7fiM U TH EDITION Jr^^WVNXyXN^O^^ FRONTISPIECE. RUFF and HONOURS (from the Compleat Gamester 1680). " Lastly, observe the Women with what grace They sit, and look their Partners in the face, Who from their eyes shoot Cupids fiery darts j Thus make them lose at once their Game and Hearts." THE . LAWS AND PRINCIPLES WHIST STATED AND EXPLAINED AND ITS PRACTICE ILLUSTRATED ON AN ORIGINAL SYSTEM BY MEANS OF HANDS PLAYED COMPLETELY THROUGH. C AVENDISH. FOURTEENTH EDITION. LONDON: THOS. DE LA RUE & CO. 1884. * V ALL RIGHTS ^ RESERVED. 77- I' HINTED BY THOMAS DK T.A RUE AND CO, BUNHILI. ROW, ION DON. N ft v DEDICATION TO THE NINTH EDITION. TO JAMES CLAY, ESQ., M.P. (Chairman of the Whist Laws Committee of the Arlington Club, 1864,) Cljis is CORDIALLY DEDICATED BY HIS SINCERE FRIEND, THE AUTHOR. 512532 DEDICATION TO THE TENTH EDITION. n tip #lrnmnj OF JAMES CLAY PEEFACE TO THE FIEST EDITION. IT has often occurred to the Author that there are two principal defects in the existing treatises on the game of Whist the one that the principles of play are, in general, laid down as so many isolated and arbitrary conventions, the reasons upon which such principles are based being seldom, if at all, and scarcely ever fully, stated ; the other, that suitable illustrations, by which alone the principles can be brought forcibly home and fixed in the memory, are almost entirely wanting. The present work is an attempt to supply these deficiencies. With regard to the latter, the Author feels that nothing, in point of illustration of principles, can be so instructive as a selection of hands played completely through, and accompanied by copious explanations. The idea, it is believed, as applied to Whist, is a new one, though a similar plan has long been in use in treatises on Chess. It has not been deemed necessary to occupy space by detailing the mode of playing and of scoring, as this information can be readily acquired at the table. The reader is, therefore, credited with this elementary knowledge, and is conducted at once to the General Principles, which he is advised to consider carefully before proceeding to the Hands. CONTENTS, PAGE THE LAWS OF WHIST 1 ETIQUETTE or WHIST 19 CASES AND DECISIONS 22 HISTORICAL 31 PART I. GENERAL PRINCIPLES. THE FIRST HAND OR LEAD. ORIGINAL LEADS 56 LEADS FROM STRONG SUITS 56 // FROM SEQUENCES 62 a ANALYSIS OF, IN DETAIL 64 FROM WEAK SUITS 68 n AT ADVANCED PERIODS 70 RETURNED LEADS *. 75 THE SECOND HAND. PLAY OF THE SECOND HAND 78 n n WITH STRONG SUITS . . 78 / H WITH SEQUENCES ... 79 // i, ANALYSIS OF, IN DETAIL 81 Xll CONTENTS. THE THIRD HAND. PLAY OF THE THIRD HAND WHEN THE LEAD is FROM STRONG SUITS 85 PLAY OF THE THIRD HAND -WHEN THE LEAD is FROM WEAK SUITS 86 FINESSING 85 THE FOURTH HAND. PLAY OF THE FOURTH HAND , THE COMMAND OF SUITS 89 UNDERPLAY . 94 DISCARDING 97 THE CONVERSATION OF THE GAME . . .101 TRUMPS. THE MANAGEMENT or TRUMPS 110 LEADING TRUMPS Ill ASKING FOR TRUMPS 116 TRUMPING 120 FORCING . 122 PLAYING TO THE SCORE 125 DRAWING INFERENCES 125 COUPS . 132 PART II. HANDS . 148 MT AiiTC- .'nil 1 wufon 1 LAwS Ui 1 WHIST. BY PERMISSION, VERBATIM FROM THE CLUB CODE. THE FOOT NOTES ARE ADDED BY THE AUTHOR. 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, either separately or conjointly, 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, cannot score honours. B THE LAWS OF WHIST. 5. The penalty for a revoke 1 takes precedence of aM- otfier scores. Tricks score next. Honours last. ' ' ' >6 t : Hor 4 ours, unless claimed before the trump card of the following ded 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 adversaries have not scored. II. A double, or game of two points, when their adversaries have scored less than three. III. A single, or game of one point, when their adversaries have scored three, or four. 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 opponents. 11. If an erroneous score be proved, such 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 following deal has been turned up. i ride Law 72. THE LAWS OF WHIST. 12. If an erroneous score, affecting the amount of the rubber, 1 be proved, such mistake can be rectified at any time during the rubber. CUTTING. 13. The ace is the lowest card. 14. In all cases, every one must cut from the same pack. 15. Should a player expose 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 those six players, the candidate who cut the next lowest card has a prior right to any aftercomer to enter the table. 1 e.g. If a single is scored by mistake for a double or treble, or vice versa. B 2 THE LAWS OF WHIST. CUTTING CARDS OF EQUAL VALUE. 18. Two players cutting cards of equal value, 1 unless such cards are the two highest, cut again; should they be the two lowest, a fresh cut is necessary to decide which of those two deals. 2 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 those two the dealer; should the fourth card be the lowest, the two highest are partners, the original lowest the dealer. 3 CUTTING OUT. 20. At the end of a rubber, should admission be claimed by any one, or by two candidates, he who 1 In cutting for partners. * Example. A three, two sixes, and a knave are cut. The two sixes cut again, and the lowest plays with the three. Suppose at the second cut, the two sixes cut a king and a queen, the queen plays with the three. If at the second cut a lower card than the three is cut, the three still retains its privileges as original low, and has the deal and choice of cards and seats. 3 Example. Three aces and a two are cut. The three aces cut again. The two is the original high, and plays with the highest of the next cut. Suppose at the second cut, two more twos and a king are drawn. The king plays with the original two, and the other pair of twos cut again for deal. Suppose instead, the second cut to consist of an ace and two knaves. The two knaves cut again, and the highest plays with the two. THE LAWS OF WHIST. lias, or they who have, played a greater number of consecutive rubbers than the others is, or are, out; but when all have played the same number, they must cut to decide upon the out-goers ; the highest are out. 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 com- mencing a fresh rubber, or of cutting out. 22. In the formation of fresh tables, those can- didates 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 conclu- sion of a rubber, may, with consent of the other three players, appoint a substitute in his absence during that rubber. 24. A player cutting into one table, whilst belong- ing to another, loses his right 1 of re-entry into that latter, and takes his chance of cutting in, as if he were a fresh candidate. 2 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 table to admit all those candidates, they settle their precedence by cutting. 1 i.e. his prior right. 2 And last in the room (vide Law 16). THE LAWS OF WHIST. SHUFFLING. 26. The pack must neither be shuffled below the table nor so that the face of any card 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, 1 or when a new deal 2 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 whilst giving the pack to be cut, he may be compelled to re-shuffle. 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 cutting, or in replacing 1 Fide Law 34. 2 ride Law 37- THE LAWS OF WHIST. one of the two packets on the other, a card be exposed, 1 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. 35. When a 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. A NEW DEAL. 37. There must be a new deal 2 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, whilst 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 exposed card cannot be called. 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. 1 After the two packets have been re-united, Law 38 comes into operation. 2 i.e., the same dealer must deal again. Vide also Laws 47 and 50. THE LAWS OF WHIST. 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. A MISDEAL. 43. A misdeal loses the deal. 1 44. It is a misdeal 2 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. II. Should the dealer place the last (i.e., the trump) card, 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 fourteen 3 cards, and either of the other three less than thirteen. 4 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. 1 Except as provided in Laws 45 and 50. 2 Vide also Law 36. 3 Or more. * The pack being perfect, ride Law 47. ^ THE LAWS OF WHIST. 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 discover 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 dealing, either of the adversaries touch the cards prior to the dealer's partner having done so, but should the latter have first interfered with the cards, notwith- standing 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 discover such deficiency until he has played any of his cards, 1 the deal stands good; should he have played, he is as answerable for any revoke he may have made as if the missing card, or cards, had been in his hand; 2 he may search the other pack for it, or them. 47. If a pack, during or after a rubber, be proved incorrect or imperfect, such proof does not alter any past score, game, or rubber ; that hand in which the imperfection was detected is null and void ; the dealer deals again. 1 i.e , until after he has played to the first trick. 2 Vide also Law 70, and Law 44, paragraph iv. 10 THE LAWS OF WHIST. 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. 49. A player can neither shuffle, cut, nor deal for his partner, without the permission of his opponents. 50. If the adversaries interrupt a dealer whilst dealing, 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 misdeal, the latter is liable to the usual penalty, and the adversary next in rotation to the player who ought to have dealt then deals. 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; 1 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 ; 2 a player naming it at any time during the play of that hand is liable to have his highest or lowest trump called. 3 54. If the dealer take the trump card into his hand before it is his turn to play, he may be desired to lay 1 It is not usual to call the trump card if left on the table. 2 Any one may inquire what the trump suit is, at any time. 3 In the manner described in Law 55. THE LAWS OF WHIST. 11 it on the table; should he show a wrong card, this card may be called, as also a second, a third, &c., 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 versa, until such card is played. CARDS LIABLE TO BE CALLED. 56. All exposed cards are liable to be called, and must be left 1 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 2 cards : I. Two or more cards played at once. 3 II. Any card dropped with its face upwards, or in any way exposed on or above the table, even though 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, 4 or lead one which is a winning card 1 Face upwards. 2 Detached cards (i.e., cards taken out of the hand but not dropped) are not liable to be called unless named ; vide Law 60. It is important to distinguish between exposed and detached cards. 3 If two or more cards are played at once, the adversaries have a right to call which 'they please to the trick in course of play, and afterwards to call the others. * And then lead without waiting for his partner to play. 12 THE LAWS OF WHIST. as against his adversaries, and then lead again, 1 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 other of those tricks, and the other cards thus improperly 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 abandon it. 59. If all four players throw their cards on the table face upwards, the hands are abandoned; and no one cam again take up his cards. Should this general exhibition show that the game might have been saved, or won, neither claim can be entertained, unless a revoke be established. The revoking players are then liable to the following penalties : they cannot under any circumstances 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 revoking players. 60. A card detached from the rest of the hand so as to be named is liable to be called ; but should the adversary name a wrong card, he is liable to have a suit called when he or his partner have the lead. 2 61. If a player, who has rendered himself liable to * Without waiting for his partner to play. 2 i.e., the first time that side obtains the lead. THE LAWS OF WHIST. 13 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 suit demanded, he incurs the penalty of a revoke. 62. If any player lead out of turn, his adversaries may either call the card erroneously led or may call a suit from him or his partner when it is next the turn of either of them 1 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 offender, whose card may be called or he, or his partner, when either of them 2 has next the lead, may be compelled to play any suit demanded by the adversaries. 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 3 until such card has been played. 66. If a player called on to lead a suit have none of it, the penalty is paid. 1 i. e., the penalty of calling a suit must be exacted from whichever of them next first obtains the lead. It follows that if the player who leads out of turn is the partner of the person who ought to have led, and a suit is called, it must be called at once from the right leader. If he is allowed to play as he pleases, the only penalty that remains ia to call the card erroneously led. 2 L e., whichever of them next first has the lead. 3 At every trick. 14 THE LAWS OF WHIST. 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 partner, the latter may be called on to win, or not to win the trick. 69. If any one omit playing to a former trick, and such error be not discovered until he has played to the next, the adversaries may claim a new deal; should they decide that the deal stand good, the surplus card at the end of the hand is considered to have been played to the imperfect trick, but does not constitute a revoke therein. 70. If any one pky 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 consequent revokes he may have made. 1 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 which he may have meanwhile made. THE REVOKE. 71. Is when a player, holding one or more cards of the suit led, plays a card of a different suit. 3 1 ride also Law 46. 2 Vide also Law 01. THE LAWS OF WHIST. 15 72. The penalty for a revoke : I. Is at the option of the adversaries, who, at the end of the hand, may either take three tricks from the revoking player 1 or deduct three points from his score or add three to their own score ; II. 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 opponents nothing the former add three to their score and thereby win a treble game, even should the latter have made thirteen 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 otherwise, 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 question be asked before the trick is turned and quitted, subsequent turning and quitting does not establish the revoke, and the error may be corrected, 1 unless the question be answered in the negative, or unless the revoking player or his partner have led or played to the following trick. 1 And add them to their own. 16 THE LAWS OF WHIST. 75. At the end of the hand, the claimants of a revoke may search all the tricks. 1 76. If a player discover his mistake in time to save a revoke, the 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 withdraw their cards and substitute others : the cards withdrawn are not liable to be called. 77. If a revoke be claimed, and the accused player or his partner mix the cards before they have been sufficiently examined by the adversaries, the revoke is established. The mixing of the cards only renders the proof of a revoke difficult, but does not prevent the claim, and possible establishment, 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. 81. Should the players on both sides subject them- selves to the penalty of one or more revokes, neither can win the game ; each is punished at the discretion of his adversary. 2 i Vide Law 77. 2 In the manner prescribed in Law 72. THE LAWS OF WHIST. 17 82. In whatever way the penalty be enforced, under no circumstances can a player win the game by the result of the hand during which he has revoked; he cannot score more than four. (Vide Rule 61.) 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 haye an option of exacting from their adversaries one of two penalties, they should agree who is to make the election, but must not consult with one another which of the two penalties it is advisable to exact; if they do so consult they lose their right; 1 and if either of them, with or without consent of his part- ner, 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 are touched for the purpose of gathering them together, may demand that the cards be placed before their respective players. 1 To demand any penalty. C 18 THE LAWS OF WHIST. 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 if towards him the adversaries may require that opponent's partner to play the highest or lowest of the suit then led, or to win or lose 1 the trick. 87. In all cases where a penalty has been incurred, the offender is bound to give reasonable time for the decision 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 on, by the players only, to pay the stakes and all bets on that game or rubber. 89. A bystander, by agreement among the players, may decide any question. 90. A card or cards torn or marked must be either replaced by agreement, or new cards called at the expense of the table. 91. Any player may demand 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. 1 i.e., refrain from winning. THE LAWS OF WHIST. 19 ETIQUETTE OF WHIST. The following rules belong to the established Eti- quette of Whist. They are not called laws, as it is difficult in some cases impossible to apply any penalty to their infraction, and the only remedy is to cease to play with players who habitually disregard them. Two packs of cards are invariably used at Clubs : if possible this should be adhered to. Any one, having the lead and several winning cards to play, should not draw a second card out of his hand until his partner has played to the first trick, such act being a distinct intimation that the former has played a winning card. No intimation whatever, by word or gesture, should be given by a player as to the state of his hand, or of the game. 1 A player who desires the cards to be placed, or who demands to see the last trick, 2 should do it for his own information only, and not in order to invite the attention of his partner. No player should object to refer to a bystander who professes himself uninterested in the game, and. able to decide any disputed question of facts ; as to who 1 The question " Who dealt ? " is irregular, and if asked should not be answered. 2 Or who asks what the trump suit is. c 2 20 THE LAWS OF WHIST. played any particular card whether honours were claimed though not scored, or vice versa etc., etc. It is unfair to revoke purposely; having made a revoke, a player is not justified in making a second in order to conceal the first. Until the players have made such bets as they wish, bets should not be made with bystanders. Bystanders should make no remark, neither should they by word or gesture give any intimation of the state of the game until concluded and scored, nor should they walk round the table to look at the different hands. No one should look over the hand of a player against whom he is betting. DUMMY Is played by three players. One hand, called Dummy's, lies exposed on the table. The laws are the same as those of Whist, with the following exceptions : I. Dummy deals at the commencement of each rubber. II. Dummy is not liable to the penalty for a revoke, as his adversaries see his cards : should he 1 revoke and the error not be discovered until the trick is turned and quitted, it stands good. 2 1 i.e. Dummy's hand. If Dummy's partner revokes, he is liable to the usual penalties. 2 And the hand proceeds as though the revoke had not been dis- covered. THE LAWS OF WHIST. 21 III. Dummy being blind and deaf, his Partner is not liable to any penalty for an error whence he can gain no advantage. Thus, he may expose some, or all of his cards, or may declare that he has the game, or trick, fec., without incurring any penalty; if, however, he lead from Dummy's hand when he should lead from his own, or vice versa, a suit may be called from the hand which ought to have led. DOUBLE DUMMY Is played by two players, each having a Dummy or exposed hand for his partner. The laws of the game do not differ from Dummy Whist, except in the following special law. There is no misdeal, as the deal is a disadvantage. 22 WHIST. CASES AND DECISIONS, Card laws are intended to effect two objects : 1. To preserve the harmony and determine the ordering of the table. Such, for example, are the laws in the previous code, which regulate scoring, cutting, shuf- fling, &c. and the miscellaneous rules included under the head of Etiquette. 2. To prevent any player from obtaining an unfair advantage. The word " unfair " must be taken in a restricted sense. It does not mean intentional unfairness. This is not to be dealt with by laws, but by exclusion from the card table. In deciding cases of card law, the offender should be credited with bond fides. It follows from this, that offences should not be judged by the intention of the player, but by the amount of injury which his irregularity may inflict on the opponents. In a perfect code, there should be a penalty for all errors or irregularities, by which the player com- mitting them, or his side, might profit ; and on the other hand there should be no penalty for errors by which he who commits them, cannot possibly gain an advantage. Penalties should be proportioned as closely as possible to the gain which might ensue to the offender. For instance : if the third hand has not played and WHIST. 23 the fourth plays before his partner, the second hand is informed whether or not his partner is likely to win the trick. The law, therefore, provides that the adversaries shall be entitled to call on the second pkyer either to win the trick, or not to win it, which- ever they please. Say, the fourth hand plays an ace out of turn. The second hand may be required to win the trick. If he has none of the suit he must trump it. In the opposite case, if the fourth hand plays a small card, and the second is called on not to win the trick, he must play a small card also. In this manner, the second player is prevented from benefiting by the irregular information afforded him. Other offences are legislated against in a similar way, the point kept in view throughout being, that no player shall be allowed to profit by his own wrong doing. However carefully a code is drawn up, it will not unfrequently happen in practice, that cases occur which are but imperfectly provided for. Such cases should be referred for decision to some arbitrator. The arbitrator will find himself materially assisted by keeping well before him the two great objects with which the laws have been framed. The following general rules will also be found useful in guiding him to just decisions : Where two or more players are in fault, it should be considered with whom the first fault lies, and how far it induced or invited the subsequent error of the adversary. Questions of fact should be settled before the case is referred, either by a majority of the players, or, if 24 WHIST. they are divided in opinion, by an onlooker agreed to by both parties, the decision of this referee being final. When the facts are agreed to they should be written down, and the written statement submitted to the judge, who should return a written answer. Should it so happen that a case is referred, wherein the players are divided in opinion as to the facts, the arbitrator will do well to decline to give a decision. The disputants, however, may be reminded that the player whom it is proposed to punish is entitled to the benefit of reasonable doubt. Questions of interpretation of law should be decided liberally, in accordance with the spirit rather than the letter of the law. On the other hand, the arbitrator should bear in mind the great incon- venience of a lax interpretation of card laws, and, having made up his mind as to the intention of the law, should decide all cases with the utmost strictness. The following cases, with decisions, selected from a large number which have been brought under the author's notice as having occurred in actual play, are given in exemplification of the foregoing remarks. CASE \. The play of the hand shows that AB (partners) hold no honour. The hand is therefore abandoned and the adversaries (YZ) score the game. It is then discovered that Y has only twelve cards, and one of WHIST. 25 the honours is found on the floor. AB then object ,to the score on the ground that YZ only "held" three honours (vide Law 3). Decision YZ are entitled to score four by honours. Y is not obliged to play with his cards in his hand. Besides, the game having been abandoned, Law 59 comes into operation. The penalty for playing with twelve cards is laid down in Law 46. Y is liable for any revoke he may have made. CASE If. AB claim " the game " and score it. After the trump card of the following deal is turned up, YZ object that AB have not claimed honours (vide Laws 6 and 7). Decision The honours were claimed within the meaning of the law. The objection to the score, if made really in ignorance of how it accrued, should have been taken at once. YZ should not wait the completion of the deal, so as to entrap AB on a mere technicality. Note. This is a good instance of interpretation in accordance with the spirit of the law. Laws should never be so construed as to inflict a wholly unnecessary wrong, as would happen in this case were the law insisted on literally. The intention of Law 7 is to require AB to draw attention to the claim ; and this is sufficiently done by the claim of " the game." 26 WHIST. CASE III. Y throws down his hand and claims " the game." B (Y's adversary) thinking that Y is referring only to the tricks, says, " You are not game." Y then marks four. After the trump card of the following deal is turned up, A remarks, " if Y had scored his honours, he would have been game." Y then claims the game, on the ground that he made the claim in time, and only withdrew it in consequence of B's contradiction. Is Y entitled to score the game ? Decision No. Y's claim of " the game " is irregular. He is bound to state in what way he wins it (vide Law 6). There is no evidence that Y was referring to his honours when he claimed the game, but rather the contrary, as he afterwards withdrew his claim and said nothing about honours. Note. This is an example of two players being in fault. It seems hard on Y that he should suffer through B's mistake ; but it must be borne in mind that the confusion was introduced by Y's own irregularity, and that the omission to score honours was due to his subsequent forgetfulness. Compare with Case II. CASE IV. At the conclusion of the deal the trump card comes to the hand on the dealer's left. The dealer requests the players to count their cards. The player to the WHIST. 27 dealer's left appropriates a packet of cards lying a little to his own right hand, between himself and the dealer, and finds twelve cards in it. The other hands each contain thirteen. The dealer now claims the hand with twelve cards in it as his hand. Must the players accept the hands thus given to them, or is it a misdeal ? Decision It is a misdeal. The fault is entirely with the dealer. If he deals so carelessly that there is any doubt as to the ownership of the hands, he must apportion them, and having once done so, he must not shift the hands about, so as to make a hand with twelve cards in it fall to himself. CASE V. Y throws down his cards, remarking, " We have lost the game." On this, A and B (Y's adversaries) throw down their cards. Z retains his hand. AB plead that they were misled by Y and that therefore they are not liable to Law 58. Decision A's, Y's, and B's hands are exposed, and must be left on the table to be called, each player's by the adversary. Z is not bound to abandon the game because his partner chooses to do so. Consequently, Y's remark does not bind Z. A and B ought to keep up their cards, until they have ascertained that both adversaries have abandoned the game. Note. The written law is sufficient to decide this case (vide Law 5 8) ; but inasmuch as the irregularity in question is a fertile source of disputes, the case has been deemed worthy of insertion. 28 WHIST. CASE VI. When it comes to the last trick of a hand, it appears that the player who has to lead has no card. What is to be done ? Decision (a) If either of the other players remains with two cards, it is a misdeal (vide Law 44, paragraph iv). (b) If the other players have their right number of cards, the missing card should be searched for (vide Law 70) and when found assigned to the leader, who is liable to Law 46. (c) If the missing card cannot be found, the tricks may be searched to find what card is wanting, and the absent card assumed to have belonged to the player who had but twelve cards. Note. It may seem that decision c is severe on a player playing bond fide with an imperfect pack. But each player is bound to count his hand before he plays. His playing to the first trick signifies his acceptance of the hand. If he accepts an imperfect one he must take the consequences. CASE VII. Towards the end of a hand a spade is led. The third hand, when it comes to his turn to play, lays down the ace of trumps (hearts) and says " There's the game." He then throws his hand on the table. The hand contains several spades. Is it a revoke ? Decision It is a question of fact. If the card was exposed in order to save time, it is not a revoke. But WHIST. 29 if the ace of trumps was played to the trick it is a revoke, the subsequent throwing down of the cards being an act of play, equivalent to playing to the following trick (vide Law 73). CASE VIII. The adversary cuts the pack to the dealer, but without his consent, i.e., without the dealer's present- ing it to be cut. Is it too late to claim a revoke in the previous hand ? (vide Law 78). Decision It is too late for the player who cut or for his partner to claim a revoke, but not too late for the adversaries. CASE IX. A player revokes, and on discovering the revoke before the hand is played out, says in explanation, " I never saw the card ; it was hidden behind my king of diamonds" the king of diamonds being still in his hand. Decision The king of diamonds is constructively an exposed card, and the adversaries may require that it be laid on the table to be called. CASE X. Y leads out of turn. B (Y's adversary) says to his partner, " Shall we call a suit or not ? " B's partner gives no answer. Is the asking the question a con- sultation within the meaning of Law 84, although no answer is made to it ? 