Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1885-02-24

H. A. Proctor, In LonS1nanS S Magazine
It is singular that, being SO fine game as
it is, whist should be so little known. [ have
said that every one in England loves whist.
1 should have said that everyone loves a
game which is supposed to be whist. But
ninety-nine out of hundred of those who
suppose they play whist hardly know what
the game is. The game at which they really
play has been called by the ingenious Penn
bridge bulnblepuppy It is n sort of blum
der blindfold game, which must be interest
ing, I suppose, since SO many play it. Nay,
let us be honest. Even we who know what
whist is (Which is by no means claiming to
play finely have most of us had period of
bunblepuppy. Can We not remember how
we gravely sat down to what we called
whist? When our hands were delivered to
US We sat down in our minds each ace e
card to be led at the first opportunity. We
had little fear about our kings, for we knew
that the aces over them would be led out by
the other players just as frankly we should
lead out our own. Even queens had a fair
chance. But the single card was our chief
delight. That was led out at once, and so
our little trumps were safely made, for no
one would think of leading out trumps
while there seemed to be chance of using
any in ruffing. Somehow trick made in
rufing seemed worth two made in the other
way. If no chance came for a ruff trumps
were reserved to the last. But even then our
game retained its beautiful simplicity of
character. The ace came out first, and when
in due order the king and the queen. To
have led q small card from ace, queen, and
others would have seemed wild audacity,
which might succeed at times, but was too
imprudent to be encouraged. This game,
Of Of he aIr and n
Western America, lin the Eastern States
many Americans know true whist real
well') is net whist at all. 1t owes its inter
est solely to chance. A player of this humble
puppy game, who has been lucky in getting
a number of good hands, does indeed AFRO
gate to himself the of good player. He
seems to regard his luck as something due
to personal influence. Indeed, oddly enough,
while good whist player, even If, with a
good partner, he has to play against two
bumblepuppy players, will never be assured
Of success, knowing how uncertain the
chances are, you will generally find one OF
these know-nothings boasting confidently
that he will win. Another way of recogniz-
ing the whist buffers is by theirmanner when
the cards favor them. A good player, when
he and his partner have made five or six by
cards, will not be loudly jubilant, though,
touching on the help received from the cards,
he may congratulate his partner on some sue
cessful stroke of strategy; but the player OF
bumblepuppy, when he and his partner, hav-
ing all the honors and five out of the six re-
| manning high cards, have won the odd trick
and so made a treble, will say. HHe knew
they wc0ld win," ''He always does win, .
and otherwise take credit for a success which
not even the skill of a deschapelles could
have managed to avert But though domes-
tic whist or bumblepuppy has 'these violent
delights for it's exponents, it is not a game
worth playing or talking about.