The sun., 1896-10-11
AROUND THE WHIST TABLE.
THE RETISION OF THE AMERICAN
WHIST LEAG UE,s CODE.
All Whist Players to Have m VoIce In Tho
MAtter-DiGcrence Between Rul.s nnd
Laws - Suggestions for Amendment
a Problem In Douhied,,,,.,., Nv.,..

Ia
!. Matter Difference Between Rules nnt
n Laws suggestions for Amendment -
4 Too'em In Double-dummy whist
1 There is no moro fruitful source of annoy.
: ance, discussion, and ouarrellinr ht nnv gamr
! than defective code OF laws The authorities
: Of tho American Whist League fulIv rcalize
this fact and have spared no effort In ,n,to ,hc
l American Whist laws no r.rsoa, 49, ~,
: m. oo,, =, .,. ""' us Pe'iec' "s possiole.
inc eouo at present in use was adopted In lSoa
after several revisions, and IL was then deter.
mined not to alter II furtnor rn,u I,oa .1 a,
'norouHh trlal Inc result of three years cN-
periencc has demonstrated that 1t is still de-
fective in some minor details and it is proposcI
10 remedy these 20 far ne possible at the next
annual congress.
| ANY chnnre 4, tho l,,,s 4, . ,,, ,
impor,onco to ovorv @ h,s, IMs IS mater oi great
whether hois ,r,,,hou .,'o ., ~ '".
p.s,n sne,ner NO, a member OF the lcasu" or not
ing committee on laws which is 10 nub,ish its
report two months in oIvnr"0 y, 'U,''n w., s, ~,
discuss IT, In the mean time this ro,nn,i,,c.
wishes 1t generally known that it is anxious to
hear from whist players who have suggestions
,n..an,,. " "a wa" 'no Jaws III 'ae'r
present state
large CORE. .nond ono, - cane,In, ,',,'. .i,
to ofrcr fc h,n,s o''"Sp , !. may oe Wo.i
have something OF yalue TO surr.st in Tho roy
of additions or imnrov.r,en,. ,rhiot ,uon sa,.,
them the trouble of writing about matters that
| do not come within the province OF the com.
mites at ",'.
| IN the first place. very few persons under
| tho So, ,,a,,a - 80 .n ' S,N w w
| - 1" " 'fa"s vi ,ie so-ea''eu '"Ws
rules. or general directions for play. and have
| no business wb,,erer IN n oodo p.rs,rs ,,,,,
ing to this committee should be careful to dis.
| tinguish between rules and laws. and to confne
.he'r suggestions strictly to matters affected by
| tho laws OF the game.
A rule marks out regular course to follow
hut may hc ,,snor,,d frn,r ~, ,a,,a.ien ,','.
| 'ut 'n"s oc uer"Ilru from on OCCASION n law.
on the other nand. leaves no option, and its in
A. whis, IL 10 tho r,,Ia ,,. ,,, =,
IA WINS. !, s the RUE 'Tr one n'aSer on '"cn
| and his mariner drrinp tho de,l hrt ;f IA, d,,s
not do so there is no nennltv. hcccuse thcre ,s
| no law governing the matter II ia M, on,v n
rule but also law. for the cards to be dealt
one at time from left to right. and II
me he 'e"es i"',s 10 d'st,,outs ,hem IN
ln"t manner he loses ms deal. IL Is
na law: otherwise The dealer mIpn, ', follow 10. o.
| - ~ "' Ne"'.' !" "s"' ~
laws have no penalties attached to them but
| they define the riyhts ~ in,,ividnn, n,ovcrs and
| -, - - W ''', ~ N'.' ~ ''.' ,i 80 "''
| HlFe 10 one the power 10 insist on certain priv
ileges, as, for instance in cutting for right Of
| o,,,,,.o a. . ,.,,. -, a.. ...i,, .,..,,,. 49,,
e"''a aneo !" 'aoe' Ut ior cno'eo Vi 'e"'s anu
cards. Rules belong properly 10 the textbook,
| and are usually looked upon simply as guides to
| the general cnrduct ~ tho ynme and may ho
'"e se"e'"' 'oHuu'. VI ''e s"'Nv' anu '''''S 10
varied greatly In different localities; but the
| laws have tho weight OF authority, and should
| be the same everywhere
| The very tir,t law OF the American code fixing
the game at seven points, is not a law AT all but
| simply a rule and "A rule has no business I'm nm
| oiicial code. ii the u;ayers do NOT choose 10
play seven points, preterrin i've. there is no
Lenaity' and the rights OF no player are in
| whether any part OF the code is rule or a law
by ask ing himself after reading it, What II
| they don't - For instance. Inv q ~ the imrr
| icaH code saws that the still pack mnst no. fc
| shuftied during the PLAY OF a hand What il IL
| is shufliedg /. there anv penaItvP Are the
| rights of any PLAYER IN triuyed No Then il ia
| not a law. and Should be icti ont OF the code -
| On the other hand some very important mat