The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-12-25
HOW TO PLAY WHIST.
Points that Puzzle Beginners-Why
the Ladies Play Poor Whist.

With the return OF long evenings end
winter Temperatures. whist parties have
been resumed, and the indications point
to even greater interest in the game
this season than was shown in it q
twelyemonth ago. a well known player
said to a Rochester Post Express reporter
the other day: The thing that sur
prises me is the rarity Of the players
one would desire for a partner, although
so many hundreds Of persons devote
time and attention 10 the game. Pro
baby the reason Why so many PLAYERS
fail 70 become even reasonably skilled
In the game lies IN The fact that they
| think it too much trouble TO observe
the fal Of the cards. That is the very
rea on most ladies play poor whist.
They prefer TO chat az the card table.
and no me can do that aid AT the same
time observe closely each card as it is
played. When people say they cannot
remember what has been played they
really mean that they have not noticed
the cards as the latter have fallen IN
each round. Any person Of ordinary
intelligence can quickly cultivate 3
whist memory if he will take pains to
notice particularly each card as it Is
PLAYED, and at the same time connect il
IN his mind with the person Who played
it. After few rounds OF hand have
been PLAYED the person who has Ob -erYed
- fail NJ tho ri l. ran Offeu Mace the
remaining cards in every suit; in other
words, he can tell what cards are still
held by each of the other three players
Just as well as If he saw their b nds
There Is nothing wonderful in this. IL
IS Comparatively an easy matter 10 |
form a correct conclusion as TO the cards /
still in the hands of the players when |
one has noticed carefully the cards |
already played. Such q conclusion Is |
drawn almost instinctively by an |
Observant and careful player. And this |
leads me TO say that most bad whist
playing IS due to pure csrelessness.
Some whist players boast OF such care
lessness, as If il were TO their credit.
Their plea is that they play whist for
amusement. Yet l have noticed that
very players generally have the
conceit TO believe that they play their
hands very well, and, as a rule, they
attribute their defeats to the superior
luck of their opponents rather than 10
their indifferent play. III they chance to
win they take credit 10 themselves,
although they are really deserving of
none whatever. II therefore appears
that they consider themselves at the
very least fair whist players, although,
rs a matter of fact, their play Is exec
-ably bad. They lose on the average at
east one trick every hand and at the
snd of II openly congratulate them
selves on their play in making every
rick possible with the cards they held.
That may be styled card playing for
amusement but il is a libel on the game
% call il whist. Whatever is worth :
ioing at ali is worth Going we'll is an
I'D maxim which applies 10 games and
pastimes as well as TO more serious
matters. If these wretched and at the
anne time self-satisfied whist players |
,ould see the sarcastic glances thrown .
n their direction and hear the jocose
-emarks made al their expense, their !
might perhaps be seriously
But" asked the reporter, is it not
considered impo Sible for many persons,
md especially for ladies, 10 become ,
.oOd whist playersP"
" . y
vas the answer, sis that he or she give
areful attention to the game and show
genuine desire to master it. 1t is this
laying without any intelligent effort to
lay well that l quarrel with. As for Z
Of the other sex, 1 see no
eason in nature why they could not, If 7
hey would. become fine whist players
The trouble with most Of them is they
want 10 make 2 social affair of a sitting s
Il cards. This can't be done successfully 7
7hen whist is the game in hand. They =,
hould drop small talk at card parties
II drop whist from their list of games
Il such gatherings. Neither man nor I
TOman can gossip and play whist ,
veil at the same time. The play OF every ,
and presents problem for solution not,
S a rule, a very difficult or intricate
If one considers IL as one goes
long, but pro lem, even il ever so
nipple that cannot be solved unless
me knows its conditions. and these can
'ecome known only by close observation
md an act OF memory. II a lair per
entage Of the hundreds Of persons in
his city who are now devoting them
elves 10 whist are to become proficient :
D the game they must become obseryant
players; they must watch the fall of
he cards, and aside from a few con-
-entional rules, be guided in their play !
hereby. BY the way, there seems TO be :
ONE confusion in the minds of young y
players between the laws Of whist and
he conventional rules of play. The ]
ormer are obligatory. but the latter
nay or may not be followed according
o circumstances or the judgment of the
player. For instance, if a man leads
rom singleton or sneak. 1t is no viola
ion OF the laws of the game. although.
ave in exceptional cases. it is not good
LAY. But you have had enough OF
Whist for one day. Come again when l
-ou want to continue the subject"