led-out King to 
 win, and you block the adversary and perhaps in- 
 duce him promptly to lead out a trump in the 
 thought that the Ace of his strong plain suit is with 
 his partner ; thus you rather spoil his strategy at 
 the outset. 
 
 Having blocked your opponent's suit as above 
 noted, it is manifest that either you or your partner 
 may lead out trumps with more freedom than if the 
 Ace had been played on the King led at the first 
 round ; the suit has become your own rather than 
 your adversary's ; you have little to fear in it, and 
 with good cards in other plain suits and sufficient 
 strength in trumps you can venture on a very for- 
 ward game. 
 
 The fourth hand will, with signals in force, per- 
 haps more than any other be the hand for early 
 signalling. Whereas the second and third hands 
 may have to make effort to win a trick, or to play 
 so as not to allow it to go cheaply, the play of the 
 fourth hand has no uncertain signification; he 
 either wins and then promptly shows his proposed 
 strategy, or failing power to win, his partner notes 
 the weakness and gathers some inkling from the 
 value of the card thrown as to numerical strength 
 remaining, or observes the call or non-call for 
 trumps. 
 
 The strategical standpoint of the fourth hand is
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 often considered to be not much inferior to that of 
 the original leader, because he gains by the play to 
 the first trick knowledge as to his left-hand oppo- 
 nent's proposed programme, and can lose no 
 valuable card in effort to win. 
 
 Mr. Milton C. Work is consistently strong also 
 in his advocacy of false play in the opponent's suit. 
 He says as regards fourth hand : 
 
 " For example, holding K, Q, and one small card, and the 
 play of one of the face cards being necessary to win the trick, 
 it is often wise to take with the K, as the play of a false 
 card may induce the original leader not to finesse if the suit 
 is returned by his partner." 
 
 and further 
 
 " The reputation of being in the habit of playing a false 
 card in such a situation, may also be to a fourth hand player's 
 advantage when he is not so playing." 
 
 All that seems a little counter to Clay's Doctrine ! 
 Yet in truth, in writing the above in Whist of To-day t 
 Mr. Work strikes a hard blow at the information 
 system as now advocated. It is plain that if we 
 adopt the principle of deception in the opponents' 
 suits with low cards as well as with high ones, we 
 spoil their marking of our own cards, and yet we 
 have the advantage of noting in which adverse hand 
 the important or long cards lie ! 
 
 In Whist of the Future the systematic lead of 
 Fourth best, the Trump-shoiving lead, etc., will doubt- 
 less be best opposed by play of false cards when there 
 may not be strength enough to fully take aggressive
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 advantage of the information given, and at once to 
 institute an opposition forward game. 
 
 * # * * 
 
 The fourth hand will not infrequently find it an 
 advantage to win his partner's trick when the third 
 hand has shown great weakness ; on winning a trick 
 thus, he often places the original leader in a very 
 awkward position by a lead through him with either 
 a strengthening or a low card, perhaps at the same 
 time himself holding back the head card of the 
 suit. The adverse strategy is thus sometimes dis- 
 organized early in the hand. 
 
 * * * * 
 
 Irresolution as regards trumping long adverse 
 cards often loses tricks to fourth hand or second 
 hand. Defective Whist memory sometimes shows 
 up sadly where two or three long small cards 
 remain with an opponent. To the first of these, 
 when led out, the long or best trump is often held 
 back ; when another long small card follows, there 
 is perhaps further dogged refusal to trump and 
 consequent discard of a strong card ; at the third 
 lead the bothered non-reckoner, in desperation, does 
 what he should have done at first, and trumps. Of 
 course a single long plain suit card may be often 
 passed with advantage by the hand holding the long 
 or highest remaining trump, because it may be 
 desirable to keep the lead in the same place, but it 
 is rarely sound to hold back the trump where there 
 may be two or three leads of adverse long cards.
 
 122 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 It is best to trump at once if at all, and to give 
 one's partner a chance of another suit, with the hope 
 that the holder of the remaining long cards may 
 not be able again to obtain the lead. 
 
 When you hold the winning trump, and expect 
 with it to draw the inferior adverse remaining one, 
 it naturally goes much against the grain to be forced 
 to trump a small long card ; the matter is one 
 entirely for perception and judgment. It may pay 
 to ruff with the best if the remaining smaller trump 
 should lie with the adversary not holding long 
 cards.
 
 CHAPTER XIV 
 
 Signals. 
 
 The Call for Trumps. If used, it should be as a request, not 
 a command. The Echo of (he call. The Sub-Echo. The 
 Three-Echo. The Four- Echo. 
 
 Conventions. 
 Illustration of what is meant by these. Unfairness of them. 
 
 THE most important recognised signal is the 
 one which first of all came into practice, 
 viz. : Blue Peter, or Calling for trumps. It 
 was used by Whist-players, in its present applica- 
 tion, nearly fifty years ago. 
 
 This signal is defined as " playing an unneces- 
 sarily high card." It is generally made in the lower 
 cards, as by the play of the 4 or 5 before the 
 2 or 3, or it has been allowed to be made in the 
 second, third, or fourth hand by play of a high 
 sequence card before a lower one. Thus, if with 
 Q, J, 10, a player not being leader plays the J 
 before playing the 10, the subsequent play of the 
 10 would by the existing understanding constitute 
 a Call for trumps. 
 
 Some one has lately objected to the definition 
 quoted above, on the ground that you cannot 
 call a low-pip card a "high" card; the definition, 
 however, does not say that calling for trumps con- 
 
 123
 
 124 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 sists in playing a high card unnecessarily, but it 
 says putting down an unnecessarily high card, and 
 that is quite a different matter ; the 3 is a higher 
 card than the 2, and is unnecessarily high, when the 
 lower card would naturally be the one to play to a 
 trick one cannot win. 
 
 Every Whist-player now understands Calling 
 for trumps, yet it is a matter for note that the 
 finest players only make use of this signal when 
 having very great trump strength indeed, and in 
 that case they would probably often do quite as 
 well by judicious lead of a trump on first getting 
 the opportunity. The reasons for the unpopu- 
 larity of the Call are not hard to be arrived at. 
 By making the Call, you inform your opponents 
 of your great strength, and they, being plainly 
 warned, will at once play to the score, and try to 
 save the game ; you also command your partner 
 to abandon his own game entirely, and to lead out 
 trumps forthwith ; you direct him, without know- 
 ing his capabilities or supplementary powers, to 
 immolate himself. 
 
 No player is often justified in thus throwing 
 down the gauntlet to the table, unless he may 
 hold the game almost for certain in his own hand, 
 and in that case he would usually win it without 
 the help of Blue Peter. 
 
