Whist of to-day. In two parts

Part 2— For the Advanced Player

Gives all the Recent Whist Developments, ma?iy of which have beeii Originated by the Author, and appear for the first time in print.

the Game.

BY

MILTON C. WORK.

PUBLISHED

DREKA, PHILADELPHIA.

Copyright, 1895,

BY

DREKA.

THIS BOOK IS FRATERNALLY DEDICATED

TO

Who, with the Author, at present compose the team of the Hamilton Club.

Preface

THE writer has two totally dissimilar reasons for adding another treatise on Whist to the literature of the game, viz. : Because he believes —

That a system for the Beginner, simpler and yet surer than any yet suggested, is possible ;

That many developments which have never appeared in print (most of which have been suggested within the last year) should be classified, so that the game may be brought "up to date" for the Advanced Player.

AND

CHAPTER I. Long-Suit Leads 51

American Leads 52

Old Leads 53

Trump-Showing Leads 57

Optional Trump- Showing Leads 63

Hamilton Leads 65

Resume of Various Systems 68

Ace and four or more others (Plain Suits) . . 70

How to Follow after Lead of an Ace .... 74

Choice of Plain Suits 75

CHAPTER III. Irregular Leads 84

With Honor Turned 84

To Beat the Turn-up 89

Queen from Queen, Jack, Nine and two or

more others S9

CHAPTER IV. Trick-Losing Leads 91

Ace, King, without any small card 91

Nine from King, Jack, Nine 92

Ace, King, Jack — Jumping the Suit for the

Finesse 92

The Lead of a Face Card of a Long Plain Suit

and then a Singleton 93

CHAPTER X. Signals and Echoes 119

The Sub-Echo 120

The Plain-Suit Signal 120

The Three-Echo 121

The Four-Signal 122

Showing the exact number of Trumps by Signal 123 Showing the exact number of Trumps by Echo 124

A Signal after a Lead 124

Showing number of Trumps after a Signal . .124 Repeating the Signal to show Six Trumps . .125

Second-Hand Signals 126

Trump Signal to show no more of a Suit . . .126 Showing the number of Trumps on Adversary's

Lead 127 iv CONTENTS.

Chapter XI. Page

Miscellaneous 128

Avoid Changing Suits . 128

When to Treat Plain Suits as Trumps . . . .130 When to Lead Long Suits as Short Ones . . .131 When to Lead Short Suits as Long Ones . . .131 When to Hold Up the Lowest Card of the Adversary's Suit 131

CHAPTER XIII. Progressive (or Compass) Whist 138

APPENDIX A.

The Laws of Whist 151

The Etiquette of Whist 162

The Laws of Duplicate Whist 164

APPENDIX B.

Glossary 173

PART I. .

For the Beginner.

Introduction

AT the outset it must be stated that Part I is intended simply and solely for the Beginner in the literal sense of the term. A beginner in the study of the scientific game of Whist may be defined to be one who has either never previously tried to play the game at all, or who, when he has played at Whist, has done so without attempting to use or learn any system of play whatever — in short, one who has absolutely no knowledge of the art of scientific Whist.

It is presumed that the beginner is familiar with the names and respective values of the fifty-two cards and the rudimentary rules of the game, and it is essential that he should be, before taking up Chapter I. The rules will be found in Appendix A, while any technical terms with which he is unfamiliar can be easily understood by examining the Glossary, Appendix B.

Before starting to consider questions of play, a few words of advice would seem appropriate, and the first suggestion offered is, Do not try to grasp too much at once.

WHIST OF TO-DA Y.

To master the modern game of scientific Whist is not an easy task. Many have tried and failed, simply because they have attempted to accomplish the impossible by trying to comprehend it all at once. Unable to do this, they have become discouraged, and, imagining the task beyond their capacity, have abandoned it as hopeless, when, as a matter of fact, neither the capacity of the pupil nor the difficulty of the subject was the real cause of the failure, but simply the method adopted of reaching the desired end.

Too many Whist teachers begin with matters that should be left unconsidered until much later in the course, when the student will, by reason of his advancement, be able to comprehend and appreciate principles that at the start would have seemed intricate and confusing. As well try to teach a child to dance before it can walk, or to read before it learns its letters, as to start the Whist beginner with a system of scientific leads that is the development of generations of Whist playing, Whist thinking and Whist reading, and which, while necessary for the student to understand before he can cross the border line which separates the Whist learner from the Whist player, can most easily and most surely be mastered by degrees.