30 WHIST. Decision Yes. It is the very question Law 84 is framed to prevent. B by the question shows that he is in doubt as to the policy of calling a suit, and thus affords information he has no right to give. Further than this, a reply by word of mouth is not necessary to constitute a consultation. Silence is an answer. The knowledge that a partner is indifferent may convey information that B has no right to extract. Note. The usual formula is "Will you exact the penalty, or shall I ? " This question does not bring the player under the operation of Law 84. CASE XI. A leads and the other three players follow suit. A plays another card (it not being his lead) and proceeds to gather the five cards into one trick. On being told of it, A explains that his attention has been diverted, and that he thought he had not played to the trick. The adversaries claim to be entitled to the penalties for leading out of turn, on the ground that the penalty should depend, not on the actual intention of the player, but on his possible intention. Decision A has not led out of turn ; he has merely exposed a card. The abstract principle pleaded by the adversaries is quite sound, but it does not apply to this case. There can be no doubt of A's intention, as he proceeds to gather the five cards together into one trick. WHIST. HISTORICAL. The early history of Whist is involved in obscurity. All games of high character become perfected by degrees; and Whist, following this rule, has been formed by gradual development. As early as the beginning of the sixteenth century, a card game called triumph or trump was commonly played in England. This game in its chief feature, viz., the predominance of one particular suit, and in its general construction, was so similar to Whist, that no one can doubt it to have been the game from which Whist grew. There were two distinct games called trump. Triomphe or French ruff was very like e'carte, only there was no score for the king ; Trump or English ruff-and-honours closely resembled Whist. Berni (" Capitolo del Gioco della Primer a" Borne, 1526), enumerates several games at cards; among them are Irionfi, played by the peasants ; and ronfa, the invention of which is attributed to King Ferdi- nand. 32 WHIST. Triumphus Hispanicus is the subject of a "Dialogue" written in Latin and French by Yives, a Spaniard (d. 1541). La triompJie and la ronfle are included by Rabelais (first half of sixteenth century) in the long list of some two hundred and thirty games played by Gargantua. In "A Worlde of Wordes or Most copious and exact Dictionarie in Italian and English collected by John Florio, 1598," ronfa is denned as "a game at cardes called ruffe or trumpe ;" and under trionfo we find " triumph. # * * Also a trump at cards, or the play called trump or ruff." There is no evidence to show whether the above were the foreign or native form of trump. Douce, in his " Illustrations of Shakespeare," concludes, from finding la triomphe in Rabelais' list, that we derived the game of trump from a French source. But it seems more probable, from the non-appearance of English ruff-and-honours in the Academie des Jeux, and from the distinction drawn in Cotton's " Compleat Gamester " between " English ruff-and-honours " and "French ruff" (la triomphe of the Acade'mie), that the game referred to by Berni, Vives, Rabelais, and Florio, was not the same game as English ruff-and- honours, for which a purely English origin (as the name implies) may be claimed. How and when trump or English ruff-and-honours originated cannot now be ascertained. It was played at least as early as the time of Henry VIII., for it was taken by Latimer to illustrate his text, in the first of two sermons " Of the Card," preached by him at WHIST. 33 Cambridge, in Advent, about the year 1529. He mentions the game under its original and corrupted appellations, and clearly alludes to its characteristic feature, as the following extract will show. "And where you are wont to celebrate Christmass in playing at Cards, I intend, with God's grace, to deal unto you Christ's Cards, wherein you shall perceive Christ's Eule. The game that we play at shall be the Triumph, which, if it be well played at, he that dealeth shall win ; the Players shall likewise win, and the standers and lookers upon shall do the same. * * * You must mark also, that the Triumph must apply to fetch home unto him all the other Cards, whatsoever suit they be of. * * * Then further we must say to ourselves, 'What requireth Christ of a Christian man ? ' Now turn up your Trump, your Heart (Hearts is Trump, as I said before) and cast your Trump, your Heart, on this card." Later in the century trump is often referred to. In " Gammer Gurton's Nedle, made by Mr. S., Mr of Art [Bishop Still] 1575," the second piece performed in England under the name of a comedy (performed at Christ's College, Cambridge, in 1566), Old Dame Chat thus invites some friends to a game : " CHAT. What diccon : come nere, ye be no straunger, We be fast set at trumpe man, hard by the fyre, Thou shalt set on the king, if thou come a litte nyer. ******* Come hether, Dol, Dol, sit downe and play this game, And as thou sawest me do, see thou do even the same I) 34 WHIST. There is 5. trumps beside the Queene, y e hindmost' y u shal finde her Take hede of Sim glover's wife, she hath an eie behind her." In Eliot's "Fruits for the French" (1593), trump is called " a verie common alehouse game ; " and Eice, in his " Invective against Vices " (printed before 1600), observes that "renouncing the trompe and comming in againe " (i.e., revoking intentionally), is a common sharper's trick. Decker, in " The Belman of London" (1608), speaks of "the deceites practised (euen in the fairest and most ciuill companies) at Primero, Saint, Maw, Tromp, and such like games." The game of trump is also mentioned by Shakes- peare in "Antony and Cleopatra," Act iv., scene 12 (first published 1623). "AXT. My good knave. Eros, now thy Captain is Even such a body; here am I Antony; Yet cannot hold this visible shape, my Itnave. I made these wars for Egypt ; and the Queen. "Whose licart I thought I had, for she had mine ; Which, whilst it was mine, had annex'd unto 't A million more, now lost, she, Eros, has Packed cards with Caesar, and false-played my glory Unto an enemy's triumph" The repeated punning allusions to card-playing in this passage leave no doubt as to the reference in the last word. Douce (" Illustrations ") points out its real meaning, and ridicules Ben Jonson's derivation of the word trump from tromper. WHIST. 35 There is abundant evidence to show that trump is a 'corruption of the word triumph. In addition to the instances already given, the following may be quoted : In Cotgrave's " Dictionarie of the French and English Tongve" (1611), Triomphe is explained as "the Card- game called Ruffe -or Trump ; also the Ruffe or Trump at it." Minsheu, in " The Guide unto Tongues " (1617), gives, "The TRUMPE in cardes. Triumfo, ita diet: quod de cceteris chartis triumphare videatur, quod illis sit prcestantior " Seymour, in his " Court Gamester" (1719), says " The Term Trump comes from a Corruption of the Word Triumph; for wherever they are, they are attended with Conquest." Ash ("Dictionary, 1775 ") has "Triumph (s. from the Lat. triumphus). * * * A conquering card, a trump; but this sense is now become obsolete. Trump (s. from triumph)." The derivation of the word ruff or ruffe has caused much speculation. The previous quotations show that it is the same word as ronfa (Ital.) and ronfle (Fr.), and that it is synonymous with the English triumph or trump. Even at tne present day many Whist players speak of ruffing, i.e., trumping; and, in the expression a cross-ruff, the word ruff is preserved to the exclusion of the word trump. The game of ruff-and-honours, if not the same as trump or ruff, was probably the same game, with the addition of certain advantages to the four highest cards of the trump suit. Eabelais includes in his list a game called " les Honneurs" but whether it had any affinity to ruff-and-honours is doubtful. In "Shutting, D '2 36 WHIST. Cutting, and Dealing, in a Game at Pickquet : being Acted from the Year, 1653. to 1658. By O.P. [Oliver Protector] and others; With great Applause." (1659), the " Old Foolish Christmas Game with Honours " is mentioned. Some writers are of opinion that trump was originally played without honours ; but as no de- scription of trump without honours is known to exist, their view must be taken as conjectural. In 1674, Charles Cotton, the poet, published a description of ruff-and-honours in " The Compleat Gamester : or Instructions How to play at Billiards, Trucks, Bowls, and Chess. Together with all manner of usual and most Gentile GAMES, either on Cards or Dice." Cotton gives a drawing of the game of "English Ruff and Honours," (see frontispiece) and thus describes it : "At Ruff and Honours, by some called Slamm, you have in the Pack all the Deuces, and the reason is, because four playing having dealt twelve a piece, there are four left for the Stock, the uppermost whereof is turn'd up, and that is Trumps, he that hath the Ace of that Ruffs ; that is, he takes in those four Cards, and lays out four others in their lieu ; the four Honours are the Ace, King, Queen, and Knave ; he that hath three Honours in his own hand, his partner not having the fourth sets up Eight by Cards, that is two tricks ; if he hath all four, then Sixteen, that is four tricks ; it is all one if two Partners make them three or four between them, as if one had them. If the Honours are equally divided among the Gamesters of each side, then they say Honours are split. If either side are at Eight Groats he hath the benefit of calling Can-ye, if he hath two Honours in his hand, and if the other answers one, the Game is up, which is nine in all, but if he hath more than two he shows them, and then it is one and the WHIST. 37 same thing ; but if lie forgets to call after playing a trick, he loseth the advantage of Can-ye for that deal. " All Cards are of value as they are superiour one to another, as a Ten wins a Nine if not Trumps, so a Queen, a Knave in like manner ; but the least Trump will win the highest Card of any other Card [suit] ; where note the Ace is the highest." This game was clearly Wliist in an imperfect form. "Whist is not mentioned by Shakespeare, nor by any writer (it is believed) of the Elizabethan era. It is probable that the introduction of the name whist or whisk took place early in the seventeenth century. The first known appearance of the word in print is in the "Motto" of Taylor, the Water Poet (1621). Taylor spells the word whisk. Speaking of the prodigal, he says : " The Prodigals estate, like to a flux, The Mercer, Draper, and the Silkman sucks : ****** He flings his money free with carelessnesse : At Novum, Mumchance, mischance, (chuse ye which) At One and Thirty, or at Poore and rich, Ruffe, slam, Trump, nody, whisk, hole, Sant, New-cut." The word continued to be spelt whisk for about forty years. The earliest known use of the present spelling is in " Hudibras the Second Part " (spurious) published in 1663 : " But what was this ? A Game at Whist Unto our Plowden - Canonist" After this, the word is spelt indifferently, whisk or whist. In "The Compleat Gamester" (1674 and 38 WHIST. subsequent editions) Cotton says, under playing the cards at " Picket," " the elder begins and younger follows in suit as at Whisk." But he uses the other spelling in his chapter on the game itself. He observes, " Ruff and Honours (alias Slamm) and "Whist, are Games so commonly known in England in all parts thereof, that every Child almost of Eight Years old hath a competent knowledge in that recreation." After describing ruif-and-honours (see the passage quoted, pp. 36, 37), Cotton adds, "Whist is a game not much differing from this, only they put out the Deuces and take in no stock ; and is called Whist from the silence that is to be observed in the play ; they deal as before, playing four, two of a side * # * to each Twelve a piece, and the Trump is the bottom Card. The manner of crafty playing, the number of the Game Nine, Honours and dignity of other Cards are all alike, and he that wins most tricks is most forward to win the set." Cotton's work was afterwards incorporated with Seymour's Court-Gamester (first published 1719). The earlier editions contain no Whist, but after the two books were united (about 1734), Seymour says, "Whist, vulgarly called whisk. The original de- nomination of this game is Whist, [here Seymour is mistaken] or the silent game at cards." And again, "Talking is not allowed at Whist; the very word implies ' Hold your Tongue.' " Dr. Johnson does not positively derive Whist from the interjectio silentium imperans ; he cautiously ex- plains Whist to be " a game at cards, requiring close WHIST. 39 attention and silence." Nares, in his "Glossary," has "Whist, an interjection commanding silence; " and he adds, " That the name of the game of Whist is derived from this, is known, I presume, to all who play or do not play." Skeat ("Etymological Dictionary of the English Language, 1882") gives, "Whist, hush, silence; a game at cards * * * named from the silence requisite to play it attentively." Chatto, however, (" Facts and Speculations on the Origin and History of Playing Cards, 1848"), suggests that whisk is derived by substitution from ruff, both of them signifying a piece of lawn used as an ornament to the dress. The best modern etymologists are of opinion that, whisk and whist, being, like whisper, whistle, wheeze, hush and hist, words of imitative origin, it makes no difference which form is first found. So the received derivation from silence, having a good deal of evidence in its favour, may be accepted until some more con- clusive arguments than Chatto's are brought against it. While Whist was undergoing the changes of name and character already specified, there was for a time associated with it another title, viz., swabbers or swobbers. Fielding, in his " History of the life of the late Mr. Jonathan Wild, the Great," records that when the ingenious Count La Ruse was domiciled with Mr. Geoffrey Snap, in 1682, or, in other words, was in a spunging-house, the Count beguiled the tedium of his in-door existence by playing at Whisk- and-Swabbers, "the game then in the chief vogue." Swift, in " The Intelligencer" (No. v, Dublin, 1728), 40 WHIST. ridicules Archbishop Tenison for not understanding the meaning of swabbers. " There is a known Story of a Clergy-Man, who was recommended for a Prefer- ment by some great Man at Court, to A. B. C'T. His Grace said, he had heard that the Clergy-Man used to play at Whisk and Swobbers, that as to playing now and then a Sober Game at Whisk for pastime, it might be pardoned, but he could not digest those wicked Swobbers, and it was with some pains that my Lord S rs could undeceive him." John- son defines swobbers as " four privileged cards used incidentally in betting at Whist." In Captain Francis Grose's " Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue " (1785), swabbers are stated to be "The ace of hearts, knave of clubs, ace and duce of trumps at Whist." The Hon. Dailies Barrington (writing in 1786), says that at the beginning of the century, whisk was "played with what were called Swabbers, which were possibly so termed, because they, who had certain cards in their hand, were entitled to take up a share of the stake, independent of the general event of the game." This was probably the true office of the swabbers, the etymology of the word showing it to be allied to sweep, swoop, swab, swap, and to be first cousin to sweep- stakes. Swabbers soon went out of general use, but they may still linger in some local coteries. E. B. Wormald writes thus respecting them in 1873 : Being driven by stress of weather to take shelter in a sequestered hostelry on the Berkshire bank of the Thames, he found four persons immersed in the game of Whist : "In the middle of the hand, one of the players, with a WHIST. 41. grin that almost mounted to a chuckle, and a vast display of moistened thumb, spread out upon the table the ace of trumps; whereupon the other three deliberately laid down their hands, and forthwith severally handed over the sum of one penny to the fortunate holder of the card in question. On enquiry, we were informed that the process was technically known as a c swap ' (qy. swab or swabber), and was de rigueur in all properly constituted whist circles." After the swabbers were dropped (and it is probable that they were not in general use in the eighteenth century), our national card game became known simply as Whist, though still occasionally spelt whisk. The Hon. Daines Barrington (" Archaeologia," Vol. viii.) says, that Whist in its infancy was chiefly confined to the servants' hall. That the game had not yet become fashionable is evident from the disparaging way in which it is referred to by writers of the period. In Farquhar's comedy of " The Beaux's Stratagem " (1707), Mrs. Sullen, a fine lady from London, speaks in a contemptuous vein of the " rural Accomplishments of drinking fat Ale, playing at Whisk, and smoaking Tobacco." Pope also classes Whist as a country squire's game, in his "Epistle to Mrs. Teresa Blount" (1715) " Some Squire, perhaps, you take delight to rack, Whose game is Whisk, whose treat a toast in sack." Thomson, in his "Autumn" (1730), describes how after a heavy hunt dinner " Perhaps a while, amusive, thoughtful Whisk Walks gentle round, beneath a cloud of smoak, Wreath'd, fragrant, from the pipe." 42 WHIST. Early in the century the points of the game rose from nine to ten ("nine in all," Cotton, 1709 ; "ten in all," Cotton, 1721; "nine in all," Cotton, 1725; "ten in all," Seymour, 1734, "rectified according to the present standard of play"). Every subsequent edition of Seymour (with which Cotton was incor- porated) makes the game ten up. It seems likely that, simultaneously with this change, or closely following it, the practice of playing with the entire pack instead of with but forty-eight cards obtained. This improvement introduced the odd trick, .an element of the greatest interest in modern Whist. At this period (early part of the eighteenth century) there was a mania for card playing in all parts of Europe, and in all classes of society, but Whist had not as yet found favour in the highest circles. Piquet, Ombre, and Quadrille, were the principal games of the fashionable world. But about 1728, the game of Whist rose out of its comparative obscurity. A party of gentlemen (according to Daines Barring- ton), of whom the first Lord Folkestone was one, used at this date to frequent the Crown Coffee-house, in Bedford Row, where they studied Whist scientifically. They must have made considerable progress in the game, to judge by the following rules which they laid down: "Lead from the strong suit; study your partner's hand; and attend to the score." Shortly after this, the celebrated EDMOND HOYLE, the father of the game, published his " Short Treatise " (1742-3). About Hoyle's antecedents, but little is known. He was bora in 1672; it is said he was WHIST. 43 educated for the bar. It has been stated that he was born in Yorkshire, but this is doubtful. At all events, the author, by personal enquiry, has positively ascer- tained that he did not belong to the family of York- shire Hoyles, who acquired estates near Halifax temp. Edward III. It has also been stated that Hoyle was appointed registrar of the prerogative court at Dublin, in 1742. This, however, is unlikely. At that time, Hoyle was probably living at Bath (at least his treatise was published there), and he afterwards resided in Queen Square, London. Hoyle was engaged in writing on games, and in giving lessons in Whist, at the time he is supposed to have held the appointment in question. The fact is, the name Edmund or Edmond is common in both the Yorkshire and Irish families of Hoyle ; and probably one Hoyle has been mistaken for another. Hoyle became famous as soon as he avowed the authorship of the " Short Treatise." It was at first published anonymously. Internal evidence goes to show that Hoyle originally drew up some notes for the use of the pupils to whom he gave lessons in Whist, as his anonymous edition speaks of "Pur- chasers of the Treatise in Manuscript, disposed of the last winter," and also that there was " a Treatise on the Game of TTJiist lately dispersed among a few Hands at a Guinea Price," and further, that the author of it " has fram'd an Artificial Memory, which takes not off your Attention from your Game ; and if required, he is ready to communicate it, upon Pay- ment of one Guinea. And also, He will explain any 44 WHIST. Cases in the Book, upon Payment of one Guinea more." The value of the " Short Treatise," and its rapid success, caused surreptitious copies to be circulated. To secure his property, Hoyle printed the manuscript, and registered it at Stationers' Hall in November, 1742. The treatise ran through five editions in one year, and it is said that Hoyle received a large sum for the copyright. This last statement, however, requires verification ; at all events, Hoyle continued for years to sign every copy personally, as the proprietor of the copyright. This was done in order to protect the property from further piracy, as the address to the reader shows. The following is a fac-simile of Hoyle's signature, taken from the fourth edition : In the fifteenth edition the signature is impressed from a wood block, and in the seventeenth it was announced that Mr. Hoyle was dead. He died in Welbank (Welbeck) Street, Cavendish Square, in August, 1769, aged 97. One effect of Hoyle's publication was to draw forth a witty skit, entitled " The Humours of Whist. A Dramatic Satire, as Acted every Day at WHITE'S and other Coffee-Houses and Assemblies" (1743). The pamphlet commences with an advertisement mimicking WHIST. 45 Hoyle's address to the reader. The prologue to the play is " supposed to be spoke by a waiter at White's." " Who will believe that Man could e'er exist, Who spent near half an Age in studying Whist ? Grew gray with Calculation Labour hard ! As if Life's Business center'd in a CarcJ ? That such there is. let me to those appeal, Who with such liberal Hands reward his Zeal. Lo 1 Whist he makes a science, and our Peers Deign to turn School Boys in their riper Years." The principal characters are Professor Whiston (Hoyle), who gives lessons in the game of Whist; Sir Calculation Puzzle, a passionate admirer of Whist, who imagines himself a good player, yet always loses ; Sharpers, Pupils of the Professor, and Cocao, Master of the Chocolate-house. The sharpers are disgusted at the appearance of the book. "Lurchum. Thou knowest we have the Honour to be admitted into the best Company, which neither our Birth nor Fortunes entitle us to, merely for our Reputation as good Whist-Players. Shuffle. Very well ! Lurch. But if this damn'd Book of the Professor's answers, as he pretends, to put Players more upon a Par, what will avail our superior Skill in the Game ? We are undone to all Intents and Purposes. * * * We must bid 'adieu to White's, George's, Brown's, and all the polite Assemblies about Town, and that's enough to make a Man mad instead of thoughtful. Shuf. Damn him, I say, Could he find no other Employment for forty Years together, than to study how to circumvent younger Brothers, and such as us, who live by our Wits ? A man that discovers the Secrets of any 46 WHIST. Profession deserves to be sacrificed, and I would be the first, Lurchum, to cut the Professor's Throat for what he has done, but that I think I have pretty well defeated the malevolent Effect of his fine-spun Calculations. Lurch. As how, dear Shuffle 1 Thou revivest me. Shuf. I must confess the Publication of his Treatise gave me at first some slight Alarm; but I did not, like thee, Lurchvm, indulge in melancholy desponding Thoughts : On the contrary, I called up my Indignation to my Assistance, and have ever since been working upon a, private Treatise on Signs at Whist, by way of counter Treatise to his, and which, if I mistake not, totally overthrows his System." . On the other hand, the gentlemen are in raptures. C'dlrultition Puzzle. The progress your Lordship has made for the time you have study 'd under the Professor is wonderful. Pray, has your Lordship seen the dear Man to-day ? Lord Slim. O yes. His Grace sate him down at my House, and I have just lent him my Chariot into the City. How do YOU like the last edition of his Treatise with the Appendix, 1 Sir Calculation I I mean that sign'd with his Name. 2 Sir Cal. Gad, my Lord, there never was so excellent a Book printed. I'm quite in Raptures with it I will eat with it sleep with it go to Court with it go to Parliament with it go to Church with it. I pronounce it the Gospel of Whist- Players ; and the Laws of the Game ought to be wrote in golden Letters, and hung up in Coffee-houses, as much as the Ten Commandments in Parish Churches. Sir John lied turn. Ha ! Ha ! Ha ! You speak of the Book with the Zeal of a primitive Father. 1 " The author of this treatise did promise if it met with approbation, to make an addition to it by -way of Appendix, which he has done accord- ingly."' 7 Hoyle. 2 Authorised as revised and corrected under his own hand. Hoyle. WHIST. 47 Sir Cal. Not half enough, Sir John the Calculations 1 are so exact ! * * * his Observations 2 are quite masterly ! his Rules 3 so comprehensive ! his Cautions 4 so judicious ! There are such Variety of Cases 5 in his Treatise, and the Principles are so new, I want Words to express the Author, and can look on him in no other Light than as a second Newton" The way in which Sir Calculation introduces Hoyle's Calculations of Chances is very amusing. Sir John. 'Twas by some such laudable Practices, I suppose, that you suffered in your last Affair with Lurchum. Sir Cal. Gad, No, Sir John Never any thing was fairer, nor was ever any thing so critical. We were nine all. The adverse Party had 3, and we had 4 Tricks All the Trumps were out. I had Queen and two small Clubs, with the Lead. Let me see It was about 222 and 3 Halves to 'gad, I forgot how many that my Partner had the Ace and King let me recollect ay that he had one only was about 31 to 26. That he had not both of them 17 to 2, and that he had not one, or both, or neither, some 25 to 32. So I, according to the Judgment of the Game, led a Club, my Partner takes it with the King. Then it was exactly 481 for us to 222 against them. He returns the same Suit ; I win it with my Queen, and return it again; but the Devil take that Zurchum, by passing his Ace twice, he took the Trick, and having 2 more Clubs and a 13th Card, I gad, all was over. But they both allow'd I play'd admirably well for all that." 1 "Calculations for those who will "bet the odds on any points of the score," &c. "Calculations directing with moral certainty, how to play well any hand or game," &c. Hoyle. 2 " Games to be played with certain observations," &c. Hoyle. 3 " Some general rules to be observed," &c. " Some particular rules to be observed," &c. Hoyle. * "A caution not to part with the command of your adversaries' great suit," &c. Hoyle. 5 ^ with a variety of Cases added in the Appendix." Hoyle. 48 AVHIST. The following passage from the same pamphlet mentions the Crown probably the Crown Coffee- house and it has been inferred from this that Hoyle himself might have been one of Lord Folkestone's party. " Young Jobber [A pupil of the Professor's]. Dear, Mr. Professor, I can never repay you. You have given me such an Insight by this Visit, I am quite another Thing I find I knew nothing of the Game before-; tho' I can assure you. I have been reckoned a First-rate Player in the City a good while nay, for that Matter, I make no bad figure at the Crown and don't despair, by your Assistance, but to make one at White's soon." Hoyle is also spoken of in his professional capacity in " The Rambler " of May 8, 1750. A " Lady that has lost her Money" writes, "As for Play, I do think I may, indeed, indulge in that, now I am my own Mistress. Papa made me drudge at Whist 'till I was tired of it ; and far from wanting a Head, Mr. Hoyle, when he had not given me above forty Lessons, said, I was one of his best Scholars." Again, in "The Gentleman's Magazine" for February, 1755, a writer, professing to give the auto- biography of a modern physician, says, " Hoyle tutor'd me in the several games at cards, and under the name of guarding me from being cheated, insensibly gave me a taste for sharping." In the middle of the eighteenth century, Whist was regularly played in fashionable society. In "Tom Jones," Lady Bellaston, Lord Fellamar, and others, are represented as indulging in a rubber. Hoyle also comes in for notice in the following passage in the WHIST. 49 same work : "I happened to come home several Hours before my usual Time, when I found four Gentlemen of the Cloth at Whisk by my fire ; and my Hoyle, sir, my best Hoyle, which cost me a Guinea, lying open on the Table, with a Quantity of Porter spilt on one of the most material Leaves of the whole Book. This, you will allow, was provoking; but I said nothing till the rest of the honest Company were gone, and then gave the Fellow a gentle Rebuke, who, instead of expressing any Concern, made me a pert Answer, ' That Servants must have their Diversions as well as other People ; that he was sorry for the Accident which had happened to the Book ; but that several of his Acquaintance had bought the same for a Shilling; and that I might stop as much in his Wages, if I pleased.' " In an epic poem on "Whist," by Alexander Thomson, which appeared in 1791, Hoyle was thus invoked " WHIST, then, delightful WHIST, my theme shall be, And first I'll try to trace its pedigree, And shew what^sage and comprehensive mind Gave to the world a pleasure so refin'd : Then shall the verse its various charms display, Which bear from ev'ry game the palm away ; And, last of all, those rules and maxims tell, Which give the envied pow'r to play it well. But first (for such the mode) some tuneful shade Must be invok'd, the vent'rous Muse to aid. Cremona's poet shall I first address, Who paints with skill the mimic war of chess, And India's art in Roman accents sings ; Or him who soars on far sublimer wings, Belinda's bard, who taught his liquid lay At Ombre's studious game so well to play ? 50 WHIST. But why thus vainly hesitates the Muse, In idle doubt, what guardian pow'r to chuse ? What pow'r so well can aid her daring toil, As the bright spirit of immortal Hoyle ? By whose enlighten'd efforts Whist became A sober, serious, scientific game ; To whose unwearied pains, while here below, The great, th' important privilege we owe, That random strokes disgrace our play no more, But skill presides, where all was chance before. Come then, my friend, my teacher, and my guide, Where'er thy shadowy ghost may now reside ; Perhaps (for Nature ev'ry change defies, Nor ev'n with death our ruling passion dies) With fond regret it hovers still, unseen, Around the tempting boards array'd in green ; Still with delight its fav'rite game regards, And tho' it plays no more o'erlooks the cards. Come then, thou glory of Britannia's isle, On this attempt propitious deign to smile ; Let all thy skill th' unerring page inspire. And all thy zeal ray raptur'd bosom fire." Hoyle's name also finds a place in Don Juan. Byron, in saying that Troy owes to Homer what Whist owes to Hoyle, scarcely does justice to Hoyle, who was rather the founder than the historian of Whist. The " Short Treatise " appeared just in the nick of time, when Whist was rising in repute, and when card -playing was the rajre. The work became the authority almost from the date of its appearance. In 1760, the laws of the game were revised by the members of White's and Saunder's Chocolate-houses, then the head quarters of fashionable play. These revised laws (nearly all Hoyle) are given in every WHIST. 51 edition of Hoyle from this date. Hoyle's laws, as they were called, guided all Whist coteries for a hundred and four years ; when the Arlington (now Turf) and Portland Clubs, re-revised the code of the Chocolate-houses. The laws adopted by these Clubs in 1864, which have by this time (1874) found their way into all Whist circles, deposed Hoyle, and are now the standard by which disputed points are determined. One of the chief seats of card-playing, and conse- quently, of Whist-playing, during the eighteenth century, was Bath. Even Mr. Pickwick is depicted playing Whist there with Miss Bolo, against the Dowager Lady Snuphamiph and Mrs. Colonel Wugsby, in a passage too well known to require quotation. Mr. Pickwick's visit was at a date when the chief glories of Bath had departed. Hoyle's first edition, it will be remembered, was published at Bath, as also was Thomas Mat [t] hews' " Advice to the Young Whist Player" (about 1805) a sound and useful contri- bution to Whist literature. Early in this century, the points of the game were altered from ten to five, and calling honours was abolished. It is doubtful whether this change was for the better. In the author's opinion Long Whist (ten up) is a far finer game than Short Whist (five up) ; Short Whist, however, has taken such a hold, that there is no chance of our reverting to the former game. According to Clay ("Short Whist," 1864), the alter- ation took place under the following circumstances : " Some sixty or seventy years back, Lord Peterborough E 2 52 WHIST. having one night lost a large sum of money, the friends with whom he was playing proposed to make the game five points instead of ten, in order to give the loser a chance, at a quicker game, of recovering his loss. The late Mr. Hoare, of Bath, a very good whist-player, and without a superior at piquet, was one of this party, and has more than once told me the story. The new game was found to be so lively, and money changed hands with such increased rapidity, that these gentle- men and their friends, all of them members of the leading clubs of the day, continued to play it. It became general in the clubs thence was introduced in private houses travelled into the country went to Paris, and has long since * * entirely superseded the whist of Hoyle's day." Long Whist had long been known in Prance, but it was not a popular game in that country. Hoyle has been several times translated into French. Whist was played by Louis XV., and under the first Empire was a favorite game with Josephine and Marie Louise. It is on record ("Diaries of a Lady of Quality," 2nd Ed. p. 128), that Napoleon used to play Whist at Wiir- temburg, but not for money, and that he played ill and inattentively. One evening, when the Queen Dowager was playing against him with her husband and his daughter (the Queen of Westphalia, the wife of Jerome), the King stopped Napoleon, who was taking up a trick that did not belong to him, saying, " Sire, on ne joue pas id en conquer ant" After the restoration, Whist was taken up in Trance more enthusiastically. " The Nobles," savs a French WHIST. 