The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-01-30
FOR LOVERS OF WHIST
Kinds of Hands That Are Adapt
ed to Long Suit Strategy.
AN IMPORTANT CLASSIFICATION.
Examples Covering All Hands Demanding
Long Suit Treatment-Othcr Kinds Call
For Gsmbit Openings Branch Of
Play Not Yet Developed.

borderland of short suitism, but dares not
cross the Rubicon, Is trying to discover
what kinds Of long suits are fit to open
and what kinds are not. This Is not our
business. We want to know what kinds
of hands, in their entirety, and not what
kinds Of suits alone, are adapted to the
long suit form Of stategy, and we find that
there are four main classes of hands from
which the small card plain suit opening is
advisable, as the initiative of the long suit
game, or, as we understand it, of the at
tempt to establish and bring I'm a long suit
with some show Of success. Our classifi-
cation is very important, and 1t should be
thoroughly understood and constantly
borne i'm mind by the student of logical
whist
The first and most distinctive of the
four classes is composed of hands contain
| ing trump strength--at least four good
ones and generally five or more-and
weak long suit, with re-entry in second
suit and nothing of account In the third
| 1t Is somewhat small quarry that we aim
at here, since the long suit that we try to
bring in is by hypothesis not very valu
| able, but 1t Is the best we have In sight.
| The small card lead in this class Of hands
| Is chiefly valuable, indeed, as a conven
| tional indication Of strength and this
mainly in trumps. Examples Of such
hands are:
1. Hearts (trump), A, K, J, z, 3; clubs,
j, 0, 3, 2 diamonds, Q, 8, 6; spades, 8.
| Lead the C2.
2. Hearts (trump), K, 10, 6, s, 2; clubs,
| Q, 8, 6, 8; diamonds, A, 8, 2; spades, 4.
[ Lead the G 8.
g. Hearts (trump), 10, 0, z, 8; clubs, X,
| 8, 2, 8, 4, 2; diamonds, X, 8, B; spades,
none. Lead the C2.
A variation of this class of hands, form
| ing a second class, which, however, is rare,
| presents the trump strength in a less de-
gree, with much stronger long plain
suit, but without re-entry-e. g.:
Hearts (trump), A, j, 8, Q; clubs, A, Q,
| 10, z, 6, @; diamonds, j, 9, g.; spades,
none. Lead the G 2.
| But it must be remembered that with so
| good a plain suit as the clubs here, and
five trumps or more, the trump attack is
the proper opening, since the fifth trump
may then be regarded as re-entry.
The third distinct class of long suit
hands is marked by a good plain suit, with
| re-entry in another, but with trump
strength only of supporting value-that is,
containing an honor or two, but not nu-
merically long. Examples of this class
are:
/. Hearts (trump), A, q, 3; clubs, K,
J, 8, 6, 5, A, g.; diamonds, A, o. s; spades,
none. Lead the CT 3.
2. Hearts Grumpy, A, X, 10; clubs, K,
10, 8, 5, 2; diamonds, q, 8, 8; spades, A,
6. Lead the C2.
8. Hearts (trump), Q, j, A; clubs, A, j,
8, 8; diamonds, A, z, g., A spades, 8, 4.
Lead the G 8 or the ID 4.
Still another and the last class Of hau uda
from which the small card opening Is
worth considering, contains all round
strength; but trump suit, such as king
| and one small, or queen and two small,
which cannot be opened safely-e g.:
1. Hearts Grumpy, Q, 8, 8; clubs, Q, 10,
9, 8, q, 8; diamonds, A, q; spades, A, g.
Lead the C6.
2. Hearts Grumpy, K, 2; clubs K, j.,
10, 9, 8; diamonds, A, ], 10; spades, X,
g., Q. Lead the C 8.
The foregoing examples cover, believe,
all varieties of hands demanding long suit
treatment. II we take away some element
Of strength from one Of these classes, the
theory is that the hands then call for short
suit or gambit openings. For instance, IL
cards Of a hand are: Hearts (trump), j.,
10, z, 8, f.. Q; clubs, j, 8, z, 8, 5. Now,
II we had a re-entry in either diamonds or
spades, we would open with the G g. But
suppose the remaining cards are the ID 8
and the S 5. Then recommend the gam
bit opening-D 8. Similarly with the
hand: Hearts (trump) X, TO- z, 3; clubs,
K, 0, 8, 8, 4; diamonds, 10, 3; spades, O.,
8. Ii we had the ID A instead of the ID TO-,
we would lead the G 4; but &c the hand
is, consider the ID 10 the correct opening.
Again, from hearts Grumpy, A, 10, q;
clubs, X, 10, 8, 6, 2; diamonds, Q, 2, g.;
spades, 8, 5, we should lead the ID 9 or the
S S-preferably perhaps tho former; but
with re-cntry in either diamonds or spades
the G 2 would be best.
An essential characteristic of these long
suit openings Is that the partner of the
original leader is frequently able early In
the play of the hand to draw from the
small card lead comprehensive inferences
concerning the contents of the leader .
hand. This branch of our art il as yet but
imperfectly developed, but its possibilities
are great. Let me give few illustrations.
Suppose that from the first hand cited
above--hearts (trump), A, K, j, z, 8;
clubs, j, 9,8, 2; diamonds, Q, 8, 8; spades,
81 lead the g 2. Suppose, further, that
partner has the ace and queen Of clubs.
He illnesses the queen, and fourth hand
wins with the king. Partner at once
credits me with long trumps, probably five
or more, since he knows that my clubs arc
not better than jack high, and would
not open 30 weak a suit without great
strength In trumps. Moreover, he knows
that have winning card I'm either dia.
monds OF spades, but not i'm both, since, II
had, would have begun with the trump
attack. Now suppose that the adversary,
having won tho first trick with the X,
leads the : X, which wins, and then the
s A, which trump. Partner now knows
that have a probable trick i'm diamonds.
Such Information as this materially assists
an observant and shrcwd partner In shap-
ing his play to the best advantage
| Again, suppose that from another hand
given above-hcarts Grumpy, A, q, 3,
clubs, X, j, \, o, 3, 4, 3; diamonds, A, 8,
g; spades, none-I lead the G 3. Second
hand plays the 9; partner, having the
queen, and g plays the queen; fourth