Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-03-05
Whist.
BY RICHARD A. PROCTOR.

From the New York Tribune.
For more than three years have conducted
the whist column in knotrIedge, under the
name Five OF Clubs" That column has been
heid TO have done useful work in helping 10
spread the orthodox doctrines of whist. and e.
oppose the heterodoX practices OF game which
Is called whist, but has no real claim Ia be
regarded as in any sense scientific game.
write on whist in Anne RIGA under my own name.
or there are few here who suppose that because
q man devotes the chief part OF his time to one
subject he cannot have taken special interest in
any other. Whist has long been a iavortte
relaxation with the students of science
Properly played it is truly scieptitic game;
yet ii is better as a relaxation than the other
great scientific game: chess, because the GUS
toms which rule the play do not allow of pro
longed study. single move al chess may
weary the brain more than a mathematical
problem: but whist-player cannot, u he
would, give more than a lew moments, thought
TO the play OF a card, and If he is really whist
player he would not if he could. skill at whist
OF the fencer differs from the skin of the billiard
player; one must be quick in applying science
in one game, while in the other time may be
taken Tor considering how one science should
be applied. For this reason, though love chess
even better than whist, | seldom play chess
perhaps I encounter two players YEAR while
when have the chance play whist daily. 4
recommend il as specially suitable Tor re!aNa-
ton But then il should be whist, moi the other
game, to which has been applied the ingenious
name OF Bum6iepuppy. II FOR no other reason,
then for this, should sound whist be learned
and playCd-it saves time. You can get all the
relaxation you need out Of three or four rub
bers of real whist; but You may play the other
game for n whole evening and get very little
amusement from II. DR.. Paget has pointed ont
with great truth that in the exercises OF SIKH
there is relaxation for the tired mind; now
whist properly PLAYED requires skill. and Is
consequently full of interest: the game common
ly called whist requires no skin at all, and as
remember ii (tor il was the game learned as
whist and played as whist for years Il possesses
no more interest than Beggar my Neighbor.
Win passing, ! may give an illustration ~ the
Supplying effects OF the duller sort OF whist
play. even at the best London clubs. VI the
Portland club the following incident, which
seems utterly incredible, really took place: Five
rounds had been played, two OF them trumpS;
both these trump tricks had fallen to one pair
of partners. the other three to their opponents
the player who had taken UP the two tramp
tricks put down the eight cards left in has hand
to take n pinch of snuff, after which he mad
vertently took up the eight trumps instead of
nothing had happened, though al four hororS
were included among the eight trnmls thus
played twice over. Assuming for moment
that the player who had thus taken up eight
trumps including the four honOTs. knew what
he had done, what are we to think of three
whist players who failed 10 note tie TALL OF the
four honors second time? Nanifostiy they
were simply tired out by waste whist. They
cannot possibly have found any enjoyment in
the game which they played so caTelesSly.
The first doctrine would inculcate then as to
whist II this: Play whist often, daily if YOU can,
but waste no time over ii: play il in such a way
that it interests by calling forth the exercise OF
skill. A little of such whist goes long way i'm
relaxing the mind and giving pleasure to the
player. l have wiped the cobwehS out O. my
mind after six or seven hours of application at
difficult geometricai work by an hours good
whist. That means saving of time for work,
and an Oiling OF the men n machinery by which
the next work will be done with less friction
But l have also sat down seeking rest from
whist, and because the play was not whist at
all have risen unretreshed after two or three
hours of meaningless play, or play at cross pur-
" hist is so easily learned, however, that
there is no excuse for the prevalent bad play.
In my own case, after years of the other game.
which played for want of knowing better /
learned to play the real game in a few weeks.
OF course nothing but steady practice for a
much longer time than this will make good
player: but no amount OF practice al Buunble-
puppy will turn the player of thai game into
Let Us turn now TO the principles and prac-
tice Of real whist. The worst fault Character
izing the play OF nine out of ten of those WHO
imagine they play whist, is the habit of play
ing 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. Des-
chapelies words are strong. but they are well
deserved. u believe some OF these brilliantly
bad PLAYERS would rather lose two by tricks if
they had made all the tricks of their side,
than win two if their partner had taken the
lions Share). Now to play your partners cards
as well yOnT own, you must know what
those cards are. To do this you must watch
MS play ana he must play accpruIIiS 10 inc
established principles Of the game. Ii follows,
since you are his partner, that YOU must also
play according 10 the established principles.
But players of this type often boast that they
know no rules OF play, and apart from such boast
ing, every one who has ever played with them
know that their play defies 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 exam
| pie in passing. Ii is well-known rule at whist
| THAT is well known TO players that if after one
! round of q suit led 10y your partner you have
more than two left you return the lowest, but
| the highest if YOU have two only: my partner in
such a case returns the lowest. and immedi-
atelv place mentally two more of the suit in
! his hand; ! infer that he and between US lave
! the command Of the suit. and after extracting
! trumps lead the suit with confidence: but il
! appears my partner knew nothing about that
little rule belonging TO the \ { of the game;
he had only two cards OF the suit. and one of the
! opponents has card more than hadcounted on.
| Ny suit is in fact not established at ali; when
! lead IL l 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 have been ours but for this pitfall digged
| by a friend.