The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-02-04
FOR LOVERS OF WHIST.
Recapitulation and Talk on "rhe
High Card" Game.
The Combinations Explained -Funda-
mental Principles Recalled.

some detail, outlining the classes of hands
from which trumps ought 10 bc led orig
inally. These, of course, are the strongest
hands.
Next came the hands--still strong, but
not so strong as those demanding the
trump attack-from which the proper
opening was a small card from long, un-
established plain suit. These hands, too,
attempted 90 classify.
There follows closely after the foregoing
that great mass Of hands which, being not
! good enough for the trump attack nor
possessing those characteristics which JUS
tify the small card opening, necessitate re-
sort 70 tho gambit. Before we proceed to
the consideration OF short suit openings in.
extenso, however, we must pause to glance
at thai class of hands which belong TO
'the high card" game
Let us recall the Fundamental principle
Of the new game: "Glven u long suit not
headed by n sequence OF two or more high
cards, and not accompanied by such
strength In trumps and the other plain
suits that, with reasonable assistance from
partner you can establish and bring IL in,
you will bc more likely 10 win tricks in
the suit If somebody else opens il than il
you open ityourself" ('Whist Openings"
page -. To quote again: What have
said about ths original opening of suit
not headed by n sequence does not apply,
OF course, TO very strong suit, either vir-
tually established Qike A, X, . and 9th
ers), or in such a condition that it can be
speedily cleared without assistance from
partner (like X, q, J. and others). With
such a suit your reason for opening short
is gone. If ISIS backed by sufficient trump
strength and courage lead trumps; If not
make what you can out of 10 while you
have the opportunity. The latter method
Is what one of my short suit friends calls
the brute game. 1t is mean kind of
strategy, like hitting u man with n club,
and ann glad to say 10 Is not often ncccs-
sary But it demands respectful consider
alton (pages ~ ard 49,
Such Is the high card game. II is i'm
portant, but relatively unintercsting. A
suit like "A, *, q and Others you cannot
venture TO open with small card Con-
sequently, although the rest Of the hand
may be fairly in the category of long suit |
strength, you cannot so inform partner rs |
you can by the original lead of small |
card from your long suit that is not headed |
by a sequence. If, In brief. your TRUMP |
strength or ali round strength il not great |
enough to wa~rant the trump attack, Won |
must resigncdly open your high sequence |
and run the risk of it's being trumpcd on |
the first round, o. before you know when
TO stop leading It.
The chief responsibility in the high card
game rests with the partner of the original |
leader 1t is the partner who must call
for trumps, or refrain from SO doing, ac-
cordingly as no thinks the high card suit
can be brought in or not, and his judg-
ment must be based solely on the suit led
and his own hand, since he learns nothing
from the opening about the leaders trump
and rc-entTy strength.
Tho high card combinations that Should
be opened in preference toany weaker suits
are these:
!. Ace, king, queen and one or moro
others. Lead the king, without regard to
number in suit, and go on with queen
2. Ace, king and at lslst three small
,nes Lead the king and then the ace.
3. King, queen, jack and one or more
others. Lead the king, ard If it wins, then
Usually the jack.
T. Queen, jack, 10 and one or more 9TH
,rs. Lead the queen.
In regard to 2, l do not include acc.
ling and only two Others, because my ex-
,erience is that with these cards it is bet
er 10 open with the gambit when the rest
Il the hand Is tolcIvably good and to re-
erve the ace-king suit for favorable op-
'ortunity. As the suit Is not very long, |
here is not much danger Of the winning
ards being trumpcd if you wait, and by
airing with them Mt the outset you are
cally more likely to establish the suit for
he adversary than for yourself With five
ards In suit, the case is different Even
'ith only the four, IL is best TO open them
'hen the rest Of the hand Is quite weak or
'orthess This is what some players call
running making what tricks you can | ,
irly and then getting out of the game"
In regard to 3, l strongly advise not
pening with king, queen and small ones
lot including the jack, If you have n
ood short suit lead, or unless the suit Is |
cry long, say six cards or more, and you :
lnnot reasonably hopc for more than one i
'ick i'm it. Many tricks arc sacrificed by
Dening king, queen and two small, which q
light be saved by resort TO the ga.nbit
the ace is against you (and the odds are .
to that il isl you arc quite unlikely to 5
in more than single trick in the suit I
ter giving away the king and it is not
nprobahlc that you may win two tricks
With both king and queon), if you let the
lversary do the opening. +,
Ace, queen. jack and others are by some
ayers considered high card combina-
Dn that ought To be classcd with those
ven above, but short suffers generally 4
slike to abandon the tenacc possibilities
the suit, unless, indeed, as i'm the case
acc-king and kingquccn combinations,
is 80 long that Fabian policy may re. A
10 In your taking homo" the ace. "
For the guidance Of the partner Of the e
iginal leader nc tho high card game it a
~ be said that, i'm general he should T.
II for trunups II he has forr To an honor, p
least three cards i'm the suit opened, III
q somc protection in the other suits or
he has more than four trumps and at :
80 three cards in the suit opened, with
G regard to the rest of his hand or ",
Oh fair trump strength, he Is very
ong in tho other two plain suits The
q mentioned case IS one of calling for
sake OF his own hand In the Other
'cs 10 Is ncccssafg % have at least three
Il. q a. IL -