The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-27
AROUND THE WHIST TABLE.
THE AMERICAN CLUB WINS THE
TENTH 4. ". L.. MATCH.

N'N
for the A. w. l.. trophy, the score being 20 to
"a against them. The West Philadelphians
had won six successive matches, giving them n
total OF fourteen victories altogether, and six
more would have given them permanent pos
session of the cup,
The successful team was from the American
Whist Club OF Boston, l.. NJ. BouvG, G. l..
Becker. w. S. Fenollosa, and II. IL. Ward.
With the exception OF Mr.. Ward. this is the
came team that tied the Hamiltons at tho
sixth congress. y. c.. Howell then occupied the
fourth place. The Hainlltons presented their
wcll.known four: Work, Remak. Ballard. and
Mogridgc.
The Philadelphia Ledger ascribcs tho victory
of the Americans to their system of leading the
ace instead Of the small card from ace and four
Others, and to their boldness in leading trumps
with hands of moro than average strength.
The Philadelphia Telegraph says the Americans
played an apparently f~aultlcss garne. and did
not lose any cold =" tricks, whereas the llamil-
tons dropped about fifteen icicles during the
fnrty-eisht deals. Milton Work says the Ham
iltons led more supporting cards and gained
several tricks by leading the top OF nothing
from long weak suits. lie thinks that, with
equally good play on both sides, the Hamil-
tons should have won by about ten tricks.
These ten tricks were lost By not opening tho
hands according to the system adopted by the
'hb - . u NoiIlAS IcLlih AapIV Ihhb VIZ -
team has patiently investigated and tried u
given system OF play, and is thoroughly salts
fed with 1t. It cannot be depended upon TO
stick 70 II in IN important match. Many per-
sons have written TO TIM SuN expressing Sur
prise that the New York team did not stick to
their system in the match with Narragansctt,
and seem TO think it was most extraordinary.
What will they say when they learn that such
old staeers rs the liamiltons broke up u brilliant
nrt,s az ytr,,rtaS nv. nynnt1y tIa sa,,,n ,.npt ,f
consistency
The SIN has always had great confidence in
Capt. Bouv6 and iu his team. In tho article
published May Is It was stated that Capt.
Boure was following the most sensible course
for determining upon the best system of play
aud giving the team confidence in it. Believers
In the Howell game were then clamoring for
recognition. aud instead Of condeminG tho sys-
tenn Buuv6 gave its representatives every op.
portunity to try it in match play against the
game he himself believed In. The result
was that the Howell game would not
stand the test, and was consequently re-
jected. After this the team naturally felt
the greater confidence in both their
Captain and his system, and have pulled to-
Rether very we'll. Mr.. Becker is one of the most
successful players of the Howell game in this
country, yet he willingly agreed to drop that
system entirely and to play under Bouve's in.
~ IA oONAAL AAh IVA uBhAllSk D"
at the congress and in Philadelphia-another
example of good discipline. Mr.. Fenollosa is a
whist teacher. He tied for first place in his sec
ton in the correspondence tourney, and has
always been in the first class in Boston.
LUCK IN DUPLICATE.
There is one point about the result OF Satur-
days match which will go far to support the
objection always made by THE Sun TO the
"lose-snd-drop-out" system of playing impor-
tant fnprp - Tho rhairppan In - or,a ~
the arrangements for play at the last congress
has always claimed that it was the best system.
and that the victory won by the New York team
under another system was "inconclusive."
because they had to play against every other
club. and nothing was taken for granted. The
matches for the Hamilton trophy were conduct
ed on the lose-and-drop-out system, which is
generally known as the tennis plan. all tennis
tournaments being settled in that manner.
The teams were divided into four Sec
tions, and only the winner in each
section reached the semi = finals. The
theory is that If team A defeats teams B. c. and
D. but is afterward defeated by E, It Is obvious
that the E team could also have beaten b, C,
and u, and that Els superiority may be taken as
proved by its victory over A. without compel
ling 1t TO play an actual match with b. c. or d.
In the A. w. L. matches at the congress, the
rejouG plan was adopted, which insists that
o'o'S -" Sna'i pHay thC Sohio haHuo' INV
shall play an actual match against every other
team. This requires that the winner must
actually, and not theoretically. defeat every
other team entered. Mr. Work says this system
Is "inconclusive."
The tennis plan was tried in Brooklyn for four
years, and was abandoned as an Unsatisfactory
No. / had been beaten by No. 2, No. . by No. 3.
No. 3 BY No. /, and so on TO the end of the list.
beaten ali ot i ra"' Yet sst'q in the next round the
calender, No. l. the Montauk Club. beat No. II!
This year the reiols plan has ;,s been IN HaG?tsd in
proval. Mr.. Jay Stone'a explanation Of It's bene-
fits were given in THE SuS Nov. q
If the tennis plan Is a good one. let us see how
II would work in a comparison between tho
records in previous matches with other clubs.
At the. sixth congress the AMERICANS were
beaten BY Brooklyn three tricks. Then the
Brooklyns were beaten by, Narragansett, eight
tricks; in a trophy match in Providence. That
should make Narragansett eleven tricks better
than the Americans. a week later the Hamil-
tons beat NarraEansett nineteen tricks. Ac-
cording to the tennis theory this would show
either American or brooklyn, as it had defeated
Rteam that had beaten them. and was infercn-
TALLY 3, plus 8. plus 10. or thirty tricks stronger
than the Americans. Yet when these two clubs
actually met last Saturday, American beat
is not a fair test. or duplicate whist matches are
entirely a matter OF luck after all.
LEADING THUMBS.
Several correspondents express surprise at the
theory of leading trumpse explained in our arti-
Gle last week. The idea Is not by any means
new. for IL has been followed by many OF the
finest players of the old school. In conversation
with a representative of The sun last April. Mr..
E.. c. Howell, the author OF whist Openings"
stated that he was more and more thoroughly
convinced that II the ~long:suit game would sue
coed in any hand, it would be more likely to do
the SDrge,;e Times, Dec ., he gives = case in
O.. q . 81; d., A X 7.3; =, X 10 >. The
heart jack turned; The leader reasoned
that the two tricks in diamonds would
probably be good any time. The probability ~
winning mere than two tricks IN that suit WAS
small, but would be improved II The trumps
could be exhausted. The spades and C.uUa
would also stand n better chance IL the truInls
we're out OF the way; SO he. led trumps n his
beet chance to make something out of his hand,
and ABB took seven tricks. on the everyday at
the other table the diamond suit was led. and
ABB got four tricks only, a loss of three.
Milton Work says he would lead the trunips
from this hand: H., q j; c.. X 7 3 =: d..
AQ52: S, X y J, a small heart turned. In n
recent match ths leader held: L.; e. 81
rlayer who, led the trump made q slam. The
player at the other table, who led the clubs,
fuula only nyg tricks, IL loss OF eight.