The writer firmly believes that it is possible for any human being (not mentally deficient)

WHIST OF TO- DA Y.

to become a good Whist player, provided the study of the game is undertaken rationally. By that is meant avoiding the three common mistakes, which, when considered theoretically, certainly seem irrational, but which are nevertheless most prevalent, and which, it may be here suggested, are much more easy to observe in others than to detect in yourself — for which reason they should be carefully watched for at home. These three mistakes are :

1. Trying to learn all at once.

2. Imagining you know it all before you know it half.

3. Trying to learn without combining practice with precept.

The following pages attempt to supply the precept in the most concise manner possible. The practice the student must supply himself.

The best method of combining practice and precept is for the student first to carefully study Chapter I, then to play for a reasonable period of time either with other students similarly advanced or with players to whom the stage of advancement is explained and who are asked to adapt their play accordingly. Should these players try to explain additional developments the student should request them not to do so, as it is the fundamental theory of the system suggested that each step be thoroughly comprehended as it is taken. This can best be ac-

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complished by practicing and studying the questions as they are taken up without confusing them with more advanced propositions. In such case an old maxim may be most appropriately transposed so as to read : " Too much knowledge is a dangerous thing."

The student should not be discouraged if the would-be wise assert that the wrong system is being inculcated. Not an unnecessary lead or doctrine of any kind is suggested, and the right system is evolved in the end by what is believed to be the quickest, wisest and surest method.

When the precept of the first chapter has been thoroughly combined with practice, and the doctrines therein suggested completely mastered, then, and not until then, take up the second chapter. The same suggestions apply to each succeeding chapter of Part I. Be sure, before any step forward is taken, that it is not made too soon, as too great haste is a most frequent mistake and often a difficult one to repair. By slow but accurate stages the goal is sure to be reached. By rapid transit it may be ; but the time taken to repair accidents will be too expensive to justify the procedure.

Remember always, from the beginning to the end of the study of the game, that you and your partner have twenty-six cards to play for the common cause, of which you have but

WHIST OF TO -DA Y.

thirteen. The science of the game is for you each to inform the other of the contents of your respective hands so that the twenty-six cards may be played as nearly as possible as if they were combined in one hand. By this method greater success can be obtained than by following the common yet fallacious doctrine that because you have two adversaries and but one partner you must practice deception. There are cases where this may be true, but they will come later. At the start be careful to inform your partner as accurately as possible of the contents of your hand, and expect him to treat you with like confidence.

Upon picking up your hand always count your cards. This has a double advantage, as it not only makes you sure that the proper number of cards have been dealt to you, but also helps you in impressing upon your mind the length and strength of your four suits, and aids you in mapping-out the general plan of campaign that you propose to adopt in the management of the hand. While doing this you can also be arranging your hand for play.

The method of arrangement recommended is to place the smallest card of a red plain suit on one end and the smallest card of a black plain suit on the other. In each case arrange in order from the smallest card of the suit to the highest. Then in each case take the suit s

WHIST OF TO- DA Y.

of the different color and arrange from the smallest to the highest of that. You will thus have one suit on each end of your hand and two in the middle, one of the latter being the trump, and will have low cards at each end of the hand. By this method of arrangement the danger of information being obtained by an adversary in regard to the contents of your hand by the place from which you pull your cards is reduced to the minimum. It is the method employed by the best players, and when you once accustom yourself to it you will find it both simple and satisfactory.

When once your cards are arranged and your hand carefully examined, it is not necessary for you thereafter to study its contents. Keep your eyes away from it, except when you are about to play. When you have determined upon your play, be careful that you pull from your hand but one card and that it is the one chosen for the play.

At all other times keep your eyes on the table and not upon your hand. It is on the table the game is played, and too frequently even advanced players miss points of play because they are for some inexplicable reason studying the contents of their own hand instead of watching the play on the table where the information is to be obtained.

From the start concentrate your attention

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upon the game and exercise your memory, in order that you may always be sure just what cards have and what have not been played. Almost any one can with practice learn to remember accurately, provided he possesses the power to concentrate his entire attention upon the game. The memory is often unjustly blamed for not carrying some card which, owing to lack of attention, was never lodged in the mind. Start by keeping count of the number and size of the cards played in your own suit, then add the trump suit, and gradually learn to keep accurate tab on all four.

Draw an inference from each play made by either adversary or partner. When these inferences prove to be wrong, examine and find whether the fault was with the inference or the play upon which it was founded. Remember the ability to draw 'correct inferences is the greatest accomplishment in modern Whist, and is the most important element in the making of a first-class player.