53 writer, " had gone to England to learn to Think, and they brought back the thinking game with them." Talleyrand was a Whist player, and his mot to the youngster who boasted his ignorance of the game is well known. " Vous ne savez pas le Whiste, jeune homme ? Quelle triste vieillesse vous vous preparez ! " Charles X. is reported to have been playing Whist at St. Cloud, on July 29, 1830, when the tricolor was waving on the Tuileries, and he had lost his throne. It is remarkable that the "finest Whist player" who ever lived should have been, according to Clay, a Frenchman, M. Deschapelles (born 1780, died 1847). He published in 1839 a fragment of a " Traite du Whiste" which treats mainly of the laws, and is of but little value to the Whist player. Before leaving this historical sketch, a few words may be added respecting the modern literature of the game. So far as the present work is concerned, its raison d'etre is explained in the preface to the first edition. How far it has fulfilled the conditions of its being, it is not for the author to say. It was followed, however, by two remarkable books, which call for a short notice. In 1864, appeared " Short Whist," by J. C. (James Clay). Clay's work is an able dissertation on the game, by the most brilliant player of his day. He was Chairman of the Committee appointed to revise the Laws of Whist in 1863. He sat in Parliament for many years, being M.P. for Hull at the time of his death, in 1873. 54 WHIST. In 1865, William Pole, F.R.S., Mus. Doc., Oxon, published " The Theory of the Modern Scientific Game of Whist," a work which contains a lucid explanation of the fundamental principles of scientific play, addressed especially to novices, but of consider- able value to players of all grades. These books exhibit the game both theoretically and practically, in the perfect state at which it has arrived during the two centuries that have elapsed since Whist assumed a definite shape and took its present name. PART I. GENERAL PRINCIPLES. INTRODUCTORY. Before entering on an analysis of the general principles of the Game of Whist, it is advisable to explain shortly on what foundation these principles rest ; for it might be supposed that a demonstration of the propositions contained in these pages is about to be offered; that the chances for and against all possible systems of play have been calculated; and that the one here upheld can be proved to be certainly right, and all others certainly wrong. Such a view would be altogether erroneous. The problem is far too intricate to admit of being treated with mathe- matical precision. The conclusion that the chances are in favour of a certain line of play is not arrived at by abstract calculation, but by general reasoning, confirmed by the accumulated experience of practised players. The student must not, therefore, expect absolute proof. He must frequently be satisfied if the reasons given appear weighty in themselves, and none weightier can be suggested on the other side; and also with the assurance that the method of play recom- mended in this work is for the most part that which, having stood the test of time, is generally adopted. 56 WHIST. THE FIRST HAND OR LEAD. The considerations that determine the most advan- tageous card to lead at the commencement of a hand differ from those which regulate the lead at other periods ; for, at starting, the Doctrine of Probabilities is the only guide ; while, as the hand advances, each player is able, with more or less certainty, to draw inferences as to the position of some of the remaining cards. The number of the inferences, and the cer- tainty with which they can be drawn from the previous play, constantly increase ; hence it not unfrequently happens that, towards the termination of a hand, the position of every material card is known. In treating of the lead, it will be most convenient to begin by examining the principles which govern the original lead. The application of these principles will require to be somewhat modified in the case of trumps, as will appear hereafter. I. LEAD ORIGINALLY FROM YOUR STRONGEST SUIT. The first question that arises is, Which is the strongest suit ? A suit may be strong in two distinct ways. 1. It may contain more than its proportion of high cards. For example, it may contain two or more WHIST. 57 honours one honour in each suit being the average for each hand. 2. It may consist of more than the average number of cards, in which case it is a numerically strong or long suit. Thus a suit of four cards has numerical strength; a suit of five cards great numerical strength. On the other hand a suit of three cards is numerically weak. In selecting a suit for the lead, numerical strength is the principal point to look to ; for it must be borne in mind that aces and kings are not the only cards which make tricks; twos and threes may become quite as valuable when the suit is established i.e., when the higher cards of the suit -are exhausted. To obtain for your own small cards a value that does not intrinsically belong to them, and to prevent the adversary from obtaining it for his, is evidently an advantage. Both these ends are advanced by choosing for your original lead the suit in which you have the greatest numerical strength ; for you may establish a suit of this description, while, owing to your strength, it is precisely the suit which the adversary has the smallest chance of establishing against you. A suit that is numerically weak, though otherwise strong, is far less eligible. Suppose, for example, you have five cards headed by (say) a ten in one suit, and ace, king, and one other (say the two) in another suit. If you lead from the ace, king, two suit, all your power is exhausted as soon as you have parted with the ace and king, and you have given the holder of numerical strength a capital chance of establishing the suit. It is true that 58 WHIST. this fortunate person may be your partner ; but it is twice as likely that he is your adversary, since you have two adversaries and only one partner. On the other hand, if you lead from the five suit, though your chance of establishing it is slight, you, at all events, avoid assisting your adversaiy to establish his; the ace and king of your three suit, still remaining in your hand, enable you to prevent the establishment of that suit, and may procure you the lead at an advanced period of the hand. This we shall find as we proceed is a great advantage, especially if, in the course of play, you are left with all the unplayed cards, or long cards, of your five suit. The best suit of all to lead from is, of course, one which combines both elements of strength. In opening a suit, there is always the danger of finding your partner very weak, or of leading up to a tenace (i.e., the best and third best cards, or the second best guarded) in the hand of the fourth player. If you lead from a very strong suit, these dangers are more than compensated for by the advantages just explained ; if your best suit is only moderately strong, the lead is not profitable, but rather the reverse. If all your suits are weak, the lead is very disadvantageous. The hand, however weak, must hold one suit of four at least, and this, if only headed by a ten or a nine, should generally be chosen. Being unable to strike the adversary, you take the best chance of not assisting him. It follows that a suit consisting of a single card is a very disadvantageous one to lead from ; yet no lead is WHIST. , 59 more common, even among players of some experience. The reason assigned in favour of this lead is the possi- bility of making small trumps. But it is important to observe, that you stand very nearly as good a chance of making trumps by waiting for some one else to open the suit. If the suit is opened by the strong hand, your barrenness will not be suspected ; you will be able, if necessary, to win the second round, while you will be free from the guilt of having sacrificed any high card your partner may have possessed in the suit, or of having assisted in establishing a suit for the adversary. Again, your partner, if strong in trumps, will very likely draw yours, and then return your lead, imagining you led from strength. If, indeed, he is a shrewd player, he will, after being taken in once or twice, a'ccommodate his game to yours; but he can never be sure of the character of your lead, and may often miss a great game by not being able to depend upon you. If you have great numerical strength in trumps, the evils of a single-card lead are lessened; but in this case, as will hereafter be shown, it is generally right to lead trumps. In the opinion of the author, it may be laid down as an axiom, that in plain suits (i.e., in suits not trumps) an original lead from a single card is in no case defensible. Many players will not lead from a strong suit if headed by a tenace; preferring, for instance, to lead from ten, nine, three, to ace, queen, four, two. They argue, that by holding up the ace, queen suit, they stand a better chance of catching the king. So far they are right ; but they purchase this advantage too 60 WHIST. dearly ; for the probable loss from leading the weak suit may be taken as greater than the probable gain from holding up the tenace. Which card of the strong suit sliould be led origi- nally ? The key to this problem is furnished by the remark, that it conduces to the ultimate establishment of a suit to keep the high or commanding cards of it in the hand that has numerical strength. In the suit of your own choosing, you are presumably stronger than your partner ; it is therefore undesirable at once to part with your high cards. Hence it is best, in general, to lead the smallest. Your partner, actuated by a desire to assist in establishing your strong suit, will play his highest card to your lead (see Play of Third Hand, p. 85), and, if he fails to win the trick, will, at all events, force a higher card from the fourth player, and so help to clear the suit for you. Another reason in favour of leading the lowest is, that it in- creases your chance of making tricks in the first two rounds. For in the first round of a suit the second hand generally puts on his smallest card, as will be seen hereafter. If, therefore, you originally lead the smallest, holding ace and others, the first trick will, in all probability, lie between your partner and the last player ; and since there is no reason why the fourth player should hold a better card than the third, it is an even chance that your partner wins the trick. It is certain (bar trumping) that you win the second round ; therefore it is an even chance, if the suit is led this way, that you make two tricks in the first two rounds. But if you lead out the ace first, it is two WHIST. 61 to one against your making the second trick, for the adversaries have two hands against your partner's one, and either may hold the king. A third reason for leading the lowest of your suit is, that your partner may prove utterly weak in it ; and in this case it is important that you keep a commanding card, to stop the adversary from establishing it. It follows, when you lead a small card originally, that your partner should conclude you have led from numerical strength. There are three exceptions to the rule of originally leading the lowest of a strong suit. 1. When you lead from ace with four or more small ones. In this case it is considered Lest to begin with the ace, lest it should be tramped on the second round. 2. When your suit contains a strong sequence, it is best to lead one of the sequence, in order to prevent the adversaries from winning the first trick with a very small card. 3. When you lead from a suit of more than four cards (not headed by ace and not containing a strong sequence), the lowest but one, or the penultimate card is led, for reasons to be afterwards explained. (See the Conversation of the Game, pp. 106-108.) When you intend to lead from a sequence, the card to be selected depends on the nature of 'the sequence, namely, whether it is a head sequence or an under sequence. By a head sequence is meant a sequence of the highest cards of your suit, i.e., of the cards heading your suit ; thus, such a suit as queen, knave, ten, six, contains a head sequence of queen, knave, ten. Sequences that do not head your suit are under C2 WHIST. sequences ; thus ace, queen, knave, ten, is an example of an under sequence of queen, knave, ten. You should 2. LEAD THE HIGHEST OF A HEAD SEQUENCE (Except as specified in tJie Analysis of Leads, pp. 64-67). For, otherwise, your partner is uncertain where the highest lies, and you and he may play two winning cards where one would have sufficed. For instance, if, with queen, knave, ten, you lead the ten, your partner may put the king on it, but he certainly would not on the queen. In addition to this, if there is any finessing to be done in the suit, it can only be by your partner. By finessing is meant playing an inferior card though holding a higher one of the suit, not in sequence with the card played. Thus, to con- tinue the illustration of the sequence of queen, knave, ten. You lead the queen. Your partner has the ace and others. He will not put it on, but will finesse by playing his smallest card ; and if the king lies to your left, that card is completely hemmed in. Had you led the ten, your partner would have put on the ace, and the king have been freed. On the other hand, if you lead from an under sequence, you should lead the lowest, the reason being that, in this case, you wish your partner to put on his highest card. For example, with king, ten, nine, eight, you should lead the eight and not the ten, as if your partner's highest card is the knave, you wish him to put it on that he may not afterwards block your suit by retaining a commanding card of it. Or, WHIST. 63 suppose your partner's "best card is the queen, the lead of the ten would probably induce him to finesse, and thus give the adversary a chance of making the knave the first round, and of retaining the ace in hand, although you and your partner hold two honours in the suit. If your partner puts on the queen, you are still able to finesse the nine when the suit is returned, and this is much more advantageous than your partner's passing the ten. In the first place, the finesse is post- poned to the second round, when, more cards having been played, you have more data to guide you as to the policy of making the finesse ; and, in the next place, if you have a choice as to whether you or your partner shall finesse in your strong suit, it is, as a rule, more advantageous for you to do it. For, as already explained, it conduces to the establishment of a suit for the strong hand to retain the command of it, and for the presumably weak hand to play his highest cards. With sequences neither at the top nor bottom of a suit (intermediate sequences), the best card to lead is the smallest of the intermediate sequence. From the combination of king, knave, ten, nine, and one or more small cards, containing an intermediate sequence of knave, ten, nine, the nine should be led and not the smallest of the suit ; also from king, knave, ten, and one or more small cards, the ten is the common lead. With smaller under sequences, as, for example, king, ten, nine, eight, and a small one, say the two, the lowest card of the intermediate sequence should be led ; and so on for smaller intermediate sequences of three or more cards. 64 WHIST. ANALYSIS OF LEADS IN DETAIL. [The following analysis should be familiarly known by every player, not only that he himself may follow it, but also that he may form a correct idea of the cards the other players hold, by observing what they lead.] Ace, king, and others, lead king. This is an ex- ception to leading the highest of a sequence. If your partner has none of the suit, he should not trump the king, for if you have not the ace, you want the adver- sary to play it, that he may not hold the winning card of your suit. If your king wins, and you are obliged to change the suit, your partner is pretty sure where the ace is ; but if you lead the ace, he can know nothing about the king. An exception to this rule is, if you lead from an ace, king suit after having trumped another suit. You should then lead the ace first, as, if you begin with the king, and your partner happens to have none of the suit, he might trump the king, in order to lead again the suit you are trumping. If you hold ace, king, and queen, follow king with queen, and still keep up the ace : and act similarly if intermediate cards drop, and you are left with ace and the next best. Prom ace, king, queen, knave, fyc., lead king then knave. In trumps, with ace, king, and five small ones, lead king, ace, as you are sure to be left with the numerical command of trumps; WHIST. 65 but with less than seven trumps, lead the smallest. Your ace and king must make ; you give your partner an even chance of winning the first trick, and you retain the command. With ace, king, queen, fyc., of trumps, begin with the lowest of the sequence. With ace, king, queen, knave, fyc., lead knave, then ace. Ace, king, knave, fyc., generally lead out king and ace, and if queen does not drop, continue with the smallest. If you lead king, and change the suit, your partner should understand that you hold ace, knave, and are waiting to finesse on the return of the lead. This is generally right in trumps, unless there is an object in immediately getting out two rounds. With more than jive trumps it is, as a rule, better to lead out king and ace, and to take the chance that the queen falls. It is obviously useless to wait for the finesse if queen is turned up to your left. Ace, queen, knave, and one other, lead ace and queen. If king is against you, you still remain with the best. With ace, queen, knave, ten, or ace, queen, knave, and more than one small one, lead ace, then lowest of queen, knave sequence, so that if your partner has king he may play it the second round (see Section 10, p. 89). Ace, queen, ten, nine, lead nine. With more than four, the ace in plain suits, but in trumps, the lowest of the ten, nine sequence. With ace, queen, ten, ^c., and knave turned up to your right, lead queen. Ace, knave, ten, nine, lead nine. With more than four in suit, ace then lowest of knave sequence. In trumps, lead nine, unless queen is turned up to your left, when lead ace and knave. F 66 "WHIST. In all other suits headed ly ace, lead the smallest, except with four or more small ones, when lead ace ; in trumps, the smallest (but see p. 106), unless you have seven trumps. King, queen, knave, ten, lead ten. The ace will probably not be played second hand, on the ten, and you thus get an increased chance of two rounds, and so of clearing your suit ; also, if your partner has the ace, he will play it on the ten, and leave you with the command. Continue with queen, as partner knows you have king, knave, but is uncertain as to queen. King, queen, knave, and one small one, lead king; continue with queen, and then, if ace does not fall, with the small one, on the presumption that partner has the ace. You must not presume this because king goes round, the ace being sometimes held up. With king, queen, knave, and more than one small one, lead knave. You are so strong that if your partner holds' ace, you can afford to let him put it on, and so leave you with the command of your suit, even at the expense of winning the trick twice over. King, queen, and small ones, lead king; in trumps, the smallest, unless you hold seven trumps, or king, queen, ten, $*c. If king goes round, continue with the smallest. King, knave, and others, lead the lowest. With ten also, lead the ten ; with others in sequence, as king, knave, ten, nine, the lowest of the sequence. With king, knave, nine, fyc., and ten turned up to your right, lead knave. WHIST. 67 In otlier numerically strong suits headed by king, lead the lowest (but see p. 106). Queen, knave, ten, Sfc., lead queen ; and follow with knave, unless you have nine also, or Jive or more of the suit, when follow with the lowest of the queen, knave, ten, sequence (compare lead from ace, queen, knave). Queen, knave, nine, fyc., lead the smallest, unless you have six or more of the suit, when lead queen. In trumps, if ten is turned up to your right, lead queen. Queen, knave, and two or more small ones, lead the lowest. You have numerical strength, and your object is, not to take the chance of catching the king, but to establish the suit. In other suits of four at least, headed by queen, lead the lowest (but see p. 106). Knave, ten, nine, $*c., lead knave, then ten. With " Jive in suit, or eight also, knave, then lowest of se- quence (compare lead from queen, knave, ten). Erom knave, ten, eight, Sfc., the smallest, except in trumps, if nine is turned up to your rigid, when lead knave. In all other strong suits headed by knave, lead the lowest (but see p. 106). In all suits of four cards, or more, without an honour, lead the lowest (but see p. 106), except with ten, nine, eight, fyc., when lead ten in trumps, the lowest in plain In the second round of your suit, if you have the winning card lead it (but see p. 94, and pp. 108-9); if you have the second and third best, generally lead the second best ; in other cases, generally the lowest, p 2 68 -WHIST. 3. LEAD THE HIGHEST OF A NUMERICALLY WEAK SUIT. When it is your fate to open a numerically weak suit, your object should be to do as little harm as possible. You cannot expect to win many tricks, so you must do all you can to assist or strengthen your partner by leading high or strengthening cards ; for, by leading the highest of a suit numerically weak, you take the best chance of keeping the strength in your partner's hand, should he happen to hold it. You will not often be driven to open a weak suit originally, as one of your suits must contain as many as four cards. But it may so turn out that your four- card suit is composed of very small cards indeed, in which case you might prefer to open a suit containing better cards, though numerically weaker. Every one can see that ace, king, queen, is a better suit to open than five, four, three, two ; but, as you descend in one scale and ascend in the other, there comes a point where the two descriptions of strength nearly or quite balance. With hands containing only a suit of four small cards say none higher than the seven or eight, and suits of three cards of higher value the choice is sometimes difficult. Also, with hands in which your only four-card suit is the trump suit, you might some- times deem it advisable to open one of the other suits, as a smaller evil than leading a trump. As a rule, when you are in doubt, stick to the general principle, and lead from your four-card suit, even though it is the trump suit. WHIST. 69 Whenever you decide on opening a suit of but three cards, choose, if possible, one in which you hold a sequence which may be of benefit to your partner, as queen, knave, ten; queen, knave, and one small one ; knave, ten, and one other, and so on, and lead the highest. If you have no sequence, lead from your strongest weak suit. Thus, two honours not in sequence, and one small one, is a better lead than ace and two small ones, or king and two small ones. These, again, should be chosen in preference to queen and two small ones. When leading from a numerically weak suit that contains ace, king, or queen, but no sequence, if you have any indication from the previous play that your partner is strong in the suit (as will be explained in Section 4), lead the highest. But having no guide as to his strength lead the lowest. You run the risk of making your partner think you have led from numerical strength ; but, on the other hand, by leading out the high card, you at once give up the command of the suit, and, unless your partner has strength in it (the chances being against this), you leave yourself at the mercy of the opponents. The case is different with numerically weak suits headed by a knave or a lower card. Of these suits you should lead the highest ; by retaining such a card as the knave you would scarcely ever be able to stop the adver- 'saries from establishing the suit, should they be strong in it ; and, by leading out the high card, you do all you can to aid your partner, should he have strength. Ace and one other, king and one other, or queen and one other, are very bad suits to 'lead from. By 70 WHIST. holding them up you and your partner stand a better chance of making tricks on the suit ; and if it should be the adversaries' suit (the chances being two to one that it is) you keep the power of obstructing it and of obtaining the lead at advanced periods of the hand. If you lead from ace, king only, lead ace, then king. It follows that when you lead a high card in the first round of a suit, and in the next drop a lower one (subject to the rules respecting leads from sequences and the lead from suits of five cards), your partner should infer that you have led from a weak suit. Thus, suppose you lead a nine, which is called an equivocal card, as it conies from both strong and weak suits. If in the second round your partner can infer that you hold a higher card, he knows you have led from strength. But if in the second round you play the eight, your partner is equally certain that your first card was the highest of your weak suit. 4. AVOID CHANGING SUITS. When you obtain the lead after one or more tricks have been played, the question arises whether or not you should open a fresh suit. If you have had the lead before, it is generally advisable to pursue your original lead, for you thus take the best chance of establishing the suit, and you open a fresh suit to a disadvantage. The fall of the cards in the previous rounds may cause you to alter your game. Thus, the previous play may have already established your suit, or may have so nearly established it as to justify you in WHIST. 71 leading trumps, as hereafter explained ; or your part- ner may have shown a very strong suit, or a strong trump hand, which may modify your game. Again, your partner may prove utterly weak in your suit; you would then often discontinue it, unless holding the winning cards or a strong sequence, because, with these exceptions, your continuing it gives the adversary the opportunity of finessing against you, and of cutting up your suit; or you may sometimes discontinue a suit if you expect it will be trumped (as will be further explained in Sections 1 31 6) ; but, failing such indications, it is best, as a rule, to pursue the original lead. If you have not had the lead before, it is in most cases advisable to open your strong suit, when you possess great strength in any suit, for you open such suit to advantage ; but with weak or only moderately strong suits, which you open to a disadvantage, you would, as a rule, do better to return your partner's original lead, or to lead up to the weak suit of your right-hand adversary, or through the strong suit of your left-hand adversary. When in doubt as to opening your own suit or returning your partner's, you should, as a general rule, be guided by your strength in trumps. With a strong trump hand play your own game ; with a weak trump hand play your partner's game. If your partner has had a lead, and you are thoroughly conversant with the system of leading developed in Sections 2 and 3, and with the Analysis of Leads (pp. 64-67), you know by the value of the 72 WHIST. card he has led whether he is strong or weak in that suit, unless he has led an equivocal card, which is led from both strong and weak suits. In this case, if you have no evidence from your own hand, or from the fall of the cards, you presume, with a good partner, that he has led from strength. But you mostly have some evidence ; for instance, if he leads a ten originally, he has led from king, queen, knave, ten; from king, knave, ten; or the highest of his suit. If you hold or either adversary plays king or knave, you know that your partner has led the highest of his suit. But, in the absence of these cards, and especially if the ten wins the first round, or falls to the ace or queen, you may conclude that your partner's lead was from strength, and you would do perfectly right to return it. When you have won the first trick in your partner's lead cheaply, you must be cautious in returning it, as the strength must be between your partner and your right-hand adversary. For example, say A, Y, B, Z, are the four players, and that they sit in this order round the table, so that A leads and Z is last player. If A leads a small card of a plain suit, Y plays a small one, and B (third player) puts on his best card, the queen, which wins the trick, it is clear that Z can have neither ace nor king ; A cannot have them both, or he would have led one, therefore Y must have one of them at least ; and, if B returns the lead, he leads up to Y's strength, and may cut up his partner's suit. By observing the card led by either adversary, you can similarly tell whether he has led from strength or WHIST. 73 weakness; so also you can judge from the card played third hand by the adversary whether he is weak, it being presumed that the third player puts on his best. It is advantageous to lead up to a weak suit, because you compel the second hand to put on a high card, or give your partner the opportunity of finessing. It is generally less advantageous to lead through a strong suit, unless you are sure that the second hand is not very strong, and that the fourth hand is weak. Otherwise, by continuing the suit, you may be establishing it for the adversary, and getting rid of the command of it from your partner's hand. In discussing leads from weak suits it was supposed, for the sake of convenience, that the leader had no indication from the play to guide him. But in practice, in by far the greater number of cases, weak suits are opened late in a hand when inference from previous play has given an insight into the strength or weakness of the several players. Thus, you commence with your strong suit; your partner fails to show any strength in it. After several other tricks are played you get the lead again, remaining with (say) king and two others of your first lead. You do not wish to take one of the guards from your king, and you do not deem it advisable to lead a card which your partner may be obliged to trump. You therefore try another suit. By this time you know, either by the adversaries' leads what their strong suits are, or by the players' discards (i.e., by the cards they throw away when not able to follow suit,) what 74 WHIST. their weak suits are, as will be explained under discarding. Guided by these indications, you make choice of a suit for your second lead in which your partner is probably strong, and under such circum- stances you would, as a rule, lead the highest of the suit of your second choosing, if numerically weak in it. When you have led a strengthening card, and it wins the trick, you can rarely do better than continue with your next highest. For example : from queen, knave, and three you lead the queen, which goes round. It hardly requires to be stated that you make the best use of your suit by continuing with the knave. When your strengthening card does not win, the course of the play is the only guide as to whether you should continue the suit. The appli- cation of the considerations advanced in this Section will generally inform you where the strong and weak suits lie, and you will act accordingly, giving your partner his strong suit, or, if he has not shown one, leading lip to the weak suit of the right-hand adversary, or through the strong suit of the left-hand adversary. It has several times been assumed that it is advantageous to have the lead at advanced periods of a hand ; we now see one principal reason why it is so. The leader knows by observation where the strong and the weak suits lie, and he will generally be able to make use of this knowledge in assisting his partner, or in obstructing his oppo- nents. WHIST. 