ROYAL WHIST PLAYERS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9835, 18 September 1897, Page 3

ROYAL WHIST PLAYERS.

"Weekly Press and Referee."

London Correspondent of the Argus. The Jubilee celebrations were characterised by an engrossing interest that cast into shadow almost all the resreativa *' functions " which usually impart healthy and varied excitement to the London season. Even cricket lacked its customary animation, as far as the two great fashionable contests were concerned. Both the University and school matches excited but little enthusiasm, and went off with quite unprecedented lameness. Whist, too, suffered heavily before, during, and after the festal week. In the club 3 abutting on the professional line of route the cards-rooms were all but deserted by day and night for nearly a fortnight, during which period, as I am informed on excellent authority, the Prince of Wnles and Duke of York " conld not find time to play one double rubber." Both the Heir Apparent and the Heir Presumptive are " whisteurs " of the very first flight, the son being, however, a more carefnl : aad strictly correct player than the father, ] who is addicted to " coups," and often allows himself to be guided by inspiration rather than by book rules. Their Royal Highnesses play a great deal at Sandringham during the shooting and hunting seasons, and when in town at the Marlborough Club, where the whist is of the very best quality and " form." The Duke of York's favourite "price" is half-sovereign point?, two sovereigns on the rub, and the short or long odds iv pounds, while the Prince is not averse to an occasional "plunge," and, as a matter of fact, will take on any points that may be proposed to him by players in whom he has confidence. He is what turfites call a " cheerful winner," and an imperturbable loser, quite incapable of finding fault with his partner, however severely the cards may go against him. For games of pure chance H.E.H. does not care, and of those in whioh science and skill figure as important factors of success the one in which he takes most pleasure is whist, although he is a strong picquet player and a formidable adversary at ecarte. The fine play of the Duke of York is to some extent attributable to his loug and steady practice of the " king of games " while at sea, where he took part in many thousands of rubbers, always for the " silver threepenny " points prescribed to officers of Her Majesty's navy when on board ship, a florin being the limit of the rubber bet. During the naval manoeuvres last summer I had a month's cruise with the Eoyal Sovereign, one of our biggest battleships, and played whist with the ward-room officers every evening after dinner, except, of course, on Sundays, when cards were strictly tabooed. The play was well up to London form; there were two tables, always " full," and provided with a contingent for cutting in and out; nobody, however unlucky, was hurt by his losses; and the order " all lights out" was punctually complied with at 11 p.m. It was in this school of whist that Prince Goorge " went through the mill," and in the course of ten years or so became one of the most accurate and trustworthy players in the United Kingdom.