Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-25
REMARKABLE WHIST HANDS,
Together With Some Unexpected Re.
suits of Playing Them.

Together With Some Unexpected Re-
suits of Playing Them.
From The Post Express
member Of the Buffalo Whist Club sends
to the Buffalo Commercial letter describ-
ing hand which he recently held at whist
1t was his lead, and in sorting his hand he
found that he held the six highest hearts,
which were trumps: the ace. king and
queen of spades, and the ace, king, queen
and knave of clubs. The hand looked, of
course, as though it were good for thirteen
tricks. but as a matter Of fact the player
lost the odd. for one of his opponents held
the seven smallest trumps and the six high
est diamonds. The Commercials corre-
spondent asked If he could play the hand
In such a way as to make the odd trick,
and that paper does not reply. Very slight
study of the hand shows however, that 1t
can yield only six tricks no matter whether
the trumps are led first or the spades or
clubs.
The hand which the Buffalo player held
was a remarkable one, but It Is surpassed
by the extraordinary hand held by Duke
or Cumberland at Bath, as described by
Richard A. Proctor The duke held the
king, knave, nine and seven of clubs, which
were trumps; the ace and king of diamonds,
the ace, king, queen and knave of hearts
ana the ace, king and queen of spades. 1t
was the dukes lead and he failed to take
a single trick! The four hands were as fol-
lows:
West-A.. O.. 10, clubs (trumps); 10, ..
8, Z. u. j. 4, 3, . diamonds.
North-kn., 10, 9, &, Z, q spades; O. Kn
diamonds; 10. 0. s. :. hearts
East, I, 3. spades; 3. 4. 3, hearts;
q, j. 4, 3. . clubs.
South 0he duke)-K., KIN, o. clubs; A.,
r. diamonds; A, X, c., Kn. hearts; A,
X. Q. spades. t
The duke opened his hand with a TRUMP.
which west covered. and lei diamond.
which east trumpet. East returned a
trump. which west took and led back a
diamond. East again trumpet and then led
MS last trump. West took II. drew the
DUKES last trump and made his remaining
diamonds. We never knew of a more re-
markable combination of cards, and from
the way Prof. Proctor published and dis
cussed the play in his book, entitled "How
to Play Whist" we have no reason to doubt
the genuineness of the hand
In the same book Prof Proctor, giving
the Westminster Papers his author
ity, mentions two cases where all the trumps
were held by one player. The odds against
this are 15S, II, $50 $40 to l.
Some years ago Cuthb2rt Belle wrote to
Notes and Queries that he held seven hearts
and six diamonds, and his partner held
six hearts and seven diamonds, while the
clubs and spades were similarly divided be-
tween the opponents. 1t is easy to guess
how this might have occurred. Possibly
some one had been playing solitaire AMI
had worked out the black cards In two
packets and the red cards in two AMI had
punched them. The whist player separate
the pack with all the red cards in one
hand ana the black ones in the other and
shuffied the cards together that in the
complete pack of fifty-two cards the red and
black cards alternatel. In that case cut
ting would make no difference. and on
dealing, two players would get all the re Is
and the others al the blacks. Or. posi-
bly,, some one had arranged the cards al
ternateiy and the dealer shufliel them
"over and over" an operation equivalent to
repeated cuts, in which case the result
would he the same.
We have personal knowledge of some re-
markable hands ut whist. On enc occa-
sion the writer's partner held eleven
trumps, only the seven ami eight being
against him. He had two small spa les in
which suit his partner held ace AMI king.
SO that thirteen tricks were ga Sly won.
on another occasion the same player made
thirteen tricks from his own hand, with
correct play all around-a feat that we
never saw repeated, and which the Oldest
whist players in the city tell US they have
never heard of before. We remember on
evening when a partner held nine trumps
twice. And We rem cmber holding the seven
highest trumps and getting nothing more
than the odd. and of holding eleven trumps
with partner and losing even the odl
A former Earl of Marlborough was always
willing to wager flOJO to II that a hani
without a card better than a nine would
not be held. He didn't offer odds that were
large enough to make the bet fair for the
chances against such hand are 1.S21 to l.
But We have seen more than one hand of
that character, and have good reason for
remembering one hand that was eight-spot
high. with only two trumps. The man who
held it never had a good hand in his life
We know that because ne used to say 50
at least twenty times in every sitting.
The weakest hand ever held in Rochester
was dealt to Geo. s. Tuck srman, about the
year 1873. in the rooms now occupied by
the chamber of commerce. 1t consisted of
the deuce. trey and four of three suits, and
the deuce. trey. four and five Of the fourth
suit. John II. Rochester. now secretary Of
the Mechanics Savings Bank, was playing
at the table and saw the cards dealt.