The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-27
FOR LOVERS OF WHIST
Diedrich Discourses Upon the
Logic of the Discard.
HOW IT CONVEYS INFORMATION,
Laws of the Discard In Long Suit Gamo.
How Modified For Short Suit or Rumnc
Game-Drawing OF Secondary differences.

Same-DraWing OF Secondary Inferences.
The primary principle which governs
the choice of suit and card in the suit for
q discard Is the strengthening of your own
hand.
This requires that tho suit chosen be q
short one and yet, If tho discard will vi
tally affect the chance of tho leading card
in the suit even becoming the master one,
as In the case of u king supported by but
ono low card or queen by two, common
sense will require discretion In the matter.
In many cases, however, 1t is we'll to be
bold and risk the chance Of loss in the
weakened suit in order to moro firmly
hold the command In the others This risk
should only be takon when there are indi.
cations OF strength In your partners hand
taken as q whole.
Tho natural logic of tho game also re-
quires the discard Of the lowest card in
tho suit. This and tho previous rule are
only departed from in the long suit game
for information. Hero 1t is that the rela-
tions between the mathematics of the
game and its conventions arc most widely
strained. Tho rules of tho American
game arc as follows:
First.-The first discard should be from
your weakest suit, unless trumps are de-
clared against you, In which case the dis
suit.
Second.-When you have entire COM
mand of any suit, discard the best card.
The discard of the second best indicates
that you have no more of that suit
Third.-Do not unguard an honor or
blank an ace, or discard singleton early
In the game, rs you might thus prevent a
proper lead to partner, and thereby block
his long suit.
Fourth.-If you have discarded from a
four card suit, lead from tho remaining
three cards, the same as in forced leads.
Now, 1t is undeniable that in a game
employing as settled principle the forces
of trumps and the consequent establish
ment of one long suit, and to this end de-
manding tho sacrifice of all chances to
ruff and to play for commanding position
In tho suits of opponents, these rules are
not alone valuable for the conveyance of
information, but even necessary as pro-
lection of the prcarranged and invariablo
plan of campaign.
when, however, the partners are agreed
to play either the long suit or the ruffing
game, rs conditions may advise, tho al
most invnriable discard of low from
the shortest suit is advisable Let us
see how this would affect tho condi-
tions of rule one. Tho discard from the
best protected suit" is warming seized
upon by tho opponents not to lead tho suit
which you desire, and, rs they presuma-
Dly have, or can soon secure the lead, this
Is case where information can do your
partner little compensatory good. 1t can
readily BIO seen how q discard from weak
when playing against opponents who sup
pose 1t to be from strength will lead them
to their ruin.
Rule two is proper whom there Is no 9th
er suit from which to discard.
With tho chance of q ruffing or trump
ing in game presenting itself so often,
more frequently 1t is claimed by some than
the certainty Of establishment of long suit.
rule thrce may be boldly broken, always
in the case of singleton, often In the case
OF an acc accompanied by low, and with
discretion In that of q guarded honor
The discard from weak suit, of course
does away with tho necessity OF rule four,
relating to return lead from four card
suit from which discard has been made.
When bold plan of discarding has been
adopted, keep it up. Wholly endanger one
suit rather than weaken several. If your
partner understands the principle of your
play, he can infer the condition OF your
hand by the secondary process of elimina-
ton rs we'll as II you gave him direct in
formation. Knowing one weak suit in
your hand, and looking at his own, as we'll
as estimating the strength of the oppo-
nents from their plays, no can arrive at a
pretty close knowledge of what is your
best suit and the condition of your hand
in general.
Where conservation Of forces is preserved
and information thus given by secondary
Inference, the game is certainly moro log
ical than when strength is diminished for
the sake Of imparting information of
greater value to the opponents who have
the lead than to the partner who is grind
ing his teeth over his inability to get it.
DIEDRICH
kniokerbocker Whist Club, New York.