The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-03-12
FOR LOVERS OF WHIST
Diedrich Brings the Whist Nov
ice Into Easy Street.
SIMPLE RULE OF FOURTH HAND.

Whist PrincipIes-some Rhymed Rules
of Qdis)play.
In the game of duplicate whist, where
every trick gained counts, and there is
therefore little playing for the odd,'' the
conduct of fourth hand is rendered very
simple indeed. The rule is to take the
trick. 1t is true that in whist problems
the refusal of fourth hand to take the adj
verse trick is often the solution of the diff
fculty, yet such situations rarely arise in
the regular game
Probably among the greatest experts,
and in tournaments in which 20 minutes
have been consumed In the consideration
and calculation of a single play, such &C.
casions may be discerned, yet these are
matters of whist strategy rather than of
whist principles and may only be men
TONED here rather as examples OF tngenu-
tty than as instruction In play.
If fourth hand Is strong in trumps, yet
fearful of losing control by playing the
one necessary to take an adverse trick in
suit, and if he can discard q card certain
to be lost otherwise, and If he is confident
the long suit game is the best in the i'm
mediate instance, he may refuse to take
the trick. So, also, with trumps on his
SIDE he may refuse to take a trick with
what, after trumps are exhausted, may
prove to be re-entering card. But this
So, also, when refusal to take may COM
pei third hand to lead a weak suit, of
which you have none, up to your partners
strong hand, the trick may be passed.
When king Is led from queen and others,
fourth hand holding ace, jack and others
may pass it, in order that on the second
lead of a low the suit may be established
in his rather than the leaders, hand. Still
with all the contingencies of a rufhng
game this is quite dangerous risk to as
sumo. 1t would be better to take the tric&
in most cases and return low of the same
suit through the leaders strength.
The great evil about refusal to take the,
trick fourth hand is that it misinforms the
partner, who may ruin his hand by trump
ing in upon suit of which fourth hand
has the commanding cards in hidden re-
serve.
In the first of these articles reference
was made to race characteristics as exem-
p1ifed in national sports and games. The
German mind was especially mentioned as
devoted to those contests full of ingenious
obstacles and pitfalls and opportunities for
individual excellence rather than steady
team play. Conversely it is a mind sus-
picious of pitfalls on the part of the oppo-
nents, and even on that of the partner,
who may also be playing an individual
game. Consequently the following lines,
handed me yesterday by an enthusiastic
with perfect propriety in the German
American dialect. AS Milwaukee, the
German-Amerioan city, is known the
world over as whist center, a place where
the game has reached its highest excel
1ence the many proficient players of Ger
man extraction can afford to be above
taking umbrsge at the pleasantly:
REAL SCIENCE OF WHIST.
If you would peat venever you blay visht.
Look oud und holdt der goot cards in your
fisht,
Und if it coornes dot you don get der besht
You inference dot it's SO of all der resht-
Look on your bardner as your vorsetest foe;
He thinks his hand more goot as yours, you
know,
Und ven he tries his fiddle game to blay
Schust show him dot you know q bedder way.
Ven you in drumps krate big handful holdt,
Schust keep 'en; dey are wort dere weight in
COLT.
Dey may COON handy later in der game.
Und ven your bardner leads you drump, your
card
Has got to take it, though it does coome hard
To big one from your fiddle store.
Be careful though, und don'd blay any more
Und if it is your foorst chance for lead
Dot lonesome two of diamonds you don ID need
Schust sneak init him out early in der game
Und don'd waste drumps und high cardts all
der same.
Gif close addention to dose cardts you holdt,
Und if you take your bardner's, why, he's
soldt.
Und if by chance you happen to revoke
Say nix, but dreat it as foorst rate choke,
For Ply und Ply when thick oopon der table
Der last cardts coome schust slide, if you
able,
Der fiddle cardt dot should have followed suit
Under der scheneral pile. P'raps no one
knew it.
Your bardner's foorst lead being init king,
Your having none, to drump is schust der ting,
Pecause he's sure der ace to also holdt
dot inference process makes us mighty boldt).
Dis foorst lead businessiis de ting to study;
Dot learndt, der rest won't bodder anybody.
Nit ace und king small Won should be seen,
Because your bardner ought to hold der kveen-
Und as you've got dose bricks anyway
Don'd let the odders know schust where dey
lay
Nit ace kveen, ten und low, NIT ten proceed,
Und holding seven in drunp der lowest lead.
Your great big cardts be kvick to t'row away:
Dey show your bardner vot you want him blay.
Und ven your bardner's b1ay gets higher und
higher
Dot is q SIGNAL, so init drump you fire.
But if you miss SIGNAL don'd feel plue;
I miss em lots myself, und so may you.
Dirteen's enough of cardts for one to blay.
How can you watch der odders anyway
It's sehust enough to blay your handt alone
Und let your bardner manage nit his own,
Except Of course, to help him in his need
You schust may dell him vot is besht to lead.
DIEDRICH.
Knickerbocker Whist Club, New York.
Annie O'NeilYs Approaching Marriage.
The most noteworthy engagement of
marriage recently announced between the
atrieal people is that of b. G. Miner and
Annie O'NeiIl. Miss O'Neill is charm
ing young actress, who made an emphatic
hit in william H. Cranes production OF
ellis Wife's Father and has been doing
better work ever since. Mr.. Miner may