 I believe that the only condition under which 
 the Call for trumps may be especially trick-saving 
 or profitable is : when the holder of a very 
 strong trump hand is unable to get the lead as
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 125 
 
 quickly as his partner, and yet plainly sees that 
 the adversaries are likely to bring in a ruff or a 
 cross ruff ; it is manifest that the Call may then be 
 advantageous. 
 
 It is much better to give the Call when the lead 
 is with the partner, than when this lies with the 
 opponents ; in the former case you get prompt 
 response, whilst with an adversary in the lead 
 every effort will be started to force you, or other- 
 wise to circumvent your proposed forward game. 
 
 There is no doubt that if the Call or Command 
 for trumps might be modified into a Request, thus 
 supposed to be worded " I should like a trump 
 led, partner, if not very detrimental to your tactics, 
 because the strength of my hand is great " the 
 signal might then be safely used more frequently 
 than it now is. The partner would, with such an 
 understanding, fully recognise the situation, but 
 instead of forlornly leading out his 10, 7, and 3 of 
 trumps, as he might happen to secure tricks, 
 he would perhaps show his partner his numeri- 
 cally weak suit with the hope of ruffing ere his 
 trumps might be drawn. As before noted, no 
 strategy pays better than for the hand weak in 
 trumps to get a ruff or two before the strong hand 
 sets to work to draw them, because every trick 
 secured thus is a clear gain. Calling for trumps 
 as a Command will not be in favour in Whist of 
 the Future. How often has that Command resulted 
 in about five tricks having been laboriously won 
 by the signaller's hand, the partner having wholly
 
 126 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 sacrificed himself, and the opponents played false 
 cards and held back judiciously. Given even as a 
 "request," the signal has grave drawbacks, because 
 it makes over such open information to adver- 
 saries, who will try to take full advantage of it. 
 Either as a " request " or a " call " the signal 
 would usually be considered cancelled, should the 
 signaller get the lead and not further play out 
 trumps, the exceptions to this being the holding of 
 a strong tenace trump-hand (with perhaps an 
 honour turned up on the right), specially demand- 
 ing the leads from one's partner, or having been 
 forced since making the Call. 
 
 Considering the deceptive play which is required 
 to defeat very informatory leads, it will doubt- 
 less be recognised in Whist of the Future that the 
 play by second or fourth hand of any face card 
 before the one next below it in sequence shall not 
 constitute a Call for Trumps. 
 
 Amongst players of moderate proficiency, there 
 are many who are not so quick to observe the call 
 for trumps on the part of either opponent, as they 
 are to see it when made by their partner. This 
 neglect is, however, a very grave matter, because 
 when one of the adversaries obeys the call and 
 leads a trump, his would be the hand credited 
 with the trump strength, if the call from his 
 partner had not been duly noticed ; and any mis- 
 take as regards which of the two adverse hands 
 holds long trumps may occasion loss of the game ; 
 it would be calamitous to force the weak adverse 
 trump hand by mistake.
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 127 
 
 Mr. Work says he believes it " right to signal in 
 any hand from which you would lead, provided 
 the trump suit is headed by one of the three 
 highest honours." 
 
 But this view would hardly be accepted by 
 Whist-players generally. One would often give 
 a tentative lead of trumps, when holding four of 
 them, including an honour, together with other 
 favourable cards; but it would be suicidal with 
 this strength to call on a partner forlornly to lead 
 out his highest of two or three if he might have 
 no supporting honour ; and following this line of 
 argument, it may be that the partner should have 
 the conditions of his own hand clearly defined 
 under which he would be absolved from respond- 
 ing to his coadjutor's Call or Request. 
 
 It may be generally assumed that if the partner 
 declines to ruff an uncertain trick, he holds 
 numerical trump strength ; and that if he refuses 
 to safely ruff an adverse winning plain card, he 
 gives a most emphatic call for trumps. 
 
 It is often advisable when, early in the hand, you 
 have suspicion that an opponent is commencing a 
 call, that you should win the trick if possible, and 
 promptly change the suit ; by thus doing you 
 prevent this opponent's partner from being sure 
 about the location of trump strength until later in 
 
 the hand. 
 
 * * * * 
 
 The Echo of strength in trumps, as showing four 
 of them, gives the partner who has called additional
 
 128 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 confidence and important reciprocal information ; 
 it is not liable to the grave disadvantages of the 
 original Call, because it is but a welcome return 
 indication of power, and with trump strength thus 
 declared in both hands, the weak adversaries have 
 no great chance of doing themselves any good by 
 forcing either. Opponents should be very keen 
 on observing refusal to echo. 
 
 * * * * 
 
 Mr. Milton C. Work, in Whist of To-day, most 
 clearly explains the other signals which are for the 
 moment finding more or less favour. He says 
 some of them are of considerable value. 
 
 Of the signals favourably mentioned by the 
 above-named authority, and also spoken of by the 
 magazine Whist, and in various books and news- 
 papers which treat of the game, it is doubtful if 
 any will be accorded a very prominent position in 
 Whist of the Future. 
 
 THE SUB-ECHO. 
 
 The Echo to a call for trumps has been dealt 
 with above. But a Sub-echo has also been in- 
 troduced ; i.e. when a player has not four trumps, 
 and therefore cannot echo to his partner's Call, he 
 may in the subsequent play of a plain suit make 
 the echo therein, to show that he originally held 
 three trumps. Now the fact of the lead of 
 trumps having given way to something else would 
 generally render it advisable to keep one's trump 
 weakness concealed from the adversaries.
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 1 29 
 
 Moreover, to publish that one holds three 
 trumps would often be very unwise as conveying 
 information enabling the strongest opponent to 
 draw trumps up to the point of exhausting these 
 three, and then to force the hand of the caller. 
 
 THE THREE ECHO. 
 
 The Three echo is said to be " of great value 
 when the original leader has six trumps, his 
 partner three, and each of his adversaries hvo." 
 
 It is a signal devised for showing the number of 
 the trumps held by the partner of the long trump 
 hand ; the information is often more likely to be 
 of value to adversaries than to the partner as very 
 likely causing a draw of two trumps to one to be 
 made to the exact limit. 
 
 THE FOUR ECHO. 
 
 The Four echo was suggested by Mr. Work 
 about sixteen years ago, and he still recommends 
 it as a trick-winning device. It stands thus : If 
 you have a plain suit containing but three cards, 
 none higher than the 8, you can show that you 
 hold not less than four trumps by playing first the 
 second best, secondly the highest, and thirdly the 
 lowest. 
 
 But, as in the case of other signals, this one 
 seems open to very grave objections ; your partner 
 may construe such play as an original intention to 
 call for trumps which the fall of the cards led you 
 
 K
 
 130 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 to nullify ; or he may conclude, after you have 
 played the two higher cards, that you had but 
 those, and therefore give back the suit for a ruff; 
 or your left-hand adversary, interpreting your weak- 
 ness in the suit, may give an awkward lead up to 
 your third small card ; moreover, the knowledge 
 that you hold four trumps might induce your 
 adversaries to give you a force, and then to draw 
 
 the other three. 
 
