Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1890-12-19
POINTS ON CARDS.
A Few Easy bat Important Questions
About WHIST AnsrereN.

About whist Answered.
Enthusiast-As l understand it the sig
nal is an unnecessarily high card played
before u low one, but for the life of me /
can't understand what the echo is.
Answer-Thc echo is precisely the same
thing as the signal. When your partner
is strong in trumps and leads them and
you are also strong, o simply signal
that is to say, you echo his lead. If clubs
are trumps your partner leads and you
have the w and three, play the three first
and then the two.
Enthusiast-Of course. But with how
many trumps do you echo?
Answer-With four or more. Your part
ner will probably not lead trumps with
less than five. BY your echo you show him
you have at least four, and the remaining
o are with your opponents. Your play
is very valuable. because it shows him just
how many times to lead trumps.
Enthusiast-Yes, but suppose you take
the trick on his lead of trumps? Of course
you have got to return his lead-I believe
you say that nothing but sudden death
should prevent this-how are you going to
show him then how many trumps you
have?
Answer-The rule is that when you nave
OAlISS VI . w UIC llS lCSU, 1lOIo
than three, to return the fourth best.
This is ironclad.
Enthusiast-Is this merely an arbitrary
rule? Isn't there some reason for it?
Answer-There is a reason, and II good
reason, for every rule in whist. Besides
the information it conveys, the play of the
highest of three or less Strengthens your
partners hand. Mind you, this rule ap-
plies to plain as we'll as trump suits. Your
partner leads from his strong suit, doesn't
he? Why? Because he wants to establish it.
He wants to get the high cards u first, so
! that his low cards will rise correspondingly
in value and have the command. Now, if
| you have but three cards of this suit it is,
comparatively speaking, useless to you.
Therefore by leading back the highest to
your partner you first strengthen his suit;
| second, bring out the high cards in the
hands of your opponents, and, third, show
him where the cards lie. If, on the con-
trary, you have four cards, then your suit
is almost as likely to be established as tina
of your partners. Then there is no par
ticular reason why you should give in to
him, for in the first place he may lave led
from only four, and, second, the fourth
card of your suit can be established us cas-.
lily as his.
Enthusiastic follow you. But suppose
your partner leads from five and you nave
four originally. You lead back your fourth
BEST, which is the lowest one, and your
opponents follow suit. That makes eight
cards that have been played. Your oppo
nents haven't any left, and of the remain
ing five you have two and your partner
three. Now suppose, at Il critical state of
the game, that your partner has the lead
and is obliged to lead this suit. Suppose
the trumps are out. Now it is evident that
his three cards, if they are higher in value
than your two cards, are good for three
tricks. But if, on the contrary, you are
obliged to take the first two tricks, then it
will be impossible for you to give him the
lead and you are bound to lose u trick. But
it When the suit WIS first played you had
taken care to thsow away the high cards,
then you would have let tine command re-
main in his hand. Please tell me how this
is going to be done.
Answer-Ths process is called ''unblock-
ing" and it is one of the most intricate
problems in whist. You have stated the
case fairly. In brief. you must watch the
fall Of the cards, and if you partner is
very strong in any suit you cav almost al
ways tell just what cards of yours are
llhe4y 10 DOCK his suit, ana can dispose OF
them in time. For instance, il you have
queen. 8, Q and 3, and our partner Is very
strong, you will in many cases see the I'D
vantage of throwing of first the 8 and
then the 8. This will not he . signal, be-
cause the higher car11 is played second.
This system of unlocking, however, does
not affect in the main the rule of the re.
turn Of the highest of three or less and of
fine IOVvaSf pf fp.1r. or tina fC,t,tb hast IF
more than four. Tom MASON.