The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-05
AROUND THE WHIST TABLE
VARIOUS EsTyoNs As TO TEAM
WORK.

Cases IN which Celebrated Players Have stood
~ LouG.suitism to Their Undoinr-An In
stanoo from tho Put-in-Bay Games-story Of
n whist TsachcrS' Battle ana = Probiein.
Some persons seem to think that the state
ment made two weeks ago that II SUN has
never Endorsed any OF the various systems OF
play that II has described Ia not quite in keep
ing with the fact that a great many persons play
. system which they call "THE Sun game"
The tactics that go to make up THE SUN game,
outlines Of which have appeared In these nrti-
Giles from time to time. may be and arc attach
able to any system, but they do not form a COM
pleto system of play In themsclvcs-a system
complete enough to cover every circumstance
that might arise at tho whist table, which 10
what most persons are looking for.
THE Sun docs not believe 1t possible to get a
system equally suitable to all degrees OF whilst
ability, but It does believe that there are certain
common.sense principles which every whist
player may follow, no matter what system may
be the groundwork of his game. This attempt
to formulate a system which will be universally
acceptable is the rock on which anything pro-
posed by the League Committee on System Of Play
must split. II they recommend q system full Of
informatory conventions, there will be many
who cannot use thcm, just as there are many
who cannot do without them. II they recon-
mend n system requiring judgment In the OPEN
inRs. like the Howell game, there will DO thou
sands who will attempt to play II without
possessing tho Judgment necessary for success.
II they I'D vise q system sufficiently mechanical
TO require little or no Judgment, like the old
~long.suit game OF Pole and Cavendish. the intel.
lectual player will revolt at its monotony, and
will complain that 1t puts him on q level with
the merest tyro.
Many persons mistake general principles for
system, and attach so much Importance to minor
details that they practically make the tail wag
the dog. With thrce small trumps, an unestab-
lishod suit, and no reentry cards. THE sun bo-
lieves a person will be better off IL he plays q
waiting game. and leads from one OF his shorter
suits. This Is not q system. Tho player to
whom the advice Is given may be one of those
who use American leads. trump-showing leads,
calls through honors. intermediate openings, or
anything of that kind. THE SUNS idea is simply
to put warning signs at the tops of the bad hills.
Don't coast this" No matter how good q
bicycle you ride, there are times when you should
dlsmount and quit your favorite system for
ono deal, or you may come a cropper.
II Sun Is in correspondence with at least q
dozen players whose ideas OF the essential
points OF a system suitable for team work arc
totally at variance. yet all of them claim to play
THE Sun game. They even differ in their inter.
probation Of 1t, and some will lead short from q
hand that others will still open long. One will
make a bold trump lead from a hand which an
other would play close up to his chest, and moth
ing could make them change places or come to
an agreement. II the cautious player were to
lead trumps, he would be too timid to follow up
any advantage 1t might bring him, while tho
other possesses exactly the quality Of nerve to
carry the coup through to a successful issue.
One player will say to himself. II think / can
work this hand SO as to accomplish something"
while the other shakes his head and says, THAT
is entirely too risky for me-" This is the right
of private Judgment based on a knowledge of
ones own abilities as distinguished from tho
blind following of a hide-bound system.
Those who have followed the course Of these
articles musL have observed that the common
sense principles Of play advocated have been
applied to all classes of players, and their value
has been shown in connection with many diff
ferent systems. Hands have been given in
which 1t was shown that such a genius as Remak
OF the Hamilton team might have gained four
tricks by taking advantage OF situations which
werc particularly well suited for short-suit
tactics. (See Feb. 8. 1885, Hands have been
published In which such q star as Milton Work
could have saved five tricks at a clip II the
common.sense principles of managing trumps
had been followed. Countless examples have
been given to show that celebrated long.suit
"a h"N0 lIltho enOuRu
to win q match II they had dropped their
regular game under certain CT circumstances
and adopted the tactics which are su opposed to
be peculiar to short.suiters. On the other hand,
Instances have been. noted In which those who
were supposed to DO playing the short-suit
game did not follow out its teachings and lost
heavily thereby. Look at Keiley's play in the
on Nov. in the same year. 1t is not the gen.
erai system OF play adopted that is criticised in
q IN and nIn 20 ~ n fhu ,l.a. ,a-t So
instructions as to a general system OF play. and
Al that has been pointed out In these articles
Shortsuit or common.sense principles would
have added greatly to the strength of their
game; IL followed under certain well.detned
Work should abandon the excellent system
Thich has gained so many victories for tho
Hamilton Club, but II was shown that in certain
hands tho system should have been departed
from and common.sense tactics adopted. A
Hamilton game. and the system is generally ad.
mitted 70 be much stronger for it. A player is
ado ADOPT sSo oSe W Whl eil0 Is up ONLY ms in en an es syslfm and
stage. but he is advised to adopt. principles
tion With any system. Ho Is not advised to get
oil his machine and ride another make. but sim.
ply to dismount and walk down the bad hills:
liable to error; but It is not likely to bring about
routine method Of play with must be- carried
out even with hands Tor which It is evidently
uhsulteu. "A hann was played at Put-in-Bhy on
July z and published In Echoes In which tho
eight Of trumps 10 led up to q player who holds
the following cards. heart dve turned:
C-J
d. 8
So 8 9
rhe 3 and 10 fell to tho first trick, which the
dealer won with the queen. In the face OF this
powerful attack, the 3 being evidently q fourth
best trump. what does the dealer leadi Com
mon sense would say tho cluo jack. of course;
but the player actually led his fourth. best dia.
mondl with one trump, no possible card of re-
entry and q powerful attack against him, he
proceeds to play the long-suit game by leading a
fourth best. Could anything he more absurd,
and 10 It any wonder that he lost three tricksl
In spite OF their best efforts. however, common
gense players do not always get all there Is In a
hand. Their diagnosis OF tho position may be
correct In Its essentials. but the play based upon
1t may lose tricks. Hare is an example OF his
which came up at the seventh congress. Tho
hand WAS No. 10 In the frat match for progress
eive tours. and the play was that between the
Top-of-Nothing team and tho Toledo Whist Club.
In justice to the Toledo Whist Club IL should
DO stated that the team which represented tho
club In this match was not the one that after
ward won the a. w. L. trophy. but was made up
OF the Matthias brothers, winners OF the Minne-
apolis trophy, sitting n and s. with W. Gorton
and +. j. Pratt sitting Z and W. The Top.of.
Il. Fletcher, y and 8. with Miss c. ii. Schmidt
AMI III H 3 IA aal w ~ ~