 # * # * 
 
 It seems unnecessary to treat of other signals 
 in similar lines which have been advocated, 
 for all are met by the same main objection. 
 
 It would not be fairly possible to make such 
 signals as Asking for trumps and the Echo illegal, 
 because a man may play whatever card he chooses; 
 also, in Unblocking, a high card is often thrown 
 away before a low one. The defeat and possible 
 abolition of much of the signalling must be the 
 outcome of conviction that fine Whist-players who 
 understand all the recognised signals, but do not 
 greatly practise them, have advantage in trick- 
 winning over signallers who almost habitually 
 expose precise details of their hands without get- 
 ting any conceded in return. 
 
 * * * * 
 
 CONVENTIONS. 
 
 Professor William Pole, F.R.S., has in his 
 standard treatise, The Evolution of Whist?- dealt 
 
 1 The Evolution of Whist, by Professor William Pole, F.R.S. Pub- 
 lished by Longmans, Green & Co., London and New York.
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 131 
 
 with the ethics of secret conventions between 
 partners. He most temperately, but decisively, 
 lays down that no players in partnership should 
 have between them any understanding as regards 
 what is meant by play of the cards which may 
 not be generally known and recognised. 
 
 Cavendish holds the same opinion. 
 
 If two players who are likely to be in partner- 
 ship at a Club or elsewhere, agree on the lead of 
 certain cards signalling information not natural to 
 their value or to the combinations wherein they 
 come, they do not play true Whist, but only a 
 game of Dodgery. Private signals would never 
 be for acceptance or toleration in English Clubs, 
 and it is impossible to conceive that any players 
 could receive payment of points won by such 
 measures. 
 
 I will give an example of what is meant by a 
 secret signal : Suppose two players agree before- 
 hand that when either of them shall originally lead 
 a 2, 3, or 4 in a plain suit, this is to show that he 
 holds four or more trumps; or suppose they should 
 agree that the original lead of a 7, 8, or 9 should 
 signify holding not more than two trumps, and so 
 on. It is quite manifest that the lead of the cards 
 indicated has nothing whatever to do with true 
 Whist principles, and nothing in play that is not 
 based on these will ever be willingly accepted by 
 players who are worthy of the name.
 
 CHAPTER XV 
 
 Changing Suits. 
 Partners Working in Combination. 
 
 SOME writers have said, with reference to the 
 earlier leads of the hand, " Do not change 
 suits." This, as a maxim intended for almost 
 universal application, is rather misleading. If you 
 lead out from your long suit, which may be of but 
 average long-suit strength, and find your partner 
 holding only three or four small cards in it, it 
 stands to reason that you must abandon that suit 
 on account of being unable to establish it by your 
 leads except at a very great sacrifice indeed. You 
 must, on next getting the lead, try your partner in 
 some other suit, perhaps best as changing tactics 
 on lack of adequate support, lead from your 
 shortest plain suit. He would quite understand the 
 motive, and, in due course, might give you a chance 
 for a ruff in the second suit led. 
 
 When you lead out from your strongest suit as 
 hoping for some assistance in establishment from 
 your partner, he should, if unable to help you, avoid 
 return of it ; he should recognise that he has not 
 only done nothing to help you, but that the fact of 
 your having led the suit and exposed his weakness 
 
 133
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 133 
 
 in it is a most detrimental matter, and that the suit 
 would only be led by you again in case you, as 
 original leader, have sequence cards which would, 
 single-handed, ensure eventual establishment and 
 final success, compensating for loss to adverse 
 higher cards at first. 
 
 Often, however, when you see that there is no 
 reasonable chance of bringing in your long suit, 
 you may still find it expedient to go on with it if 
 your partner can make a profitable ruff or two ; 
 note of the weak cards played by him would 
 usually inform you of the chance of this. 
 
 You should, as a rule, unless wishing to force a 
 strong adversary, change a suit as soon as you 
 have established it, or, when the weakness of your 
 partner renders the work of the establishment so 
 uphill as to be trick-losing ; and further, good 
 strategy often requires that there should be a 
 tentative lead in a second suit before the first be 
 pressed so far as to incur likelihood of an adverse 
 ruff. 
 
 But a player should not without good reason 
 jump from one suit to another ; the first lead has 
 shown the suit you propose for establishment, and 
 if that can be promptly carried out, it is a good 
 thing done, and simplifies and consolidates subse- 
 quent combined operations. 
 
 Moreover, in changing a suit you may cause 
 your partner to lose a good face card to the fourth 
 player, and should hardly bring this upon him 
 unless you are yourself good for the following trick
 
 134 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 in that suit, either as holding the best remaining 
 card or as having no more and wishing to ruff. 
 
 The timely change of suits perhaps involves as 
 great an exercise of Whist Perception as any 
 strategical development in play. A man who 
 doggedly goes on with a losing suit is a player 
 without resource ; he neglects opportunities. On 
 the other hand, one who shifts a suit which has 
 good chances of success for another of which he 
 has no information, needlessly incurs risks. 
 
 All depends on the indications given by the fall 
 of the cards. 
 
 In connection with the above, it should be 
 understood what constitutes the combined game 
 when considered in its most successful develop- 
 ments. 
 
 It must not be inferred that it is comprised in 
 the arrangement whereby the play of certain cards 
 informs the partner (and the opponents) as to the 
 others still remaining in the hand ; this forms but 
 the grounding and " setting-up drill " of the system, 
 and would be very plain and smooth sailing except 
 for the machinations of perceptive adversaries. 
 Combined play signifies a great deal more than 
 this; it means also that whilst the directive 
 strategy should loyally be conceded to the stronger 
 of the two hands in partnership, yet that the 
 weaker should not always have his individuality 
 sacrificed and merged as sometimes advocated.
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 135 
 
 Instead of complying with a call for trumps, he will 
 often do best service by leading a singleton, for his 
 partner should quite understand that the sole 
 reason for not leading or returning trumps when 
 invited must be the prospect of playing them to 
 the best advantage by ruffing. Immediately one 
 partner has started a strong forward game, the 
 other should, with his supporting cards expended, 
 generally strike the hardest blows he can by lead- 
 ing out his winning cards. It is sad to see how 
 often good cards are held up by the subordinate 
 hand only to fall in the end to the trumps or long 
 cards of the commanding hand. Conversely, when 
 the cards you hold are so good as to warrant you 
 in assuming chief control, you must recognise the 
 great responsibility which rests upon you, and 
 understand that your own reserves must be power- 
 ful enough to withstand possible reverses and 
 counter-attacks. 
 
 Obtaining information by a partner's discard is 
 of high importance in a forward game ; the obliga- 
 tion of imblocking has been fully dealt with in 
 Chapter XII.
 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 
 The Discard. 
 The principles which should guide it. When to accept a Force. 
 
