The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-12
AROUND THE WHIST TABLE
TEE QUESTION OF THE TRUMP sIG-
NAL AND PRIVATE CONVENTIONS.
Some or the Latter Arrangements Are GoinE
out or Use-Rise and Fan or the Call
fer Trumns-AnnlNnnn Of Gatnea-Notes.

Out OF Use-Rise and Fall or the Call
Ter Trunps-Anaiysss or G~a,nes-Notes'
During the past fow years a most remarkable
yet almost unnoticed change has been taking
place In the minds of modern players with regard
to the call for trumps. Many persons who once
depended on the peter as their CHIEF support In q
sea OF troubles have allowed It to drift almost
beyond their reach. Lot US hope that is nu'
merous progeny OF private conventions will
follow In Its wake.
Forty years ago calling for trumps constituted
the whole art and practice Of scientific whist.
The man who could 500 a trump signal without
looking at the last trick was'a genius, and the
player who would notice such a little one as q
three played before a deuce was q marvel. Tho
story OF the rise and progress OF the trump sig
nal 10 ono of tho most interesting chapters In
the history Of the game. Like the love of money
In life, 1t has been tho root Of all evil
In play. From 1t has sprung that poison
Gus underground Of private conventions that
has chokod up all the individuality. all tho dash
and brilliancy, all tho keen perception that is
proper to tho game. Although at first 1t was
believed to be a benefit to good and bad players
alike, Its injurious influence was soon recog-
nized. and no one regretted Its introduction
moro than its inventor.
The great objection to the signal" says q
writer OF thirty years ago, "is that 1t has struck
out of the game the point that required tho
most judg ent, courage and discretion-when
to lead trumps-and 80 has brought all players
down to the same level" This criticism is
equally true of all arbitrary conventions. most
Of which wero invented for the benefit
Of the bunglers. James Clay, ono Of the
finest players of his time. regarded the
trump signal as an unmixed evil, DR.. Pole
thought it was immoral. Proctor said 1t was dis
hNnAat and 81 Aian-,,l - o.tl thnr. ,,,aa -athtnr tN
choose, so far as fairness was concerned, be-
tween the trump signal and the practice Of
opening q suit of a different color from tho
turn.up trump. in order to show an all-round
strong hand. If Mogul" thought the latter o
fragrant example OF unfairness, what would he
think Of the rotary discard. which is one of the
most contemplate pieces Of card-sharping ever
introduced at the whist table.
II sun has fought against these private con-
v%entions from the first, and II 10 glad to see that
players are at last awaking to the fact that
whist can be played, and well played, without
them. American players affect to look down
upon the English experts with contempt, be-
cause our cousins are not familiar with the rig
marole OF American conventions. The English
man, on the other hand. looks upon us as adopt
ing unfair methods, without which. he claims,
we are incapable Of playing winning whist.
e"S ohu
soy their success is entirely duo to the use Of
certain methods of signalling up their hands to
their partners; a practice which would lead to
their being promptly disciplined by the com nit
toe OF any English club. One of the best players
In England calls attention to the fact that few
of our experts can mako good scores with
strange partners, and that when two persons
unfamiliar with each others system get togeth-
er the game usually becomes IA perpetual
"yawping' match. He told the writer that he
would bet IL to 10 against our champions all
tho ,;no a. .,ou - - .,.a,AL. -.
nv ' ~ INC "ouiu pi"y s'Fa'sh1 "hisI'
from the natural fall of the cards IL would
cort.,nlv ho in,ar.stinrt - -. ..., ~
certainty DC interesting 10 know what sort OF a
no "system." and had To depend. as the English
nIavers do =, irforonos. srou, ~ H.. 7, =.
probably not generally known that In the most
fashionable and exclusive s%portinp club in Lon.
don, even Am.r;c.n Io,ds ars ahsointo,v fo,hid.
y o'oh Ahierican ieaos arc aosoiuteiy iorolu-
den. and any player using them at the whist
table would DO disciplined.
ine continual use OF private conventions has
so blunted the moral sense of the modern whist
tinsuishinn -,ah. ,rnro ~ sapuu,e us,
' iien. "rohs. anu advances inc
absurd defence that any artidce is fair If it is
aenn'tion OF what may be practiced at the whist
~ oiBhuio Ou Iuc uuRcTo, coughing
twice to show two trumps remaining CROSSING
~. L.. 49,. os'H
ane legs Us . sigma 70 chahse the SUIT, playing a
card with emphasis to show that 1t is a single
ton, and many similar tricks for which man have
recently hssn s~nsI,sd rom son,s n ~, ~ me ,nn nave
11oSs; t chS@n Are q az PIT erfestiy q fair. says the
tho adnar nan ~ y INC system is explained TO
: Il IL certsinIS y hn any I i n .,,,. .s...
~ ierlainiy nHmiIiatins 70 tnink that our
eina SndneS a u y d v y aaopt suGn pettllog-
SStmni8So d tbagB as tne rotary discard In orIer to
suiue onem 10 the proper play OF a hand. What
The oo mse 81 O. lheonipetenGe II Is TO consent TO
c \ n . q u 1ucn = system IN order 10 prevent a
his p nrtneF PiaS Wb irom moi te& maRs the me wrong ainng suit Jul to
nnge,s ~ once: ana nave done with III Have
hey tr,st SSeir " % Gnd percHpttoh Cannot
t 10y \ III etetr W Juugnlent IN dirhcult situa-
Ion IL not tney are certainly not champions,
u i5ply amateuT card-sharpers, whose
1,hIoh t eopenus ontipeiy On the experiences with
which tney can use certain signals, previously
aEL NJ upon oetMeGh RarIners, such as that Ger
an SS HsOIeu caIus snaii mean certain things. q
S drT iSSyTutLu noanIne streheth IN hearts. and SO
ssoOn,r1: mny not arrahse = system OF grunts ana
eSol1s, prextousiy e4pIalhlnR 70 the adversaries.
OF course. wnat the signals mean Between the
f o discard ana scratching your ear to show
Ipur trumps there IS absolutely nothing TO
choose, 80 totally foreign are such things to the
LUG sPtato OF a game "hlch IL supposed to be