The San Francisco call., 1896-04-06
= M,;;t
IAll communications concerning whist, an
swers TO problems, etc., should be addressed
whist Editor CALL, City.l

whist Editor" CALL, City.l
Note the number of times when you sit
down at whist table, at the end OF each
deal or when the cards are all played, now
often some one of the four will lnvarlaoiy
say, Partner, if you had done so and so,
or returned nv Lead or make some
other similar remark. Remarks of any
kind generally provoke discussion and dis
turb the players at the other tables as we'll
as your own. There is no better way OF
acquiring a knowledge of whist than dis
cussing and analyzing hands after they
. are once PLAYED To see where and how the
losses or gains we're made, but the players
should be by themselves where others can
not be disturbed. The Trist Club of this
City have what they call ''post-mortem"
table, and we think it would be a capital
idea if all whist clubs adopted the same
plan. 1t is very amusing to listen to the
kicks, wrangies, whist talks" and whist
instructions" that are given during an
evenings plav, when really not word
should be spoken during the game more
than the laws of whist allow, and that is
verv little 1t is we'll TO always avoid
PLAYING with partner who insists upon
giving you instructions while you are
playing.
In previous articles we have had some
thing TO say on the opening of each deal.
THE Original Lead" and what the part
ner should do in return when winning the
trick. What if the partner does not win?
This point of play the text books do not
go into very exhaustively. When the
original leader opens the game with a
small card and it is won by the adversa-
rIes, what are they to do? and what suit
should they select to lead from, and what
card? This is a question that puzzles not
only beginners, but many advanced play
ers as well. The first thing for the adver-
sary to think of is what is the length and
strength of the suit of the original
leader-bear this well in mind. In all of
our illustrations or examples we place the
original leader south; as you read this
paper, or, if it was map, south is always
a the bottom, north at the top, the right
hand east and left hand west.
The lead has been made, fourth player
or east wins the trick and still holds the
master card in the suit. Here Is an oppor-
tunity for ''underplay." To the beginner
and many advanced players this is Greek.
There IS nothing more necessary TO be ex-
planned. as underplay is a GatIing gun in
the hands of the advanced against the in
experienced player 1t is to return the
lowest of your left-hand adversary's lead,
though you have the highest in your
hand, hoping your partner will make the
third best II he has it and still retain the
master card OF the suit in your hand.
For example, suppose East, fourth
PLAYER, has ace, king and one small of his
left-hand adversary's suit. To underplay
he wins the trick with the ace and returns
the small one. One of the things that
should never be forgotten is to keep the
command. or master card, of your adver-
sary's suit as long as it Is safe to do So
4 HoVn l..
TO state you should get lid as quickly as
possible OF the command of your partners
suit
What should fourth player lead if he
does not have the chance TO underpIay2
First, if the best suit he has got should
happen 10 be the one originally led bv his
adversary and has been weakened bv win
ming the trick, if he can place eleven
cards IN the suit and has some trump
strength he can do no harm to return the
suit: if his partner has not the winning
card he may be able to trump. Second, if
be has good strong suit he should lead
from it and select the conventional card
just the same as though he was the orig
inal leader. Third. If he has no strong
suit lead the highest of three-card suit
when II contains an ace and two small, or
king and two small; in that case it would
be best TO lead low. If you have no such
holding as above, but have three or four
small trumps and a singleton, you are
justified in leading it to make your small
trumps IN possible cross ruff. If the
original leader opened trumps from
strength and the second or fourth PLAYER
wins the trick and opens from their strong
suit it Is generally right to conceal the
length OF Il when you can by your open
ing. If ii is a tive-card suit make it appear
as four, and if it is a four-card suit make it
appear as five. You cannot hurt your
partner and you can disturb your adver-
saries and often pick up trick you would
not otherwise get.
WHISTLES.
The schedule of play for the month of
April for the Trist Duplicate Whist Club
is as follows:
Tuesday evenings, s o'clock-Club record
play (average system). Wednesday after
moons, at 2:30-Instruction for mem bers
and guests; also whist play. Thursday
evenings, O'Clock sharp = Progressive
duplicate; prizes given. Saturday after
moons, 2:3O-Whist play; members and
guests. Saturday evenings, 8 O'Clock
Progressive straight whist; members and
guests. Last Saturday evening in each
month-ConSolation whist for prizes and
refreshments
The schedule of play for the San Fran
cisco Whist CLUB for the month of April is
as follows:
Durlng the month OF April progressive
duplicate whist will be played on Mon
day, Wednesday and Saturday evenings.
On Monday evening, April 13, two prizes
will be awarded to the couple making the
highest score above the average, players
being handicapped by the committee. No
other evening prize play will be had until
further notice.
Tuesday afternoons, April Z, IA, 81 and
28, whist talks will be given to lady mem
bers from 80 to P. NJ. This will be fol-
lowed by whist play for lady memb rs
with partners selected by PLAYERS, except
that on the 7th and 21st inst partners will
be selected by lot. Yesterday afternoon
the lady members determined upon rules
and plan or play Tor ladies trophy"
Each subsequent afternoon at o'clock
there will be whist play for lady members.
Our little Whist Queen, Miss Kate
Wheelock, a teacher of whist with a world
wide reputation, has originated one of the
brightest ideas ever thought of in whist
In ner illustrated lectures she proposes to
have the cards placed on the table as in
actual play.
In all whist matches the score should be
announced as gain of so many tricks, not
points there is no such thing as points
in duplicate whist.
II. r. Hertel, vice. president OF the Pick
wick Club of Pasadena, was guest of the
Trist Club for the past week
Mr.. George NJ. Mott, vice-president of