 I T is impossible to avoid going over a little old 
 
 , ground in dealing with the vexed question of 
 P Discards. 
 
 It is universally accepted that when trump 
 strength is not known to be against you, your first 
 discard should generally be made from your nume- 
 rically weakest suit. 
 
 By this means you clearly direct your partner's 
 attention to your strongest plain suit next after 
 the one you have oiginally led (if you previously 
 had a lead), also you get rid of a worthless card 
 from a suit which you hope to ruff, and refrain from 
 throwing in place of it a card in a suit which you 
 hope to establish. 
 
 Nothing can be more sound than this ; your 
 partner, if strong in trumps, will naturally try his 
 best to give you a chance for the ruff, and will 
 also know the remaining plain suit wherein you can 
 best afford assistance with strong or strengthening 
 cards. 
 
 The discard of a small useless card in a numeri- 
 
 136
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 137 
 
 cally weak suit is pretty sure, if trumps are not 
 drawn, to gain a trick by ruffing. 
 
 But the discard from a plain suit, when trumps 
 are being drawn by the enemy, may be quite another 
 matter. 
 
 When great trump strength is declared against, 
 you not only perhaps play a high one falsely, to 
 mislead the adversary as to how the remaining 
 ones are placed, but when driven to discard in 
 plain suits, you must similarly exercise deceptive 
 tactics. 
 
 In the early days of Whist, the original discard 
 from the weakest suit held good, even with adverse 
 strength in trumps. As a high Authority has said, 
 this had much to recommend it ; it is free from 
 any chance of misinterpretation by the partner ; it 
 usually can lose no trick in a suit generally too poor 
 to win one ; it perhaps enables a valuable long card 
 to be held up in another suit where this holding up 
 may prevent adverse establishment ; and lastly, if 
 trumps may not be completely drawn, it may allow 
 of a trick being won by a ruff in the weak discard 
 suit. 
 
 The main argument against this universal first 
 discard from weakness is that you thereby show 
 your poorest suit to a strong adversary. 
 
 Therefore, some authorities have recommended 
 that with adverse strength in trumps your first dis- 
 card should be from your best protected suit. But 
 such a doctrine as that will, perhaps, not stand in 
 Whist of the Future.
 
 138 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 If you invariably point out to a powerful opponent 
 your best protected suit, you may rest quite assured 
 that he will take the fullest advantage of the infor- 
 mation; he will either avoid leading that suit as 
 long as possible, or else, if seated to your right, he 
 will lead through your strong cards in it, whichever 
 he may find to be most trick-winning. 
 
 The question arises, therefore, what rules can 
 guide the discard on adverse trump strength being 
 shown ? 
 
 The answer is : You have superior force against 
 you, and since you cannot cope with this in give- 
 and-take fashion, you should mislead the enemy, 
 and your partner should co-operate with you to 
 this end ; do not, therefore, adopt any regular 
 system of discard. If you held originally four cards 
 headed by a 10 or 9 in a suit in which an oppo- 
 nent has shown strength, be careful to hold up 
 therein ; it is not unlikely that he may exhaust his 
 own trumps in order to bring in that suit, and that 
 the holding up of your 10 or 9 may eventually 
 spoil his game, and give you the chance of bringing 
 in a long card or two of your own suit. Consider 
 carefully what are the special ultimate chances for 
 which he is playing, and hold back accordingly. 
 You have to discard something, but let there be no 
 rule as to whether this may be from strength or 
 from weakness ; let the only rule for guidance be, 
 that on observation of the fall of the cards, you 
 hold back whatever will best thwart the tactics the 
 enemy may be attempting.
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 139 
 
 Tricks are frequently lost by a vacillating change 
 in the discard suit. A player will sometimes hold a 
 face card and two or three others in each of two 
 plain suits, and in trying to protect both he may 
 fail to protect either. This is one of the cases 
 where Whist Perception especially comes in. You 
 have, in holding back, to consider carefully as to 
 which opponent will probably eventually be leader 
 after trumps are out, and what his suit will then 
 be. 
 
 The general rule for discarding seems to admit 
 of formulation as follows : 
 
 With trump strength in favour, discard from 
 numerical weakness. With trump strength adverse, 
 discard as guided bv vour Whist Perception, holding 
 up sufficiently in the enemy's long suits. 
 
 Doubtless, however, there will always be many 
 players who will stand up for Signalling, even when 
 adverse trump strength is declared. 
 
 For the benefit of these I will suggest a Rule, as 
 regards the first discard, which is simple and easy 
 of application. It is this : If your first discard to 
 adverse trump strength be an eight or higher card, 
 this shall convey to your partner that you wish this 
 suit led by him, as being your best; but if your first 
 discard be a seven or lower card, you tell your 
 partner that you have thrown from your weakest 
 suit. The analogy is clear, and the deduction 
 plain ; in your strong suit you would not gene- 
 rally lack the necessary spare high card, nor in your 
 weak suit the required low card.
 
 140 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 But any signalling would, under the circum- 
 stances, be a mistake. In place of it, you and your 
 partner should, with watchful eyes on your chances, 
 carry on Guerilla warfare and exercise Fabian 
 tactics. 
 
 The discard of the winner in any suit, as showing 
 the entire command in that suit, must be exercised 
 only when the adverse trump strength is not re- 
 taining supremacy ; for if you thus show your 
 capabilities to a strong opponent, he is then 
 able to frame his strategy in such direction as 
 perhaps to render your advertised good cards quite 
 worthless. 
 
 Whist authorities do not appear to have specially 
 dealt with the issues involved in changes of discard 
 suit, though they lay great stress on the importance 
 of the partner observing the first discard. 
 
 But, in truth, the second and subsequent discards 
 often supplement, in a very conclusive way, the in- 
 formation initiated by the original discard. When 
 the discard suit is changed, the partner's exercise of 
 great Whist Perception is drawn upon, for the gain 
 or loss of the game will often depend on whether 
 the suit he may lead later is the one of best advan- 
 tage to combined tactics. Whilst, as before referred 
 to, there must be no vacillation, yet there are often 
 good reasons for changes in discard ; for instance, 
 it may be deemed best to attempt to keep two or 
 three suits protected, rather than to hold up a string 
 of good cards in one alone ; or an opponent's dis- 
 card may alter the situation, etc. Very high Whist
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 141 
 
 ability is shown in correct appreciation of the con- 
 ditions which regulate every discard; and the 
 problems often become more interesting and diffi- 
 cult at the later stages of the play. 
 
 At the time when discards are being made to 
 winning cards successively led out, the casting of 
 the losing cards is often very rapid, and there is 
 omission carefully to note what each player throws. 
 Guard against this inattention, for otherwise, when 
 the leader has exhausted his commanding cards, 
 your appreciation of the situation will be foggy 
 when it ought to be particularly clear. 
 
