The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-10-25
Comment,

Table Trick Our argument
against the signal in this situation is
: that it commands the leader to aban-
don his suit, probably before it's es-
adjustment, while by allowing him to
continue it. the suit is often established
and brought in with the assistance of
one re-entry card. 1t is believed in
the theory of the one card signal by
which we could ask our partner to
lead trump before he draws our last
card of his suit, we might throw the
nine of spades here, but no such con-
vention is recognized by the ST. Paul
players. Indeed the st. Paul player
would lead trump quicker on the
drop of the seven from the partners
hand on the theory that the lower
card indicates the possibility of great
er assistance in the suit from his part
ner. But a trump would be led in
neither case unless the leaders own
hand justified his taking the risk.
Trick 2-We certainly think that
Vests hand justifies a trump lead;
indeed it seems the only lead. He
may ruin his spade suit by leading it
again and his other suits are strong
for protection, but very weak for lead
ing purposes. The jack of trumps can
do little harm and may bring about a
great score.
Trick 3-The continuation Of the
spade suit seems Vests best course
now East has not called and has no
more of the suit; the spade will give
him discard, force the lead up to
him, and very likely force the strong
trump hand. East's play in trumping
the trick to shut out the six of trumps
turned by South may be subject to
criticism. but East is in the dark as
to an advantageous discard. and
wants to find out something about
South's hand and compel him to open
a suit without the information that a
discard would give. In addition to
this there is the probability of forcing
king or jack of trumps and the posi-
bility Of shutting out South altogether.
Tricks 5-13-We will not comment
further on the play at this table for
the reason that we are uncertain how
it went. st. Paul got but nine tricks.
and a. bad play was made somewhere
after trick four, for with good play the
tricks ought to have been made. In
the play as above given We have
charged East with q play which he
clearly ought not to have made. and
which we cannot believe that he did
make. but the trick got away some
where, and this play might have been
made if South was too badly ratified
to analyze the situation. At trick 9,
East should have led another trump
to get a few discards. and should then
have finally led his four of hearts,
rather than his ten of diamonds, as the
DEVELOPMENT would fairly mark queen
with West if 1t was in doubt before.
Table 2-Trick 1-2-It IS the fact that
West leads a trump without waiting
for the signal, rather than the signal
itself that produces the good result.
Had West led spades again and then
the trump in answer to the completed
call. there would have been no gain
for East and West over the hest play
without the call, for North will force
lis. partner with a space on wiz
his lead of hearts with ace and East
cannot shut him out without losing
q trump trick. East must then play
very carefully not to give the adverse
ries trick in diamonds.
Trick 3-This is an interesting and
difficult situation for South. He can
not place the trump, though the play
has indicated a probability Of great
strength with East. If he were sure
that East has one spade exactly re-
naming, he should perhaps lead queen
Of spades to exhaust him, but on the
ether hand, if East has more than one
spade, or if West has sure re-entry
card in either of the other suits, the
spade lead may shut ou1 trick or two
in hearts or diamonds that could have
keen gathered in. On the whole, South
considers it better play to try Tor those
tricks, and we are inclined to think
that he played well, particularly as
there is no positive indication that West
till be able to exhaust the trumps.
Il is easy enough to see that the lead
Of queen of spades would have saved
certainly one trick and probably two,
as appears from the following analy--
sis, beginning with trick 8, which we
give because 1t seems to us very inter
eSting and illustrative Of some very
IN pGr ms