The record-union., 1893-07-12
MANNERISMS IN WHIST.
Heinous 0henses That Are Commit
ted UnconsciousIy.
A Conservative Player and an Ag-
gressive Partner Make n
Very Good Team.

There are quite a number Of things that
enter into the game of whist beside the
leads and follows, and while most of the
whist writers take more or less notice of
them, they are perhaps not given the at
tention they deserve. l have heard so
much lately of the personal equation"
that ! am constrained to say few words
on the subject.
Every text book has chapter on ETH
quette, and every whist player is sup
posed to be guarded by the informal rules
thus laid down, as well as by the more
rigid laws that govern the game, but who
has ever seen a game of any length
played through without some breach Of
etiquette OF infraction of the laws, either
in letter or in spirit? Every player does
not break the same rule, nor does the
breaking of a certain rule appear as helm
Gus an oilense in one case as it does in
another. For instance, there are players
who bring their knuckles down on the
table with a resOunding whack every
time they play a card, while there are
others who only do this when the card is
good one. Then there are players who
hesitate between one card and another as
to which they will play when they have
two or more cards Of the suit, while there
are others who first pull one card and
then another, as if in hesitation, when
there is only one card they can play with
out revoking.
In the latter case of both these instances
the offense is heinous in the extreme,
while in the former it is comparatively
harmless; but if the honest thumpers
and hesitaters were fewer the other ones
NNnn11 M no lraOIrn,,pl m jcaG ,tpI1
trickery. There are players who sigh
and players who groan, players who
whistle and players who hum softly, at
certain stages OF the game. There are
even players who kiss the last trump as
it leaves their hand. There are also
players who spit and swear, but the less
said about them the better. Now all
those who indulge in these little eccen-
triclties think nothing of them, most of
them do not even know they are guilty of
them, and certainly none think they are
conveying Illicit information thereby,
but they are nevertheless, and every body
else knows it but themselves. After a
little acquaintance both partners and OPP
ponents get to understand the meaning of
the mannerisms, and it would not be
human nature not to take advantage of
them; consequently it Is the duty of
every whist player to guard against all
peculiarities Of the above description,
and if it becomes evident that player
does not know he has got them, it is the
duty of his friends to take him OFT into a
quiet corner and expostulate with him.
But all this is beside the question OF the
personal equation, If l really understand
what that is, and no doubt many readers
who have got thus far in the argument
begin TO think that do not. We all know
that there are grades OF players. Now
one would naturally suppose that all
v,lo of irst olacS 10 ID
partners for each other, but this does not
seem to be the case. You see it every day
that is, if you are much around whist
club-that players who are admittedly of
the first force may fall foul OF each other
in the most astonishing way when sitting
opposite each other ii their dispositions
are not complimentary. This may be beg
ging the question, but it brings me to the
point. 1t is not necessary that partners
at whist should have similar dispositions,
in fact / think 1t should rather be the
other way. A conservative player and an
aggressive partner make a very good
team at whist. Ii whist were au exact
science list of the different brands of
dispositions that blend with each other
could probably be made up, and if man
We're only acquainted with his own dis
position he could select himself partner
IN the most approved fashion: but, unfor-
tunately, the science of whist, yea, even
Of duplicate whist, can hardly be said to
be OF that description, and even in the
selection Of partner one must be guided
mainly by chance.
There seems TO be an affinity between
certain players, and anyone who strikes
his affinity at an early stage of his whist
experience ought TO thank his stars for
his good fortune. Everybody reads the
same books, but the possible combina-
lions SO far exceed the capabiIity of any
book to hold them that everyb body is de-
pendent on himself for their interpreta-
ton, and when two inteIligences find
that they have drawn about the same
conclusions 1t is time for them to cali a
halt in their search for partners and mako
a compact for better or for worse at once
on the other hand, if for any reasons.
social or otherwise, they find themselves
yoked together without that mutual I'M
derstandlng as to the proper interpreta-
ton of the game, the sooner they part to
meet no more the sooner will they meet
their affinity This adaptability OF Dlav-
ers to each other is due to peculiarities IF
mind, which may be called mental man
nerisms. Now, the peculiarities men
toned at first were purely physical and
entirely reprehensible, whereas the mem
tai pecullarltles last mentioned are i'm
possible to eradicate, even if it were con-
sldered advisable to make an effort in
that direction. They are as much a part
of the game as the leads and follows. and
go to make up that infinite variation
which makes it so attractive both to the
student and the graduate.
y little changing around of partners at
times is no doubt good and wholesome
but when important games are on the
tapis, and whist in its most highly de-
velOped form is wanted, it seems to me
that players whose games dove-tail into
each other should be yoked together and
that no effort should be made to interfere
with the law OF natural selection. which
seems to be as prominent a factor in the
whist community as in any other, And
yetthe Executive Committee ofthe A nleri-
can Whist League at its last congress in
sisted on making each member OF a team,
OF fourpIay as much with the other two
as he dld with his own partner. The only
reason assigned for this action as that Il
would prevent an undue advantage ac-