 The amount of consideration you are to give 
 to your partner's discard after trump strength is 
 exhausted must greatly depend on the remaining 
 components of your own hand. Under these con- 
 ditions, it is a common thing for a moderate 
 partner to think he has grave cause for complaint, 
 as not being given his chances, if you may happen 
 to make lead of his discard suit ; but he should un- 
 derstand that you must, as a rule, lead from your 
 own best suit, unless you have certain knowledge 
 that he has good strength in any other suit. 
 
 He should recognise that his discard does not 
 usually convey precise or positive information as 
 to the extent of his strength in any suit. He 
 has indicated his best suit, that is all; but the 
 prosecution of your own best suit, of which the 
 resources are more evident to you, may seem to 
 be likely to be of the most benefit to the com- 
 bined game.
 
 142 WHIST OF THE FUTURE ^ 
 
 When to accept a FORCE. 
 
 The subject of forcing has been dealt with by 
 Cavendish, Pole, and other leading authorities. I 
 would propose the following definite rules as 
 regards the trump strength, which, early in the 
 hand, should decide rejection or acceptance of a 
 force. 
 
 When holding six or more trumps, you should 
 always trump an adverse winning card, unless the 
 ruff be also with your partner, because you will still 
 possess commanding trump strength. 
 
 W\l\ifive trumps, or with four trumps, including 
 an honour, you may pass an adverse winning card, 
 because with this strength it is very inadvisable 
 to diminish it ; the trump you expend would be 
 valuable when important issues arise later, and thus 
 early you could advantageously throw a worthless 
 card, and give discard information, as well as clearly 
 tell your partner that you have either five trumps, 
 or four trumps with an honour. 
 
 By ruffing, when holding four trumps, you wholly 
 sacrifice your numerical strength ; and by taking 
 the force when having five trumps you seriously 
 impair your prospects of a forward game, for you 
 will probably shortly again be forced, and thus 
 your power to draw trumps will be destroyed. 
 
 With three trumps or less, you should accept a 
 force, or trump a doubtful trick. If your partner 
 may have led a trump from strength or have called 
 for trumps, you should, whatever your trump
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 143 
 
 strength may be, accept a force, and trump a 
 doubtful trick. 
 
 Conversely to the above, it may be inferred that 
 you must hold at least four trumps, including an 
 honour, to warrant you in forcing your partner, 
 unless you have information of his weakness or his 
 wish to be forced ; there is, however, the exception 
 that when weak in trumps yourself, and with no 
 indication from your partner, you may force him 
 when the game seems in danger. You thus secure 
 a necessary trick promptly, when otherwise you 
 would lose the game should your partner prove 
 to be weak in trumps. 
 
 As regards the rule for forcing an opponent, you 
 only do this when his trump strength is too great to 
 be otherwise advantageously drawn.
 
 CHAPTER XVII 
 
 The Post-mortem Room. Average time occupied in playing a 
 hand, and a rubber. Some notes on luck. The cards 
 resent grumbling at them. 
 
 I N America, when the partners have differences 
 
 i of opinion, squabbling and mutual recrimina- 
 
 ^ tion at the Whist table are sometimes reserved 
 
 from the edification of opponents and lookers-on by 
 
 the provision of a Post-mortem room. 
 
 In that little room any aggrieved partner can 
 argue anything, conclusively prove or disprove any- 
 thing, or make whatever authoritative statements 
 may be to his heart's satisfaction. 
 
 This must be a most pleasant resort ; there is, I 
 am told, an electric bell and a telephonic com- 
 munication with the refreshment bar, and the 
 amount of Whist instruction communicated in this 
 hall of study under such favourable conditions 
 would naturally give any club so provided a great 
 pull over others less completely equipped. If 
 one's partner scolds in public^ it is always best to 
 smile. There are smiles and smiles a smile may 
 mean anything. It may be sweetly evolved as con- 
 veying that one is desirous of trying to amend the 
 error of one's ways, and of being received as a 
 penitent into the fold again, or it may possibly sig-
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 145 
 
 nify ideas in other directions. If the scolded one 
 may happen to be as well up in Shakespeare as he 
 is in Whist, he might perhaps, on being reviled, 
 bite his thumb; but when asked the question, "Do 
 you bite your thumb at me, sir?" his reply, "I do 
 bite my thumb, sir," would not settle the affair so 
 pleasantly as would a judiciously practised and 
 selected smile. 
 
 Therefore in Whist of the Future let this sweet, 
 tacit reply to a fault-finder be the only one ever 
 given outside the Post-mortem room. 
 
 The time taken in playing Short Whist varies to 
 some extent according to the procedure of those 
 forming the table. In a club-room where the 
 players are men who do not hesitate in delivery, 
 nor request to look at a turned trick, I have found 
 that the average time per rubber in a very large 
 number of rubbers is twenty and a half minutes, 
 and that the dealing and play of a hand takes 
 about three minutes ; this gives an average of 
 nearly seven hands to the Short Whist Rubber. 
 
 But with those who, when their turn comes, 
 often consider before casting their card, and some- 
 times refer to the last trick, etc., the average time 
 is twenty-four and a half minutes for the Rubber, 
 and three and a half minutes for deal and play of 
 each Hand. 
 
 A rubber may occupy from six minutes to fifty 
 minutes, but the shorter time quoted occurs more 
 
 L
 
 146 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 frequently than the last named. The loss or gain 
 in a Rubber averages about 5^ Points. 
 
 To descend to minutiae ; the act of dealing takes, 
 on an average, twenty-six seconds, being half a 
 second for delivery of each card ; the gathering up 
 of the hands and sorting occupies about thirty-four 
 seconds ; and the play of the hand and collecting 
 of tricks averages two minutes. Thus we arrive at 
 the three minutes for deal and play of a hand ; 
 about eight and a half minutes for a game ; and 
 about twenty and a half minutes for a rubber. 
 
 Good Whist-players usually feel unfavourably to- 
 wards lack of smartness in play. Of course, how- 
 ever, there should be nothing like high-pressure 
 play or hurry, and especially there must be proper 
 time for counting and arranging cards before the 
 lead off. But after the first lead has been made, 
 the minds of all the players should be wholly given 
 to the table. Delay or hesitation on the part of any 
 player upsets the train of thought of those more 
 proficient. Nothing of that kind should therefore 
 occur; each should play his card promptly. Those 
 who may argue that in certain contingencies 
 thought involving delay is necessary before playing 
 may rest assured they often lose greatly by the 
 information such hesitation conveys to the oppon- 
 ents. 
 
