, 1889-09-08
OBSERVATIONS ON WHIST.
When Is 1t Proper to Play the King Sec
ond Hand?

When Is 1t Proper to Play the King Sec
ond Hand?
/ am asked what is the proper card to play
second hand, with king and one small card
only. There are very few players who know
how to make this play correctly, and it is a
much disputed point among that class of
players who nave not thoroughly mastered
the game.
''What am 1 to DOR said a young player to
me recently. "Just now you told me that 1
should have played the king second hand, and
this time 1 followed your plan, and, Mr..
Smarty, you see 1 lost the trickl"
"You should not have played the king this
time" l replied; because the indications
were that the ace was not in the leaders,
hand.n And this point is what the play
invariably hinges on. Say, for instance, that
hearts are trumps, and that the player on
your right opens the game with the 8 s,
and you have in your hand the k and 6 of
s. Now the question is, What shall you
playi
II you play the 6 the ace may be in the
leaders, land and the chances are thai your
k will be captured on the second round. If,
on the other hand, you play the k, third hand
may ave the ace. OF course, the general
rule is to play second hand low, but here is a
case where, if you can only make the right
play, you may be able to save the game. There
is nothing more a~ggravating than to lose a
king in this way, and, on the other hand, it is
fine sport to be able to make your trick.
OF course, the only plan to follow is to tell
by the fall of the cards just where the ace
lies. But in this case only one card has fallen.
Remember, hearts are trumps, and the leader
plays the 8 S.
We suppose, of course, that the game is
played in accordance with the rules and that
A.. 1.-I.- - L. Ii G-..-NL 80 d. Il
the s is his fourth best the chances are that
he has in his hand a lower card, and If SO
then his original suit of s contained at least
five cards. Now the rule is, when you have
five headed by the ace, to play the ace first
for the reason that it may be trumped on the
second round.
Therefore you Immediately reason from
the leaders play of the 8, first, that he played
from a suit of five; second, that he hasn't the
ace. Now you know that if third hand has
got the ace he is bound to follow the rule OF
third hand high unless he has the q also, in
which case he may finesse, but this is very
remote), and play it, which will of course
clear the suit for your king on the second
round. You know that if your partner holds
the nee the same result will follow, conse.
quently you play the 8. In nine cases out OF
ten the ace will be played on the first round
and your king will be good on the second
round, providing it is not trumped, but you
will have to take the chances. This, however,
would make no difference, anyway, 50 far as
the proper play is concerned.
But if the leader plays the Q first, this opens
snew field for inference. By the play of the
Q he shows that he is leading from a suit OF
four. As you hold the X and o, the chances
are that he has the a. In this case you play
the k second hand. OF course you will get
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outlined above is the proper one.
TOM lansing.