The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-05-16
GOOD GAMES OF WHIST.
Some Styles of Play Contrasted-Do You
Follow Pole or Cavendish?

Among the many thlngsa woman is sup
posed to be unable to do is to play whist.
In direct contradiction to that statement
comes the announcement that Milwaukee,
Boston and New York have women teach
ers of this game who receive q dollar . les
son Tor their instruction. These Eastern
teachers wend their way to Bar Harbor
and Newport in thesummer time and con-
tinue their teaching among the gayest of
our land. Americans play different game
from the English in quite a number of
points, as, for example, not counting
honors and playing games of seven points
instead OF i've points each. Indeed,
great many modern American players do
not count games at all, but play certain
length OF time decided upon before begin
ming, and count every point won, thus
making sort of highly intelligent, intel
lectual scientific game of laps and slams.
The reason for this is obvious, as in the
ordinary game, the score standing at, say
five even, one side wins four points of
which they get credit for but two-since
seven is the game. 1t seems singular that
since the recognized authorities are En-
glish and found fully half their laws, and
somewhat of the theory. on the honor and
tive-point game, that we do not adopt the
entire English system'or establish a code
wholly our own. 1t would probably be
useless to attempt to induce them TO come
over to our views, although we think IN
this case. as well as in many others, the
new country has improved on the old, and
the English have been brought to ac-
knowledge and to practice some of our
leads-through the important controversy
started in 1884 by Mr.. Trist of New
Orleans, but it would be much
better if the two parts of the same
race played exactly the same game
There are a number of books
published in America, the best OF
which are "Whist Development" Gamer
lean Whist" and Universal Whist
these two last by the same author, the lat
ter issued only last year. However. these
books are only known when the players
have become students of the game. Those
which are universally known are Pole,
CaVendsh and "The Correct Card" or the
old Hoyle game, although the followers of
the last good old authority are seldom
willing to give him credit for their play,
usually stating with much swagger, "No, |
don't play Pole or any OF your new tangled
rules. play Smith, Brown or JONES'" as
their own names may be, when if the real
truth be known, careful, earnest players
though they may be, their game can be
directly traced through Bumblepuppy to
Hoyle.
Ii beginners-person who have mas
tered the old fundamental rules embodied
in Hoyle of the third had high, second
hand low, and the like; in other words,
have gotten through their primer
would take Pole as their "frst reader"
Cavendish as the second reader" THE
Correct Card" as a reference book, and an
occasional chapter of Proctor as COM
mentary, their whist education would pro-
ceed to a most satisfactory point. 1t is not
an unusual thing to see two persons sit
down to play whist as partners for the
first time, each having heard that the
other plays well, each having bright look
of anticipation. One, in preparatory sort
of was, remarks: ''Do you play Pole or
Cavendishp'
"Cavendish" is the response. Straight
way the face of the questioner falls, all his
bright anticipation ruthlessly crushed by
one fell blow. Cavendish is an unknown
land; Pole his own familiar pasture. Nor
does he recover his spirits as the game
goes on enough to fully appreciate that his
partner is playing his game exactly, ex-
cept with few more recent developments
about which he knows nothing, and which
his intelligent partner may discontinue
when he, too, comes to realize that his
finer play is unappreciated, or 60 on with
it, for the practice, at his pleasure.
Again, a player who has mastered the
signal is completely discouraged with Cav
endish's penultimate-when an hours
practice will show him that this is merely
the signal over again, made this time IN
the lead, not in the play, and showing just
as the signal shows one has five or more
trumps, that one has five or more of the
suit led. 1t may not be possible to com
plete the penultimate in the second round
any more than the signal, but when ulti-
matelv it is done the information is con-
veyed. The echo, another Of Cavendish's
ORDINATIONS, is perfectly simple to any one
who has practiced enough TO get the sig
nal, which should have been done when
STUDYING the First Reader" recon-
mended-Pole.
Now, when learning the leads in either
one of these authorities, if Richard Proc
tors first chapter, headed "The Lead, be
studied, half the battle is won, for he has
been particularly happy in simplifying
this exhausting subject. Indeed, the two
following chapters on the play of second
and third hand are almost as good. In fact,
these three authorities advocate almost
invariably the same thing only each has
been little more fortunate than the other
in explaining some particular points or
celebrating certain details.
If beginner hears some old players
holding forth about Maj. Campbell
Walkers Correct Card" and thereupon
rushes off to buy and study it, he becomes
simply dazed over the idea that the first
thing he must do is to commit to memory
and to practice seventy-six distinct leads,
and is naturally in despair. ''The Correct
Card" is not whist grammar; it is the
best of reference books; if one wants to
know. when a thing is done or why it is
done or what to do, there is the answer,
ready and waiting. 1t is a mistake to adj
wise students to stick to one authority after
O certain degree of excellence in play is
attained An interest in whist, in the
modern scientific game, has been aroused
all over the country, and Bumblepuppy
has been perfect missionary.
There was a movement on the part of
some of the staid thoughtful, earnest
PLAYERS of the old school to suppress the
modern innovations, but the impetus was
too strong in the other direction. The
cases of all those who argue against il are
so well treated without gloves by Bumble
puppy that we leave them to him. So
popular has the game become in the last
year that that very modern development,
the progressive game of cards, played for
prizes, has embodied whist into Its being.
1t is then called drive whist" A partner
whom one keeps throughout the evening
is chosen by lot One hand is played at
each table, the losers are driven away
~.