 * * * * 
 
 Many who complain of habitual bad luck at 
 Whist would perhaps hail with delight the general 
 introduction of the Duplicate System.
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 147 
 
 But even with that system adopted there will still 
 be much luck attending the play of the cards. Luck 
 can never be eliminated from the game. Moreover, 
 if it were possible thus to reorganize, much of the 
 pleasurable excitement, which is the chief charm, 
 would be sacrificed. 
 
 There is no doubt that good or adverse luck in 
 card-holding has sometimes very long spells. It is 
 generally asserted that very young players are for- 
 tunate in this respect. It certainly often appears 
 so'; but perhaps experienced players have some 
 idea that Dame Fortune ought to treat them with 
 greater consideration than the beginners, and so 
 they take special note when the favours are given 
 to the tyros. When good luck comes to us, we are 
 apt to think our cleverness in play is responsible 
 for some of it; but we find it hard to couple our 
 bad luck with probable defects in our play. 
 
 For a long time past I have taken note of any 
 special strokes of luck. I find that I have rather 
 recently a few times won or lost nine rubbers in 
 succession, and that I have four times exceeded 
 that number. The highest number of rubbers going 
 the same way in sequence with me during many 
 years past, has been fourteen. I have in two succes- 
 sive hands (July 8th, 1897) held no trump, yet we 
 won that game on the second of the hands. I have 
 lost five trebles in succession, and left off a loser 
 on ten Whist evenings in succession, and have lost 
 twenty-four out of twenty-eight consecutive rubbers. 
 I am quite aware that none of these are record
 
 148 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 cases of luck, and all who play Whist frequently 
 must get similar experiences, or worse ones some- 
 times. 
 
 You may perhaps hold a Yarborough several 
 times in a year's steady play, but in a lifetime you 
 could not expect to receive such a hand as certified 
 by Mr. Arthur Remington in Whist of July, 1897. 
 This hand was dealt at the Olympia Club, Tacoma, 
 Washington, U.S.A., and contained no card above a 
 five. As showing the possible variations in hands, it 
 is estimated that a pack of 5 2 cards can be dealt into 
 about 635,000,000,000 different hands of thirteen 
 cards each, and that with four players playing 49 
 deals every night in the year, it would be about 
 40,000,000 years before the even chance came 
 round that all four would hold precisely the same 
 hands a second time. 
 
 Pembridge considers that his luck whichever 
 way it may be going has spells of five years. 
 
 Five years of Whist adversity must be monoton- 
 ous ; yet I believe there are players who have even 
 gone through a Whist lifetime of thirty or forty 
 years without bright intervals of considerable 
 length ; and on the other hand there are men who 
 almost always command more than their share of 
 good luck. Take a shilling, or the oft-quoted penny, 
 and toss it twenty times or five hundred times, and 
 you won't find heads and tails at all counterbalance. 
 In the earlier cricket matches of 1896, the Australian 
 cricketers, in the toss for choice of innings, won 
 eleven times out of fourteen, and where sides are
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 149 
 
 pretty evenly balanced in skill, there is about as 
 much luck also in the play of a cricket match as 
 there would be in the play of a Duplicate Whist 
 Match. 
 
 In the lottery of life's successes and failures we 
 often see how luck brings success to some man of 
 no special qualifications, whilst others far more 
 talented and worthy are not given their chances. 
 
 But let those who are unlucky take comfort. 
 There is pretty surely a turning point ahead at 
 some time. Moreover, it is asserted and I 
 believe in this thoroughly that with bad luck at 
 cards there will certainly be, as a set-off, good luck 
 in home affairs, and personally I have rather found 
 issues to go vice versa also. 
 
 Grumbling at adverse luck is bad form, and 
 meets with but superficial sympathy from by- 
 standers, or those who have won the day. A very 
 sound old Whist-player of the time of my youth, 
 Dr. Arthur Lamb, who looked on dissent from 
 Hoyle and Matthews as rank heresy, always pro- 
 claimed that the cards resented grumbling, and 
 would never treat a grumbler so generously as they 
 would treat one who, under reverses, said nothing. 
 
 It is certainly sometimes a little bit hard when 
 the cards are persistently poor to deny one's self 
 verbal relief; but Whist is a great school of self- 
 restraint. Pull yourself together as regards this 
 matter, just as in the case of the bad habits referred 
 to in Chapter III., and keep incipient grumbling 
 and fault-finding tightly corked down.
 
 CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 Whist matches by telegraphic correspondence. International 
 Whist Tournaments. The Attacks on American Leads. 
 
 WHIST matches must, in order to be of any 
 service as determining the skill of the 
 sides, be on the Duplicate System, the 
 same hands being changed over from one side to 
 the other in such a manner that no benefit can 
 arrive to the players from former experience of any 
 hand when it is played for the second time : 
 with care and method this arrangement is not 
 difficult. 
 
 A Whist match by correspondence, even though 
 the telegraph be used, is not at all the same thing 
 as a match played by four persons seated at a 
 table. Play by correspondence gives undue time 
 for thinking and for calculating as regards remote 
 possibilities. The highest qualification of the 
 finest Whist-player is ability to arrive instan- 
 taneously at accurate dedtictions. No man who is 
 obliged to consider awhile before playing each 
 card is a good Whist-player, though possibly a few 
 thinkers might come out fairly in a correspondence 
 match. 
 
 International matches cannot therefore be 
 
 150
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 carried out in any other way than by teams ex- 
 changing visits, just as the cricket teams of Eng- 
 land and Australia have done. 
 
 The Daily Evening Telegraph of Philadelphia^ 
 U.S.A., does but echo the wish of many on this 
 side of the Atlantic when stating, " In Whist 
 circles all over the country the question of a Whist 
 match with England is talked of and longed for." 
 
 Such a match would be most interesting, and 
 the published play of the hands would be read by 
 Whist-players innumerable, and do much for im- 
 provement in skill. Where one Englishman will 
 study the Chess games published in our news- 
 papers, there might be fifty who would advan- 
 tageously work out the play of a Whist hand by 
 champion national players and the authoritative 
 comments thereupon. 
 
 Of course neither side must have any signal 
 nor convention which is not openly declared and 
 specified. We must not take against the Ameri- 
 cans, nor must they bring against us any trump- 
 showing, three-echoing, etc., conventions except 
 these be announced in good time beforehand and 
 fully described on the walls of the match room. 
 
 English players have nothing whatever to fear 
 from usage by opponents of all sorts of conven- 
 tions, provided they know what each convention is 
 understood to convey \ they would then thankfully 
 take all the signalled information in, and make 
 full use of it in their own less demonstrative 
 strategy.
 
 152 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 It may be observed that some American Whist 
 authorities are not pleased with the continual 
 progressive suggestions for signalling. 
 
