The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-07
AR0UNDTHE WHIST TABLE.
VIEW JERSEY THE STORM oBNrRE OF
RECENT WHIST HAPP ENINGS.

NEW JERSEY THE STORM oENrRE OF
RECENT WHIST HAPP ENING&.
Geea work OF the Phrh Ciuh OF Rintunesa-
Systems That VIII Net n Pat bows
some Mig sviaEs-Ciub Notes cue News.
During the past two weeks New Jersey has
been the storm centre for championship
matches, all tho circulating trophies being with
In the confines Of that State. The Park Club of
Plainficld has distinguished itself by winning
tho State trophy fifteen times. and SO becoming
permanent rossessor Of the second cup which
has been competed for among tho New Jersey
clubs. Tho same team took the now A. W..
trophy from tho New Jersey Whist Club. and
last night they were busy defending IL against
the challenge Of tho American whist Cluo OF
Boston. The result was not known when this
column went to press, but will DO found on the
sporting page tomorrow morning. II the Park
Club wins. 1t will have TO face Philadelphia on
Saturday ncXt. and as they are tho champions
for 1897, and hold the Hamilton trophy, Park
will have a hard fight.
All the New Jersey clubs got together on Sat
urday last to repel the invasion of the Atlantic
Association, which had challenged for the aux
Hilary trophy. According to tho result an.
nounced at the conclusion of the match. Allan.
tic won by nine tricks, but n subsequent exam
nation OF tho scores disclosed an error, which
would, IL allowed to DO corrected, make the
match a tie.
The mistake occurred at table 3, section b, at
which Bosler and Thomas Of Baltimore ap.
peared to have mado nine plus against Eagles
and Reynolds of Newark Instead Of this. IL
appears that both pairs made tho average, the
difference Of nine tricks being due to reversing
the score Of an eleven-two hand. Upon discov-
cring tho error the New Jersey Association pro.
tested the match.
THE u asked President Mandell what would
probably BIO done in the matter, as the rulos do
not provide for such cases. He declined to eI-
press any opinion until he received the official
statement of the case, giving the facts as agreed
to by both parties. Had the mistake boon dis
covered ut the time OF the match the referee or
the Tournament Committee would probably
have decided It at once. but 1t must now go be-
fore the executive Of the A. w. L. Whist play.
ers generally are very much interested In the
result of the protest, as such mistakes are, I'M
fortunately, rather common and probably will
be while players have to do their own scoring.
CONCERNING SYSTEMS.
After the sixth congress, held at Manhattan
! Beach in July, 1896. it was confidently pre-.
dicted that we had seen the end Of short.suit
whist and common.sense openings. The wish
was father to the thought, but the child did not
live long, and some OF the departures from the
long-suit game, which were then considered
%ephemeral, have now taken such deep root that
they are generally acknowledged as having
como to stay.
Perhaps the most common variation from the
old-style game is to be found In the distinction
made in the opening leads from hands which
are capable of successful ~long-suit play, es
peciallv in attack, and those which are better
suited for defence or ambush. Those who dc
| mot helieva IN fhie avatep, NJ iudiraffpu tho 1ap,
eral character Of the hand at the earliest pos
sible moment, contend that it exposes the CON
dition of the leaders hand to the adversaries
and gives them information, as to strength OF
weakness, which should be valuable to them,
Any claim that information is Of more
value 10 the adversaries than to the partner
Is O fat denial of one of tho mos,
cherished articles in the long-suit creed
Those who take this view Immediately involve
themselves in an absurd contradiction. They
claim that the original leader should always
show his long suit first, il he is not willing tc
load trumps. The common-sense player wishes
to add to this information. not only showing his
long suit, but giving his partner at the same
time some hint as to whether or not 1t can bt
established and brought in. The long suitor o.
the old school says this is giving too much infor
nation; that the Of simple length
is more valuable to the partner than to tho ad
versarics, whereas Information Of length ant
possibility of trick making combined immedi
ately becomes of more advantage to the advcr
saries than to the partner. This Is manifesto,
absurd.
Nevertheless, this view is held by quite a mum
Der Of very strong players. most of whom over
look the fact that when a long suit is not show
by an invitation player. 1t is no evidence that HI
has not a very strong hand. but simply an an
no%uncenent that he has not a long suit, or, if h'
has. it is not as well worth playing for as SOM
thing else in his hand. Before the %auxiliar.
trophy match. Capt. Whelan OF the, Baltimor'
v~itation game il he had a good chance at it witt
a good partner opposite him: IT was immedi
Steis sb s,Kses reou by THE tbs sU pri FsRPess'n Of plsy shn
against Otis and Aynlar that evening. in orde,
to give the matter a thorough test, After play
for a partner. who is one Of the strongest play
ers on the Baltimore team, Capt. Whelan wa
Jerseymen. He said thai while he had tire
tricks the best OF the argument, he had nothing
bu. praise for the game put up BY the i%nyitati9,
players that evening, and thought that 1t woul
Speaking of this particular match it was re
marked by several players that in the Who'll
thirty hands played in section b there was no
one in which n player succeeded in es.ablishin
and bringing In a long suit. Every hand de
yeloped into n play for position. either to &c
the first force or to get tenaces and second best
t te" Te It tho 4 firs s0I time 1I they We're we're ii led. and G'f /
nearly every instance the player with a lonl
suit found the strength In trumps against hin
That tho hands were full OF opportunities ma
be judged from the fact that the scores f and v
varied from, PIP to 237, yet none of the hand
showed q swing OF more than one or two trick
between good players. and there were no star
ling gains made by the followers OF any particI
lar school.
CONCERNING BIG SWINGS.
Quite a number of persons have expressed sui
prise at the number OF big swings made by coli
nonsense players, MS shown BY tho hands pul
they have asked IL no such gains arc made b
lOng.suiters when playing against the short
In answer to such correspondents. THE u he
invariably requested them to send II any deal
coming TO their notice IN which the lonR-sui
game makes large gains when opposed to tn
short-suit opening. Although this request In
; been made more than twenty, times during tn
4 past two years, only three such deals have CON
10 hand. hut they are all gems-beautiful o,
amples OF how whist should not be played.