The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1896-12-16
FOR LOVERS OF WHIST
Numerical Trump Strength With
Indifferent Plain Suit Aid.
HOW TO LEAD III. SUCH CASES.
Trump Attac. Would Not Avsil-Ths
Best Way tn Assist Partnsr-FouI
Glasses Of Trump Opening Enumerated
Hands In illustrations.

The fourth ana last ana also the must
speculative form OF the trump attack Is
; that from hand containing great numer-
ical trump strength, but little or no
strength In plain suits. Whist authors are
not agreed upon rulc, or even a princi-
pie, governing the original opening from
long trumps. Most Of them say, In effect,
"If you have five or more trumps original
ly, it Is generally best to lead them" AS
word of instruction generally" Is rather
indefinite, though certainly convenient
resort at times. To the student Ii is apt
to mean always" until, by experience,
he discovers for himself the exceptions,
which the authors hint at, but do not par
ticularize. That the exceptions from the
general rule are numerous every skill
full player knows.
In the class of hands now under consid-
Grafton do not include any that contains
all round plain suit strength, which must
be opened with the trump whether the
trump suit is long OF short, nor any that
contains one strong plain suit, itself worth
| protecting by the exhaustion of trumps,
| which hands, too, constitute q distinct
class for the trump attack. suppose that
the given hand Is practically worthless,
| outside Of the trumps, for trick taking
| purposes Say it is hearts Grumpy, X, Q,
8, A, 3; clubs, j, 10, 2; diamonds, 8, 8, q
| spades, 8, 4. Shall / open this hand with
the trump Why should II In the answer
to the latter question we shall find the &C.
cret of the whole discussion. The object of
opening with the trump Is the protection
not Of my own hand, but Of partners. and
In order that after exhausting the trumps
may give partner my best card in the
suit which, by discards or otherwise, /
know to be his best, or else il he opens his
suit with a small card that may play my
best card at third hand. Now, IL his
strongest suit Is clubs may be able to as
sist him materially with my jack and 10;
II his suit Is diamonds, my help is of little
value; II spades, cannot help him at all.
We learn by experience, and my expe-
rience both In play and in analysis is that |
ones inability to assist partner in the |
plain suits after getting trumps out is |
not only vexatious thing, but the cause |
Of frequent loss, which might be averted |
by declining to institute the trump attack !
with hands SO weak as the one given above. |
To be sure, may possibly find partner |
very strong in one or more Of the plain |
suits-so strong that he does not require |
my assistance-but the chances are much |
against this. A player should not think |
that because he Is very weak partner is |
bound to be very strong. The odds arc in |
deed In favor Of his having considerable |
strength (as two or three high cards) in a /
suit In which I am utterly weak, but |
against his having such strength (as A,
x, @, or K, Q, j. that he may be able to |
control the suit without any assistance /
from me- In short II my hand is that |
above given my purpose In the exhaustion
of trumps is the protection and support
of partner, but II, after protecting, can
not support him my purpose is invalid,
and should let the trumps alone.
But, instead of our hopelessly weak
hand, let us take this one: Hearts (trump),
K, @. 8, 4, 8; clubs J, 10, q; diamonds,
10, Q, 8; spades, Q, A. Hero have not
probable trick in plain suit, but in every
suit have at least one good supporting
or assisting card for partner. The hand
contains what call all around support.
Whatever suit turns out to be partners
best, can surely give him good card in
1t after the exhaustion Of trumps.
For support I draw the line at the 10.
That is, don't reckon hand good for all
round support unless, in every plain suit,
1t contains 10 or better; hence derive
the maxim:
Give q hand containing great numerical
strength in trumps Give or more), but not
plain suit strength itself worth protecting
by the exhaustion Of trumps, do not start
with the trump attack unless you have
support 40 or better), in every plain suit,
but open, instead, that one Of your short
suits which is most likely to assist partner
and least likely to injure yourself
The only departures from this rule that
ever find advisable to make are when U)
have overwhelming trump strength "a,
K, Q, at least, with two or more others)
and do not dare give the adversaries an
opportunity to make small trump by
rufflng and (e) when my supporting
strength In two suits is considerably above
the standard 10 (as king In one and queen
In another) and In the third suit Is only
degree below the standard % instead Of
10Y. The latter GLASS of hand ID an ap-
.proach TO all round strength, and my pur-
pose In trying to get the trumps out 10
affected more OF less by the idea of self
protection, in addition to that of assisting
partner.
A resume Of the four different classes Of
trump opening may be given briefly by
means Of examples, as follows.
All round strength, hearts Grumpy, 8,
4; clubs, A, X, 3; diamonds, A, q, o, 8;
spades, X, J, 8, 4. Exhaust trumps 90 far
~ you can In order to protect tho winning
plain suit cards from being ruffed.
All round protection, hearts Grumpy,
8, 4; clubs, A, 0, Q; diamonds, A, 0, 4,
B; spades, X, g, 8, 4. Lead trumps as a
gambit rather thnn touch one of the plain
suits, which would better be led up to
than opened. But, II there IL safo gam
bit In a plain suit, prefer that, as from
hearts (trump), 8, 4; clubs, Q, J, o; dia-
monds, A, 8, 4, 0; spades, X, 8, 6, 4, lead
the q q.
One very strong plain suit and re-entry,
with four trumps, hearts Grumpy, X, 10,
4, g; clubs, A, X, j, 8, 3; diamonds, X,
q, s; spades, j. Lead trumps to protect
the plain suit strength. But II the best
plain suit Is not very strong, start with
that, as from hearts (trump), X, 10, T. Q;
clubs, X, y, 8, 3, 2; diamonds, X, q, 8;
spades, j, lead the @ 3. Or, " tbere is no
-e-entry, open short suit, as from hearts
ttrump), X, 10. 4, q; clubs, X, j, o, 3, 3;
diamonds, 10. 4. 3: spades. j. lead the ID |