Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-03-21
The Game of Whist.

- AOf ~ uoS ~h a. biSAS VI
much interest TO the lovers o his
attractive amusement The game
was first nnown IN Italy, about 1926,
when it was called Tr'Onf (from
whence is derived the word Trump
The novel diversion soon spread TO
France, and then to England. AT
the beginning Of the seventeenth
century, IL was known in England
by tho name of Rufe. It's modern
came first appeared in 1921, a.
Whisk but the origin and signii.
canoe of this designation are obscure
A few years laser, The name was
changed TO Whist. Cotton, poet
who wrote in 1874 said it was "caI :
ed whist from the silence that is 10
be observed in the play"
Early in the eighteenth century
when the mania for card-piayinn
spread over Europe, whist was little
known in the best society Pique
was then the favorite. Blu aoou
1870, whist was brought to notice,
especially at the "Crown coffee
house," in Bedford Row, uondon.
Soon appeared Edmund Hoyle (born
In 1922, barrster, well educated,
and moving in good society. He
studied and taught the game, as is
noticed in Johnson's CHANDLER" May
s, 1850. HoyIo published u book on
the game, which had great success,
and has continued, with modifica-
lions, to this day. He claimed he
bad spent forty years in it's study
Whist soon became fashionable.
The warm interest taken in whist
soon spread from England to France.
1t proved especially the favorite Of
the cultivated. 1t is a notcd saying
Of Talieyrand-a great player OF
whistle young friend: "You do
not know whist, young man? What
sad old age you are preparing for
yourself"
Latterly, whist has undergone
renovation or Transformation, under
the skiIIful hands of the most edu-
Gated English players. 1t has be-
come in effect science. Nor is i
such by any abstruseness not easily
overcome by the resolute The re-
suits are exhibited in three works
one on THE Principles of Whist,
etc, published by Cavendish, Lon
don, 1862; the second, "a Treaiise
on Short Whist" by James Clay,
1864 the third Theory of the Mod
ern Scientific Game OF Whist" by
William Role, 1865.
The modern improvement origin
ated with some young men at Cam
bridge, England, between 1850 and
1860. who regarded tho game as an
intellectual study" and its being
made such would essentially add to
its interest aud utility. The books
we have named above epitomize the
results,
The chief aim in the new theory
is to establish means of intor-com-
munication between two partners in
the play (of course open alike to the
observing adversaries) enabling them
to understand each Others hands,
and SO to combine the two as one
To this end it is necessary that some
established rules OF play should be
adopted, so as TO render the play Of
each indicative Of what he holds
The prime idea is, to bring in long
suit, TO win ut the end. To this, al
else is TO be subordinate. The great
difficulty Of achieving this lies in the
trump card. Hence, the new rule is,
that if you have five trump cards,
lead them.
But it would be impracticable il
this short notice to give in detail all
the consequent rules and maxims of
this game. 1t will be understood
that the new mode of playing de-
mands fixed signs. in the mode of
playing, that each of the two part
ners may communicate intelligence
Of his hand to the other.
The writer, in the London Quar-
terly, gives the following summary
of the chief points in the modern
game:
j. Lead from your most numerous
suit. Begin with the lowest, unless
you have several high cards.
2 Lead your own suit before you
return your partners, unless he leads
trumps, which return Immediately
3. In returning your partners suit,
if you have only two left, return the
highest if more, the lowest.
i But IN any position, if you hold
the best card, play it in the second
round
8. Holding five trumps, lead Their,
or call for them.
Look out for your partners call
for trumps, if, especially, you are
weak in them yourself. If he calls
and you hold not more than three
trumps, lead the highest; if more, the
lowest.
7. Second hand, generally play
your lowest.
g. Do not trump a doubtful trick
second hand, if you hold more than
three trumps; with three or less,
trump fearIessly.
8. Do not force your partner, II
you hold less ban four trumps your
self; but force a strong adverse
trump hand whenever you can.
10. Discard from your weakest
suit.
IL. If not leading, always play the
lowest of sequence.
IL. Be very careful in the play of
even your smallest cards, every one
of which will convey information to
your partner.
In addition TO the above are the
following directions for first leads
from "long plain suit"
From Ace and King, lead the King /;
from King and Queen, lead the King /;
from Ace, Queen, and Knave lead
the Ace, then Queen from Queen,
Kuave. and Ten, lead the Queen !;
from King, Kuave, and Fen, lead the
| Ten
We do not presume to give the
above as a complete explanation OF