Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-11-09
POINTS ON CARDS.
A Few Easy but Important Questions
About Whist Answered.

About Whist Answered.
Enthusiastic I understand il the sig
nal is an unnecessarily high card played
before a 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 tn, n and
you are also strong, you simply signal
that is 10 say, You echo his lead. IL clubs
are trumps your partner leads and you
have the two and three, play the three first
and then the two.
Enthusiast-Of course. But with how
many trumps do you echof
Answer-With four or more. Your part
ner will probably not lead trumps with
less than five. BY your echo you show him
four are with your opponents. Your play
is very valuable, because it shows him just
how many times Ia lead trumps.
Enthusiast-lcs, but suppose you take
the trick on his lead Of trumps, OF course
You have got 10 return his lead-I believe
you say that nothing but sudden death
should prevent this-how are You going 10
show him then how many trumps you
haveg
Answer-The rule is that when you have
three or less To return the highest; more
than three. to return the fourth best.
This il ironclgd.
Enthusiast-ls this merely an arbitrary
rule. Isn't there some reason for it,
Answer-There is a reason. and a good
reason, for every rule in whist. Besides
the information ii conveys, the play If the
highest of three or less strengthens your
partners hand, Mind you, this rule ap-
plies TO plain us well as trump suits. Your
partner leads from his strong suit, doesn't
hes Why Because he wants to establish it,
He wants To yet the high cards out first, 50
that his low cards will rise c~orrespondingly
in value and have the command. Now, If
you have but three cards Of this suit il il,
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 cars lie. IL, on the con
trary, you have four cards, then your suit
is almost as likely to be established rs that
of your partners. Then there is no par.
ticular reason why you should give in to
him. for in the first place he may have led
from only four, and, second, the fourth
card of your suit can be established as eas.
lily a. his.
Enthusiastic follow you. But suppose
your partner leads from five aud you have
-four originally. You lead back your fourth
best, which j. 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 u critical state Of
the game, that your partner has the lead
and Is Obliged 10 lead this suit. Suppose
the trumps are out. Now 1t is evident that
his three cards, IL they are higher in value
than your two cards, are good for three
tricks. But IL, on the contrary, you ARE
obliged 10 take the first two tricks, then it
will he impossible for you tn give him the
lead and YOU are bound u lose "A trick. But
IL when the suit was first played you had
taken care To throw away the high cards,
then you would have let the command re-
main In his hand. Please tell me how this
is going to be done.
Answer-The process is called lubbock
ing and il il 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 il your partner is
very strong in any suit you can almost al
ways tell just what cards Of yours are
likely TO block his suit. and can dispose Of
them In time. For instance, IL you have
queen, :, Q and 3, and your partner is very
strong, you will in many cases see the ad-
vantage of throwing of first the $ and
then the This will not be "a signal, be-
cause the higher card is played second.
This system Of unlocking. however, does
not affect in the main the rule Of the re
urn Of the highest Of three ar less and Of
the lowest Of four, or the fourth best Of
more than four. TON MASON.