75 The principles explained in the preceding pages apply mainly to the original lead, or to leads early in a hand. They apply also to leads generally ; but, at advanced periods of the hand, and towards its close, their application is frequently modified by inferences from the previous play, and by the state of the score. Examples of departure from the rules here laid down will be presented in the illustrative hands. In the second round of a suit 5. RETURN THE LOWEST OF A STRONG SUIT, THE HIGHEST OF A WEAK SUIT. When you return your partner's lead, the card you should choose to lead the second round depends on the mlmber of cards of the suit you have remaining. Thus, if you remain with three cards, you must have had four at first. You therefore hacl strength in the suit, and you should return the smallest of the three remaining cards, agreeably to the principle that with strength it is to your advantage to retain the command in your own hand. If you remain with two cards only, you should return the higher one, to strengthen your partner; and, similarly, if you have discarded .one of a four-suit, and are left with two only at the time you return it, you have destroyed the numerical power of your suit, and should therefore treat it as a weak suit, and return the higher card of the two remaining in your hand. The advantages of this principle are numerous. In the case that you and your partner are both numeri- cally strong, the return of the lowest prevents him 76 WHIST. from finessing in a suit which must be trumped third round. Further, if your hand is weak, 'you naturally return a suit in which you infer that your partner is strong. You then return a strengthening card to get a high card of your partner's strong suit out of his way, and you enable him to finesse if he thinks proper, and so to keep the command of his suit in his own hand. It is true that with two small cards only (say the five and the six) you do not strengthen your partner by returning the six. But there is a collateral ad- vantage in keeping to the rule even with small cards you enable a good partner to calculate how many you have left of the suit, and often where the remainder of it lies. Thus, your partner leads a small card of a suit of which you have king, three, and two. You, as third player, put on the king. If you return the suit, you return the three, and not the two, when it ought to be inferred, either that you have returned the smallest of a suit of four or more, or that you have no more of the suit left, or the two only. When your two comes down in the third round it ought to be certain that you have no more. If your partner has confidence in you, he can often calculate what you have left before the third round is played; thus, in the above instance, your partner, not having the two himself, and seeing that it does not drop from the adversaries, concludes, with tolerable certainty, that you remain, after the second round, with the two and no more. There are two exceptions to the rule of play above stated: 1. When you hold the winning card you WHIST. 77 return it, whatever number of cards you hold, lest it should be trumped the third round, or, your partner, imagining it to be against him, should finesse; and 2. When you hold the second and third best, in plain suits, you return the highest. Thus, suppose you have queen, knave, ten:, and one small one of a suit of which your partner leads a small one, you (third hand) put on the ten, which is won by (say) the ace. If you afterwards return the suit, you should return the queen, for you not only force out the king, if against you, but you also do not block your partner's suit, should he have led from great numerical strength, say five cards to the nine, an advantage which you lose by returning the small one. It should also be observed that, occasionally, when you return your adversary's strong lead, you do not lead the higher of two remaining cards, especially if you hold the second best guarded. For example, you are A ; Y is your left-hand adversary. Y has led a king, which was won by the ace, leaving Y with the queen and others. You remain with knave and one small one. If you are driven to return this suit, you should return the small one. The queen will probably be put on second hand, and you will remain with the best. 78 WHIST. THE SECOND HAND. In the first round of a suit, you should generally, 6. PLAY YOUR LOWEST CARD SECOND HAND. You presume that the first hand has led from strength, and, if you have a high card in his suit, you lie over him when it is led again ; whereas, if you play your high card second hand, you get rid of a commanding card of the adversary's suit, and, when it is returned, the original leader finesses against you. Besides this, the third player will put on. his highest card, and, if it is better than yours, you have wasted power to no purpose. If, however, you have a sequence of high cards, you should put on one of the sequence second hand, for, if you pass the trick altogether, the third hand may win with a very low card, or, with his low card, may force a high one from your partner. The chief objection to playing an unsupported high card does not apply, as the leader cannot successfully finesse against you in the next round. With a moderate sequence, such as queen; knave knave, ten ten, nine you play the lowest of the sequence if you are numerically weak; but, with WHIST. 79 more than three cards of the suit, you pass a small card led, agreeably to the principle already dis- cussed that in weak suits you play to strengthen your partner, but in strong ones you leave him to help you. For instance : the leader (A) has king, "ten, nine, eight, seven of a suit; the second player (Y) has queen, knave, and one small one ; the fourth player (Z) has ace and two Small ones. A leads a small card ; Y should play the knave ; if he does not, the card led forces Z's ace. It is true that this happens also if Y passes with queen, knave, and two small ones ; but Y, in this case, has a guard to his queen and knave, and is left with the two winning cards after the second round of the suit. With a sequence lower than ten, nine, the advantage of playing one of the sequence is very small, and there is some fear of its being taken to indicate a desire for a trump lead as will be explained in Section 13. 7. PLAY THE LOWEST OF A SEQUENCE. When you do not head a trick, you throw away your lowest card to economise your strength. Thus, with queen and two small ones, you would not throw the queen to king led. It is an error to suppose that it is of no consequence which card you play when you hold only small cards or cards in sequence. It is not of much consequence as regards merely the chance of making tricks ; but it is of great importance in afford- ing information to partner 80 WHIST. Thus, suppose the players to be as before, A, T, B, Z. A leads the three of a suit, Y plays the five, B the four. It ought to be certain that B has no more of the suit, it being presumed that he, not being able to head the trick, throws away his smallest. If he afterwards plays the two, and it turns out that he previously played the four through carelessness, his partner loses confidence, and gives up all hopes of drawing correct inferences from his play. The principle applies equally to cards in sequence. Thus, say knave is led, and you (second hand) hold ace and king ; if you put on the king, your partner gains the very important information that you have the ace also. For knave is not led from ace, knave, &c. (see Analysis of Leads, p. 65), so the leader cannot have the ace ; the third hand cannot have it, or he would win the king ; and the fourth, not having it himself, infers that you have it. If you put on the ace, not only could he not tell that you have the king, but would assume that it lay with the adversary. The principle, though stated for the sake of convenience in respect of the second hand, applies to the third and fourth hands also. (For a fuller examination of this point see Section 12.) WHIST. 81 ANALYSIS OF PLAY OF SECOND HAND IN DETAIL (See Note on Analysis of Leads, p. 64.) Ace, king, Sfc., put on king : in trumps it is often right to leave the chance of the first trick to partner. With queen also, you are so strong that you should not pass the trick even in trumps. Ace, king, knave, play king. If the second round comes from the original leader, you will then know whether his lead was from strength or weakness, and will finesse or not accordingly. Ace, queen, knave, play knave : with ten also, or others belonging to the sequence, the lowest of it. If, in trumps, king is turned up to your left, of course ace should be put on ; obvious alterations on account of the trump card will not be mentioned in future. Ace, queen, ten, put on queen, as you thus make cer- tain of two tricks, unless you are led through twice, and both king and knave lie over you. In trumps, the ten. Also, if strong enough in trumps to lead them, it is sometimes advisable to put on ten in plain suits. With ace, queen, and small ones, the smallest, unless knave is led by a good player, when put on ace ; it is useless to cover knave with queen, as the leader cannot have king (see Analysis of Leads). This requires modification towards the close of a hand, for then the G 82 WHIST. leader might have the king. With ace, queen, and three or more small ones, put on queen if weak in trumps, a small one if strong. Ace, knave, ten, and one or more small ones, play the smallest ; in trumps, the ten. Eor from king, queen, &c., in trumps, a small one is generally led ; but, in plain suits, the king is led. If, then, in a plain suit, a small one is led, either king or queen must be in the third or fourth hand, and no good is got by covering. With ace, knave, and one or more small ones, it is useless to put on the knave, second hand, in any suit. With ace and four small ones generally pass the first trick, unless the game is in a critical state, and you are weak in trumps ; if you suspect a single card lead, it is often right to put on ace. King, queen, and others, play queen. In trumps, the smallest, unless you have ten also, or only three in suit. King, knave, ten, fy*c., the lowest of the knave, ten sequence. With queen, knave, fyc. knave, ten, fyc. ten, nine, $c. play as directed at pp. 78, 79. If a small card is led, and you hold an honour and one small card, pass the trick, as a rule ; for, by put- ting on the honour, you expose your weakness, and enable the original leader to finesse in the second round. The principal general exception to playing a small card, second hand, with an honour and one small card is when the circumstances of a hand cause you to seize any chance of getting the lead as, WHIST. 83 when you want to stop a lead of trumps, or want to lead trumps yourself it is then often right, with ace, or king, or queen, and one small card, to put on the honour second hand. Also, if nine is led, and you hold king and another, put on the king, as the leader must have the ace nine being only led from ace, queen, ten, nine, or from ace, knave, ten, nine. The same if eight is led, and you hold king, nine. In trumps, if king or queen is turned up, and it is only singly guarded (i.e., if you have only one other trump), it is generally best to put on the turn-up second hand. If you hold king, or queen singly guarded, and a superior honour is turned up to your right, you gain an advantage by putting on your king or queen ; if the superior honour is turned up to your left, the reverse. With queen and another, your partner having turned up ace or king, put on the small one second hand. If a ten is led, and you hold queen and one other, cover with the queen. With queen and two others, pass the ten. If a ten is led, and you hold knave and one or more small ones, you should play a small one. If an honour is led, and you have a higher honour and numerical weakness, cover it. With one honour and numerical strength, you pass an honour led, except you have the ace, when put it on. Some players pass king led if they hold ace, knave, &c., or pass queen led if they hold ace, ten, &c., or king, ten, and one small card; but it is generally better to cover. When you have a fourchette, cover of course ; thus, if knave is led, and you have queen, ten, &c., put on the queen. G 2 84 WHIST. In the second round of a suit, if you have the winning card, you should in plain suits generally put it on second hand ; but in trumps there are many cases in which you should not, especially if you have numerical strength in trumps, and a good hand besides. Your winning trump must make, and, by passing the second round, you perhaps enable your partner to win with a third best trump or even a smaller one yourself retaining the command. If, when led through in the second round of a suit, you conclude from the previous fall of the cards that the second best card is to your right, it is sometimes advisable to put on the third best. You thus save your partner's hand if he holds the best. For instance : if knave is led in the first round, and your partner (then second player) puts on king, which wins the trick, it is clear (if the ten is your best) that your partner has the ace, for the third player could not win the king, and the leader could not have led from ace, knave. If your right-hand adversary afterwards re- turns the suit through you, you should put on the ten, in order to save your partner's ace. WHIST. 85 THE THIRD HAND. Ill the first round of a suit, you should generally 8. PLAY YOUR HIGHEST CARD THIRD HAND, in order to strengthen your partner. You presume that he leads from his strong suit, and wants to get the winning cards of it out of his way ; you, therefore, do not finesse, but play your highest, remembering that you play the lowest of a sequence. With ace, queen (and, of course, ace, queen, knave, Sec., in sequence) you do finesse, for. in this case, the finesse cannot be left to your partner. In trumps you may finesse ace, knave, if an honour is turned up to your right. Some players finesse knave with king, knave, &c. ; but it is contrary to principle to finesse in your partner's strong suit. If your partner leads a high card originally, you assume it is led from one of the combinations given in the Analysis of Leads (pp. 64-67), and your play third hand must be guided by a consideration of the combination led from. With ace, you pass queen led ; you are then in much the same position as though a small card were led, and you finessed with ace, queen. Knave may be led originally, from king, queen, knave, &c., or from knave, ten, nine, &c. In either case, if you hold ace with one small card, you should play the ace, in plain suits ; but in trumps, or in any suit with more than one small card, you should pass (see p. 91). If your only honour is the king, you 86 WHIST. should pass knave led. For, the second hand having passed, you assume ace to be to your left (p. 83). Should the queen be there also, you waste the king by covering ; and if queen is to your right, the knave forces the ace. Ten may be led originally from king, queen, knave, ten, or from king, knave, ten, &c. If you hold ace, you should put it on; but if you hold queen, you should pass. Holding both ace and queen, your play depends on whether you wish to obtain the lead on the first round of the suit. If your partner opens a suit, late in a hand, with a high card, your play, third hand, will depend on your judgment of the character of the lead. If it is probable that your partner has led from a weak suit, you will often be right to finesse king, knave, &c., or to pass his card altogether, so as not to give up the entire command of the suit. Thus, if ten is led and you hold ace, knave, &c., it is clear that the card led is the highest your partner holds in the suit. You therefore pass, and un- less both king and queen are to your left, you remain with the tenace. Similar remarks apply to a forced lead of knave, when you hold ace, ten, &c. If you have con- siderable strength in a suit in which a strengthening card is led, you must be guided by your strength in trumps. Thus, your partner leads knave from a weak suit, and you hold ace, king, and small ones. You may, as a rule, pass the knave if you are strong in trumps, but not if weak. In the second round of a suit, if you (third player) hold the best and third best cards, and you have no WHIST. 87 indication as to the position of the intermediate card, your play should again depend on your strength in trumps. If weak in trumps, secure the trick at once ; if strong in trumps, and especially if strong enough to lead a trump (see Management of Trumps, pp. 110-15), should the finesse succeed, it is generally right to make it. If you hold second and fourth best, you may nearly always finesse ; for you conclude that the winning card is over you in the fourth hand, since your partner has not led it, and the second player has not put it on. If the third best lies over you also, you cannot prevent the tenace from making, and your only chance, therefore, is to finesse. Thus, if you lead a small card from queen, ten, and two small ones, your partner wins the first trick with the king, and returns a small one. The ace is certainly to your left ; you therefore finesse the ten, for if your left-hand adversary holds ace and knave he must make them both; but, otherwise, your ten forces the ace, and you are left with the best. In trumps, the winning card is often held up by the adversary, but you must submit to this contingency, and generally finesse. It is of no use to finesse against your right-hand adversary in a suit in which he has shown weakness. For instance, if the second hand has none of the suit led, and does not trump it, you (third hand) should not finesse a major tenace (i.e., the best and third best cards). This often occurs in the second or third round of a suit ; also, if your partner (third player) has won a trick very cheaply, and the suit is returned, it is rarely of any use to finesse if you have the winning card. 88 WHIST. Iii some few positions, however, it is necessary to finesse, even if the second player holds nothing. Thus, your partner leads a knave, and the second hand re- nounces (i.e., does not follow suit) ; if you (third player) hold king, it is useless to cover, as ace, queen in the fourth hand must make. Again, you have king, and two small trumps ; your partner leads a small one ; the second hand renounces. If you want one trick to win or save the game, you (third player) play a small trump, when the fourth player will be obliged to lead up to your king guarded. The state of the game and of the score will often direct as to a finesse late in a hand. Thus, if you hold a winning card, and want one trick to save or win the game, of course you should not run any risk. A finesse against even one card is generally wrong, if, by playing otherwise, you prevent the adversary from scoring three or five. A finesse is almost always bad, if by not finessing you insure the odd trick, as that makes a difference of two to the score. In the opposite case, a finesse is generally right (sometimes even against more than one card), if its success gives you the odd trick, or puts you at the score of three or five. The considerations as to finessing and the course of play generally, that come in as the hand proceeds, are so complicated, and depend so much on inferences from previous play, and on the state of the score, that one can scarcely do more than to state a few broad rules, and to add some examples. Illustrations of the conduct of the hand at advanced periods will be found in Sec- tions 17 and 18 (pp. 125-147), and more in the hands. WHIST. 89 THE FOURTH HAND. The fourth player having, with a few exceptions, merely to win the trick, if against him, his play involves no further development of general principles. The exceptional cases, where the fourth hand should not win the trick though he can, or should win his partner's trick in order to get the lead, depend so much on the previous fall of the cards, that they can best be illustrated in the hands. THE COMMAND OF SUITS. In the foregoing chapters it has been incidentally stated that you should 9. KEEP THE COMMAND OF YOUR ADVERSARY'S SUIT: AND 10. GET RID OF THE COMMAND OF YOUR PARTNER'S SUIT. The reasons will be obvious to those who are familiar with the principles in the previous pages ; in the first case, you obstruct the adversaries' suits, and prevent their establishing them ; in the second case, you assist in clearing the suit for your partner. 90 WHIST. Thus, with ace and queen only of a suit led by your partner, if you win with the queen, play out the ace at once ; but, if the suit is led by your adversary, keep the ace in your hand. If you play out the winning card of the opponent's suit in hopes of trumping the next round, which is often done by those who play a trumping game, you do just what the adversaries want; for the lead of the ace gives them valuable assistance towards bringing in their suit when trumps are out. Though the advantage of getting rid of the command of a suit, of which your partner has declared numerical strength, is recognised theoretically, the application of the principle is much neglected in practice. In order to get rid, at the proper moment, of the command of your partner's suit, a thorough knowledge of the Analysis of Leads is requisite, as the following examples will show: 1. Your partner leads ace, originally, of a plain suit. He has led from ace, queen, knave, See., or from a suit of five cards at least. You have four of the suit, say ten, nine, eight, two. To his ace, you should play the eight, not the two. All follow suit, and your partner continues with knave, or with a small card. You now know for certain that he led from five at least. You should play the nine, even if the second hand puts on a winning card or a trump. When the suit is led again, you should play the ten. Your partner is left with two small cards, and you do not block his suit ; if you had played two, eight, nine, it is very probable that you would keep the command of the suit with the ten. 2. If instead of ten, nine, WHIST. 91 eight, two, you hold ten, nine, three, two, and your partner leads ace and a small one, you should play the two to the ace, and the nine to the second round, as you should not begin to get out of your partner's way till the necessity arises. 3. If your partner continues with the queen, and you had played the eight as in example 1, you would still play the nine, though he held only four of the suit. The two might be mis- understood to be a call for trumps (see p. 116), and you and your partner still retain the winning cards of the suit between you. 4. Suppose you have king, queen, and two small cards of a plain suit of which your partner leads ace and a small one. To the second round you should play the queen, and to the third round the king. 5. If your partner leads a penul- timate card (see p. 106), you should proceed as in examples 2 and 4. You cannot tell whether the card led is a penultimate, until after the first round, so you cannot proceed as in example 1. In the case of a penultimate lead you are more frequently directed in the third round of a suit. Thus you have knave, four, three, two. In two rounds the ace, king, queen come out. In the third round, the fact of the penulti- mate lead is developed. You, of course, throw away the knave. 6. Your partner leads knave of a plain suit originally. He has led from king, queen, knave, and at least two small cards, or from knave, ten, nine, &c. The second hand plays a small card. You (third hand) have ace, &c. Whether you should put on ace or not depends on the number of small cards you hold. Having only one small card you should 92 WHIST. play tlie ace, so that you may not block the suit, in case the lead was from king, queen, knave, and at least two small ones. Having more than one small card, you pass the knave. Suppose the knave wins the trick, and your partner continues with the queen. If you now remain with ace and one small card, you should put on the ace ; but, if you have ace and two small cards left, you should again pass the trick, as you still have the power of getting rid of the command on the third round. 7. To continue the previous example. Say the two rounds of your partner's suit have resulted in the fall of seven cards of it, and that you still have ace and a small one left. Your adversary now leads the suit a third time, that his partner may trump it. You should play the ace, keeping the small card of the suit of which your partner will still hold king and a small one. 8. From ace, queen, and two small cards, you lead the smallest; the second hand renounces; your partner plays the nine; the fourth hand wins with the king, which shows that he has neither ten nor knave. If the fourth hand returns the suit, you (then second player) should play the queen, and not the small one, for your partner must have, at least, ten and knave, and, if he originally had five of the suit, you get out of his way. 9. Your hand contains four cards, viz., ace and one small spade (spades not having been led), and two losing diamonds; your partner has nothing but spades, of which he leads the king. If you pass it you cannot make more than two tricks, for the winning diamonds are against you in one hand ; but, if you win your partner's king, and WHIST. 93 return the small one, and your partner lias led from king, queen, you still win two tricks, and get a cliance of making three or four. A collateral advantage of playing as advised, is that a good partner will often know how many of his suit you still have in hand. Thus, he leads knave, which you pass; he continues with queen, which you win. It ought to be a certainty that you remain with one small card of his suit and no more. If you pass again, it should be equally certain, when your ace comes down in the third round, that you have one small card of the suit in hand. Again : your partner leads ace and knave ; knave is won by the adversary with the king. You, holding ten, nine, eight, deuce, have played eight and nine of the suit. If the winner of the trick does not lead a trump, your partner would infer, with toler- able certainty, that you remain with the deuce and ten of his suit, as no one is asking for trumps (see p. 116) and no one has played the deuce in two rounds. In trumps, the case is somewhat different, as you cannot block your partner's trump suit. It is then only advisable to get out of his way, if you see from the fall of the cards that it is essential he should proceed with trumps. Thus : with ace and one small trump you would not put ace on his knave led, unless very desirous of three rounds of trumps immediately. Moreover, in trumps, your partner can count your hand in another way ; for with four trumps you would echo, as will be fully explained under Management of Trumps (p. 119). You help your partner to get rid of the command of your suit by leading the lowest of a sequence, 94 WHIST. notwithstanding that it heads your suit, when you want him to win your card if he can. For this reason you lead ten from king, queen, knave, ten ; ace, knave from ace, queen, knave, and at least two small cards ; and so on. In this last case, if your partner has king, whether he should put it on your knave, or not, depends on how many small cards of the suit he holds. If, when you lead knave, he remains with king and one small one, he should win the knave with the king ; but if he has king and two small ones remaining, he should pass the knave, for precisely the same reasons as those given in the previous examples. Again, suppose you are left with knave, ten, and others of a suit, of which your partner can only have king and another (ace and queen being out), though it is un- certain whether he does hold the king. You would cause him to get rid of the king by leading the ten ; whereas, if you led the knave, he probably would not part with the king. Experienced players frequently endeavour to steal a trick, or to obtain the entire command of a suit (i.e., to keep a sufficient number of winning or commanding cards in it to make every trick), by underplaying. Underplay is keeping up the winning card, generally in the second round of a suit, by leading a low card, though holding the best. Thus, suppose a small trump is led, and you (fourth player) hold ace, knave, and two small ones, and you win with one of the small ones. If, at a later period of the hand, you return a small trump, you will very likely cause your left-hand adversary to believe that WHIST. 95 your partner lias the ace ; consequently, if your left- hand adversary has the king, he may not put it on; your partner will win the second round with the queen, and you will retain the command of the trump suit. Underplay is an extempore stratagem depending on observation of the previous fall of the cards, and, therefore, best capable of explanation by examples. Thus : A, finding his partner strong in trumps, leads the seven. The king is put on by Y (second hand), which B (third hand) wins, holding ace, queen, ten, nine, eight. It is evident to B that A's seven was his highest trump, as the only higher one in is the knave, and A would never lead the seven from knave, seven. The king having been put on second hand, B concludes that Y, in all probability, holds at most one small trump more. The knave is, to a moral certainty, in Z's hand. B, by leading the eight in the second round, will probably win the trick, and unless Z had . four trumps originally, will catch the knave with the queen in the third round. (Further examples of under- play occur in the hands.) Players should be on their guard against this manoeuvre, particularly when second hand, in the second round of a suit, they hold the second best card guarded, and the adversary has been playing a strong game (as by leading trumps), and is left with the long trump, or is certain to be able to obtain the lead again. Then it is often right for the second hand to stick on a singly-guarded second best card, especially if that is the only chance of making it. In the case stated in the previous paragraph, Z's only 96 WHIST. chance of making the knave, if singly guarded, is to put it on second hand. Eor, if the queen with small ones is in A's hand, A is sure to finesse on the return of the suit by his partner. Again, take this case : A leads the six of diamonds ; Y, with knave, ten, and a small one, puts on the ten ; B plays the king, and Z wins it with the ace. Presently, A obtains the lead again, and leads the eight of diamonds. A, having led the lowest of his suit in the first round, it may be inferred that he has led from a strong suit headed in this case by the queen and that he is underplaying with, probably, queen and nine in his hand. Y should observe this, and in the second round should win the eight with the knave. Refusing to play the winning card in the first and second rounds of a suit commonly called holding up is, in fact, a species of underplay. For example : 1. Trumps are led by the player to your left; the third player wins with the ace, and returns the suit through your hand. If you are left with king and one or more small ones, you should play a small one, unless the circumstances of the hand are such that you deem it advantageous to stop the trump lead. The original trump leader, not knowing but that the king is in your partner's hand, will probably finesse, and your partner thus has a chance of making the third best trump, even though unguarded. If your partner has neither second nor third best trump, no harm is done, as you will then probably make but one trick in the suit, however you play. 2. Again, ten tricks are played, and each player is left with WHIST. 97 three cards of a suit not opened. If the second player puts on the queen (from which it may be inferred that he holds the king also), the third hand should not cover with the ace. For, by winning the trick, he must lead up to king guarded; but, by passing it, he leaves the lead with the second player, and takes the best chance of making two tricks. 