The San Francisco call., 1896-06-28

- -
the drawing of interences from the cards
played by your partner or adversary. 70
win as many tricks as possible is always
good whist and laudable; to win more
than others playing the same hands is
satisfactory to the player and shows men,
tai ability; but the keenest enjoyment
comes not from the numb of tricks made,
but from study of the motives that actu-
ate player, his reasoning and the work
ing of his mind, the locating of the un-
played cards in the three unseen hands,
and then playing your own cards 80 as to
win trick that could not have been made
had the cards remaining unplayed not
been properly located. This is one OF the
reasons why good players prefer to play
against strong opponents. Every card
dropped on the table by an expert is
played for some reason, and the other
players at once try to ascertain the mo-
tive for the play. The novice is constantly
at loss what to do and decides to 'play
the card his thumb is on" for luck.
In the hands of good players every lead
or follow is in the nature of puzzle which
the player offers for solution and which
the Others work out according to their
ability. Naturally the player endeavors
to make the puzzle easy of solution for his
partner and difficult for the advers aries
But to do so players of the first class do
not play false cards when the only object
is to deceive They can win without re-
course to such play.
False cards played without reason
that is, played simply as false cards-have
no place in whist, and rob the other play
ers at the table of their enjoyment. You
should remember that you have no more
right to deprive your associates of their
pleasure at whist than you would have to
mar their pleasure at a dinner by acting
IN an uncouth and unseemly manner. Po-
lite society requires you to conduct your
self conVentionally, or you will not be toll
Grated. Whist etiquette asks the same.
Many players advocate the study of the
rules, the leads and the follows, and insist
that all the recognized conventions shall
be respected, bur if they happen to have q
partner who is not well posted they aban-
don all their prin ciples at once because
their partner cannot understand the play
and they want to "fool the opponents. J"
Touching such players Pettis says: HE
lowers himself and Injuries his reputation
W
merely because his whilom partner may
not understand what is correct. What
would be thought OF any one OF three men
who took an ambitious fourth into occa-
sional business council and who changed
his cherished policy of right to the delib-
crate doing of wrong merely to keep pace
with the action of the uninstructed new
conner"
None of the fine endings, brilliant coups,
rema rkable tinesse and other good plays
by bright whist minds which are con-
stantly published would have been possi-
bic had the players at the table INDUCED
in false carding.
Take any of the hands illustrated show
ing some particular brilliant play; supsti-
tute a false card or two in the early part of
the game and see the result. These plays
which excite our keen admiration would
never take place. Hamilton says on this
subject:
at is not in harmony with modern
scientific whist to play false card under
any circumstances. not even when it de-
ceives the adversaries only II you, sec
ond hand, holding queen, knave and one
small, play queen, and If on the return of
the suit the leader Illnesses the 10, reading
that you cannot have the knaye, and your
knave wins, and if by that false play you
gain trick, you have a trick that by right
does not belong to you.
There is no strategy, no merit, in the
play. You have practiced cheap deceit
and nothing more.
"If the play of one false card is sane
toned so may the play OF two, or you
may play one card conventionally and the
other not, and the integrity of the game is
gone.
"If the right to play false is recognized
then there is no limit to the pernicious
and disintegrating practice. Besides, the
privilege to play false goes around the
table, and in the end you have been de-
ceived as often as you have deceived
others. You may not hope 10 become
more adept in the play of false cards than
your opponents, for such play is devoid of
strategy, and the novice will outdo you"
False cards and irregular plays and
leads must lot be confounded. The lat-
ter are the spice of the game and prevent
it from becoming unpalatable. To divine
the reason for an irregular play is a pleas
ure, but there must be reason beyond
mere deception. TIE better the player
the less can he afford to play false cards,
because he is always quoted as authority.
The poorer his partner the more rigidiy
should he adhere to the rules, otherwise
the poor player, seeing the false leads and
follows, will initiate him at once, and the
game is ruined for all.
The world loves a good fghter-if he
puts up a clean, square fight. So we love
a nard fighting whist opponent. But we
demand clean whist fighter. Elect the
class you wish to play in-bum blepuppy
or whist. If you enter the whist class
leave the puppy outdoors. Do not enter
the whist arena as a whist fighter and after
you are in use bum blepuppy tactics. If
bumblepuppy is your choice, remain in
your own class. Considerable discussion
is going on about the play of second hand
holding king and one small. Below is
given hand played last week with va
ration of six tricks, depending upon
whether second hand plays the king or
not on the first round.
A, K, @, 10, 4
Ok, J.9
30 8, 8
Ok, 3