 The Brooklyn Eagle says : 
 
 " There seems to be at the present time an irrepressible 
 craze for a new system superior to that which time and 
 experience have shown to be the best. Almost every player 
 has some pet idea which he thinks, if adopted, would van- 
 quish all adversaries, and the result is that when one sits 
 down to the table, unless he has a long and intimate acquaint- 
 ance with both partner and adversaries, he is a participant 
 in a guessing match from start to finish. The play is highly 
 interesting, and is a most beautiful game, but it is not Whist. 
 Meantime those who keep their heads clear and play the 
 common-sense game, the result of experience, will come out 
 winners in the end." 
 
 That is true, and when signallers see that the 
 signals they are allowed to use are often but so 
 many advantages conceded to vigilant opponents, 
 they will abandon the practice as being trick-losing. 
 
 The Americans consider that our great English 
 authority, Cavendish, has adopted their leads, and 
 Cavendish himself says in his fourth edition of 
 Whist Development : "The great majority of thought- 
 ful players are, after a lapse of six or seven years, 
 in favour of these leads." 
 
 But will there not be sweeping modifications when 
 the attacks to which these leads are peculiarly and 
 specially open have been correspondingly studied 
 and developed ? The American Leads and Signals 
 came to us as a new thing. When employed by 
 partners who understood them, and also understood
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE I S3 
 
 the old system of leads, against opponents who 
 comprehended the latter only, it is manifest that the 
 last named would naturally get the worst of it. 
 Thus it arose that many of our good players, find- 
 ing that they were beaten by those who understood 
 and promptly adopted the American Leads, arrived 
 at the conclusion that the American system must be 
 superior to ours. They then set to work to master 
 the new system, and employed it against fellow- 
 countrymen who had not as yet done so, and in 
 their turn found the result satisfactory ; of course, 
 too, when playing against others who had adopted 
 it, they were on equal terms, and could perceive no 
 disadvantageous results from use of it. 
 
 But the results would be very different if our best 
 players had contented themselves with thoroughly 
 mastering the system with a view, when playing 
 against those adopting it, of using aggressively the 
 information conceded, but with no intention of 
 usually giving the enemy like details in return. 
 
 I can therefore but repeat that the key to assault 
 and conquest of American Leads is : thoroughly to 
 master them so as to be able to attack them in their 
 most vulnerable point, viz., number-showing details, 
 and, unless very strong, to reserve anything like 
 open publication of your own hand, until you find 
 how far this action will help your combined game. 
 
 In self-defence, and on account of the beautiful 
 precision of them, the study of American Leads and 
 Signals has become a necessity ; but the extensive 
 use of these will, I believe, in Whist of the Future,
 
 154 
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 only be found beneficial against players less per- 
 fectly acquainted with them, or who have entirely 
 neglected to master them, or in cases where there 
 is in the combined hands sufficient strength to 
 ensure the success of long cards. 
 
 If the American Leads and Signals were likely to 
 constitute permanently the foundation of Whist 
 tactics of the future, the Americans would doubtless 
 soon show themselves as clever in attack as they 
 have proved fertile and shrewd in invention, and 
 we should have books published giving details as 
 to the defensive play, false play, and counter-attack, 
 which would be advantageous to the second and 
 fourth hands. 
 
 Indeed, in the published play of the hands dealt 
 in Whist Matches, it is most interesting to note how 
 the orthodox American Leads are often departed 
 from, the reason undoubtedly being that they are 
 too informatory, or that they are not trick-winning 
 under certain conditions. 
 
 In Whist, just as in Warfare, the Attack on the 
 enemy's selected and occupied positions will gener- 
 ally prove superior to the Defence. The fine 
 French army, narrowed within strongholds, stood 
 no chance when the Germans, having knowledge of 
 their resources, could choose time and method for 
 assault; the analogy as regards Whist Strategy is 
 close. With the enemy's strength declared by their 
 own leads and signals, and their comparatively 
 unalterable positions defined and known, the 
 mobile, well-informed opposing force will stand at 
 advantage.
 
 CHAPTER XIX 
 
 Whist problems. On Specimen hands. A dealing machine. 
 Concluding observations. Appendix giving solutions of 
 problems. 
 
 THE solution of Whist problems nearly always 
 hinges on either specially forcing an oppo- 
 nent's discard, or on casting from one's own 
 or the partner's hand a card that would otherwise 
 take the lead at a later stage when this might stand 
 in the way. 
 
 The problems given in English treatises on the 
 game are very few indeed. Cavendish, however, 
 has illustrated most types of endings of hands in 
 his valuable work Whist Perception. The Vienna 
 Coup, as cited by James Clay, was for some years 
 almost the only example propounded for solution ; 
 it is not difficult, and involves the dealing of the 
 whole pack. 
 
 The Americans are extremely clever in the in- 
 vention of Whist problems and of hands illustrative 
 of interesting cases, but our own Cavendish has 
 done far more than any other Whist authority in 
 the world to give instruction by means of specimen 
 hands. 
 
 I will now append two Whist problems. No. i 
 is not very hard to find out. It came to me from 
 
 155
 
 156 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 an officer of a Highland regiment stationed in 
 Ceylon a few years ago. He could not, however, then 
 tell me anything as to the authorship; but from 
 what I have since gathered, it is very similar to one 
 previously invented by Mr. Whitfeld. 
 
 No. 2 is also by W. H. Whitfeld, Esq., M.A., 
 of Cambridge University. He has most court- 
 eously given me permission to insert it. Those 
 who endeavour to solve it will greatly appreciate 
 the constructive ingenuity. I believe that no Whist 
 problem of superior merit has ever been published. 
 Both of these are double Dummy problems, and 
 the cards of all the hands are therefore duly laid on 
 the table. 
 
 I have at the end of the book given the solutions, 
 but readers are invited to find these out for them- 
 selves, for if they prematurely look at the answers, 
 they will derive no real benefit to their Whist per- 
 ceptive powers.
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 IS7 
 
 WHIST PROBLEM No. 1. 
 
 Hearts trumps S. to lead and N. and S. to win 
 every trick. 
 
 H.- 3. 2. (trumps). 
 D.- J. 2. 
 C.-A. 2. 
 
 D.- Q. 5- 
 C.- Q. J. 
 S.- A. Q. 
 
 N. 
 
 W. 
 
 E. 
 
 S. 
 
 D.- A. K. 9. 
 C.- 10. 
 
 S.- 3- 2. 
 
 D.- 10. 8. 7. 
 C.-K. 
 S.-K. J/
 
 WHIST PROBLEM No. 2. 
 
 BY W. H. WHITFELD, ESQ., M.A. 
 
 Spades trumps. S to lead and N. and S. to win 
 every trick. 
 
 S.-J. 10. 6. 3. 
 C.- 7- 4- 
 D.- 8. 2. 
 
 H.- K. 
 
 C.- K. J. 8. 2. 
 D.-Q.J. 9. 
 
 N. 
 
 W 
 
 E. 
 
 S. 
 