3. One more example will suffice : A has the last trump, and ace, ten, and three small cards of a suit not led. The adversary now leads the king, and follows with the queen of that suit. A should pass them both ; by so doing he will probably make three tricks in the suit if the cards are equally divided. DISCARDING. When you cannot follow suit, you should II. DISCARD FROM YOUR WEAKEST SUIT. You weaken a suit by discarding from it, and lessen the number of long cards you might otherwise estab- lish and bring in (i.e., make tricks with if trumps are out, and you obtain the lead after the establishment of your suit). On the other hand, you do but little harm by throwing from a suit in which you are already weak. Jour partner should understand that your first or* original discard is from your weakest suit, just as H 08 WHIST. he understands that your original lead is from your strongest suit. But, as in the case of leads, you are sometimes obliged to lead from a weak suit, or to make a forced lead, so sometimes you have to make a forced discard. Forced discards require much more careful consider- ation than they generally receive. It is clear that if the opponents declare great strength in trumps (by leading trumps or asking for them, as will be fully explained in Section 13), that your chance of bringing in a suit is practically nil. You should therefore, in such cases, abandon the tactics you would otherwise adopt, and play to guard your weaker suits, by discarding from your best pro- tected suit, which is generally your longest suit. You must, in fact, play a defensive game. If this system of discarding is comprehended by the two players who are partners, it follows, as a matter of course, that when trumps are not declared against you, your partner will assume you are weak in the suit you first discard; but, when trumps are declared against you, he will give you credit for strength m the suit from which you originally throic away. This is most im- portant, as it affects his subsequent leads. In the first case, he will refrain from leading the suit from which you have discarded; in the. second, he will, unless he has a very strong suit of his own, select for his lead the suit in which you have shown strength by your discard. It is commonly said, " Discard from your strong suit when the adversary leads or calls for trumps." But WHIST. 99 this is a very imperfect and misleading aphorism. If you have no indications from the play, and are obliged to discard to an adverse trump lead or call, you should discard from your best protected suit. But, if you have, or if the fall of the cards shows that your partner has, sufficient strength in trumps to outlast the adversary, the discard should be from the weak suit. Thus : Y, second player, calls for trumps (see p. 116), and B, third player, also calls. The discards of A and Z should be from their weak suits. Eor though, on the one hand, great strength in trumps is declared against them, on the other hand great strength is also' declared with them. Again: Z deals and turns up nine of clubs. A (the original leader) leads a small club ; Y follows suit ; B puts on ace; Z plays king. This shows that Z has a sequence ^of queen, knave, ten, nine of trumps ; and therefore that, though A has led a trump, he has anything but the command of the suit. B returns the trump ; Z wins; Y has no more trumps. His discard should be from his weakest suit. The following % case is less easy : The adversary (A) leads a tierce major in trumps, eleven trumps come out, and your partner (Y) m'ust have knave of trumps to save the game. You now credit your partner with the command of trumps, though the adversary has led them; and if either you (Y) or your partner (Z) has to discard, the discard should be from the weakest suit (see Hand XII.) Similar remarks apply if a strengthening trump is led by an adversary from weak trumps and good cards in plain suits. H 2 100 WHIST. It must be borne in mind that it is only your original discard which is directive. Having once dis- carded, you cannot undo your work by any number of discards from another suit. Also, having once led a suit, you have declared strength in it; and subse- quent discards from that suit do not alter the fact that it was originally your strongest suit. It is dangerous to unguard an honour, or to blank an ace ; and, also, to discard a single card when the game is in an undeveloped stage, as it exposes your weakness almost as soon as the suit is led. But, when you see that there is a probability of strength in trumps on your side, direct your partner to your strong suit by all ' the means in your power, and unhesitatingly unguard an honour, or throw a single card. Of course, if strength in trumps is against you, these are the very last cards you should think of throwing away. When your left-hand adversary will have the lead next round, if you discard from a suit in which you hold a tenace, you may possibly induce him to lead that suit up to you. You must be on your guard against this ruse, and not necessarily lead up to the discard of your right-hand opponent. The same principle applies to trumping as to dis- carding. The weaker you are in trumps, the better it is for you to make a little one by trumping, as will be further explained in Section 14. WHIST. 101 THE CONVERSATION -OF- THE' -GAME, 12. AFFORD INFORMATION; BY. ."/YOUR ?psX. It lias several times been assumed in the preceding pages that you should convey information by your play. The question naturally arises, How is it that a player gains any advantage by publishing information to the table ? It is often argued, and with much show of reason, that as almost every revelation concerning your hand must be given to the whole table, and that as you have two adversaries and only one partner, you publish information at a disadvantage. No doubt this argument would have considerable force if you were compelled to expose the whole of your hand. But you possess the power, to a great extent, of selecting what facts shall be announced and what concealed. Experienced players are unanimous in admitting that it is an advantage to inform your partner of strength in your own suits, though some advise con- cealment of strength in suits in which the adversaries have shown strength. Thus, with ace, king, second hand, the usual play is to put on the king. The third hand does not win the king, and, hence the leader is able to infer that the ace of his strong suit is against him. But, if you put on the ace second hand, you prevent the leader from discovering where the king of his suit lies. It is, however, found that two honours in the adversary's suit constitute sufficient strength to 102 WHIST. make it advantageous in the long run to proclaim your force ; while, with less strength, it is not easy to mystify the opponents prejudicially ; so that, on the whole, it seldom happeps. tliat a balance of gain results from the adoption of .deceptive pl.iy. OccasicnnUy, Jiow^r, a .false ,card may be played with a special object. For instance : ace is turned up to your right, and, when the dealer gets in, he leads a small trump. If you, second hand, have king, queen only, you would be justified in playing the king, in hopes of inducing the trump leader to finesse on the return of the suit. Or, take this case : knave of a plain suit is led ; you (second hand) have tierce major and small cards of that suit, and are very strong in trumps. You would be justified in playing ace on the knave led ; as, if you play queen, both the leader and his partner know that ace, king of the suit are against them, and they will not lead it again. You then proceed to draw the trumps, and, in doing so, lose the lead. The adversary is very likely, now, to continue the suit of which you held tierce major, and so to play your game ; but if he knows the command of that suit to be against him, he will probably alter his tactics and open a suit in which he has reason to believe that you or your partner are weak, or that his partner is strong. It is in most cases unquestionably disadvantageous to you that the whole table should be aware of your being very weak in a particular suit, and, consequently, information of weakness should be withheld as long as possible. If you are led up to fourth hand in such a WHIST. 103 suit, or if your partner opens the suit with a small card, of course the disclosure is inevitable; but until one of these events happens your poverty can generally be kept out of sight. It may happen that you are occasionally forced to lead a weak suit yourself; and in this event the least disadvantage, on the whole, is to tell the truth at once, by first leading the highest of it. Your partner apprised of the state of your hand, by the fall of your smaller card in the subse- quent round, will probably deem it prudent to strive by defensive tactics to avert total defeat in that suit, rather than to contend single-handed against the combined strength of the opponents. But, at criti- cal points of the game, it is often right to conceal weakness. Thus, towards the end of a hand, it is necessary that your partner should make a couple of tricks in an unopened suit, of which you hold two or three little cards. You should lead the lowest. If you lead the highest, the adversaries will suspect your weakness at once, and will be sure of it on the second round. Their efforts will then be directed to pre- venting your partner from making the required tricks in that suit. Your left-hand adversary will not finesse; and if your partner is led through, your right-hand adversary merely covers, or plays the lowest card he has, higher than the one you first led. When your partner has exhibited weakness in one or more suits, you would frequently be justified in playing a false card. You are driven to rely solely on yourself, and are entitled to adopt every artifice your ingenuity can suggest in order to perplex the other 104 WHIST. side. The consideration that you may mislead your partner will no longer influence you, as you know him to be powerless for good or for evil. You inform your partner by following the recognised practice of the game, as by leading from your strong suit originally, by leading the highest of a sequence, by fol- lowing suit with the lowest of a sequence, and so forth. If you adhere to this you will soon acquire a reputation for playing a straightforward intelligible game ; and this character alone will counterbalance the disadvan- tage which will sometimes attach to the fact that you have enabled the adversaries to read your hand. If your partner knows that you play at random and without method, he will be in a state of constant un- certainty ; and you almost preclude him from executing any of the finer strokes of play, the opportunities for which generally arise from being able to infer witli cenfidence the position of particular cards. The ex- treme case of two skilled players against two unskilled ones amounts almost to this, that towards the close of a hand the former have the same advantage as though they had seen each other's cards, while the latter have not. It follows that when you are unfortunately tied to an untaught partner, especially if at the same time you are pitted against observant adversaries, you should expose your hand as little as possible, particularly in respect of minor details. It will become apparent, on consideration, that the question of the advisability of affording information is more or less intimately connected with every card that WHIST. 105r is played. It is, therefore, of extreme importance to ascertain whether the practice is advantageous or the reverse. The arguments just adduced are doubtless in favour of the practice of affording information by the play; bnt it must be admitted that by far the strongest authority for it is that experienced players, by their settled opinions, reject the opposite course. The instructed player frequently selects one card in preference to another with the sole object of affording information. When the principle is carried thus far, the play becomes purely conventional. For example : you naturally win a trick as cheaply as possible ; if, fourth hand, you could win with a ten, you would not was);e an ace. But suppose you hold knave and ten, which card should then be played ? The knave and ten in one hand are of equal value, and therefore to win with the knave would be no unnecessary sacrifice of strength. Nevertheless, you extend to such cases the rule of winning as cheaply as possible, and you play the ten for the mere purpose of conveying infor- mation. This is a simple instance of pure convention. Again : the system of returning the higher of two losing cards (see p. 76) when they are both small cards, is purely conventional. To take another case : after two rounds of your four-card suit, you are left with two losing cards, say the six and the seven, and you, having the lead, are about to continue the suit ; you should lead the six, not the seven, in accordance with the rule that you lead the lowest card of a suit, except with commanding strength. This being the convention, if you lead the seven, your partner will 106 WHIST. infer that you cannot hold the six, and will suppose that you led from a three-card suit, in consequence of exceptional circumstances ; if he is a good player he will miscount all the hands, probably to your mutual discomfiture. Whist conventions, it will be observed, are in accordance with, and are suggested by, principle. Indeed, all the established conventions of the game are so chosen as to harmonise with play that would naturally be adopted independently of convention. The aggregation of the recognised rules of play, including the established conventions, constitute what in practice is called the Conversation of the Game of Whist. It must not be overlooked that unsound players often deceive unintentionally, and all players sometimes with intention. It is, therefore, necessary to be on your guard against drawing inferences too rigidly. There are some ways of conveying information vHrich have not been explained. The most important of these is the penultimate lead from suits of five or more cards. For the sake of convenience, it has been hitherto assumed that the lowest card of a strong suit is led originally, except the suit contains five cards to the ace, or king, knave, ten, c,, or is headed by a strong sequence. But if the suit contains an interme- diate sequence of three cards (say, for example, queen, ten, nine, eight, four), the most advantageous card to lead is the eight. If it turns out that your partner is very weak in the suit, your eight must force an honour. If your four is afterwards played, your partner, knowing you to lead originally from your WHIST. 107 strongest suit, at once gives you credit for having led from a suit of at least five cards, of which three, all higher than the eight, still remain in your hand. The information thus obtained has been found in practice to be so valuable, that the rule of leading the lowest but one has been extended to all original leads from suits of five cards or more, whether containing an intermediate sequence or not. It follows that if a player leads originally the lowest card of his suit, he has led from a suit of four cards exactly; if he leads ihe lowest but one, he has opened a suit of at least five cards. Care must be taken with leads late in a hand, not to confuse a penultimate lead with a forced lead of the highest card of a weak suit. Hence the rule is stated as for the original lead of each player. Also it may be, that the leader, with very strong cards in all plain suits, may lead a strengthening trump to start with. The uncertainty of the real character of the lead, in this case, is no doubt unfavourable ; but the advantage of being able frequently to give information of great nu- merical strength far outweighs this occasional danger. Information as to the number of trumps you hold can be similarly communicated by trumping with the lowest but one, and then leading the lowest. Thus, you have ace, queen, eight, six, three of trumps, and are forced. You trump with the six, and lead the three, when your partner knows that you hold at least three more trumps. If you trump with the lowest but one, and do not lead trumps, and afterwards trump with the lowest, this only signifies that you had at 108 WHIST. least five trumps originally, and does not constitute an ask for trumps (see p. 116). Some players have endeavoured to extend the rule to six card suits, by leading the ante-penultimate. No doubt from such a suit as -queen, ten, nine, eight, three, two. the eight is the best card to lead quoad trick-making. But the advantage of leading the ante- penultimate, except where it is the lowest of an inter- mediate sequence, is inconsiderable. For an illustration, see Hand VIE. You niay also convey information in various other ways. For example, as long as you keep the turn-up card in hand, your partner knows where it is ; so, having turned up a nine and holding the ten, trump with the ten in preference. This rule, however, is liable to exceptions. With very small trumps, of equal value, trumping with the higher card may be mistaken for an exhibition of four or five trumps ; also, if you are weak in trumps, and the adversaries have shown strength in them, it is not advisable to keep the turn-up card ; for, if the adversaries know you have it in your hand, they will draw it, whereas, if you play it, they may be uncertain as to your holding another. Again, by leading ace before king (not having been forced), you show that you are numerically weak in the suit, and that you have no more of it. By leading the lowest of a head sequence of winning trumps you convey information ; thus, you lead a small trump, partner plays queen, won with king: You remain with ace, knave, ten. On obtaining the lead, you continue with the ten, WHIST. 109 and, when it wins, you have shown two by honours (unless ace is held up, which is unlikely). If you continue with ace, as in plain suits, your partner can tell nothing about the knave and ten. You may pursue the same method in plain suits when your partner has no more trumps, and with any head sequence when you want him to win it, or are sure he cannot, and also when the fourth hand has already renounced in the suit led. For instance, you have queen, knave, ten, and a small trump, and your partner turns up the nine ; you lead the small one, and your partner's nine forces the king. It is now clear that your partner has not the ace, as he would never finesse ace, nine. If you next lead the ten, and it forces the ace from the second hand, your partner is informed that you hold queen and knave, which he could not have told if you ha4 continued with the queen. If you have the complete command of a suit, you can publish the fact by discarding the highest of it ; the presumption being that you would never throw away a, winning card with a losing one in your hand. If you discard a second-best card, you ought to have no more of the suit, for with the best also you would discard that, and with a smaller one you would discard that. By winning with the highest, and returning the lowest of a sequence (more especially fourth hand), you show that you have the intermediate cards. Thus, with ace, king, queen, fourth hand, if you desire to continue the suit, and at the same time to show that you still remain with the winning card, you would win with the ace and return with the queen. 110 WHIST. TRUMPS. THE MANAGEMENT OF TRUMPS. The Management of Trumps is, perhaps, the most difficult of the problems presented to the Whist- player. Before discussing the special uses of trumps, it may be observed that in some few hands trumps are led like plain suits, because they are your strongest suit, and you prefer leading them to opening a weak suit. The principles already discussed, which guide us to the most favourable chances for making tricks in a suit, apply to trumps equally with other suits. The privilege, however, enjoyed by the trump suit of winning every other, causes some modifications of detail (noticed at pp. 64-67, and at pp. 81-84) ; for, since the winning trumps must make tricks, you play a more backward game in the trump suit. Thus, with ace, king, and small trumps, you lead a small one, by which you obtain an increased chance of making tricks in the suit, and you keep the command of it, and must have the lead after the third round, the advantage of which will be presently explained. Even if your partner is so weak in trumps that the oppo- nent wins the first trick, very cheaply, but little (if any) harm accrues ; for the opponent then has to open a suit up to you or your partner. WHIST. Ill In the great majority of hands, trumps are applied to their special uses, viz. : 1. To disarm the opponents, and to prevent their trumping your winning cards; and 2. To trump the winning cards of the adversaries. In order to comprehend when trumps may be most profitably applied to the first, and when to the second, of these uses, we must first clearly perceive the objects aimed at throughout the hand, viz. : to establish a suit, to exhaust the adversaries' trumps, and to retain the long trump, or a certain winning card with which to get the lead again, for the purpose of bringing in the suit ; also to endeavour to obstruct similar designs of the opponents. It follows that you should 13. LEAD TRUMPS WHEN VERY STRONG IN THEM It cannot be too strongly impressed that the primary use of strength in trumps is to draw the adversaries' trumps for the bringing in of your own or your partner's long suit. With great strength in trumps (five or more), you may proceed at once to disarm the op- ponents, and lead trumps without waiting to establish a suit. For, with five trumps or more, the chance of your succeeding in drawing the other trumps, and of being left with the long trumps is so considerable, that you may then almost always lead trumps, what- ever your other cards. The exceptional hands are principally those which contain five trumps without an honour, and five small cards of a plain suit; or five trumps without an honour, and four middling cards of one plain suit together with four bad cards 112 WHIST. of another plain suit. But if the adversaries are at the score of three, you should lead a trump with these hands, as your partner must have two honours, or very good cards out of trumps, for you to save the game. If you are at the score of three, the adversaries being love, one, or two, you should not lead a trump merely because you have five trumps with two honours, if they are unaccompanied by a very strong suit, or by good cards in each suit. For here, if your partner has an honour, you probably win the game in any case ; and if he has no honour you open the trump suit to a disadvantage. Some good players, however, do not allow this to be an exceptional case. The turn-up card may sometimes cause you to refrain from leading trumps from five. Thus : you have king, ten, nine, six, and four of spades (trumps) ; ace, queen, and three small diamonds ; and three small hearts. You are four, and the ace of spades is turned up. In the opinion of most players, the ace of diamonds is the best original lead ; but, if an ace were not turned up, you should lead a trump. It is often said, even by pretty good players, " Strength in trumps is no reason for leading them, unless you have a good suit as well." If both you and your partner are devoid of good cards you cannot make tricks ; but should your partner hold one good suit out of the three, you will very likely bring it in for him by leading from strength in trumps. For, even if you have a poor hand out of trumps, you will discover in the course of play (i.e., by the suits led or WHIST. 113 discarded by the other players), what your partner's suit is, and will Le able to lead it to him each time you get the lead with your long trumps. Besides, if your hand is weak out of trumps, you are placed in the disadvantageous position of leading from a weak suit unless you lead trumps. You should not be deterred from leading trumps because an honour is turned up to your right, nor necessarily lead them because the same happens to* your left ; either is proper if the circumstances of the hand require it, but neither otherwise. To illustrate this proposition, take tins hand : ace, queen, and three small spades, (trumps)^hree small hearts, three small clubs, and two small diamonds. The king of spades is turned up fourth hand. The best lead is disputed ; but the author has no hesitation in advising the lead of the smallest trump, notwithstanding that there is a certain finesse over the king. A little consideration will render this apparent. By leading the trump suit originally, you obtain the advantages just enumerated, and make the dealer open a suit up to your partner. Your partner, as soon as he gets the lead, will return the trump, and you thus obtain the command of trumps whether the king was forced out in the first round or not. Bearing in mind the severe consequences of leaving the adversary with the long trump, you must be cautious in leading trumps from less than five ; four trumps and a moderate hand not justifying an original trump lead. You should, instead, lead your strong plain suit, and if you establish it, and the adversaries do I 114 WHIST. not meantime show any great strength, as by leading or calling for trumps (pp. 116-118), you may then, with four trumps, mostly venture a trump lead. With strength in tramps you may generally finesse more freely in the second and third rounds of trumps than you would in plain suits. In plain suits an unsuc- cessful finesse may result in the best card being afterwards trumped, which cannot happen in trumps. Moreover, by finessing, you keep the winning tramp, and so obtain the lead after the third round. This is especially important when you have a suit established and but four trumps. Here you should, generally, not merely finesse in the second wund, but hold up the winning trump, and sometimes at this juncture refuse to part with it even if the trump lead comes from the adversary. An example will render this more clear. The leader (A) has ace, and three small trumps, a strong suit, headed by ace, king, queen, and a probable trick, say king and another, in a third suit. A should, in the writer's judgment, lead a trump. If B (A's partner) wins the first trick in trumps, and returns a strengthen- ing trump, A, as a rule, should not part with his ace. When A or B obtain the lead again they play a third round of tramps, which, being won by the ace, enables A, by leading his tierce major, to get a force (Le., to compe] one of his adversaries to trump in order to win the trick), in which case nothing short of five trumps in one hand against him can prevent A's bringing in his suit. You must be prepared for similar tactics on the part of the adversaries, and not conclude that they WHIST. 315 li&ve not the best trump because they suffer you to win the first or second round. With a well protected hand containing four trumps, two being honours, a trump may be led originally. For here the chance of gaining by the trump lead may be taken as greater than the chance of losing. Thus with queen, knave, and two small trumps, a four suit with an honour, say for example, knave, ten, nine, and a small one, king guarded in the third suit, and queen guarded in the fourth, a small trump if it finds partner with an honour is by no means unlikely to win the game. If partner turns out very weak in trumps the leader must alter his plan, and, instead of continuing the trump lead, play to make three, five or seven tricks according to the fall of the cards in plain suits. Trump leads, without strength in trumps, can only be right in consequence of some special circumstance in the state of the game, or of the score. For instance, great commanding strength in all the plain suits may call for a trump lead ; or it may be necessitated to stop a cross-ruff (i.e., the alternate trumping by partners of different suits, each leading the suit in which the other renounces), in which case it is generally advisable to take out two rounds if possible ; so with the winning trump you play it out, whatever your others are. Again, if you have a wretched hand and you are love to three or four, you assume that the game is lost, unless your partner is very strong ; and if he is veiy strong, the trump is the best lead for him. This doctrine is frequently carried to excess, as, by con- cealing your weakness, you often stand a better chance I 2 116 WHIST. ; of saving a point, if not the game, than by at once exposing it. If, therefore, you have one four suit, headed by an honour, you would generally do better to choose that. The trump lead is so much more important than arty other that you should almost always return your partner's lead of trumps immediately, except he has led from weakness, when you are not bound to return it unless it suits your hand. If you find one of the adversaries without a trump, you should mostly proceed to establish your long suit, and abstain from drawing two trumps for one ; to say nothing of the probability that the adversary who has not renounced is unusually strong in trumps. Besides, when he has the lead, he will very likely lead trumps in order to draw two for one; and it is more advan- tageous to you that the lead should come from him. On the other hand, if your partner has no trump, it is often right to endeavour to weaken the adversaries by continuing even their trump lead. It is a common artifice, if you wish a trump to be led, to drop a high card to the adversary's lead, to induce him to believe that you will trump it next round, whereupon the leader will very likely change the suit, and perhaps lead trumps. Thus, if he leads king (from ace, king, and others), and you hold queen and one other, it is evident that you cannot make the queen. If you throw the queen to his king, he may lead a trump to prevent your trumping his ace ; but if he goes on with the suit, and you drop your 'small card, it may fairly be inferred that you have been WHIST. 117 endeavouring to get him to lead a trump. Your partner should now take the hint, and, if he gets the lead, lead trumps ; for if you want them led, it is of little conse- quence from whom the lead comes. By a conventional extension of this system to lower cards it is understood that, whenever you throw away an unnecessarily high card, it is a sign (after the smaller card drops) that you want trumps led. This is called asking for trumps or calling for trumps. When you ask for trumps, you command your partner to abandon his own game, and to lead a trump ; and you promise him, in return, if he has reasonably good cards, either to win the game or to make a considerable score. It has been laid down, that the minimum strength in trumps which justifies you in issuing such an order to your partner is four trumps, two being honours, or five trumps, one being an honour, accompanied by such cards in your own or your partner's suits that you are reasonably secure of not having a suit brought in against you. This rule, however, only applies to an original ask. If you have had the lead, and have not led a trump, or if you have had an opportunity of asking and have not asked, and you then ask for trumps at a later period of the hand, the ask is not a command, like an original one, nor does it necessarily imply the possession of the minimum strength above stated. It merely means that, from the fall of- the cards, you consider a trump lead would be very advantageous. Eor example : you hold ace and a small spade ; king, ten, and two small hearts (trumps) ; queen and two small clubs ; and 118 WHIST. knave, ten, nine, and a small diamond. You lead knave of diamonds ; second hand plays queen ; partner plays king; fourth hand plays ace. A small club is now led through you. You should ask for trumps. When your partner asks for trumps, and you have four or more at the time you obtain the lead, lead the smallest, unless you have the ace, or three honours, or queen, knave, ten ; if you have only two or three trumps when you obtain the lead, lead from the highest downwards, whatever they are. Before answering the ask, be sure that the higher card, previously dropped, is unnecessarily high. For instance a higher card is often played before a lower, to show that you command the suit, or that you hold the intermediate cards, or to get out of your partner's way. It is very important to distinguish between covering second hand and discarding an unnecessarily high card. For example : with knave, ten, and one other (say the three), it is usual to play the ten second hand on a small card. When your three comes down in the next round, it is not an ask for trumps, unless your partner can infer that you do not hold the knave. Moderate players, who know of the ask, never con- sider this ; so with them the choice of the least evil is generally not to cover, for you otherwise run the terrible risk of having a strengthening trump led to you with a weak hand. To ask for trumps, second hand, with knave, ten, and one other, you must play the knave. When your partner leads a trump, or asks for trumps, if you have numerical strength in trumps, you WHIST. 