The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-01-15
FOR LOVERS OF WHIST.
"Deidrich" Tells How a Firs
Game Should Be Played.
THE CHOICE OF SUIT TO BE LED.
Three Forces In whist--Long Trumps,
High Cards and Long suit--The Lead
Of the First Protects the Second and
Establishes the Third.

of the First Protects the Second and
Establishes the Third.
Following tho general line OF advice
given in the previous article In this series
namely, that the player should seize ev-
cry opportunity to inform his partner Of
| the character of his hand, especially the
numerical strength of his suits let US
imagine a novice seated at his first game
The style of play is duplicate with turned
up trump. Let the new player remember
the number as well as tho suit of this card
| IL ke is the dealer, he may be able 10 give
infSsmation to his partner Of strength in
trumps by the play OF higher trump
than the one turned for both the signal"
| TO your partner that you desire trumps to
be led to you, and the echo" 20 his lead
of trumps informing him that you have
| four or moro, the echo In the case Of three
| trumps being left TO experts, consists In
| the play of an unnecessarily high card. -
| IL generally takes two rounds TO indicate
| this, but ono round will do IL in the case
| Of the turned up trump. For example, by
| the play of the six or seven, when the five
or four has been exposed.
Continuing with the supposition that
~
| will be fourth hand 90 tho first lead. The
new player WIN fourth hand should al
| ways take the trick when he can. If he
cannot, lot him throw off lower card,
| this, however, being unnecessarily high,
as indicated by the, play next time Of n
| still lower card When he desires to call for
| trumps. III ho has none OF the suit, his
| discard will be from his shortest suit, ex-
cept when strength Of trumps has been do
oIared TO lie with the opponents.
IL he takes the trick, ms Il in tho position
| OF first hand. Here tho first thing to con-
slider Is whether or not trumps should be
| led. The inYariable rule for the novice,
with 1--WE or lNpre trumps, is lead them;
| with less, don't. When more expert with
| the command Of all suits, trumps may bo
| even led from three With the command
| of ono long suit and re-entry cards--i. o.,
| those bound To take tricks, in at least ono
| other suit, trupps may be led from four,
| but In these cases the trumps must be
| fairly high ones. The reason for the trump
| lead is that with trumps in your oppon-
| ents' hands the long suits OF yourself and
partner cannot become established, since
the lowest trump is better than an ace or
other commanding card of side suit.
There are only 10 trumps, and tho presence
of five in yoar hand, with the equal chance
that your partner is as strong in them as
either of your opponents, gives preponder-
ating chances TO your side that, after
trumps have been led twice or three times,
you will bo left with the remaining ones,
which will act as re-entry cards, allowing
you to trump your opponents suits and
lead your own. In this lead of trumps
notice what your partner plays. IL you
see from his second play that be has thrown
Off on the first an unnecessarily high card,
| he Is 'ecboing" TO you-that Is, indicat-
ing that no has four trumps or more.
Then, watching the play of the opponents,
IL will be easy to locate the presence or alb
| sence of the remaining trumps. When you
sec that the high trumps are with one op-
| ponent, stop leading trumps Never pull a
commanding tramp with trump when
suit lead will do the trick as we'll As
long as you are exhausting trumps from
both opponents, even though losing tricks,
continue the trump lead on every oppor-
tunity.
Advice as to which card Of your five or
moro trumps to lead will be given later In
the tabulated American leads.
II you arepot strong enough In trumps,
lead from your best long suit
If, however, your only long suit has
been already opened by your right oppon-
ent, the fourth hand TO you, lead another
suit, your partners, If you can locate it
by inference from elimination, or direct
play, or your left hand opponents suit, If
this has been similarly indicated. You
may lead through strong, but never up to
strong suits In your opponents hands.
Above all things, do not lead commanding
cards in your opponents suits. Lead help
compelled TO lead from such to assist your
partner. These are cards, ten, knave or
above, on which your partner may, if the
play of second hand or his own strength
warrants it, throw of weak cards, thereby
preserving the high ones for ultimate COM
mand of the suit.
DO not lead n suit of which both of your
opponents have none, as the weak man
will trump, and the strong man may fur
ther increase his strength by the discard
of losing card. When, however, but one
opponent can trump, and he Is the one
who has command of trumps, lead high
or established cards TO force him 10 trump
In fact, tho three forces player has at his
command are trumps, high cards and
long suits With power In the first, you
protect your second and establish your
third force. Without power in the first,
by the play of the last you weaken the
trump power ofyour opponents. You lose
nothing by not leading high cards in short
suits. These are probably the long ones
OF your opponents, who are delighted to
sec their suits established by your lead Of
the commanding cards in them. The play
Of n singleton. or lone card in suit, never
iustiiiable when 1t is low one Is some
times defended rs good lead, helping
card when it Is n high one, but just as
high cards of short suits are certain To be
led, too, 50 Is a singleton, and the lead by
another than yourself does not give mis-
Information to your partner. To recapit-
ulnte as 90 the choice of suits TO lead
First with five or moro trumps lead
them; second, in other cases a4he longest
suit except (a) when the fourth hand to
your lead has declared strength In this or
tb) an opponent weak I'm trumps may as
sist his partners declared strength in
them by trumping in and allowing him
To discard losing card. In these eases (c)
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