CHAPTER I. Rudimentary Leads, Inferences, Plays and Maxims

Leads.

THE first question that presents itself to the beginner is, What shall I lead ? and that is, therefore, the first point to settle to his satisfaction.

The original decision which the leader is compelled to make is whether to open trumps, and this may be determined as follows : If the hand contains five or more trumps, or four trumps and considerable strength in the plain suits, it is strong enough as a general rule to justify a trump lead, otherwise not. When trumps are not to be opened, the strongest plain suit should be chosen, and the fourth-best card of that suit should be led, unless it contains such a combination of high cards that more tricks will probably be made by opening the suit with one of them. The combinations of high cards at the head of a suit which cause a departure from the fourth-best doctrine are :

WHIST OF TO-DA Y.

i i

Ace and four or more others.

Ace, Queen, Jack.

Ace, King (with or without the Queen). King, Queen (with or without the Jack). Queen, Jack, Ten.

King, Jack, Ten.

Considering these combinations seriatim we find (Note i.) :*

Ace and four others.

The length of this suit makes it dangerous to open with the fourth-best, as there is consequently too great a probability that it may be trumped on its second round and the Ace thereby lost. For this reason it is deemed wiser not to risk the Ace to the second round, but to lead it at once. Having led the Ace, follow with the fourth-best, as that card gives the most important information.

Ace, Queen, Jack.

Lead first the Ace and then the Queen, as by this means one trick at least in the suit is at once secured ; and even if the King is in the adversary's hand the command is retained and your partner informed that you have the Jack. If

* Note i. — The system of leads here given is preparatory to the conventional system of American leads, which will come later. This system, however, is a part of the American system, and the student is therefore preparing himself in the best possible way to master that system by learning this.

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the Queen wins, the King is marked in your partner's hand.

Ace, King {with or without the Queen).

With the two best of the suit you cannot afford to lead your fourth-best, as if you did one of your face cards would probably be trumped. You should therefore lead first the King and follow with the Queen, if you have it. If the Queen is not in your hand follow with the Ace. When your King wins your partner, not having the Ace himself, can mark it with you, and if you then lead the Queen he has the additional information that you have that card also ; whereas, on the other hand, if you follow the King with the Ace he knows that you have not the Queen.

King, Queen (with or without the JacJz) .

Lead first the King, in order to force out the Ace if it is against you, and thus make your Queen good. If your King wins your partner is marked with the Ace, and you should continue with your fourth-best. If the Ace takes your King when you get in again you should continue with your Queen, unless you have also the Jack, in which case you should lead that first, as your partner, from your previous lead, knows you must have the Queen. Of

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course, if you lead the Queen, your partner will know you have not the Jack.

Queen, Jack, Ten.

Lead first the Queen and follow, whether your Queen wins or not, with the Jack. From the fact that your Queen wins you cannot be sure whether your partner has both the Ace and King or whether he has the Ace, and the King is in the second hand ; therefore you must follow with the Jack, in case the latter is the true state of affairs, so that your partner can again hold up his Ace and thus keep the King from being made good.

King, Jack, Ten.

Lead first the Ten, and if either the Queen or Ace falls, follow, when you again lead the suit, with the King (in the former case because it will force out the best, in the latter because it is the best) ; should the Ten win, follow with the card below the Ten — which is, of course, the original fourth-best.

The following tables should be learned, so that they are absolutely at your fingers' end :

Table of Long-Suit Leads.

LEAD

Ace and four or more others.

Ace.

Fourth-best.

Ace, Queen, Jack.

Ace.

Queen.

Ace, King, with or without Queen

King.

Oueen if von have it ; if not, Ace.

King, Queen, with or without Jack.

King.

If King wins, 4th-best. If King loses, Jack, if you have it; if not, Queen.

King, Jack, Ten.

Ten.

If Ten wins, 4th-best If Ten loses, King.

Queen, Jack, Ten.

Queen.

Jack.

Any other combination.

Aidsier carci, 11 > ou have it. If not, smallest, unless you have 2d and 3d-best, in which case 2d-best.

Table of Inferences*

CARD LED.

MEANS THAT LEADER HAS LEFT IN HAND.

Ace.

Four or more others, or Queen, Jack and one or more others. If the second lead is the Queen, the latter; if 'not, the former.

King.

Either the Ace or Queen, or both, and others.

Queen.

Jack, Ten and one or more others.

Ten.

King, Jack and one or more others.

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*5

The Second Round.