119 should ask at the first opportunity. This is called the echo of the call, though it is made use of also in response to a lead. The advantages of the echo are manifold. Your partner being strong in trumps may hesitate to take a force, but your echo enables him to do so without fear, and to persevere with the trump lead. Or, your partner may be in doubt after the second round of trumps as to the policy of playing a third. But if he can count two more trumps in your hand he will be directed. Thus : eight are out, your partner has three more ; you have echoed. He will know that the other two are in your hand, and will not draw two for none, as without the echo, he might do. The negative advantage of the echo should not be overlooked. Thus : to take the same case of eight trumps being out, and the leader with three more trumps. You (his partner) have had the chance of sounding an echo, but have not done so. The leader knows that you have not both the remaining trumps, and he will regulate his game accordingly. To your partner's trump lead you echo in the trump suit; the same if partner calls, and you are forced. Thus : you have eight, seven, five, two of trumps ; your left-hand adversary leads king, ace of a suit of which you only hold one. Your partner calls. You echo, by trumping with the five, and you then lead the eight. On the second round of trumps, when your deuce falls, the echo is completed. Your partner knows that you have one more trump, either the six or the seven. If you had not echoed, he might not be 120 WHIST. able to tell for certain whether you hold another trump or not. .(See Hands XXXIV.* XXXV.) If you have four trumps and are forced, and your partner then leads or asks for trumps, you should echo, notwithstanding that you no longer have numerical strength. This case can best be illustrated by an example. (See Hand XXXVI.) The use of strength in trumps being to disarm the opponents, it follows that you should as much as pos- sible husband your strength for that purpose. There- fore when second player, 14 DO NOT TRUMP A DOUBTFUL CARD IF STRONG IN TRUMPS. I\v a doubtful card is meant a card of a suit of which your partner may have the best. Whether you should trump or refuse to trump a doubtful card depends almost entirely on your strength in trumps. It has already been mentioned that it is an advantage to trump when you are weak, for you thus make a little trump, which is not available for the other uses of trumps, and which, if not used for trumping, will presently be drawn by the strong hand. It is conversely a disadvantage to trump a doubtful card when you are strong in trumps, for by trumping you weaken your numerical power, and diminish the probability of your bringing in a suit. If, instead of trumping, you throw away a losing card, you inform your partner that you have strength in trumps, and WHIST. 121 also, by your discard, what your strong suit is ; and if your partner lias any strength in the suit led, you leave him in a favourable position. If you refuse to overtrump, or to trump a certain winning card, your partner should conclude either that you have no trump, or more probably four trumps and a powerful hand, besides. If he concludes that you are reserving your trumps to bring in a suit, he should assist you by leading trumps as soon as he can. A refusal to be thus forced is seldom requisite if you have more than four trumps ; with six you are mostly strong enough to trump and to lead trumps ; with five you may do the same, if your suit is established ; but if not, it is generally best to take the force, and to lead your suit. The situations in which it is most necessary to refuse to overtrump your right-hand adversary, or to refuse to trump a winning card, occur when you have four trumps and a very strong suit, or a suit estab- lished early in a hand. For then, by trumping, you prejudice your chance of bringing in the suit in order to secure one trick. By refusing to part with a trump in these cases, you obtain the advantages just enumerated, at the time when they are most likely to become of service; and, where you refuse to over- trump, your adversary is left with one trump less, by which your hand is strengthened. Many players run into the extreme of always refusing to be forced by a winning card when they are strong "in trumps. The situations, however, just indicated, are almost the only ones in which it answers to hold 122 WHIST. up; and these even are liable to several exceptions. For instance : 1. You should not persist in refusing to be forced if you find that the adversary has the entire command of his suit. 2. You should not refuse if your partner evidently intends to force you ; and, 3. You should not refuse to overtrump if you have reason to believe that your left-hand adversary is strong in trumps. With an untaught partner it is useless to refuse to trump ; he will not understand it, but will continue to force you. With such, the best course is rather to make tricks when you can than to play for a great From what has just been said, it is evidently an advantage to 15. FORCE A STRONG TRUMP HAND OF THE ADVERSARY. For you thereby take the best chance of preventing his making use of his trumps for bringing in a suit. If he refuses to take a force, keep on giving it to him. For instance, if he passes your king (led from king, queen, &c.), and the king wins, continue the suit, and so on. Some players can never be brought to under- stand this ; they do not like to see their winning cards trumped, and therefore frequently change their suit or even lead trumps when an adversary refuses to be forced. It now hardly requires to be stated that it is bad play intentionally to force a weak adversary, and still WHIST. 123 worse to lead a suit to which both adversaries re- nounce, as the weak will trump and the strong get rid of a losing card. If you have numerical strength in trumps, you are justified in forcing your partner, relying on your own strength to disarm the opponents. But 16. DO NOT FORCE YOUR PARTNER IF YOU ARE WEAK IN TRUMPS. Por you thus weaken him, and leave it in the power of the antagonists to draw all the trumps, and bring in their suit. If, then, a good partner refrains from forcing you, you may be sure he is weak ; on the other hand, if he evidently intends to force you (as by leading a losing card of a suit he knows you must trump), you may assume that he is strong in trumps, and you should take the force willingly, even though you do not want to be forced, depending on his strength to exhaust the adversaries' trumps. You may, however, though weak, force your partner under these circumstances. 1. When he has already shown a desire to be forced, or weakness in trumps, as by trumping a doubtful card, or by refraining from forcing you. 2. When you have a cross-ruff, which secures several tricks at once, and is therefore often more advantageous than trying to establish a suit. 3. Sometimes when you are playing a close game, as for the odd trick, and often when one trick saves or wins the game or a point. And 4. Sometimes 124 WHIST. when great strength in trumps has been declared against you. If your partner leads a thirteenth card, or a card of a suit in which he knows that Loth you and the fourth player renounce, your play must depend on your partner's strength in trumps. If he is strong, lie wants you to put on your best trump, either to make the trumps separately, or to force out one or two high ones, to leave himself with the command. If he is weak in trumps, he wants you to pass the card, that the fourth player may obtain the lead, and lead up to your hand. No general rule can be given as to the course to be pursued with regard to thirteenth cards. You must judge of the leader's intention by the score and the previous fall of the cards. WHIST. 125 PLATING TO THE BOAKD, 17. PLAY TO THE SCORE; AND 18. WATCH THE FALL OF THE CARDS, AND DRAW YOUR INFERENCES AT THE TIME. These two all-important principles have already been mentioned as causing differences in the play. The commonest form in which the former is presented to us is this : at the score of Love-all five tricks save the game against two by honours. It is often right, there- fore, when two by honours have been declared against you, to go for the fifth trick by leading off a winning card, or by putting one on second or third hand. To explain further what is meant by playing to the score, put yourself in this situation. Four trumps remain in, the adversaries have two winning trumps, it being uncertain whether they are in one hand or divided ; you have the two losing trumps, two forcing cards, and the lead; you can only play correctly by referring to the score. Thus, if the adversary is at four, and you have won five, or even six tricks, your game would be to secure two tricks by forcing ; for if you play a trump and the two against you are in the same hand, you lose the game. But suppose you are at the point of two, and the adversaries are not at four, and you have won six tricks, your game would be to risk the trump ; for if you bring down the other 126 WHIST. trumps you win the game ; but by playing to force you make certain of scoring only four. By applying this mode of reasoning you will often be directed as to a finesse late in a hand. (Further illustrations of playing to the score occur in the hands.) Eor simple examples of drawing inferences at the time of the fall of the cards take the following: 1. You lead a small card from ace, knave, &c. ; your partner wins with the queen ; you should immediately (i.e., before another card is led) infer that the king cannot be with your right-hand adversary. Hence, on the return of the suit, you would not finesse the knave. 2. You are second player, and a suit is led in which you have king, ten, and one small one. You play the small one. The third hand plays the queen, which is won with the ace. Y'ou should at once infer that the third hand cannot have the knave, and that you may safely finesse the ten next round. You will greatly assist your memory by systemati- cally recording inferences in the above manner. In addition to this you should apply your knowledge of the principles to noting important points, not attempt- ing too much at first. Begin by counting the trumps as they fall, and notice, at all events, the honours, and remember the turn-up card. By degrees you will find yourself able to recollect the ten and nine, and then the smaller trumps. Next attend to the suit led originally by each player, and watch in the second round whether the lead was from strength or weak- ness. "Try also to remember the fall of the cards in your own strong suit, that you may know when it WHIST. 127 is established. Beyond this, experience will enable you to judge what to retain and what to reject in each hand; so that, with practice, you will acquire what may be termed whist memory which will enable you, without any great effort, to recollect the principal features of every hand. The fall of the cards may, one time or another, modify nearly every rule of play. A player who simply follows rule, and fails to grasp the situations in which rule should be departed from, is a mere machine without intelligence. General principles only apply to the general case ; to apply them to particular cases, observation, inference, and judgment are essen- tial. Thus, in the Analysis of Leads, it appears that the card which should be led in trumps often differs from the card which should be led in plain suits. The reason is given at p. 110. But it will be clear to any one who reads between the lines, that plain suits should be led like trumps, if all the remaining trumps are in the leader's or his partner's hands ; or, if all the trumps are out, and the leader or his partner has certain cards of re-entry in other suits. As another example, take the case of returned leads. A leads a small card ; the second hand plays a small card; B (third hand) puts on the eight; the fourth hand wins with the queen. When B gets the lead he returns the knave. It is evident that B must have the ten and the nine. Here two principles appear to conflict. One rule is, with four originally return the smallest ; the other rule is convey information to your partner. When a player has thus to choose between 128 WHIST. two rules, he must use his intelligence, in order to decide under which rule his greater advantage lies. In the example given, the return of the knave cannot deceive partner as to the number of cards held in the suit ; if he takes the trouble to think, he will at once perceive that the rule as to returned leads has been departed from, in order to convey information. The three following Examples further illustrate cases where playing to the board is involved. \m * * * * * * Score : AB, three ; YZ, four. Spades trumps. AB have six tricks and have played two by honours. WHIST. 129 It is known from the fall of the cards that A has no trump ; also that Z has the long diamond. A to lead. THE PLAY AND REMAKES. A leads a small club. Y puts on the ace second hand. In order to save (and win) the game, Y and his partner must win every trick (see statement of score and of fall of the cards). Ysees that to do this Z must have two of the three remaining trumps. This being so, Z can have but one club, and Y therefore puts on the ace of clubs second hand. For other illustrations see Hands VIII and XV. CASE II. Score : AB want two tricks to save the game. Hearts trumps. A to lead. K 130 WHIST. A. knows Y to have the best heart ; also B to have the best diamond and weak spades. THE PLAY AND REMARKS. A leads the queen of spades, and then the losing trump. A takes the only chance of winning two tricks. To accomplish this Y must hold one spade and one diamond, as will appear by placing the unknown cards in any other way. A therefore plays on the assumption that Y holds a spade and a diamond in addition to the trump which is declared in his hand. Por another illustration of leading a losing trump to place the lead see Hand XXXV. CASE III. It is the duty of a player to make the game as easy to his partner as he can. The play often depends on the sort of partner. For example : you lead the ten from king, queen, knave, ten, &c., or from king, knave, ten, See. Suppose the lead to be from the former combination, and that your ten forces the ace from the fourth hand. You obtain the lead again. The proper lead now is the queen, as your partner knows you have king, knave, whereas he is uncertain about the queen. But, with an indifferent partner, the better lead is the king, as he may not have drawn the correct inference from the first lead, and knowing the queen is not the best, he may trump it. WHIST. 131 However good your partner may be, you should not put him into unnecessary difficulties. For, example : *4* * ' * * Spades trumps. Y can count two hearts, and queen, ten of spades in A's hand, and a small spade in Z's hand. A to lead. THE PLAY AND REMARKS. A leads the seven of hearts. Y should put on the king, though certain of being able to win with the nine. For, if Y wins with the nine, he compels Z to play a coup, viz., to trump the best heart, in order to get the lead through the queen, ten of spades ; but, if Y wins with the king and leads the losing heart, it requires no ingenuity on Z's part to trump it. K2 132 WHIST. COUPS. There is no Whist principle which should not be occasionally violated, owing to the knowledge of the hands derived from inference during the play. Some of the more frequent of the cases, where a general rule can be given for departing from rule, may advantageously close this Section. LEADING FROM WEAKEST SUIT. It is advisable in most cases where the game is desperate, and where it is clear that your partner must be strong in your weak suit to save the game, to lead your weakest suit, notwithstanding Principle 1 (p. 56). Your partner should finesse deeply in the suit you lead him, and should not return it, but, actuated by motives similar to yours, should lead his weakest suit, in which you should finesse deeply, and continue your weak suit, and so on. For example : AB (partners) lead trumps. They win the first three tricks, and show four by honours, and three more trumps remain in A's hand. Con- sequently, if AB win another trick, they win the game. Y or Z now has the lead for the first time. His lead should be from his weakest suit, on this principle : if his partner has not the command of it, or a successful finesse in it, the game is lost. Say Y leads, and Z wins the trick. Z should not return Y's lead, but should similarly lead his weakest suit. For an illustration of this coup, see Hand XXVII. WHIST. 133 TREATING LONG SUITS LIKE SHORT ONES, AND VICE VERSA. It often happens towards the end of a hand, that an unplayed suit, of which the leader holds (say) four cards, can only go round twice, e.g., there may be two trumps left in in one of the opponents' hands. In such a case, if your suit is headed by queen or knave, you should treat it as a suit of two cards only, and lead your highest, as this gives the best chance of making two tricks in the suit. The following case illustrates this point with re- ference to the play of the second hand : ' A (leader) has the last trump (club), the best spade, both declared in his hand, and the ace, queen of hearts (a suit which has never been led.j A leads the queen 134 WHIST. of hearts ; the second hand ought to cover with the king. This case happened in actual play. Y was a very good player. Z remonstrated with him for not cover- ing; Y defended his play by saying, that it is not the game to cover with four of the suit (see Analysis of Play of Second Hand, p. 83). But here Y should have reflected that the suit could only be played twice, and therefore he should have played as though he only had king and one small heart, and have covered the queen. In the reverse case, where a suit can only go round once, it is obvious that a small card should be led, so as not to tempt partner to finesse. Thus, holding queen and one small card of an unplayed suit, which you are about to lead, all the opponents' cards but one being winning cards, the proper lead is the small 'card. For an illustration see Hand XXII. There is another case, known as Deschapelles* coup, where the proper card to lead is not determined by the leader's numerical power in the suit. It is this : all the adversaries' and partner's trumps are exhausted, and the leader's partner remains with an established suit. If the leader (not having any of his partner's suit left) is obliged to open a fresh suit headed by king, queen, or knave, he should lead the highest card, irrespective of the number of cards he holds in the suit, that being the best chance of subsequently WHIST. 135 procuring the lead for his partner in case his only card of entry in that suit should be an honour, not the ace. For an illustration of this coup, see Hand XXVIII. Deschapelles' coup often succeeds in practice, but it may generally be defeated by an attentive player. When the above-described position of the cards occurs, the adversary, if he has the ace of the fresh suit led, should not put it on first round. The suit will, in all probability, be continued with a low card, when the third player will most likely be compelled to play his highest, which will be taken by the ace ; and, having lost the card of re-entry, he never brings in his suit, unless he gets the lead in some other way. REFUSING TO WIN THE SECOND ROUND OF A SUIT. This is a case of by no means infrequent occur- rence. For example: one of the adversaries has a long suit declared in his favour, which is led a second time. Only one trump remains in, which is in the hand of the second or fourth player. As a rule, the second round of the suit should not be trumped. The third round will probably exhaust the adverse hand, which is numerically weak in the suit. If it so happens that the player who is numerically strong in it has no card of re-entry in any other suit, he will then never bring in his long suit, as his partner, whose hand is exhausted, cannot lead it again, should he get the lead after the third 136 WHIST. round. If there is a card of re-entry in the hand of the player who has numerical strength, .he must bring in the suit, whether the second round is trumped or not. See Hand XXIX for an illustration of this position. A similar rule applies, but less frequently, when one adversary has the long trumps, and his partner a long suit nearly established. For an illustration of this position, see Hand XXX. DECLINING TO DRAW THE LOSING TRUMP. When all the trumps are out but two, and the leader remains with the best trump, the losing trump being in the hand of his adversary, the natural and obvious play is to draw the last trump. But there is a class of cases in which the trump should not be drawn as a matter of course, viz., if one adversary has a long suit established, and his partner has a card of that suit to lead. The case usually happens in this way : YZ (partners) lead a suit, and after two rounds establish it. They then lead trumps from a suit of four trumps (see p. 114). Eleven trumps come out, and A (YZ's adver- sary) has the lead and the best trump, one of the opponents having the losing trump. The question then arises, Should A draw the trump ? A should draw the trump if he has also an estab- lished suit ; or, if B (A's partner) has an established suit, and A can put the lead into B's hand. For, in these two cases, A or B cannot do better than bring in WHIST. 137 their suit. Again, A 'should draw the trump, if the adversary who has a suit established (say Z) has also the losing trump, for then, if either Y or Z has a card of re-entry in either of the other two suits, Z cannot be prevented from bringing in his established suit. Lastly, A should draw the trump if Y (Z's partner) has the losing trump, and >Z has, declared in his hand, two cards of re-entry. The last case may be dismissed as of but little practical use, as, at the time when A has to decide whether he will draw the trump, he will seldom know enough febout the remaining cards to be positive that Z has two cards of re-entry. In the above cases, A, by not drawing the trump, makes his adversaries a present of a trick. "" On the other hand, A should not draw the trump if one opponent (Z) has an established suit, which Y (Z's partner) can lead, the losing trump being in Y's hand. And, it is especially incumbent on A not to draw the trump, if either he or his partner has a suit which will probably be established by leading it, and if A can infer from the fall of the cards that Y has only one card of his partner's established suit in his hand, subject, of course, to the qualifications already noted. The point aimed at in not drawing the trump, is to force the card of re-entry in A's or B's long suit out of the adverse hand. Y or Z thus obtains the lead, and continues the established suit, which A trumps with the winning trump. If, now, Z has no card of re-entry in the fourth or unopened suit, he never brings in his established suit, Y not having another card of it to lead. 138 WHIST. The case is difficult to carry when stated thus generally ; for an illustration, see Hand XXXI. REFUSING TO OVERTRUMP. Cases often happen where it is not advisable to overtrump. Most of these depend on the fall of the cards and on inferences from the play (see Hands XXIII, XXIY), and cannot be generalised. But there is one case in which it is never rigid to overtrump, viz., when three cards remain in each hand, and one player holds the second and third best trumps, with one of which he trumps the card led. If the player to his left has the best and fourth best trumps, he can never gain anything by overtrumping, and may lose a trick, as the following example shows : WHIST. 139 The position of the trumps (spades) is known. A leads a heart, B trumps it. If Z overtrumps he loses the other two tricks, but if he throws the ace of diamonds he wins the other two tricks. This rule for not overtrumping cannot be laid down absolutely when there are more than three cards in hand ; but when only four trumps remain in, second and third best against best and fourth, it is so fre- quently advisable not to overtrump, that the player should consider well the position of the remaining cards before overtrumping. For an illustration of this case, see Hand XXV. Since it is so often right not to overtrump under these circumstances, it follows that when the case arises the player who holds second and third best should, as a rule, attempt to defeat the coup by playing a false card i. e., he should trump with the higher card in hopes of deceiving his left hand opponent as to the position of the third best trump. THROWING HIGH CARDS TO PLACE THE LEAD. This coup presents itself in a variety of forms ; the following are selected as likely to be of use. Whenever you are left at the end of a hand with the tenace in trumps (either best and third best, or second best guarded) over the player to your right, and two 140 WHIST. other cards, both being cards of the suit led by him, you, second hand, should always throw the highest card of his lead to that trick. You can never lose by so doing, and may win. For example : you have nine and five of the suit led. Throw the nine. For, in the second round of the suit, it may so happen that you get the lead with the nine. If the cards lie thus, for instance : **** * Y has the tenace in hearts (trumps) over A. A leads ace of clubs. If Y does not throw the nine, and Z plays carelessly and fails to win Y's nine in the next round, YZ lose a trick. Of course, Z ought to win the second round, but it is Y's duty to render it WHIST. 141 impossible for Z not to do so (see Remarks on making it easy to Partner, p. 130). The typical example of this coup is the case where the leader plays the ace, and the second player has king guarded, as in the following example : B Spades trumps. There are only four spades in, and Y knows that A lias the king, ten. B's and Z's cards are immaterial. A leads the ace of diamonds. If Y plays the two of diamonds he can only make two tricks ; but, if he throws the king to the ace, he still makes two tricks, and, if his partner has the queen of diamonds, he makes three tricks. This coup may be similarly played in plain suits. Por an illustration see Hand XXXII. 142 WHIST. The following fine coup (which occurred in actual play) exemplifies a similar, but more complicated, case : Score : YZ require every trick. Hearts trumps. It is known that the trumps lie between B and Z. A leads a club ; Y and B play small clubs. Z, knowing that B holds the second best trump guarded, takes the only chance of saving the game, by winning the first trick in clubs with the ace, and returning the queen. Y, seeing his partner's anxiety to get rid of the lead, rightly conjectures him to hold the major tenace in trumps. He, therefore, wins his partner's queen of clubs with the king, and saves the game. WHIST. 143 It being known that the remaining trumps lie between B and Z, Y would be right to win the second round of clubs under all circumstances of the sco^e. For another illustration of this coup, see Hand XXXIII. On a similar principle, the leader not infrequently leads a losing plain card, or a losing trump, at the end of a hand, in order to place the lead, Por illus- trations, see Case II, p. 129, and Hands XYI, XYII, and XXXV. THE GRAND COUP. The Grand Coup consists in throwing away a super- fluous trump. At the first glance it appears impossible to have a superabundance of trumps ; but cases some- times happen where a player has a trump too many. To get rid of this trump as by undertrumping a trick already trumped by your partner, or by trumping a trick which he has won, or which you know he may win is to play the grand coup. The opportunity for playing the (/rand coup generally happens in this way. Two rounds of trumps come out, leaving five trumps in, two in the hand of (say) B, and three in the hand of Z (the player to his left). If B has the best and third best trumps, or the second best guarded, and trumps are not led again, nor used for trumping, it is clear that at the eleventh trick Z must obtain the lead, and must lead up to the tenace in trumps. If, before the eleventh trick, Z trumps a trick of his partner's (or, in the case of only seven trumps corning out in two rounds, undertrumps a 144 WHIST. trick already trumped by his partner), and tlie lead at the eleventh trick can thus be kept in or put into Z's partner's hand, the grand coup comes off, as in the following example : * .* ~ .. ** * * * * 4 **** Clubs trumps. Z knows that B has ten and another trump. A leads the ten of diamonds; Y trumps with the six of clubs; Z nndertrumps with the five. If he retains his three trumps, and B refuses to trump the queen of spades next led by Y, Z loses a trick in clubs. The opportunity for playing the grand coup is often missed. A player should always be on the look-out for it when he has five trumps, especially if a trump is WHIST. 145 led to his right. It should be added also, that if the player who attempts it retains a high card in his hand, he may be just as badly off as though he remained with three trumps. Thus, holding three trumps against two, and ace and another card of another suit, it is not sufficient that he disposes of one of his trumps ; he shoidd also get rid of his ace (see Remarks on Throwing High Cards to place the Lead, pp. 139-143). The following example will render this more clear : * * * * *++ V *** Hearts trumps. E has already got rid of his super- fluous trump. A leads the eight of clubs. B should throw the ace of diamonds to it. For, if B has the lead after the next trick, he might just as well have L 146 WHIST. kept his third trump. If A has the king of diamonds, B wins a trick by discarding the ace ; and, if A has not the king, B loses nothing by throwing the ace. An exception to this rule is when A has winning cards to go on with. Thus, if A had another club, B need not discard the ace of diamonds. This is too obvious to require working out. The following is another aspect under which the grand coup may present itself : Hearts trumps. It is known that B has king, queen, knave of trumps, and a losing spade or club but uncertain which. A leads the knave of diamonds. B trumps it. WHIST. 147 Z should throw away a small trump, undert^umping B in order to keep two winning queens. If he discards a queen, he must do so at random, and perhaps throw away the suit of which B has the small one. By dis- carding his useless trump (which B would proceed to draw) he defers parting with either queen till after the next round, when the fall of the cards may assist him. B now leads a trump, and Y discards the losing club. B then leads another trump, and Z now knows that he ought to keep the spade. This case actually occurred in the presence of the writer, but Z, instead of under- trumping, discarded the wrong queen at random, and eventually lost the rubber in conseauence. For further illustrations of the Grand Coup, see Hands XXXVIII, XXXIX, and XL. If the foregoing principles are reflectively perused, it will be seen that they mould the Theory of Whist into a harmonious whole. The Theory of Whist tells you how to play your own hand to the greatest advantage, how to assist your partner, and how to weaken and to obstruct your opponents ; in short, it teaches how to take the best chance of making the greatest number of tricks. This knowledge constitutes a sound player. If to theoretical perfection you add the power of accu- rate observation, and of acute perception, together with a thorough comprehension of the whist capacities of partners and of opponents, you have all the elements necessary to form a Master of the Science. 