REAL WHIST.

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 335, 9 May 1885, Page 8

REAL WHIST.

PRACTICAL ADVICE FHOM ONE WHO KXCWS

HOW TO PLAY. The worst fault characterising, the play of nine out of ten of those who imagine they play whist is the habit of playing only the thirteen cards originally held. The skilful player of his own hand is of all partners — says the greatest whist player the world has known — the most detestable. Desohapelle's words are strong, but they are well-deserved. (I believe some of the brilliantly bad pla3'ers would rather lose two tricks if they had made all the tricks of their side, than win two if their partner had taken the lion's share.) Now to play your partner's cards as well a3 your own, you must know what these cards are. To do this yon must watch his play, and lie must play according to the established principles of the game. It follows, since you are his partner, that you must play according to the established principles. But players of this type often boast that they know no rules of play, and apart from such boasting, everyone who has ever played with them knows that their play denies all rule. Others claim to know the principles of play, but are guilty all the same of whist enormities of the deepest dye — and they can never see how their false play affects the result. To give an example in passing. It is a well known rule at whist (that is well-known to players) that if after one round of a suit lead by your partner you have more than two left you i*eturn the lowest, but the highest if you have two only ; my partner in such a case returns the lowest, and I immediately place (mentally) two more of the suit in his hand ; I infer that he and I between us have the command of the suit, and after extracting trumps I lead the suit with confidence, but it appears my partner knew nothing about that little rule (belonging to the A B 0 of the game) ; he had only two cards of the suit, and one of the opponents has a card more than I had counted on. My suit is in fact not established at all ; when I lead it I find the enemy with the command, they bring in their long suit and make three or four by cards, where perhaps the odd trick would Jhave been ours but for this pitfall digged by a friend.