The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-03-15

Appleton Whist Club. :. -. 81 Oh, 1895 Q 469 526
Aurora Whist Cub. zee. 81 0l2. 647 2 362I IS
Chicago Whist Club. O. Ol4S O1sl ,O3
Evanston Whist Club 1919. 81 OH 2g9I1..3 ! ii
Fond du Lac Whist Club. ... 81 0l3 454 ID 224l34O
Ne9nagh Whist Club. ....... II OF AL 36ii 80
Oshkosh Whit Club. 81 III So l1biSl345
Rockford Whist Club. ....... 81 4S4ClL 49, IA
Waukesha Whist Club .. i. 81 VIZ 122l f72 so
Wansan Whist CLUB. II -O as Az 10
This shows an unbroken series of victo-
ries, fJrty in number, and ex ending over
six years. A total gain of 3,427 tricks in
the pay of duplicate hands is great per-
formance.
While the tournament playing WILL of
course, be prominent feature of the con-
gress. it will not bA the only business on
hand. The Milwaukee club will appoint a
committee to draw up a code of laws more
suited to the peculiarities of the American
game than the English code now in use.
N. 3. Trlst of New Orleans. a well-known
writer on the game, and the inventor Of the
system of so-called American leads, has
been named as one. r. F. Foster as another
and the third will probably be T. Schwartz
OF Chicago. The new code will be acted on
by the delegates from all the clubs, aud will
probably be the future authority for
America. This will settle the difficulty
now experienced by so ma ~ various ways
Of playing the game throughout the coun-
try. In the east they usually count the
rubber points, giving three points for a
score OF five to nothing; two points if the
adversarles are not half way, ami on one
If they are three or four points up;
always adding two points for win
ming the third or rubber game. In New
England many count right ahead, which
Is The universal way on the many
trains where a rub er is indulged in
to pass the time while travelling. The odd
tricks are counted up indefinitely, until the
play ceases, and then those having the most
to their credit claim the victory. In the
west the common way is to play for def
mite length of time. perhaps from s until
IL, and on the tap Of the bell the side tIat
has made the most odd tricks wins. This is
manifestly unfair, as slow player may
have only played twenty hands IN that
time, but won an average of a trick a
hand, while the faster players have played
sixty hands and have not won half
trick a ha d, but are still the
winners. At tie Commonwealth club
in Worcester they have adopted al
unique way Of scoring. The game is five
points, but they play every hand out. and
the total mum er of tricks are credited.
This is TO prevent the frequent occurrence
of fine hand, capable of winning perhaps
six odd tricks, coming in when only one
pOiat is needed to wia the game, and thus
being lost to the players, who should have
the credit Of the five extra tricks. An
otherp int of difference is the manner OF
determining the trump. At the Milwaukee
Whist Club, and ia many others in the
west the tramp is cut from the still pack
two packs being used in play. Most play
ers OBJECT to this, as it spells some of the
Fl epoints in the game. When Cavendsh
was asked fon his opinion of it two years
ago he did not think the ma ter worthy OF
serious attention, the old way being SC
much the best; yet j. Rheinart of be
Milwaukee club is strong advocate for
cutting The trump from the still pack, and
his opinion ought to have some weight, as
he was the man of all others that the great
Descnapelles fancied for his partner in i'm
portant matches. He always took
Rheinart for a partner when he played for
a thousand francs me, and on his care
full play Deschapelles is said to have based
many of his most brilliant coupS, which
would have been impossible but for the
accuracy of the information that Rheilart
ALWAYS gave of the exact contents Of his
hand.
Another point that will come up at the
congress will be the merits of the new sys-
tenn of leading to show the exact number OF
small cards IN the suit Writers on this
subject are very fond of claiming that ''all
the best layers" now adopt these leads.
In an article in the March Harper this
claim is made. Nothing can be further
from the truth. None of the stro gest
players or clubs have adopted them, and all
the evidence adduced by those who favor
them is purely ex-parte. The Hamilton
club tried them for several months and
found them sure trick losing game. Their
weakness, according to Mr.. Foster, who has
studied the matter pretty thoroughly, lies
in the fact that they never overlook the real
object of leading suits in particular way,
which is to inform your partner when the
suit is established. The new leads subs. to
for this lot of oftel entirely Useless infor-
NATION about the number of small cards In
the suit, and hold back until the second or
third round the real y important matter,
the fact that the suit is established. This
is particularly noticeable in the erratiC
queen leads, which may mean almost any
thing the first round. and on the second the
adversaries usually have taken the lead by
trumping in, and proceed to avail them
selves of the minute Information intended
for the partner alone, vino has perhaps
pas ed tricks he might have won while
waiting for the long winded explanation OF
the contents of his partners hand. Many
things will be settled at Mllwau zee.
The results of the congress are to be pre-
served in the form Of an association OF
whist clubs, those joining bindi & them
selves to adopt the rules aud regulations
there agreed upon. This association will
elect officers and hold annual meetings in
various cities after the fashion of the ath-
ietic unions. The whist column OF some
paper will be selected as the official organ,
and for the discussion Of all matters of in
terest to whist players. This department
will probably be in charge of some OF the
well known writers on the game OF which
there are quite q lumber in this country.
G.. w. Pettes of the Boston Herald, author
of american Whist Illustrated" is very
able and prolific writer. Then we have
Fisher Ames, author of "a Practical Guide
to Whist" T.. d. Lother, author of Laws
of American Whist" r. f. Foster, author
of "Foster's w hist Manual; :" @. G. s., author
of "Concise Whist aid DIR. F. Mintz. the
whist editor of the Illustrated american
VINO is famous as a double-dummy
problem composer. Strange as it may
seem, with the exception IF DR.. MintZ, al
the writer's ON the gamo are very pool
players. or at least very poor "card hold
ers." Pette5 hal the lowest score in hi
club last year; Foster is known in his owr
| club as the Jonah" while the great Cav
@ dish himself is a VIGOROUSLY unsuccessful
| player, all of which ould be a great con-
| ,lation to those who think that boob
| knowledge is a guarantee of success il
whist. OF the three great games of moderr
| times, il has 1een remarked that in chess i
| ia the man: IN whist it is cards; and il