148 WHIST. PART II. IDS. THE following hands are given in illustration of the general principles discussed in Part I. The plan adopted in the arrangement of the hands is to imitate closely the circumstances of actual play. Thus, at starting, one player's hand is known, together with the score and the turn-up card. Each player is then caused to play a card in his turn, and at the end of the trick, the one player whose hand is known makes observations, and draws inferences from the play, as though he were at the whist table. A, Y, B, and Z, are the four players throughout. They are placed at the table in the above order, A and B being partners against Y and Z. A is the first leader, and Z the dealer. In " the play " the cards of each trick are placed in the order in which the players sit round the table, the card played by the person whose hand is under consideration being the one nearest to the reader. The capital letter by each card shows to which player it belongs. All the players are supposed to follow the ordinary rules of play, as laid down in Part I. Thus, each player is credited with leading originally from his WHIST. 149 strongest suit, and with leading the card of it indi- cated in the Analysis of Leads (pp. 64-67) ; with playing the lowest of a sequence when not leading; with returning the highest of a numerically weak suit, the lowest of a strong suit, and so on. It has been remarked by critics, that the players are often made to play badly. Most of the hands are taken from actual play ; but, independently of this, illustrations of indifferent play, with comments, are obviously of value, as showing the kind of errors that are likely to be made, and how and why to avoid them. 150 TV'IIIST. HAND I, A's HAND. TEICK 1. g THE PLAY. THICK 2. 4. 4. * + TRICKS (AB.O REMARK. A leads from his strongest suit (see p. 5G). Having no sequence, he leads the lowest card of the suit (see p. GO). The fall of the queen and ace in this round, leaves A with the winning diamonds and a small one. His suit may be said to be established (see p. 57). REMARK. A plays his lowest card second hand (see p. 78). B allowing the queen to win, may be presumed not to have the king. 151 THICKS EEMAEK. It is unlucky that A is obliged to win his partner's queen. The king of hearts is marked in B's hand, as Y, leading knave, cannot have it (see pp. 66, 67), and Z, not winning the queen, cannot have it. KEMAEK. This is an in- structive trump lead. A, at the first start, with but four trumps, and only one spade, would not have been justi- fied in leading a trump. But, his strong suit being established, and his partner having the best heart, his game is now to lead trumps. Consider carefully the Management of Trumps (pp. 110-114), and apply the argu- ments there made use of to the present situation. TRICK 5. :*: TRICKS TRICK 6. TRICKS AB, 3 YZ, 3 KEMAEK (Trick 5). A finesses the ten (*^_pp. 86-87). TRICK y. REMARK. A forces the best trump, and remains with the thirteenth to bring in his long diamond. REMARK. Well played by A. The general rule is to put on the winning card in the second round of a suit. In this case, if A follows the rule he will, after making his trump and diamond, be left with a losing club, the king being against him (see Remark, Trick 2). But if the king of clubs is in Z's hand (and there is nothing to show that it ia not), A, by passing this trick, gives his partner a chance of making the knave, and still retains the ace to capture the king. TRICKS 11 to 13. Whatever B leads, A makes the remaining tricks, and AB win three by cards. WHIST. 153 THE HANDS. (A's hand is given above.) Y's HAND. B's HAND. Z's HAND. Ace, 6, 4 . . * Kg, 7 ... 4 Knv, 9, 8, 2 . * Knv, 10, 9, 8. 2 Kg, Qn, 7, 5, 4 y G, 3 . . . . y Qn, 9 . . . * Knv, 4 ... ^ Kg, 10, 8, 5, 2 * 10,6,4. . . 4 Qn, 8,7,5. . 4 Ace, 3 ... HAND II. Trump lead from four moderate trumps. B's HAND. TRICK 1. rv THE PLAY. TaicK Y Z A-x 4~~ V 154 TRICK 3. A WHIST: TRICK 4. A V: THICKS * * * B. 3 yz, BEMARK (Trick 3). E has four trumps, and defence in hearts and clubs, his partner's suit is established, and no adverse strength in trumps has been exhibited. B there- fore leads trumps. (Consider carefully the arguments at pp. 113, 114, respecting- leads from four trumps, and apply them to this case.) To judge when to lead from four moderate trumps is an important point in the game, which hands such as this are given to illustrate and explain. TRICH 5. * * * 4 * ' * * * * * * * :*: :*: V - B TRICK G. * * * TRICKS TRICKS TRICK 7. A WHIST. 155 TRICK 8. ft TEICKS 9 to 13. Z leads knave of hearts which B wins. B draws the two trumps (if he remembers down to the seven) and brings in the diamonds, and AB win two by cards. THE HANDS. (B's hand is given above.) A's HAND. Kg, 8 . . . B 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 n 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Z 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4*4 4 4 4? ve <& KS il RICKS | y/' 3 TJ A T TR ( Y ICE 5. ^ B Z TR Y ICK G. -. B SWA y v 1 * * * * * * 4. A Z * 4- i& * \ ^ YZ, 3 A TRICKS fy 2' J - A T HEM ARK (Trick 6). A has now the command of his suit, and four trumps. The adversaries have not shown any particular strength in trumps, either by leading them or by calling for them, though they have had the oppor- tunity of doing both, and A therefore assumes that the trumps are pretty evenly divided, and leads a trump (see pp. 113114). A is not deterred from opening the trump suit because an honour was turned up (see p. 113). B's winning the trick with the queen shows that Z has not got the king. 158 WHIST. TEICK 7. /^A* Y* B- -** N Tu Y CK 8. B K<5 fAB, 4 [YZ, 4 *+* 5- 4- 4- 4- 4- 4* 4- 4- 4- 4- 4- -,A 4- ^4.^ 4-^4- V. A A T REMARK (Trick 7). B returns his partner's lead of trumps ( p. 11G). This is the important trick of the hand. Note the card returned by B, the seven, and if in doubt as to the fall of the trumps, look at the previous trick (see Law 91, p. 18). In that trick, the small clubs that fall are the three, six, and four, and in the present one, the seven, five, and ten. Nobody having played the two, A may place it by inference in B's hand, for the adversaries not winning the trick may be supposed to play their lowest cards. Assuming B to hold the two, it may be inferred that he has that card and no other left in the suit. For he returns the seven, a higher card than the two ; and the rule is to return the higher of two remaining cards, the lowest if holding more than two (see p. 76. Consider carefully the example given there, and apply it to the present situation). The king and knave are therefore in the opponents' hands, and divided. Z has the knave (which he turned up), and he has not the king, as he could not win the queen in the previous trick. Y must consequently hold it. It may be objected that this train of reasoning is too close and elaborate to serve the purpose of inexperienced players. It is, perhaps, a little difficult for an elementary hand ; but the careful observance of the rule of play respecting returned leads is so important, that it has been deemed advisable to insist strongly upon it. Of course, WHIST. 159 when playing with those who do not attend to the con- versation of the game, all pains bestowed on working out the position of the cards from such data as the preceding is so much trouble thrown away. Assuming, then, that A's partner can be depended on to play according to rule, it is morally certain that the trumps are evenly divided, and that a third round will leave A with a long trump to bring in his spades. Accordingly, A leads the eight of clubs (see Trick 8, above). TRICK 9. B THICKS TRICKS 10 to 13. B (Trick 10) leads a small diamond, though, as the cards happen to lie, his lead is imma- terial. A trumps the dia- mond, and brings in the spades ; and AB win three by cards. Y's HAND. 9, 6, 5 . . . Kg, 10. 8, 4. 2 Kg, i THE PLAY. TRICK 2. B Z V * * KS tYZ, REMARK (Trick 2). A's finesse here is justifiable, because he has strength in trumps (see p. 87). With only three trumps, A's better play would be to secure the trick at once. WHIST. 165 THICK 3. REMARK. Note the ad- vantage of the return of the strengthening card at Trick 2, in accordance with Gen- eral Principle 5 (p. 75). The command is left with the presumably strong hand ; and the queen is completely hemmed in. It is true the queen might have been in Y's hand. In that case the queen must make whatever card is returned. A similar position occurs at Trick 9. REMARK. A did not lead the trump at first ; but now he does so for these reasons: he has the long card of his suit ; trumps are his strong- est suit (p. Ill) ; and the adversaries have had the opportunity of calling for trumps (sec pp. 117, 118), and have not made use of it, which is negative evi- dence that there is no very great strength of trumps in one hand. TE Y ICK 5. B Z ; TRI Y CK 6. B 1 Z -^ -*i A THICKS-^' | 16*5 TRICK 7. B WHIST. TRICK 8. YZ, 4 4 TRICK IRI K REMARK (Trick 7). A being strong in trumps passes the doubtful card (see p. 120). * 5S A TRICKS 10 to 13. A leads the nine of spades, which brings down all the out- standing trumps. A makes the thirteenth club and the trump ; the adversary makes the king of diamonds (ace the hands below). AB win two by cards. THE HANDS. (A's hand is given above.) Y's HAND. B's HAND. Z's HAND. 8, 7, 4 . . . A Qn, 10, 5 . .4 Kg, Knv, 3 . 4Jt Qn, 10, 7, 3 . V Knv, 8. 5 . . Y Ace, Kg, 9, G . y 9, 8, 6 . . . { | Ace, Knv. 3 . ( Qn, 5, 2 . .4 Knv, 10, 9. . Ace, Qn, 3, 2 . + Kg, 7, 5 . .^ WHIST. 167 HAND VI. Playing to the score. Y's HAND. THE PLAY. TBICK 1. Z * * I THICK 2. :+* TBICK 5. 2 TRICK c. REMARK (Trick 6). The lead here is the point in the hand. Y has three tricks up ; there is a whole suit (clubs) against him, and his adversary B has called for trumps (sec Tricks 3 and 4). It is, consequently, Y's duty to make five tricks (which save the game if Z has an honour) as quickly as possible. He therefore leads the ace of spades to make the fourth trick, and (Trick 7) forces his partner (though without any strength of trumps in his own hand, see pp. 123, 124,) to make the fifth. TPKS , ICKS 1YZ, 5 TEICKS 9 to 13. A leads a trump (the knave, see his hand below), in obedience to the call, and AB score two by cards and two by honours. THE HANDS. (Y's hand is given above.) A's HAND. B's HAND. Z's HAND. Qn, 4 ... 4 10, 8, 4, 3 . . y Kg .... A 7, G, 5 . . . y Knv,10,9,7,3,2 A Knv, 9 . . . y Kg, 9, 7, 2. . * Knv, 5, 3 . . + Ace, 8, 6, 5, 3 j* Ace, Kg, 10, 7 4 10,4.' ... 4 1 Qn,9,2. . . ^ At Trick 2, B, with the club suit well nigh established (assuming his partner to have led from strength), and four trumps, two honours, should risk a trump lead. He cannot lose the game ; and if his partner has an average hand, a , trump lead will, in all probability, give AB a good score. As a matter of fact it would win the game, but that proves nothing. 170 WHIST. HAND VII. The penultimate lead, and counting tlie hands (see p. 106). Z's HAND. TRICK 1. /-> THE PLAY. TRICK 2. Y THICKS (AB.O REMARK (Trick 2). Z's better play would be to open the heart suit. WHIST. 171 TRICK 4. y TRICK 3. y S CAB, o S (YZ, 3 TRICKS TRICK 5. Y TRICK G. Y 4 TRICKS f AB > l KS UZ, 4 TRICK 7. Y TRICK 8. Y *' A, TRICKS THICKS THICKS REMARK. It is now clear that Y led from five hearts originally (see his lead, Trick 3, and p. 106). Con- sequently, YZ have all the remaining hearts between them. REMARK. Z can count his partner's hand, viz., three more hearts (sec Remark, Trick 9) and one other card, either the deuce of diamonds (sec the fall of the diamonds, Tricks 4 and 5). or a trump. If Y has the diamond, it matters not what Z leads, as B must then hold four trumps. Z therefore assumes that his partner has an- other trump, and plays to force him. But if Z could not tell that Y has three hearts, or rather could tell that he has only two (see p. 107), Z's proper lead~ at Trick 10 would be the ace of hearts. For then B must have a heart, and if Z leads a losing diamond, B discards his heart on it, and wins the game. THE HANDS. (Z's hand is given above.) A's HAND. Y's HAND. B's HAND, Kg,Kv,S,4,3,2 , 10, 6, 2 A Qn, 9, 8, 7 . .4 Ace, 10 . . Kg, 4, 2 ... + At Trick 6, B should play to force his partner in hearts instead of leading trumps. WHIST. 173 HAND VIM. Playing to the score and to the fall of the cards. Game won in spite of partner's bad play. Z's HAND. THE PLAY. THICK 1. y TRICK 2. ^ TRICKS 174 TRICK 3. 1VHIST. T _ Trif - TAB, 1 1 RICKS TRICK 4. ^ x TRICKS IRI KS TRICK 5. y TRICK G. y 4 4 4 Z REMARK. Drawing two for one. TRICK 7. Y 4- + ^V TRICK 8. y TRICKS EEMARK. Y must have knave. THICK 9. Y 1C B i TR A 1CK 10. Y B B, 4 i, 6 ! A * ^ * *** 4.^^. ? 4 1 l> fAB, 4 KS |yz, 5 ^ Z Tu ^ Z TRICKS {y REMARK (Trick 9). Z manages to win the game, in spite of bis partner, by putting on ace second hand and leading a club. TRICKS 11 to 13. Z (Trick 11) leads a club; Y makes two more tricks in clubs, and YZ win two by cards. THE HANDS. (Z's hand is given above.) A's HAND. Y's HAKD. B's HAND. Q,Kv,7,6,5,3,2 + Ace, Qn, Knv ^f 6 ... 4> Ace . . . . ^ Kg, 7, 6, 5, 2. V Knv, 10, 5, 4. 3 {. 7, 2 . . . . 4 Kg, 8, 4 . . 10,9. . . . Ace, 9, 7 . . 10, 9, 6, 4, 3 . * * Kg, Qn. . . 4 At Trick 3, Y plays badly to trump the doubtful spade (see p. 120). At same trick, B plays well to get rid of the command of his partner's suit (see p. 89), as A, from the lead, must have knave of spades, and Z, from the previous fall of the cards, must have the ten single. At Trick 4, Y's continuing the trump is bad, after ruining his numerical strength. For he has no particular strength out of trumps (see his hand), and his partner is evidently "very weak in trumps. 170 WHIST. As the cards happen to lie, if Z does not put on ace of diamonds second hand at Trick 9, A brings in the spades, and YZ lose the game instead of winning it. HAND IX. V Counting the cards. A's HAND. TRICK 1. g V THE PLAY. TRICK 2. B THICKS TRICK 3. B 6 WHIST. 177 TRICK 4. B TRICKS 4 4 4 4 TN 4 4 4 4 REMARK. B has led from a suit of at least five dia- monds. THICK . B K> TRICK C. B 4 4 4 4 TRICKS Jftj .TRICK 7. B TRICK 8. ' B ^ TRICKS TRICKS ;AB 4 IYZ, 4 178 WHIST. BEMARK (Trick 8). Well played by A. He can count B's hand. The ten of diamonds is marked in Y's hand, so B has two diamonds and three hearts. Therefore B must have had four hearts originally, and as it is not the game to put on knave, second hand, with four, holding less than three honours (see Trick 3 and Analysis of Play of Second Hand, p. 82), B must hold both king and queen of hearts. TRICKS 9 to 13. B leads king, queen of hearts, to which A discards clubs. A makes his three trumps, and AB score three by cards and two by honours. THE HANDS. (A's hand is given above.) Y's HAND. B's HAND. Z's HAND. Kg, 6, 4, 3. . 10, 9, 6, 5 . . Kg .... 10, 9, 5, 4 . . * V 9, 2 .... 4 Kg,Qn,Knv,4 ? Qn, 10 . . .4* Ace, Qn, 8, 3, 2 + 10, 5. ... * 8, 3, 2 . . . V Ace,Kv,8,6,5,2 f Kg, Knv . . + At Trick 8, Y's play is difficult. He might have noticed that his best chance of saving the game is for A to hold only winning hearts and a losing club ; and this being so, Y should not lead a diamond. WHIST. 179 HAND X. Counting the hands. Simple instance of departure from rule. Y's HAND. TRICK 1. THE PLAY. TBICK 2. CYZ, ^TV THICKS 180 WHIST. TRICK -i. 21 JL I TRICK 3. 2 :*: X TRICK 5. Z. A A THICKS TRICK 7- Z Y B THICKS TRICK C. ^> B ;*: THICK 8. 2 WHIST. 181 TEICK 9. THICKS THICK 10. REMAEK (Trick 9). The lead of ace, followed by knave, indicates a five card suit, headed by ace, queen, knave, and a desire that partner, if he holds the king, should put it on second round (see p. 94). But in this case Y can count the hands, and therefore departs from rule, and does not put on the king. Z has a trump, and three diamonds, the ten guarded being in B's hand. If Y follows rule and puts on king of diamonds, he loses a trick in diamonds; by passing the knave, he ensures five by cards. TRICKS 11 to 13. Whatever Y leads, Z makes the re- maining tricks, and YZ win five by cards. THE HANDS. (Y's hand is given above.) A's HAND. B's HAND. Z's HAND. Kg, 2 . . . * Knv, 9, 7, 4, 2 y Kg,Knv,10,5,2 * Qn, 8, 3 . .^ Kg, 10, 8 . y 8, 7, 4 . . .* 10. 8. 7. 3 . .A Knv, 10, 6, 5 . Ace .... Qn, 9, 6 . . Ace.Qn.Kv.fi.2 At Trick 2, Z's trump lead is rather forward, but justifi- able with his hand at the score of love-all. 182 WHIST. HAND XI. Discarding, and playing to the score. Z's HAND. TRICK 1. y THE PLAY. TRICK 2. / BE"? 4 TRICKS fr TRICKS I y o KEMABK. Y has called for trumps. WHIST. 183 TR "( A 1 CK 3. ->- Y I< B 3, 2 TR ICB 4. i Y 4 4 4% 4 4 4 4 1 | B tt , K3 rAi K Z ^Z TR A ICK 5. Y- " HI \ B Z,' 3 TRI CK 6. Y - ^V 1 1 >l 4 4 *: * * B 4 * 4 Z T Z TRICKS! YZ' A, TR A ICK 7. Y - 4~~~4 4*4 4 4 -x 1 \ B Z, 5 TR [CK 8. v-S y J *** * * * * 4 *j 4 B 4 4 4 >; 4 4 CAB 2 Z TRICKS y Z T 184 WHIST. TRICKS 9 to 13. Y (Trick 9) leads a spade. Z puts on the ace, as that card and the two trumps in Y's hand make the game. If Z fi0esses he only scores four, as will be seen by referring to the hands below. The hand is instructive on these grounds. Y is directed to the spade suit by Z's original discard of a club at Trick (see p. 97), notwithstanding that Z has since discarded two spades. Z plays properly to keep his queen of clubs guarded after his first discard, as he only wants at most two tricks besides the two trumps which he knows to be in Y's hand. Y, at Trick 8, leads a heart to show he has all the other heart?, as it is possible that the best heart may be held up by the adversary. Y thus tells Z not to finesse if he has one trick certain (see score). Z's play would not be right if he had only five tricks up. as he would then want one more trick to win the game. In that case he should finesse. This is a good illustration of playing to the score. YZ score three by cards and two by honours. THE HANDS. (Z's hand is given above.) A's HAND. Kg, 9, 8, 3 . .4 Y's HAND. 5 4 B's HAND. Knv, 10, 4, 2 . 4 "& V 1 ^1 " T Kg, 2 ... ? Kg, 9, 5 . . * Ace, Kg, 10, 4 4 Ace, Knv,8,5,3 y Knv, 6 . . . f Qn, 9, 8, 6, 5. + 10,7,4. . . y Ace, 10, 7, 3 . Y 4444 4 4444 4 4 4 4 * + * * * * * 8 4 4 B 4 4*4 4*4 X 4 4 vJ AT KS| yi {&$ Z Ti Z T REMARK. The knave of diamonds, and therefore the command of trumps is marked in Y's hand. TRICK B. TEH TRICK C. '* {1 TBICK 7. TRICK 8. * + * WHIST. 187 EEMAEK (Trick 7). Z properly concludes, as his partner has command of trumps (see Remark, Trick 3), that his discard was from his weakest suit, and therefore leads clubs. If Z mistakes the character of his partner's discard, and leads a heart, he loses the game (see pp. 98, 99, and apply the rules of play there stated, to the present situation). TRICKS 9 to 13. Y brings in the clubs (see his hand below), and YZ win the odd trick. THE HANDS. (Z's hand is given above.) A's HAND. Ace, Kg, 10, 2 4> Ace, 9, 7 . . if King, 3. . . * Ace, Kg, Qn, 5 + Y's HAND. 6, 4 .... ^ 4, 2 .... V Ace,Kv,10,4,2 f, Knv, 9, 8, 6 . + B's HAND. Knv, 8, 5, 3 . * Qn, Knv, 8, 3 . y 9, 8, 7 . . . * 7, 3 .... ^ 188 WHIST. HAND XIII. Getting rid of command of partner's suit. Z's HAND. Four of hearts turned up. \^ TRICK 1. y THE PLAY. TRICK 2. Y QQ ~4^ * _*. z Z; o <^ AB, 2 Y2j WHIST. 189 TEICK 4. Y TKICK 3. Y THICKS TKICK 5. Y X X o S |YZ, 2 THICK 7. 4 TEICK 8. . Y w~ ; REMARK (Trick 8). Z, finding that all the remaining diamonds (viz., the y and 5) are in Y's hand, throws the 190 AVHIST. ten on the queen that he may leave the command in the hand which has the greatest numerical strength (sec p. 89). If he does not play thus he loses the odd trick, as will appear by referring to the hands below. Y plays badly in leading the queen. He should feel certain that Z's lead was from four diamonds, and should therefore have led the small diamond in order to keep the command in his own hand. THICK 9. y Y7\ v^i V TEICK 10. y * * 1*1 A * 41 * * i; 7 TRICKS 11 to 13. Y (Trick 11) leads a spade. B puts on ace, second hand, and (Trick 12) leads a club (sec the hands below), and YZ win the odd trick. THE HANDS. (Z's hand is given above.) A's HAND. 10,9. ... ^ Qn, 8 . . . V Q,Kv,10,6,5,4,2 + 7, 4 .... f Y's HAND. 8, 7, 6 . . .^ Knv, 10, 9, 6 . y Kg .... * Ace,Q,Knv,9,5 4 B's HAND. Ace, Qn, 4, 3, 2 ^ Kg, 7, 3, 2. . y Ace, 7 . . . f. Kg, 3 ... 4 WHIST. 191 At Trick 2, Z retains the turn up card in hand (see p. 108). At Trick 5, B's play in going on with the trump is too forward. HAND XIV. Finessing. A's HAND. TBICK 1. g THE PLAY. THICK 2. B * TRICK* f AB > l IRICKS IYZ, TB.CKS {||,1 192 THICK 3. WHIST. TRICE 4. _B^ ffi *y TRICK 5. g X YZ, 3 * * A TRICKS } S5 i TRICX C. g * * *,* *~* 5- ? THICKS TRICK 7. B ~ * * *** * * r> * 4 WHIST. 193 TRICK 9. TRICKS \ KEMARK (Trick 9). A's finesse is unlucky. He has no indication as to the posi- tion of the queen. The fi- nesse must not be judged ~by the result. It is generally right against one card if the success of the finesse wins the game. TRICKS 10 to 13. YZ make two tricks in diamonds (see their hands below) ; and YZ win the odd trick. THE HANDS (A's hand is given above.) Y's HAND. B's HAND Z's HAND. Kg, Qn,Knv,4 ^ Ace, 9 ... * 10, 8, 6, 3 . . * Qn, 5 . . . ? Ace, 10 ... V 8, 3, 2 . . . V Ace, 4, 2 . .^ 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 3 . * Kg, Qn, 10 . * Kg, Knv, 8, 5 4 Qn, 9, 3 . . Ace, 4, 2 . . At Trick 6, Y's lead is not well judged. He knows his partner to hold king of clubs single, and his object should be to prevent the two trumps from being drawn together. Y's best lead appears to be queen of hearts; and if it wins, a diamond. 194 WHIST. HAND XV. Counting the hands, and refusing a finesse. Z's HAND. Ta ( A ICK 1. Sr Y THE PLA Ta A Y. ICK 2. Y 4 4 4 4 4 4 :*: * * 4 4 , B * * V 4. 4 * B * * -i Z TBICKS^Y^' J Z Ti REMARK (Trick 1). A has not both king and queen of diamonds, or he would have led one. B has not either king or queen of diamonds, or he would have played one of them instead of the ace. Therefore, Y must have one of those cards. Z draws this inference at tlie time. It will not be of any use to him until near the end of the hand. WHIST. 195 THICK 3. * * * * * TBICKS{$|; J REMARK. B has led from at least five clubs. THICK 4. TRICKS REMARK. The ace would be an echo (see p. Il9). THICK 5. y THICK 6. y * * v: REMARK (Trick 6). The policy of this lead is doubtful. Players are apt to show their suits in this manner. But it is clear, the opponents having led diamonds and clubs, that if Z has strength in any suit it is in spades. The objections to showing a suit in this way are: 1, that it may be trumped the first round ; 2, that partner may have only one card of it. In the latter case he cannot return the lead, and must open or continue another suit to a disadvantage. 02 HEM ARK. Y has the long trump. THICK 9. Y TRICK 10. * REMARK (Trick 9). Z's play in not finessing is very good. He can count Y's hand, thus: Y has no more clubs (sea Remark, Trick 3), he has the last trump, and three other cards. These cards must either be queen, ten of spades, and a diamond, in which case Z's play does not matter ; or the nine returned by Y must be his best spade, in which case he can only have one more, as he would return the higher of two remaining cards (see p. 75), and his other cards must then be two diamonds. Therefore, assuming the case in which Z's play does matter \i.e., of Y's nine being his best spade), Y's diamond must be guarded. WHIST. 197 Consequently, Z, by not finessing, makes sure of the game. He requires one more trick besides the ace of spades and his partner's trump, and this trick Y is certain to make in diamonds if Z leads through A's hand (see Remark, Trick 1). TEICKS 10 to 13. Z (Trick 10) leads a diamond, and, however A plays, YZ score three by cards and two by honours. THE HANDS. (Z's hand is given above.) A's HAND. Y's HAND. B's HAND. Qn, 8, 3 . . . 4> 9, 5 . . . . 4 10, 7, 6, 4 . . * Knv, 7, 4 . . Y Qn, 10, 6, 5 . V 9, 8, 3 . . Y 9, 8, 5 ... * Kg, Qn, 7 . .41 Ace,Kv.l6,3,2 4* Kg, Knv, 7, 5 . + Qn, 10, 9, 6 . ^ Ace .... b * As the cards happen to lie, YZ only score four if Z finesses at Trick 9, and A plays properly. A, on winning this trick with the queen of spades, should see that his only chance of making two more tricks is to be led up to in diamonds. He should therefore (Trick 10) lead the seven of diamonds, which Y is compelled to take, and AB save the game. 198 WHIST. HAND XVI. Leading losing card to place the lead (see pp. 139-143). B'S HAND. TRICK 1. A THE PLAY. THICK 2. %* 4 4 ^V TEICKS^ v CAB, 2 lYZ, 199 REMARK. Y has the king of spades. EEMAEK. It is probable that A is weak in trumps, as he refused to force his partner in diamonds. Nevertheless, B leads a trump, as he is well provided in spades, and has some defence in the club suit, TRICK 6. ft _AT\ v^*\ v THICK 6. REMARK (Trick 6). The queen of hearts must be in Z's hand, as A returned the four and now plays the two, and Y renounces. THICK 9. TRICK 10. TRIG THICKS {AB.7 REMARK (Trick 10). B leads the losing club to throw the lead into Y's hand. Y will then be obliged to lead a spade, as he has no other suit. Z will have to follow suit, or will be forced with the queen of trumps, and B will make the ace of spades and the last trump. TRICKS 11 to 13. Y (Trick 11) leads a spade, B puts on the queen, and AB score three by cards and two by honours. WHIST. 201 THE HANDS, (B's hand is given above.) A's HAND. Y's HAND. Z's HAND. 10,9,7. . . 4* Kg, 8, 5, 4, 3 . * 6, 2 .... 4* Knv, 4, 2 . . V 6, 5 . . . . ? Qn, 10, 8, 7 . V Kg, 5 ... * Ace, Qn, 9, 4 . { 10, 7, 3 . . . * Ace, Kg, 6, 3, 2 Qn, 8 . . . ^ 10, 9, 7, 4 . . At Trick 8, Y should underplay in clubs. HAND XVII. Leading losing card to place the lead (see pp. 139-143). Y's HAND. TRICK 1. THE PLAY. THICK 2. THICKS f AB > 1 MCKS lYZ, 1 202 TEICK 3. 2 WHIST. TEICK 4. 2 * 4- * * * AB, TRICK 5. 2 TKICK 6. V: TRICK 7. Z THICK 8. 2 B, 1 Z, 7 WHIST. 203 TBICK 9. TBICKS{ YZ ; * TEICK 10. TEICK 11. CAB, 3 KEMARK (Trick 11). Y leads the losing spade to put the lead into A's hand (see fall of the spades, Tricks 1, 4, and 10), and so compel A to lead hearts up to Z. At this score (YZ, one) this is the best chance of four by- cards. If the score were YZ, love, Y should lead a heart, as leading the spade gives up all chance of five by cards. TRICKS 12 and 13. Z has ace, queen of hearts; and YZ win four by cards. A's HAND. Kg, 9, 8, 7 . . Kg, 2 ... Qn, Knv, 8, 7 . 9, 8, 5 ... THE HANDS. (Y's hand is given above.) B's HAND. 6, 4, 3 . . .4 Knv, 9, 7, G . ^ 10, 6, 3 . . .4 10, 4, 3 . . , A Z's HAND. Knv, 2 . . . Ace, Qn, 8, 5, 4 Ace, Kg, 4 . . Ace, Kg, 7. . 204 WHIST. HAND XVIII, Underplay. Z's HAND. TRICK 1. Y THE PLAY. TRICK 2. Y C^ S z WHIST. 205 TB A ICK 3. Y - ^ .1C \ B TB A ICK 4. Y " *> V * *.? *** * * * * * * * * ^ * H^ * l^t B * * *.* *7* * * n 'Ksf A1 KS IY5 Z Ti TRICKS f AB ' IRICKS (YZ, 4 REMARK (Trick 4). Y has led from ace, queen, knave, ten ; and B, the weak trump hand, has no more clubs. TRICK 6. TKICK 6 TwTrif C AB, lHICKS| yZj p> REMARK (Trick 5). Z underplays in trumps. To con- tinue hearts, with queen, king marked against him (see Trick 2), or to open diamonds, would be very disadvan- tageous, so a trump lead is forced, more especially as Y has command of clubs, and B is about to trump that suit. The lead of ace or king of trumps would leave the lead with Z, who would then still be in a difficulty as to his next lead. Further, it is of importance to endeavour to place the lead in Y's hand, that he may continue clubs. Also, if the underplay succeeds, it is not at all unlikely that YZ will win the game. WHIST. TRICKS 8 to 13. Z makes ace, king of trumps, and YZ win the game. THE HANDS. (Z's hand is given above.) A's HAND. Y's HAND. B's HAND. Qn, 7, 5, 3. 2 . 4 Knv ? 8 ... 41 9, 4 .... 4 Kg, 6 . . . T V Ace, 2 . . . y Qn, 9, 8, 7 . . T^ V 8,5,4,2 . . * Ace,Q,Kn,10 ? 3 + 9, 6 . . . . * Ace, Qn . . * 10, 5. 4, 3 . . + Knv, 9, 8, 7, 2 * At Trick 5, if A puts on queen of spades, second hand, he saves the game. May be, a very shrewd player would have seen' through the position, including the importance of preventing Y from getting the lead if possible ; but A can hardly be blamed for passing, as it is unlikely that both ace and king of spades are in Z's hand. WHIST. 207 HAND XIX. Underplay, and playing to the score. Y's HAND. THICK 1. 2 THE PLAY. THICK 2. A~% THICKS fy^' o REMARK (Trick 3). Y is justified in playing a forward game. He has four trumps (see pp. 113, 114), ace of the opponent's suit, and a fine heart suit : and his partner has declared strength in diamonds by choosing that suit for his original lead. TRICK 5. TRICK 6. B * 4 s r^A *A* * ' t *4 f *** V - Y TRICKS {AB; \ X X ^ TRICKS *> REMARK (Trick 6). Y is justified in playing a false card here, notwithstanding General Principle 12 (p. 101). The heart is a forced lead, and the card led (the ten) is ob- viously A's best. Y's scheme is to take another round of trumps, and then to underplay in hearts (see p. 94) ; so he puts on the ace to deceive B as to the position of the king. WHIST. 209 TE B ICK 7. z A TR B ICK 8. *. Z 4 4 x 4 4 4.4 4*4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 A 1 V V - Y -Y CAB, 2 TRICKS 9 to 13. Z leads the king of clubs, to which Y discards the two of diamonds. Z then leads the knave of hearts, on which Y puts the king ; the queen falls (See the hands below) ; Y brings in the hearts ; and YZ win five by cards. THE HANDS. (Y's hand is given above.) A's HAND. B's HAND. Z's HAND. Ace, K g, 5 . 4 9, 8, 6 ... 4* Qn, 4, 2. . . 4* 10, 2. Knv, 8 ,7. 6, 5 5 Qn ? 7, 10 9 4. . . V 2. . . A Knv, 9. 3 . . Kg, Qn, 4 . . J Ace, 8, 6 . . A 10,9, 7, 3 . .4 Qn, Knv, 5, 4 A A and B both play the hand badly. At Trick 6, A, in the face of an adverse trump lead and the command of his suit (clubs) against him, should lead the ace of diamonds to make the third trick and save the game. At Trick 8, B should put on his queen of hearts. He is fairly taken in by Y's dark play at Trick 6 ; but he ought not to have allowed himself to be so. He should have argued that Y, who has been playing a very strong game, would not be likely to put on ace second hand merely for the purpose P 210 WHIST. of getting the lead or of making sure of a trick. Further, if A's lead was a forced one, from weakness (hearts being the only suit in which B can be strong), Z is sure to finesse if he has kinrr, knave, or even king, nine. So B's best chance of making the queen is to put it on (sec p. 95). HAND XX. Defensive trump lead, and playing to the score. A's HAND. TR Y CK 1. B THE PLAY. TRICK 2. B - > 4- 4- * 5- 4- 4- * 4- 4- 4- 4- Z *** Y 4- * 4- 4- *'* Z * A 4* * 4* 4- + V u {^5 T A TJ REMARK (Trick 1). A defensive trump lead, to avoid opening a three card suit. WHIST. TRICK 4. g 211 THICK 3. g r>. 4 4 B, 3 REMAEK (Trick 4). A's finesse is unlucky. He is, how- ever, clearly justified in not parting with, the command of trumps, as, even if the finesse does not succeed, he remains with the last trump, will be led up to in one of his guarded suits, and will, in all probability, bring in his partner's diamonds. THICK 5. A THICK C. THICKS P2 212 WHIST. THICK 7. YZ, 4 TRICK 8. TRICKS 3 TBICKS 9 to 13. A leads the queen of diamonds, and then the seven, finding his partner with the entire com- mand of diamonds (see B's hand below) ; and AB score three by cards and two by honours. Y's HAND. 8, 7, 4, 3, 2 .4 Kg, 10, 9, 4 . Y Knv. 7. 6 . .4 THE HANDS. (A's hand is given above.) B's HAND. 10 7, 6, 3 . . . < Ace, Kg. 2 . A,Kg,Kv,i, . < Z's HAND. Ace, Qn, 9, 6 . 4* Ace, Knv, 5 . ^ 9, 8, 4 . . . * 10, 9, 6 . A . .4 It may be observed that Z loses the game by bad play at Trick 7. The fall of the cards in Tricks 5 and 6 shows that A has the queen of hearts, and Y the king. Z should therefore, at Trick 7, lead the ace of spades to make the fourth trick, and then the heart, making the fifth trick and saving the game. At Trick 8, if Y leads a spade and Z does not finesse, the game may be saved. To finesse at that point would be very bad play, as the ace of spades makes the fifth trick. But Y's play at Trick 8, though unfortunate, is not wrong; WHIST. 213 for Y cannot tell that Z has the ace of spades; indeed, the presumption is that he has not, or he would have led it. Y properly plays to force the long trump, and to make his partner fourth player. HAND XXI. An ill-judged call for trumps, and a well-judged third round, notwithstanding the adverse strength. B's HAND. THE TRICK 1. * * *"*"* * ^> PLAY. TRICK 2. 