 H.- A. J. 9. 7. 
 C.- A. 3. 
 D.- K. 6. 
 
 H.-Q.io.s.4. 
 C.-Q. 10. 
 D.-io. 7.
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE 159 
 
 SPECIMEN HANDS. 
 
 Specimen hands are of great service to young 
 players, and may also be of much use to illustrate 
 special points or exceptional cases ; but unfortu- 
 nately they occupy a large amount of space in a 
 book. There is also the great drawback that you 
 can frame and adjust these hands so as to make 
 them give any result you desire. It would be no 
 difficult matter for me to include specimen hands 
 illustrating how utterly the number-showing Ameri- 
 can Leads may bring about the discomfiture of 
 those using them ; but it is more satisfactory to let 
 the proof of this stand for practical test by play at 
 the table. 
 
 A striking feature in the result of play of hap- 
 hazard hands is the success of the singleton lead if 
 made immediately it is found that the attempt at 
 the long-suit establishment is probably hopeless or 
 trick-losing. 
 
 * * * * 
 
 The Americans have shown high ingenuity in 
 arrangements for carrying out Duplicate and Pro- 
 gressive Whist ; but no advertisement has yet 
 appeared of a Shuffling and Dealing Machine 
 which could be universally accepted. Such a 
 machine would be a boon, for there are many who 
 are not expert at dealing. Of course it must be 
 perfect in its working. It would either revolve the 
 pack, delivering a card at four equidistant points in
 
 l6o WHIST OF THE FUTURE 
 
 a revolution, or the card-chucker might be stationary, 
 and the receiving tray revolve once for four chucks. 
 Perhaps cards might have to be slightly modified 
 in form or make to suit with accuracy the mechan- 
 ism of the chucker ; the turning up of the fifty- 
 second or trump card could be timed for without 
 much difficulty. 
 
 A good Whist Recorder, which would register 
 cards as they are played, is also wanted ; it might 
 be worked on the principle of the typewriter, but 
 possibly some almost automatic arrangement may 
 be forthcoming. 
 
 Whilst fully submitting my reasons for believing 
 that the unqualified adoption of American Leads 
 will never hold permanently, I desire heartily to 
 admit that adherence to these Leads, together with 
 a like adherence to the same system by opponents, con- 
 stitutes a game most gentlemanlike in character 
 and most intellectual in developments. 
 
 Whist Instruction based on the American Leads 
 will undoubtedly long hold a foremost place as best 
 presenting the high-class game to the student. 
 With a thorough grounding in these Leads, he will 
 be taught to observe closely and to deduce accu- 
 rately; and this classic training will prepare him 
 for the time when his matured perception will in 
 turn enable him to combat the leads with vigour 
 and success. 
 
 In actual play it would not be reasonable nor
 
 WHIST OF THE FUTURE l6l 
 
 possible to deny the use of artifices begotten of 
 adverse informatory leads. Moreover, the average 
 English Whist-player would hardly be able con- 
 sistently to interpret and follow out to advantage 
 all that is sought to be conveyed by the remote 
 number-showing leads of a partner. 
 
 Perhaps a new system of play will be the out- 
 come of those which now exist : it may be a com- 
 promise. It may have the simple old leads as the 
 opening ones of the hand, because these contain no 
 excess of information which would invite and in- 
 volve disaster when the combined hands might 
 turn out to be weak. It may also embody the 
 main principle of American Leads (viz., to shoiv the 
 strength and length of a suit to the utmost), for 
 use only at the stage of the play when the com- 
 bined strength has been ascertained to be sufficient 
 to give prospect of long suit establishment and 
 bringing in. 
 
 I feel sure that all Whist-players will be with me 
 in hoping that an International Congress may be 
 assembled to decide on a form of game that would 
 be accepted universally, and to overhaul and adjust 
 existing Whist Laws. If anything I have submitted 
 may be of service to that end, I shall be gratified 
 and content. 
 
 M
 
 APPENDIX 
 
 SOLUTION TO WHIST PROBLEM No. 1. 
 
 The winning card of the trick is underlined. 
 
 No. 
 of 
 Trick. 
 
 North. 
 
 East. 
 
 South. 
 
 West. 
 
 S 
 
 H 
 
 C 
 
 D 
 
 S 
 
 H 
 
 C|D 
 
 S 
 
 H 
 
 c 
 
 D 
 
 S 
 
 H 
 
 C 
 
 D 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 J 
 
 
 
 
 7 
 
 
 
 
 K 
 
 
 
 
 5 
 
 2 
 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 J 
 
 
 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 
 Q 
 
 
 
 
 3 
 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 
 
 K 
 
 
 
 
 10 
 
 
 A 
 
 
 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 A 
 
 
 K 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 9 
 
 
 
 
 J 
 
 Q 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 8 
 
 
 
 
 
 A 
 
 
 6 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 10 
 
 2_ 
 
 
 
 
 Q 
 
 
 It will be seen that at trick No. 4, S. discards 
 the 9 D. or 2 S. according as W. has discarded S. 
 or D. in trick No. 3. 
 
 The key to the solution of the problem is the 
 throwing by N. of the J of Diamonds to the first 
 trick.
 
 APPENDIX 
 
 SOLUTION OF WHIST PROBLEM No. 2. 
 
 The 'vinning card of the trick is underlined. 
 
 No. 
 of 
 Trick 
 
 North. 
 
 East. 
 
 South. 
 
 West. 
 
 s 
 
 H 
 
 C 
 
 D 
 
 S 
 
 H 
 
 C 
 
 D 
 
 S 
 
 II 
 
 C 
 
 D 
 
 S 
 
 H 
 
 C 
 
 D 
 
 1 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 
 7 
 
 
 
 
 K 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 10 
 
 
 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 
 Q 
 
 
 
 
 A 
 
 
 
 
 8 
 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 
 A 
 
 
 
 
 
 J 
 
 
 5 
 
 6 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 10 
 
 
 
 
 9 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 9 
 
 6 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ? 
 7 
 
 
 J 
 
 
 
 ? 
 J 
 
 7 
 
 
 
 
 8 
 
 
 
 
 10 
 
 
 
 
 K 
 
 
 
 
 Q 
 
 8 
 
 
 
 7 
 
 
 
 Q 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 
 
 K 
 
 
 If at trick No. 2, E. discards a Diamond, S. will 
 also discard a diamond ; the play will then be 
 similar to the above, Diamonds and Clubs being
 
 164 APPENDIX 
 
 interchanged. If E. discards a Heart, obviously 
 S. will make a trick in Hearts. 
 
 If at trick 6 E. discards the Queen of Hearts, S. 
 will make the Jack of Hearts ; if W. discards the 
 King of Clubs, N. makes the 7 of Clubs. 
 
 Butler & Tanner, The Selwood Printing Works, Frome, and London.
 
 UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 
 
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