Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-29
WHIST yMANNERISMS.
Some Pecularities Noticeable Among
Votaries of the Game.

Votaries of the Game.
From the st. Louis Globe Democrat
The methods and mannerisms observable
among whist players are exceedingly va
rious and some Of them IRE extremely
amusing. Peculiarities are by no means
confined to weak players, but are nearly
as prevalent among those of the first rank.
No one who has taken part in the several
tournaments played at the Office Mems
Club can have failed to have noticed scores
of Individual eccentricities. The nervous
players form quite a considerable class.
Such mon wear their nerves not only
outside of their skins, but also outside
of their clothes. A whisper In far corner
of the room, the shutting Of single pair
Of feet or any other noise that would pass
unnoticed by a person of average physical
constitution sets a man of this class fairly
wild. He sQliirms in his chair, plays Dadly
and finally tries to secure silence by mum
dering raps on the table. making ten times
the disturbance that the original oHehoer
did.
Next in prominence is the player who
cannot help abusing his partner. or TINS
genus there are several species. Probably
the most common Is the denunciatory. he
Informs his partner In strong language
this his play can only be explained on the
ground that he Is trembling on the verge
of the idiot asylum. or gives him TO un-
The mildly sarcastic Is another type, the
man who in a gentle voice asks for an eX-
PLANTATION of the exact mental process that
led his partner to believe that some pc
crliarly dabolical blunder could be or ad-
vantage to their score, or who quietly
remarks that he is pleased that only two
tricks were lost on hand. when 1T would
have been possible Tor his partner, py .ne
away four. Then there is man who
uses a bludgeon. informing his partner
that 1T Is not necessary for him TO use
shovel to throw tricks out Of the window
hard for man to win when he mas three
opponents.
There are a number of ways in which
such criticism is met. Some maintain, In
spite Of absolute proof to the contrary.
that their play was correct. The more
common method is for the malefactor to
grow nervous. turn red and play ten times
worse than before. A not unusual method
is to claim that q wrong card was drawn
by accident, or that the player made a
mistake as to who had led. The fact that
no one ever believes such statements seems
to have no effect on the men who make
them.
There are two particularly exasperating
kinds of players, those who are too rapid
and those who are too slow. Give one of
the first class a good hand and when he
leads a winning card he seems unable to
wait until the rest have played. but holds
his next card in his hand separated from
the his pTdCtce gives rise "
any number of improper intimations. The
slow player is almost as exasperating.
With only a single card Of suit in his
hand he will reflect for half minute be-
fore putting it on the ace led. Then there
is the man who keeps his eyes glued to his
hand, as II In fear that 1t would escape
him, and sees scarcely anything that is
played by his partner or his opponents.
This fault Is very common one Then
there is the man who puts every winning
card with bang on the table He is
usually of bucolic antecedents. 1t is nearly
always the case that the man who hest
tates Is lost. When a player Is seen gazing
upward toward the chandelier, as If to ex-
tract inspiration from that article Of furni-
ture. his partner shudders, for he knows
that he is nearly certain to commit some
outrageous abonlination. The man Who
plays a good game When with mediocre
partners, but goes to- pieces when with
experts, simply because he thinks that he
must do something extraordinary and con-
sequently never plays n natural card, is
peculiarly trying. II players would follow
two cardinal rules, to keep their eyes on
the board and never to become ratified"
the game of whist would be greatly Inn
proved.