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 -^ REMARK. Z has called for trumps. TRICK B. A TKICK 6. ++* A *\+-* V B REMARK. It is seldom right to continue trumps when led by the opponents ; but this is an exceptional case. B plays well in draw- ing two trumps for one, as it is evident that if Y and Z make their trumps separately they must win the odd trick. REMARK. The fall of the spades (see Tricks 3, 4, and 5) shows that the three is in Y's hand. WHIST. 215 TRICK 8. A TBICK 7. A V 7 * * THICK 9. TEICK 10. TKICKS 11 to 13. Whatever Z leads, B makes ace, queen of hearts ; and AB win the odd trick. THE HANDS. (B's hand is given above.) A's HAND. 9, 6, 2 . . . < Ace, 8, 7 . Y's HAND. Ace, 7, r>, 2 . 4 7, 5, 4 ... V Ace .... Knv, 9, 5, 3, 2 Z's HAND. Qn,Knv,10,9,8 j* Kg, Knv, 3 . f 7, 6, 4 . . Kg, 4 . . 216 WHIST. Z's call for trumps is ill-judged, especially at the score of four-all. The whole club suit is declared against him, as Y, putting on ace, second hand, can have no more. If Z does not call, he wins the game easily. HAND XXII. Returned lead, and refusing a force. A's HAND. TRICK 1. THE PLAY. TRICK 2. 4 4 4 4 4 V ~= {gJ - A T 4 4 X EEMAKK (Trick 2). B has the five of spades, and Y the king. A, therefore, does not continue the trump, but leaves the small spade in his partner's hand. WHIST. 217 TR Y [CK 3. B Z ?, 3 , TRICK 4. B- S if 4*4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Y 4 4 4 4 4 4 Z 4 4 . 4 4 4 4 n ^ aiCKS fAB, 4 x - A TRICKS y* A TB Y ICK 5. B Z 5, 5 , TRICK 6. Y Ili B * 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Z 4 V. X /^ N A TRICKS f yr A TRICKS ' J TB Y ICK 7. B- S Z TRICK 8. B * * 4- * * 4. 4. Y 8 Z * * 4 A TRIPKS fAB, 6 1 RICKS yZj l A TRICKS f YZ g 218 WHIST. TRICK 9. / ^ * * A / *$..- * 4 *** Y ^ * 0j$ *** A THICKS TRICK 10. B * * > *l A Tm REMARK (Trick 9). A knows B has at least two more clubs (see Tricks 7 and 8, and p. 106). A, therefore, desires to leave the lead with Y, that he may go on with another club, and so clear B's suit. TRICK 11. B z REMARK (Trick 11). A leads his smallest heart, as he does not want to tempt B to finesse (see p. 134). B has ace, queen of hearts (see his hand below), but he does not finesse, as the ace of hearts, last club, and A's trump make every trick. Y X V. lICKS {yz;3 - A Ti AB win four by cards. THE HANDS. (A's hand is given above.) Y's HAND. Kg, 8, 3. . .4 s, 5, 4 . . . r Ace, Kg, Qn . tj Knv. 9, 6, 3 . + B's HAND. Qn ; 7,5. . . * Ace, Qn. . . V 10, 6, 5, 4, 3. 2 ?. Kg, 10 . . .^ Z's HAND. Knv, 6 ... ^ Kg, Knv. 9,7,2 If Knv, 8, 7 . . fi 5, 4, 2 ... 4 WHIST. 219 Y should play queen of clubs at Trick 7, and ace of clubs at Trick 9, when A will not have sufficient materials for his coup, as he will be uncertain as to the position of the best club. Y gives his adversary too much information by playing book (see p. 109). When the adversaries have command of trumps, it is often advisable, towards the end of a hand, to play so as not to enable them to count the cards. HAND XXIII. Refusing to overtrump. A's HAND. Five of diamonds turned up. TKICK 1. THE PLAY. THICK 2. * + A * * 4^4 4.4 4% 4 4 ^ 220 WHIST. TEI Y CK 3. B Z ) Ti Y LICK 4. B- >v ft * * A A * * J-5-t Z 5- ? * ^ B, 2 TEICK 5. E_ A 4- A TEICK C. REMARK (Trick G). A does not overtrump. This is the sort of coup for which no rule can be laid down in a book, as it depends entirely on the state of the game and the previous fall of the cards. A sees, that his only chance of two by cards is for the remaining trumps to be divided, and for him to be able to get two rounds before he loses the command of hearts. If then his partner has ace, queen of spades, he may win the game against two by honours. WHIST. TRICK 8. 221 THICK 7. B X X THICKS THICK 9. TRICK 10. g VL+ N A 4 4 4 CAB, 5 TEICKS 11 to 13. Z leads a heart which A wins, A leads a spade, and finds his partner with ace, queen ; and AB win two by cards (which score before honours). Y's HAND. Kg, 9, 8. . . Qn, 9, 8 . . . 10, 8, 7, 4 . . 9,8,7 . . . THE HANDS. (A's hand is given above.) B's HAND. Ace,Q,Kv,7,6,4 ^ Ace, 6 . . . y Ace,Kg,Kv,6,5 fi Z's HAND. Knv, 7, 5, 4, 3 Qn, 9 . . . 222 WHIST. HAND XXIV. Refusing to overtrump. Y's HAND. THE TRICK 1. Z TRICK. TRICK 2. Z fci ** THICKS Z, WHIST. THICK 4. 2 223 THICK 3. Z 4 THICK 5. 2 THICKS TRICK G. 2 THICK 7. Z THICK 8. 2 A * 4 4 * * 4 4 4 TRICKS TAB, 4 J.RICKS| yZj 3 C AB, f '<. YZ, 4 REMARK (Trick 10). Y's play in not overtrumping is very good. He counts the hand thus : to save the game Z must hold ace, queen, or ace, knave of spades ; his third card is evidently the remaining diamond. A has the nine of clubs (see fall of the club suit in Tricks 2, 7, and 9), and two trumps. B has two trumps, one being queen or knave (see Trick 9), and king, knave of clubs. If the cards remaining in each hand are placed face upwards on the table, and the uncertain cards, viz., the nine, four, and three of trumps are given two to A, and one to B, it will be seen that, if Y overtrumps with the seven, he cannot make the requisite three tricks ; but that, if he leaves the lead with A, YZ make the remaining tricks. It may be added, that if, at Trick 10, A discards his club, and keeps his three little trumps together, leaving the trick to B, AB must win the odd trick if B leads a trump at Trick 1 1 after trumping. This A might have reckoned. THE HANDS. (Y's hand is given above.) ' A's HAND. 4, 3, 2 . . . * Knv, 2 . . . y Ace, 9, 8, 7 . ( B's HAND. Qn, 9, 8 . . 4 Kg, 10, 8 . . ^ Kg,Q,Kv,l 0.4,2 {. Z's HAND. Ace, Knv, 10. 5 + Qn, 3 . . . f 6 . . . f* Kg, Knv, 10, 9 + Ace . . . . ^ 8,6,5,4,3,2 . ^ WHIST. 225 HAND XXV. See Refusing to overtrump, pp. 138, 139. B's HAND. TRICK 1. THE PLAY. TRICK 2. A *** * * 226 TBICK 3. A WHIST. TBICK 4. A * 4. 4. TRICKS TBICKS{ AB > 2 TRICK 6. A **+ TEICK. C. TRK TRICK 7. A X TRICK 8. 4. 4. 1*1 4. > 4. 4. THICKS THICKS WHIST. 227 TRICK 9. TRICK 10. ?\ TRICK IYZ, 4 KEMARK (Trick 10). A should probably have played the winning diamond here (see his hand below). However, he luckily leads the spade. B does not overtrump for this reason : he can count A's hand to consist of the other spade and knave and another diamond (as, if A had led from queen, knave, and only one small diamond, he would have commenced with the queen instead of the small one see Trick 6), A there- fore having no more trumps, B cannot possibly win two more tricks if he overtrumps. TRICK 11. A 4 uTrKS , RICKS |YZ, 5 TRICKS 12 and 13. Z leads a trump (he has only trumps in hand), and B makes ace and eight. AB win two by cards. Q2 " 228 WHIST. THE HANDS. (B's hand is given above.) A's HAND. Y's HAND. Z's HAND. Kg,Knv.9,8.7 4 6, 5, 4 . . A Ace, 10, 3 . .4 Kg, 9, 6 . . V Qn, 10, 3 . . V Knv, 7, 5, 4 . y 7 . A Ace,Qn,Knv,2 Kg, 10, 6, 3 . s X ^-Y TRTrTCS fAB, 3 IKICKS (YZ, 4 Y TRICKS < V r7* r ( I A, O REMARK (Trick 7). This is strong illustration of a case for departing from rule. Y can count two more 230 WHIST. trumps, and at least three more spades in A's hand (see A's leads, Tricks 3 and 6, and p. 106). It is clear that A can have at most two hearts ; consequently, if Y leads his tierce major in hearts, he must lose the game, as the op- ponents have two by honours. But, if Y can give his partner the lead, and Z has four more clubs, or the winning club, and A makes the mistake of trumping it, YZ may make every trick, and win the game. Y would be right to play as he does even if A had led from only four spades, but the hand is given as it was played. TRICKS 9 to 13. Z continues to lead clubs (see his hand below), and, whether A passes or trumps, YZ score four by cards. THE HANDS. (Y's hand is given above.) A's HAND. B's HAND. Z's HAND. Knv, 9, 5, 3, 2 + 8, 7 .... ? Kg .... * Ace, Qn, 9, 6, 4 4 Kg, Qn, 10,8, 7 Knv, 6, 5 . . 9,4,3 . . . Knv, 2 . * 4 Ace, 6 . . . 4 9, 4, 3 . . . y A,Q,Kv,10,6,5,2i 5 . .4 WHIST. 231 HAND XXVII. See Leading from weakest suit, p. 132. Z's HAND. TRICK 1. Y THE PLAY. TRICK 2. f\ A -> * * * * * * * * * * * * TRICKS A Wj 232 WHIST. THICK 3. r_ Y 1 4 1 TRICK 4. Y -% \ I fl^id - '$ im [ * SK A 4 B A 4k * 4 t/-^ ^^^^ * w 4 ' Z Z f A Tl 2 ^ A T? KS hz,'i TRICKS] y^' o REMARK (Trick 3). By the first discard Z shows his strong suit to be spades. In an ordinary hand Z might afterwards throw a diamond. But here Y must be strong in diamonds in order to save the game, and it is important for Z to keep the power of leading that suit more than once. TRICK 5. Y TRICK C. Y """ \ 4* * 4 4 V 44 s 4 4 * 4 4 * .* <*k * * 44 * 4 4 A A *X B A * * ;*; B A A, 4k A 4 4. 4 4 4; * * 4 ^ 4 4 4 k 4 4 **J \ Z TKICKSJ YZ' 3 Z {#! WHIST. 233 TRICK 8. Y TRICK 7. Y THICKS TRICKS {,* IRICK 9, TRICK 10. TRICKS TRICKS 11 to 13. A, with the lead, remains with the last trump and king, knave of diamonds. He (Trick 11) leads the trump ; but, whatever he plays. YZ win the odd trick. THE HANDS. (Z's hand is given above.) A's HAND. Kg .... * Kg, 4 ... y Kg,10 ? 9,S,.7,6,2 4 Kg, Knv, 9 . + Y's HAND. Knv, 8, 5 . . ^ Ace, 5, 2 . . ^ Qn, 4, 3 . . -f. Ace, Qn, 10, 2 4 B's HAND. Qn, 9 . . . * Knv, 10, 9, 8, 7 ^ Ace, Knv . . Jf 7, 6, 4, 3 . .4 234 TVIIIST. A plays well throughout, but he cannot prevent the result. His lead of the trump at Trick 3 to show his strength, and to tell his partner to make one trick certain if he has the chance, is unlucky, as it puts the adversaries on the only tack for saving the game. HAND XXVIII. See Treating long suits like short ones, pp. 133-135. B's HAND. Nine of spades turned up. THE PLAY. TEICK 1. ft THICK 2. /\ WHIST. THICK 4. J\ 235 TRICK 3. A ' *4* *** * * M 111 B THICK o. ^ * * ^ m THICKS {AB.B TRICK 7. A TRICK 8. A *** *** B, G 236 WHIST. TB Z ICK 9. A TR Z ICK 10. A U< Y 4 4 4 4 4 * * A A A A *++^ i / 1 A ' KS '(. YZ,' 3 4/ -B B TRICKS - CAB ' ? REMARK (Trick 9). Deschapelles' Coup. B can count A's hand, three diamonds and two hearts, for the ten, nine of clubs are clearly with Y (see Tricks 7 and 8). B therefore leads the king of hearts (see p. 134). If he makes the usual lead of a small heart, he wins a trick less as the cards happen to lie. TRICK 11. TRICK 12. fa Z 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Y ; Y j 4 4 *** A 4. *** A A V z; ; ^ 4? B TRICKS IY^' 5 B TRICKS {AB. 7 TBICK 13. A makes the king of diamonds; and AB score two by cards and two by honours. If Y, at Trick 4, discards a heart, he saves the game. Nevertheless, his proper discard is the club (see pp. 97, 98). WHIST. 237 THE HANDS. (B's hand is given above.) A's HAND. Y's HAND. Z's HAND. Kg, 7, 3 . . * Knv, 5 . ,. . 4 9,8,6,4 . .^ Qn, 7 . . . y Ace, 8, 6 . . if Knv, 10, 9. . y 8, 7, 5 ... * Ace, Kv, 10,9,2 e Qn, 6,4. . . * Kg, 9, 5, 3, 2 . + Ace, 10. 7 . . 4. 8, 6, 4 . . . + HAND XXIX. See Befusing to win the second round of a suit, p. 135. Z's HAND. THICK 1. THE PLAY. TRICK 2. ~z~ 238 TRICK 3. Y WHIST. THICK 4. Y :*: TRTf . v _ CAB, A * A THICK 5. Y TRICK C. Y TRICKS (AB, 3 THICK 7. Y TRICK 8. Y * * WHIST. TRICK 10. Y 239 THICK 9. y *** TRICKS f A ?> i TRICKS 10 to 13. Z brings in the diamonds ; and YZ win three by cards. A's HAND. 10,2. ... 4 Kg,Q,Kv,6,5,2 y Kg, 7, 4, 3. . * Kg .... A THE HANDS. (Z's hand is given above.) Y's HAND. Ace, 8 . . . 9, 8, 4 . . . y 10, 9, 8, 2 . .4, Ace, 8, 4, 2 .A B's HAND. Qn, Knv, 5, 3 . 4 10, 7, 3 . . . y Qn, Knv, 5 . ^ Qn, 7, 5 . . i At Trick 4, A having already shown his suit does not discard from it, as there is still a possibility of bringing it in (see pp. 97, 99), and his king of clubs is sufficiently protected even after the discard. If Z parts with the last trump at Trick 6, and leads diamonds, A, on the second round of diamonds, will unguard his king of clubs, knowing his partner to have a heart to lead him (see fall of the heart suit, Tricks 1, 4, and 5), will bring in all the hearts, and win the odd trick. 240 "WHIST. HAND XXX. See Eefusing to win the second round of a suit, pp. 135, 136. Ten of hearts turned up. TH E PLAY. TRICK 1. ft ^^ TRICK 2. A A A Y 4 ^ 4 ^ ^ + 4 + 4 * ^IXIv z 4 Y Z . IV+IY 4 $$ v ^^1 J v , X B - B f AB 1 m T-A-B, 1 TEIC KS | YZ "0 1 RICKS ^y2, 1 WHIST. 241 TRICK 3. B T THICK 4. A X THICKS THICK 5. THICK G. 4- * THICKS EEMARK (Trick 6). B hasjnext to no chance of bringing in the diamonds. He therefore plays to protect his short suits (gee pp. 97-99). THICK 7. A ifiUfr ** *** 5- * 4. THICK 8. 5 , !YZ, 6 242 WHIST. REMARK (Trick 7). B refuses to win this trick. The three of clubs is clearly in Z's hand (gee fall of the club suit, Tricks 5 and 7), and the two long trumps. The remaining clubs are evidently in Y's hand. If, therefore, B parts with the ace of clubs while Z has a club to lead, AB lose the game, unless A has the king of spades ; and if A has that card, B loses nothing by passing this trick, as Z. having only one more club, must hold three spades. TRICK 9. TRICK 10. TRICKS 11 to 13. B (Trick 11) leads the last diamond, and forces Z. Z (Trick 12) has only spades to lead; B makes ace, queen of spades ; and YZ score two by cards and two by honours. THE HANDS. (B's hand is given above). A's HAND. 10, 8, 7, 3 . . 4 Y's HAND. 9, 5, 2 . . A Z's HAND. Kg, 6, 4 . .4 Knv, 9, 7 . . 10,4. . . . Kff. 9, 7, 6 . 4 Kg, Qn . . .V Qn, 9, 8, 6, 5 . ^ 10. 8, 3 . .4 Ace,10,6,5,3,2 V Kg, Knv, 3 . 4, 4 . .4 WHIST. 243 HAND XXXI, See Declining to draw the losing trump, pp. 136, 137. A's HAND. TE Y ICK 1. B nc TH E F Z >LAY. TRICK 2. B III :*: Y X X * * V ~H -^ T] A TRICKS fy TRICK 5. g REMARK. It is evident that Z's lead was from king, knave, ten, 2 (.YZ, 6 TRICK 9. g TRICK 10. g TRICKS < TRICKS 11 to 13. Y has nothing but clubs to lead. A wins the three tricks ; and YZ win the odd trick. If, at Trick 7, A draws the trump, YZ win two by cards. THE HANDS (A's hand is given above.) Y's HAND. B's HAND. Z's HAND. Kg, 7 . . . Ace, 9, 2 . . Kg, Qn, 4, 2 . Kg, 7, 6,4. . $ j 10, 8, 5, 2 . .^ 8, 6 .... r Knv, 9, 8, 6, 3 ^ 10/2. . . . + Ace, 4 ... 4 Kg ; Kv,10,4,3 V 10,7,5. . . * Ace, 5, 3 . $ 246 WHIST. HAND XXXII. See Throwing high cards to place the lead, pp. 139-143. A's HAND. Score : Love-all. Five of clubs turned up. \ ^^+ THE PLAY. TEICK 1. g , REMARK. B has no more spades. . TRICK 2. g THICKS WHIST. 247 TEICK 3. B ~*~ 4- 4- 4* * 4- * f AB > (yZ, 3 TaicK 4. B + 4- 4- 4- 4- f AB ' TRICK 5. B TRICK 6. B f AB, 1 YZ, 4 THICKS{ AB ; I TRICK 7. B TRICK 8. B TRICKS AB ' 2 1KICKS iyz, 6 EEMAEK (Trick 8). Well played by A. He sees that if he obtains the lead on the second round of diamonds 248 WHIST. he must continue the spade suit, a course demonstrably fatal to him, unless his partner has the queen of diamonds together with the long hearts (see fall of hearts, Trick 7). By throwing the king to the ace A avoids the lead, and saves the game if his partner has either queen or knave of diamonds (as may be seen by placing the cards), unless the adversaries continue the spade suit, when the game cannot be saved by any course of play. This clever coup occurred in actual play. TRICKS 10 to 13. B brings in the hearts, win- ning two more tricks ; A makes his trump ; and YZ score the odd trick and two by lionours. THE HANDS. (A's hand is given above.) Y's HAND. Kg. 10 8. 6. 5 4t B's HAND. 4 . .A Z's HAND. Ace, Qn, 2. . ^ "&} * V J VI **> ~ E> 10 7 . V Ace,Kv,9,4:.3,2 y 8 . . V -"-&> xv/ T Qn, Knv, 10 . " 4 TRICK 8. g !/ THICKS 251 REMARK (Trick 10). A plays very well in putting on the ace. He wants two more tricks besides his ace of hearts to save the game. The last trump and best diamond are against him. It is clear, therefore, if A has the lead after the second round of hearts (when he must lead a diamond), he loses the game. It is also clear that unless B has king, knave, and a small heart, the game is gone. THICK 11. Z, 7 TKICK 12. YZ score two by cards and two by honours. 252 WHIST. THE HANDS. (A's hand is given above.) Y's HAND. B's HAND. Z's HAND. Knv, 8, 7 . . 4 10, 9, 6, 3 . . * Kg, Qn, 5 . . 4 7, 6, 4 . . y Kg, Knv, 5, 3,2 V 10, 9, 8 . . . ^ Kg, 10, 5 . . * Qn, 4 . . . + Ace,Knv,9,7.6 *. Ace, Knv, 10, 5 ^ 9, 8 .... 4 3, 2 . . . + At Trick 2, Y is in difficulties. His strong suit has been led by his right-hand adversary. Under these cir- cumstances, he leads from his strongest weak suit. At Trick G, Y's play in continuing the trump is open to criticism. His better lead seems to be knave of diamonds. Z wins his partner's ten of trumps in order to draw all the trumps. It is very bad play, for if Z passes the ten, and Y leads the knave of diamonds, the game is certain. This is an example of the very common error of winning part- ner's trick. It should seldom be done, and only if a positive advantage can be well-nigh demonstrated from doing it. At Trick 11, the advantage of winning partner's trick when judiciously done is shown. B, seeing A's anxiety to get rid of the lead, rightly conjectures that A has two more diamonds. He therefore takes the only course to save the game, by winning his partner's queen of hearts. "WHIST. 253 HAND XXXIV. Echo of the Call, see p. 119. Z's HAND. THE TRICK 1. THICKS THICK 2. TRICKS BEMAKK (Trick 2). Y has called for trumps. Z, having four trumps himself, commences to echo his partner's call. 254 TVHIST. TR A ICK 3. Y B ; Ti A LICK 4. Y- % X Ill *A m} I ^ t <- REMARK. Z completes the echo of the call. REMARK. Y, perceiving the echo, has no hesitation, in trumping and leading trumps. TRICK 5. TRICK G. TRICKS , 2 TRICKS < REMARK (Trick 6). Notwithstanding that Y is forced again, he perseveres with the trump, as he knows from Z's echo that he may safely lead another round. After this round Y knows that Z has the remaining trumps. WHIST. 255 TRICK 7. THICKS TRICK 8. TRICK 9. Y TRICK 10. 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 _ Tr fAB, 4 RICKS TRICKS TEICKS 11 to 13. Y (Trick 11) leads a club] Z trumps, and makes the remaining tricks ; and YZ score three by cards and two by honours. But for the echo the game might easily have been missed. At Trick 4, Y might have thought it prudent not to lead a trump after being forced, when, if he tries two rounds of diamonds, B makes a small trump, and the game is saved. A similar remark applies more strongly to Trick 6, after Y has been forced again. 256 ^VHIST. THE HANDS. (Z's hand is given above.) A's HAND. Y's HAND. B's HAND. Kg, Qn, 10. 8 . Ace, 2 . Qn, Knv, 3 . Qn, Knv, 10, 8 V * 7. 4 .... ^ .Kv.10.7 V 10, 5, 2 . . . f Ace, Kg, 3 . A Ace, Knv. f> . 4jt 6, 4 . . . . ? A,Kg,9,8,7,M 4* 9 . 4 V HAND XXXV. Leading losing tramp, and Echo of the Call. Y's HAND. King of hearts turned THE PLAY. TRICK 1. T..cK.{*f;l WHIST. TRICK 4. Z 257 TRICK 3. Z Y EICKS |AB, 2 KS (.YZ, 2 KEMARK (Trick 4). Z, at Trick 3, played the five of hearts, and now trumps with the four. He had therefore at least four trumps originally (see p. 119). TEICK 5. 2. C A"R THICKS tt - D > " ^ YZ, 3 TRICK 6. Z TRICK 7. Z TRICK 8. Z * * % ! THICKS {AB, 8 T _ TrT ._ CAB, 2 ICKS (YZ, 6 258 WHIST. THICK 9. Z TRICK 10. 2 A B TRICKS C AB > 2 ' YZ, 7 *+* * * * * X <" AB ' REMARK (Trick 10). Well played by Y. He can count his partner's hand, viz., the eight of trumps (see Remark, Trick 4, and the fall of the hearts, Tricks 3, 4, and 5), the last club, and a losing spade, as Z having put on the ace of spades (Trick 9), cannot have the king. Y therefore trumps with the nine, and (Trick 11) leads the seven of hearts to put the lead in Z's hand. Z (Trick 12) leads the club, to which Y discards the ten of spades ; and YZ win five by cards. THE HANDS. (Y's hand is given above.) A's HAND. B's HAND. Z's HAND. Qn . . . . + Qn, 10 . . . f Qn, 10, 4, 2 . * A,Qn,Kv,9,8,5 4 Kg,7,5 ? 4 3,2 4 Ace . . . . y 9, 5, 3 . . 4* 10,4,3 . .^ Ace, 6 . . . ^ Kg, 8, 5,4. . V Ace, Kg, 8, 7, 6 ?. 7, 6 .... 4 At Trick 4, B should have led a spade. A having shown at least five diamonds by leading ace, then knave (see p. 65), the diamond is sure to be trumped, and it may force the weak trump hand, or may allow one adversary to discard and the other to trump. WHIST. 259 HAND XXXVI. Echo after a force (see p. 120). B's HAND. THE PLAY. TEICK 1. y\ ^ TRICK 2. A* ** s2 260 WHIST. TRICK 3. A 4- -5- TRICKS | 2' \ REMARK. B has called. TRICK 4. A TRICK 5. X TRICK 7. A TRICK 8. y\ LYZ, 5 REMABK. A has echoed. He therefore had at least four trumps originally. ,*Z, 5 REMARK. The remain- ing trump is in A's hand. But for the echo, it might be in Z's hand. WHIST. 261 TEICK 9. TEICK 10. ;*: TRICKS {$| jj EEMAEK (Trick 9). B can now lead ace of diamonds, with- out fear of its being trumped (see Remark, Trick 8). If the position of the other trump were uncertain, the lead of the ace of diamonds would be wrong. For, by leading nine of trumps, B can make certain of saving the game (see score) ; whereas, if Z has a trump, and trumps the ace of diamonds, B loses the game, as Y will then make a diamond. TRICKS 11 to 13. B makes his three trumps, and AB win the game. THE HANDS. (B's hand is given above.) A's HAND. 8, 7, 5, 3 . .4 gn, 10, 7, 6, & ? 3 .... Y's HAND. Knv, 10 . . ^ Ace, 4, 2 . . if Knv, 9, 4, 2 . { Z's HAND. Kg, 2 . . . * Kg, 9, 3 . . V A,Kg,Q,10,7,5 of. 9,5,2 . . .^ Knv, 10, 8, 6 . TRICK 7. A TRICK 8. X X B TRICKS | YZ> ' 3 REMARK. The fall of the king shows that the remain- ing clubs are in Y's hand. B TRICKS (yg 3 REMARK. Well played by B. All the hearts are out ; the remaining diamonds are in Z's hand (sec fall of the 268 WHIST. diamonds, Tricks 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7), and all the clubs are in Y's hand. Y must therefore have three trumps and two spades. If B discards a spade to this trick, he cannot avoid leading trumps twice up to Y. In that case, Y will make two tricks in trumps, saving the game, as will be apparent by so playing the cards. The result is otherwise if B trumps his partner's best heart. He can then lead out ace and king of spades, to which Y must follow suit ; and by continuing with the six of clubs (the nine, eight, and three are in against him), B secures the tenace, and wins the game. TRICKS 9 to 13. B (Tricks 9 and 10) leads spades, and (Trick 11) the six of clubs. B makes the last two tricks, and AB score three by cards and two by honours. THE HANDS. (B's hand is given above.) A's HAND. 9, 5, 4, 3, 2 .4 Ace,Kg,Q,10,2 ^ Kg .... * 10, 6 ... + Y's HAND. Qn,6 . . . * Knv, 9, 8, 5, 3

RI \ B B, 6 Z, 5 TRICKS 12 and 13. Z makes his two trumps ; and :: :: 1 -KS \ y *** Z T YZ win the odd trick. 272 WHIST. THE HANDS. (Z's hand is given above.) A ? s HAND. 9. 7. .".. 4 . . 4 9, 7 .... ? Qn, 6 . . . * 10, 7, C, 4, 2 . + Y's HAND. Ace, Knv, 6 . 4* 5, 4 . . ' . . r 4, 3, 2 ... Ai Qn, Knv, 9, 8.5 B's HAND. Qn, 10, 8 . . 4 Ace, Qn, 10, G if Ace,Kg,Knv.^ *j* Ace, 3 ... It may be remarked that B refuses to trump several winning cards. He refrains advisedly. Knowing his left-hand adversary to have three more trumps, he ex- pects that a trump must be led up to the queen, ten at Trick 11, and that he must then make the odd trick. WHIST. 273 HAND XL. Grand Coup (see pp. 143-147). A's HAND. Knave of diamonds turned up. THE PLAY. TRICK 1. B TRICK 2. g Fi A 4^4 * m 4 4 4 4^4 Y * f* 2 Y {4? _ * * 4 ^KT V 4 ^ + 4 V 4 ^ A A TRICKS | ^2 ' " TRICKS { 274 TRICK 3. g WHIST. TRICK I. g REMARK. B has called. THICK 6. Y 4 4 4 4 4 4 VwM REMARK. B has three of trumps. X TRICKS TRICK 6. * * THICKS Z, 4 TRICK 7. B TRICK 8. g V TRICKS TR Y WHIST. 2 ICK 9. B Z > TRICK 10. B 4 4 4 4 | vX 4 4 4 4 4 4 ^ V. A - A f AB, 3 LYZ, G S , S (YZ, KEMAKK. A plays a masterly 5 KS and AB win the odd trick. T2 276 WHIST. THE HANDS. (A's hand is given above.) Y's HAND. Kg, 9, 2 . . * Qn, Knv, 10 . * 8, 4, 3 . . . * E> 9 7 r> A B's HAND. s. 7, 5 ' . . .4 9, 4 . . . L Kg, 9, 5 . . * Ace Qn 10.8 3 ^ Z's HAND. Ace.Qn,Kv,10 ^ Kg, 7, 6', 5, 3, 2 V Ace, Qn . . f> Krv A At Trick 5 B can place all the remaining trumps ; hence he under trumps his partner at Tripk 10. Though his play is very good, A's coup in trumping with the four, so as to render B's coitp possible, is entitled to the palm. Hence, A's hand heads the example. At Trick 9, Z ought to lead knave of spades, on which Y should discard eight of clubs, when YZ win the game. TIIOS. EE LA RUE AND CO., PIUN'TERS, BUJNH1LL ROW, LONDON. THOS, DE LA RUE & GO'S LIST, PUBLISHED BY THOS. DE Li RUE & CO. LONDON, AND SOLD BY ALL BOOKSELLERS. WORKS BY "CAVENDISH." THE LAWS & PRINCIPLES OF WHIST. THE STANDARD WORK ON WHIST. 8vo. Cloth, Gilt extra. Greatly enlarged and revised throughout. Handsomely printed in Red and Black. 14th Edition. Price 5s. LAWS OF PIQUET AND RUBICON PIQUET, As ADOPTED BY THE PORTLAND CLUB. Edited by " CAVENDISH " with a TREATISE ON THE GAME, by "CAVENDISH." Third Edition. 8vo. Cloth, Gilt Extra. Price 3*. 6d. THE LAWS OF ECARTE, ADOPTED BY THE TURF CLUB, with a TREATISE ON THE GAME, by " CAVENDISH." 8vo. Cloth, Gilt. Price 2*. 6d. ROUND GAMES AT CARDS. By " CAVENDISH." 8vo. Cloth, Gilt. Price Is. Qd. THE GAME OF BEZIQUE. 8vo. Cloth, Gilt. Price Is. THE GAMES OF LAWN TENNIS (WITH THE AUTHORISED LAWS) AND BADMINTON. Fourth Edition. 8vo. Cloth. Price 1*. CARD ESSAYS, CLAY'S DECISIONS, AND CARD-TABLE TALK. By " CAVENDISH." Crown 8vo. Cloth. With Portrait of the Author Price Is. 6d. CASSE-TETE. THREE PUZZLES IN ONE; Chinese, French, and Russian; with "Guide," containing over 150 Diagrams, by " CAVENDISH." Second Edition. Sold in boxes with pieces complete. Price 2s. 6d. A NEW PUZZLE-GAME BY "CAVENDISH." FIFTY-UP. In Boxes, Complete, with " Guide " by " CAVENDISH." Price Is. PUBLISHED BY THOS. DE Li ETJE & CO. LONDON AND SOLD BY ALL BOOKSELLERS. THE POCKET SERIES. By " CAVENDISH." Price Gd. each. POCKET GUIDE TO WHIST. POCKET RULES FOR LEADING AT WHIST. POCKET LAWS OF WHIST. POCKET GUIDE TO ECARTE. POCKET GUIDE TO CRIBBAGE. POCKET GUIDE TO BEZIQUE. POCKET GUIDE TO POLISH BEZIQUE. POCKET GUIDE TO SPOIL-FIVE, TWENTY-FIVE, AND FORTY-FIVE. POCKET GUIDES TO EUCHRE, IMPERIAL, SIXTY-SIX, AND CALABRASELLA. POCKET GUIDES T'O CHESS, DRAUGHTS AND POLISH DRAUGHTS, BACKGAMMON & RUSSIAN BACKGAMMON, GO-BANG, AND FIFTEEN AND THIRTY-FOUR PUZZLES. In Preparation. POCKET GUIDE TO JAPANESE BEZIQUE. NEW AND CHEAPER EDITION. BILLIARDS. By J. BENNETT, EX-CHAMPION. Edited by "CAVENDISH." With upwards of 200 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. Cloth. Price 10s. 3d. By the same Authors. Price Is. THE SPOT-STROKE. CLAY ON WHIST. A new and improved Edition. Cap } Svo. Price 3s. Gd. LAWS OP SHORT WHIST, by J. L. Baldwin. AND A TREATISE ON THE GAME, by James Clay, Important Work on Whist. 2nd Edition. Cap. Svo. Cloth. Price 3s. 6d. THE PHILOSOPHY OF WHIST. BY DE. POLE, F.KS. An Essay on the Scientific and Intellectual Aspects of the Modern Game. MANUFACTURED BY THOS, DE LA RUE & CO. AND SOLD BY ALL BOOKSELLERS AND STATIONERS. PATENT PLAYING CARDS. (or best quality), HARRYS (or second quality), and thi kinds of HARRYS and HIGHLANDERS, in great variety. "DEXTER" PLAYING CARDS, With Patent Index-Pips, rounded corners, and enamelled faces. Extra thin. BEZIQUE "PLAYI'NG CARDS, In Boxes, for Two, Three, or Tour Players, with Markers and " GUIDE " by "CAVENDISH." In a great variety of styles. Prices from 2/6 to 63/- Sq Emjfil fitters patent. THE "CAVENDISH" WHIST MARKER. THE "CAVENDISH" PIQUET MARKER. THE "CAVENDISH" BEZIQUE MARKER. THE MARKER~FOR^PANESE BEZIQUE. Price Five Shillings. THE COURT CRIBBAGE-BOARD, Prepared on a new principle. Richly Enamelled in Gold and Colours, with Gilt Recording Pins. Printed at the back with -"LAWS or THE GAME" by "CAVENDISH." Price One Shilling and Sixpence. THE "SIMPLEX" POCKET WHIST CASE. This Case is constructed with Markers recessed in the back, and contains a Pack of superior Playing Cards and a Card of Whist Rules. x Price Two Shillings and, Sixpence. THE POCKET CHESS-BOARD. Handsomely Printed in Colours, and Enamelled. Complete, with Pieces. Price Two Shillings and Sixpence. THE POCKET CHESS PROBLEM RECORDER Arranged on a Novel Plan, for the Easy and Rapid Registration of Problems, Endings, and Positions. THE STANDARD CHESS & DRAUGHTSMEN, Handsomely wrought in Bone and Wood, from improved Designs. Chess and Draught Boards in Wood and Leather, for Club and general use. PUBLISHED BY THOS. DE LA RUE & CO, LONDON, AND SOLD BY ALL BOOKSELLERS. Cheap issue. 2nd Edition. 8vo. Cloth, gilt. Price 7s. 6d. COLONEL GORDON IN CENTRAL AFRICA, With a Portrait ; and Map of the Country prepared under Colonel Gordon's supervision. FROM ORIGINAL LETTERS AND DOCUMENTS. EDITED BY GEORGE BIRKBECK HILL, D.C.L., AUTHOR or "TUB LIFK or SIB BOWLAXD HILL, K.C.B." " DB. JOHNSON; uis rBIBMDB AND HIS CBITIC8." BIC. Now ready. Demy 8to. Vol. I. Price 21s. A TREATISE ON ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM (GENEKAL PHENOMENA AND THEORY). BY E. MASCART (Professor in the College de France, and Director of the Central Meteorological Bureau) ; and J. JOUBERT (Professor in the College Rolling. TRANSLATED BY E. ATKINSON, Pn.D., F.C.S. (Professor of Experimental -Science in the Staff CollegeJ. In Preparation. Demy 8vo. WELLS ON DISEASES OF THE EYE: A TREATISE ON CLINICAL OPHTHALMOLOGY. EDITED AND REVISED THROUGHOUT BY M. MACDONALD McHARDY (Professor of Ophthalmology in King's College, London; Ophthalmic Surgeon to King's College Hospital ; and Surgeon to the Royal South London Ophthalmic Hospital}. FOURTH EDITION, With Forty original Coloured Illustrations, and numerous additioiia Woodcuts. Containing also original Chapters on GLAUCOMA, by PRIESTLEY SMITH, and on OCULAR SYMPTOMATOLOGY or GENERAL "DISEASE, by DRS. J. HUGHLINGS JACKSON, F.R S., and STEPHEN MACKENZIE. In One Volume. Half-bound Calf. Price 12s. 6d. THE WHIST TRIAD. COMPRISING THE WORKS BY "CAVENDISH, 5 * CLAY, AND POLE. PUBLISHED BY THOS, DE LA RUE & CO. LONDON, AND SOLD BY ALL BOOKSELLEES. Price 10s. 6d. Medium 4to. Whole bound cloth, gilt. With numerous Full- page and other Illustrations by the Author, printed in the highest style of Chroma-lithography. MONTHLY MAXIMS: RHYMES AND REASONS, TO SUIT THE SEASONS ; AND PICTURES NEW, TO SUIT THEM TOO. BY ROBERT DUDLEY. ILLUSTRATED WORKS FOR CHILDREN. Price Is. Demy 4to. With 6 Full-page Illustrations in Colours. THE FAIRIES. By W. ALLINGHAM. Illustrated by E. GERTRUDE THOMSON. Price Is. Demy 4to. With 6 Full-page Illustrations in Colours. CLEVER, HANS. By the BROTHERS GRIMM. Illustrated by J. LAWSON. Price Is. Demy 4to. With 6 Full-page Illustrations in Colours. THE FAIRY HORN. By S. THEYRE SMITH. Illustrated by the Author. Price Is. Demy 4to. With 6 Full-page Illustrations in Colours. THE BABY'S DEBUT. By J. SMITH. Illustrated by GERTRUDE A. KQNSTAM and ELLA and NELIA CASELLA. Authors of " Dreams, Dances, and Disappointments." Price Is. Demy 4to. With 8 Full-page Illustrations in Colours. THE MAY-POLE. AN OLD ENGLISH SONG, WITH THE MUSIC. Illustrated by GERTRUDE A. KONSTAM and ELLA and NELIA CASELLA. Authors of "Dreams .Dances, and Disappointments." Price Is. Demy 4to. With 8 Full-page Illustrations in Colours. RUMPELSTILTSKIN. By the BROTHERS GRIMM. A new Translation. Illustrated by GEORGE R. HALKETT. Price Is. Demy 4to. With 12 full-page Illustrations in. Colours. A STORY OF DREAMS, DANCES, AND DISAPPOINTMENTS. TOLD IN VERSE AND ILLUSTRATED BY GERTRUDE A. KONSTAM AND ELLA AWD NELIA CASELLA. PUBLISHED BY THOS. DE LA RUE & CO. LONDON, AND SOLD BY ALL BOOKSEL1EES AND STATIONERS. DE LA RUE'S INDELIBLE DIARIES AND RED-LETTER CALENDARS, POCKET DIARIES. DE ,LA RUE'S IMPROVED INDELIBLE DIARIES AND MEMORANDUM BOOKS, in three sizes, fitted in Velvet, Russia, Calf, Turkey Morocco, Persian, or French Morocco cases; plain or richly gilt, with gilt clasps or elastic bands, in a great variety of styles. All these Diaries are fitted with electro-gilt indelible pencils. Also supplied in enamelled paper covers. A size 3| by 11 inches. g,, 35 by 2* also, same size, F F (oblong) 4iby2| CONDENSED DIARIES & ENGAGEMENT BOOKS, - In three sizes (A, B, & C, as above), and in a great variety of Plain and Ornamental leather cases; they are also published in enamelled paper covers, suitable for the Card Case or Purse. COMPANION MEMORANDUM BOOKS. For use with the Condensed Diaries ; A, B, & C sizes, as above. N.B. All Condensed Diary and Calendar Cases (except the Tuck) are fitted with an extra elastic band for the reception of these books. HALF-CROWN DIARY. DE LA RUE'S IMPROVED DIARY AND MEMORANDUM BOOK; for Library or Counting-house use. E size, 7f by 4f inches. POCKET CALENDARS. DE LA RUE'S RED-LETTER CALENDARS AND ALMANACS, in three sizes A, B, & C, as above), in enamelled paper covers, suitable for the Card Case or Pocket Book. Also interleaved; and in Russia, Persian, and French Morocco cases. "FINGER-SHAPED" CONDENSED DIARIES. In elegant sliding cases, extra gilt. Adapted for the Pocket or Reticule. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY BERKELEY Return to desk from which borrowed. This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. IAN 6 17Apr'56RF REC'D LD JAN 8 . pfcAP REC'D LD APR 11 NOV RECEIVED 2 3 '69-