The San Francisco call., 1896-03-29

lead in return?
There is no question in whist play that
puzzles the beginner more than this
one. In the majority of cases you should
at once return your partners suit-and il
does not mean that you want to trump it
There are times when you should not dc
so. and again there are situations when
you should 1mmediatelylle lead trumps; but
how is the whist-player to know these
things? 1t is very simple when you STOP
and think. Not one beginner in twenty
| five will ever try to draw inferences from
each card as it falls; it cannot be done in
a second and you should always take time
enough to size up each play. Do not play
too fast, and do not sit down to play with
any one that will grumble at your playing
slowly.
When the leader places his card on the
| table it speaks volumes, and when 1t shows
both elements OF strength-length and
master cards-and one lead establishes the
suit his partner should lead trumps at once
If he holds three or more; they can be led
once with absolute safety. The only way
you can bring in an established suit is to
! get trumps out of the way, and it is quite
certain your adversaries will refrain from
| leading them when they have reason to
! suspect an established suit against them.
! If you hold but two trumps it is better to
return your partners suit than open new
one. The original leader will ''read the
drop" which says, my partner is weak IN
trumps, not more than two, and leaves 1t
to me to open trumps or continue my
established suit, with a good chance OF
forcing the strong trump hand"
Again, when the partner wins the nrst
trick and it takes another round or possi-
bly, two to establish it, he should return
the suit Immediately, unless he has four
or more trumps, or has suit of his own
that he knows beyond the question of
doubt is better than his partners.
In this case he should open this suit and
say to his partner-speaking by the card
Abandon your suit and let US try to es-
tablish this one, for it is a stronger one
than yours" | do not believe there is a
case on record where two plain suits were
established and brought in at one deal; it
is very seldom you can bring In one long
suit. But the hardest stumbling block for
the beginner to get over is the trump
suit lead. How many times have you
heard this, always return your partner s
lead OF trumps."
As general rule it is the proper thing
to do but there are times when you should
not return it speaking now OF his original
lead of trumps).
For instance, the original lead is a small
! trump marking four with leader; partner
wins. He should not return the trump
| in this case without grave reasons of his
own for SO dong. If he has very strong
| plain suit, it is well to at least lead one
card from it and then return the trump.
| If he is very weak in the other three suits
| and has only two trumps originally it is
| better to switch to a strengthening card in
short suit or even a singleton and not
! lead a trump, Tor one of your adversaries
| holds as many trumps as your partner
and they also have two chances to your
| one of having suit to establish and
bring in.
We think the original leader with five
small trumps and no strong plain suit
should open with the lowest trump in
stead of the fourth best, and if the devei-
opment shows there is no strong suit with
the leader or partner it is then a good
time to go IN Tor rutfing game.
A 'fad" that has been going the rounds
and is still in vogue with some players is
making an irregular opening lead from a
! short suit to ask for a lead of trumps
through an honor turned. The tricks that
are lost in trying to catch that honor would
win many whist match.
A situation that many whist-players
never seem to understand is what illnesses
are proper or should be made. When a
low card is originally led and partner
| holds ace queen and at least one more he
should finesse the queen and lead the ace.
| This is the only finesse justified in plain
suits. If holding ace and queen only, play
ace and return queen. The exception to
| this is, with very great trump strength
| you might tinesse the jack from ace jack.
| 1t is generally best to let the leader do the
| finessing in his own suit. 1t should not
be forgotten that holding king jack and a
small card led you should play king and
return jack.
Always tell your partner how many
cards you hold in his suit, whether plain
| suits or trumps, and do this as quickly as
possible. When high card is led, hold
! ing four or more on his original lead, play
your third best first round and second best
on second round. Whether the original
lead was from four or five cards ii, suit, it
enables you to unlock and also to count
| the number of cards you hold. This is
| not according to whist authority" but is
| our way of doing it and a trick-winner. It
enables your partner to place every card
| in the suit led almost to certainty after
| the second round.
! So far we have been the partner OF the
original leader. Let US continue and read
what inferences should be drawn from the
leads, from ace down to the deuce.
| The lead Of in plain suits:
Ace-Proclairns the presence of king or queen
| jack, five or more i'll suit.
| King-Says ace or queen, possibly both, but
| only four cards in suit.
Queen-Marks the king in hand, with posi-
bly, the ace, but five cards at least in suit, or
| queen jack ten, four five cards in suit.
| Many players of the first class lead ten from
| queen jack ten, not that it is better lead
than queen, but it simplifes the queen lead
| Jacks led from king, queen jack and at
| least two others. (King queen marked with
| leader Add the ace to the above and the lead
| is the same.
Ten is led from king jack ten and Others
| Some players lead the fourth best from this
| combinations but N. b. Trist says he sees no
reason for departing from the time-honored
! custom.
Nine is led from ace queen ten nine. and
| ace jack ten nine; with or without one more
! small card we lead the nine. Cavendish says
| five In suit lead ace.
| Eight to deuce is led as the fourth best from
| all combinations, not including the above.
In trumps the leads vary little. Our