When you are leading a plain suit that has been led once before, and you have the best card, always lead it. Very few suits go round three times without being trumped, and it is never thought safe to trust a master card for a third round. In trumps the same doctrine applies, for the reason that you only lead trumps when anxious to get them all out, and the lead of a master trump insures at least two rounds.

Second- Hand Play.

The general rule is to play your lowest card second-hand on a small card led. To this rule, however, there is one exception, viz. : when you hold two or more face cards in sequence in the suit. In that case you should, in order to prevent the trick from being taken too cheaply by the third-hand, play the lowest of the sequence of such face cards. There is one exception to this exception, viz. : Queen, Jack and more than one small card. The reason for playing the small card in this case is that the leader cannot have both the Ace and King, and by playing small you are practically sure of complete command of the suit after the second round. If a face card is led, play small, unless you hold two higher face cards or the Ace. In either of these cases cover the face card led.

WHIST OF TO-DA Y.

Third-Hand.

Always play your highest card, except when your highest cards are in sequence (then the lowest of the sequence), on your partner's lead of a small card. This rule of third -hand high has but a single exception, and that is when you hold the Ace and Queen. In this case the Queen should be finessed, it being the one instance in which you are justified in taking the liberty of finessing in your partner's suit. If your partner leads a King, you will, of course, not play the Ace if you have it, and likewise if he leads a Queen and you hold the Ace, you will finesse it just as you would if the Queen had been originally in your own hand. On the lead of a Ten, the third-hand should play Ace, unless the Queen is also in his hand, in which case he should play a small card, if he has one, as his partner has both the King and Jack, if he is leading regularly. In case you have none of the suit led by your partner you should, as a general rule, pass any face card led by him ; trump any spot card.

Fourth -Hand.

The fourth-hand should win the trick, if possible, as cheaply as possible. If he cannot win it he should play his lowest card.

A few Whist maxims which should be mastered in connection with the foregoing follows :

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Always Play the Lowest of a Sequence.

This is a general rule and applies to second, third and fourth-hand plays. Of course, the trick-taking value of cards in sequence is exactly the same, but the order in which you play them is most important to your partner, as he will always read that you cannot have the card immediately in sequence below the one which you play. For example, with King, Queen and others you should play first the Queen, and your partner will then read that you may have the King, but cannot possibly have the Jack. It will thus be seen that this method of always playing the lowest of a sequence gives very important information of both a negative and positive character.

Return of Your Partner 1 s Lead.

In returning your partner's lead it is possible to show the number of the suit remaining in your hand by the following method : If you have but two cards remaining, return the higher of the two. On the other hand, if there are more than two, return the original fourth -best — unless your hand contains the best card of the suit, which, as it is your partner's suit, and the second round, you should always play regardless of the number.

1 8

Show Your Own Suit.

When not the original leader, it is advisable to show your partner which is your suit by leading it as soon as you get the lead, unless it is so very weak that for that reason you do not desire to lead it. In such case it is probably better to either return your partner's suit or lead through the strong suit of the adversary. This only applies if your partner has not led trumps. If he has done that he has undertaken the responsible part of the game, and there is no excuse for your not returning a trump immediately, if you have one. An old Whist maxim covers this case very thoroughly when it says that there are but two justifiable reasons for not returning your partner's lead of trumps, viz. : not having any and sudden death.

Lead Up to the Weak and Through the Strong.

This means that when in your judgment it is not wise to lead your own suit or return that of your partner, and you have to choose a suit declared to be that of one of your adversaries, you should pick the suit of your left-hand opponent, and thus lead through the strong hand up to the weak, instead of the reverse. The reason for this is at once obvious, as the latter procedure will sacrifice any strength in the suit your partner may have, while the former will necessarily aid him in making full use of it.

Establish ed Suits .

When either your own suit or your partner's is thoroughly established you may exercise much more latitude in leading trumps than before this is the case. With an established suit, and a card of re-entry in the adversary's suit, a four-trump lead is almost invariably justifiable.

CHAPTER II. Rudimentary Trump Leads and Situations

Trump Leads.

N the previous chapter no distinction is made between leads from long plain suits and trumps ; but the student will appreciate that the reason there given for leading certain high cards from certain combinations in plain suits, to wit, the danger that if held too long such cards may be trumped, does not apply in trumps, and that, therefore, in leading trumps the cases in which a high card should be led originally are not as numerous as in plain suits.

The following table shows the trump leads, and should be accurately fixed in the memory and carefully distinguished from the long-suit table, which henceforth will be considered as applying to plain suits only. (See Note i, page n.)

WHIST OF TO-DA Y. 21 Trump Leads.

LEAD

Ace and six or more others.

Ace.

Fourth-best. ,

Ace.

Queen.

Ace, King, Queen.

King.

Queen.

Ace, King and five others.

King.

Ace.

King, Queen and five others.

King.

If King wins, 4th -best.

If King loses, Queen.

King, Queen, Jack.

King.

If King wins, 4th-best.

If King loses, Jack,

King,Queen,Ten

King.

If King wins, 4th-best.

If King loses, Queen.

Queen.

Jack.

King, Jack, Ten.

Ten.

If Ten wins, 4th-best.

If Ten loses, King.

Cross -Ruffs.

A cross -ruff is most advantageous to the side that obtains it ; and as the opportunities of securing it are eagerly watched and sought for, just as carefully should you look for the danger of an adverse cross-ruff in order to prevent it by the only means possible, viz., a trump lead. Like returning your partner's lead of trumps, but two excuses will justify not leading trumps to break up a cross-ruff, viz. : not having trumps and sudden death.

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Trumpi?ig a Doubtful Trick.

When you are second-hand and have none of the suit led, the question often arises : 6 ' Shall I trump it ?' ' The rule is, if the card led is the best, or if you can mark the best with the third-hand, trump it ; if you can mark the best with your partner, pass it. If, however, as is frequently the case, the best card is not led, and you cannot tell whether it is in the third-hand or in your partner's, the trick is a doubtful one and you should trump it, if short in trumps ; pass it, if long in trumps. This is a rule that it is well to follow very closely.

Forcing Your Partner.

The rule is to always force your partner, if long in trumps ; if short, do not do so. The following exceptions to the latter half of the rule may, however, be noted :

Force your partner in spite of your weakness

(a) if either of the adversaries has shown trump strength ;

(b) If he has shown any willingness to be forced ;

(c) If he has already been forced ;

(d) If after the development of his suit he has had the opportunity to show trump strength and has not done so.

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Forcing the Adversary.

Unless your partner wants trumps led you rarely have a better play, when not strong enough to lead trumps yourself, than to force an adversary declared to be strong in trumps. To force the partner of such an adversary is always the worst play you can possibly make.

CHAPTER III. Second Round of a Suit and Short Suits

Second Round of a Suit.

WHEN you have opened your suit originally with a small card, and are subsequently placed in the lead, the question will arise whether you should continue your own or lead some other suit. As a general rule, it is the better policy to continue your own suit. The following exceptions to this doctrine should, however, be noted :

(a) When your partner has led trump.

(b) When either your suit or your partner's is established, and you have reason to believe your joint hands have strength enough to get out the trumps and make the established suit.

(c) When your partner's suit is stronger or more easily established than your own.

(d) When you are weak in trumps, and your left-hand adversary or your partner has led a suit of which you have but one card left.

(e) When your own suit is still hard to establish and your partner probably has a tenace in the suit of your left-hand adversary.

When a suit has been opened with- a small card by you, and .you are about to lead it a second time, you will, of course (it being the second round), lead the best card in the suit, if you then hold it. If you hold both the second and third best, lead the second best ; otherwise it is generally wisest to show your partner the exact length in the suit which you had originally, which can most easily be done by leading the lowest. (See table of long plain-suit leads, page 14.)

When both of the adversaries still have trumps, and you are about to continue your own suit or return that of your partner, be sure that at least one of the adversaries can follow suit, as otherwise one will discard and the other trump. It is always disadvantageous to lead a suit under such circumstances, as it gives the strong adversary a valuable opportunity to discard a losing card and the weak one to make a losing trump.

It is as a general rule advisable to keep command of your opponents' suit as long as possible. On the other hand, you should get rid of the command of your partner's suit at the earliest moment, as you do not wish to run any risk of blocking it.

IVHIST OF TO-DAY.

Short Suits.

It is often necessary to open a short suit either originally in a hand which contains three short suits and four weak trumps or later on when there is some good reason which prevents you from

(a) Continuing your own suit.

(b) Returning your partner's suit.

(c) Leading the suit of your left-hand adversary through him.

When you have to lead a short suit, pick one, if possible, which is headed by two strengthening cards, such as Queen, Jack : Jack, Ten ; or Ten, Nine. By so doing you will not materially weaken your own hand and at the same time give your partner a card that he can finesse.

When you have no short suit headed by two strengtheners, choose one headed by a Jack or Ten rather than a smaller card, as any card smaller than the Ten is apt to be taken by your partner as a fourth -best and may cause the sacrifice of a face card in his hand.