Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-26
LEADS SHOWING TRUMPs.
Capt. Smith of the WaIbrooks Gives
His Vlevyu

Capt. Smith of the wnIbrooks Gives
His Views.
The Walbrook Whist Clubs captain. Mr..
B. w. Smith, gives his views in the Bal
timore News as follows on the subject of
leads showing strength or weakness In
trumps:
Some earnest students Of the game
there are who believe that a higher de-
gree of consideration should be accorded
the trump suit than the plain suits-that
since trumps are the real weapons of at
tack and defense it is of more Importance
at the outset to inform partner whether
the leader is strong OF weak therein, so
that he may adapt his course to the joint
condition of the two hands, and play either
a forward or backward game as this condi-
ton may warrant, than to inform him of
the number in the suit led, which can have,
at pest, but negative value, and that often
too late in the hand to prove of service.
The members of the Walbrook team of
this city hold this belief When the team
was first organized in the fall of 1896 it's
members determined to formulate a system
of team play in which the trump suit
knowledge of it's condition and the treat
ment to be accorded it should receive first
consideration. The first drawback they met
with was the fact that the old Hamilton
trump showing leads. while good as far
as they went, were entirely incomplete and
defective in that they applied only to hands
wherein the leader, by virtue of certain
bigh-card combinations in sequence, could
lead an honor-the original lead of king
or jack signifying strength in trumps; of
an ace or queen, weakness.
1.-The majority>of all whist hands do not
contain such combinations in ones best
suit. which must, therefore, be opened with
a low card. By sort of analogy to the
time-honored convention of calling for
trumps by playing first an unnecessarily
high and then lower card, the lead of
n TO ta- TO IN,
plain suit which is opened low was adopted
as a shower of trump strengthen the ulti-
mate or lowest card, of trump weakness.
This system of low trump showing leads
necessarily does away with American leads
as the leader, with six in suit, may, on
account of trump weakness, open the low
est card therein.
at is the contention of the members of
the Walbrook team, however, that close at
tention to the fall of the cards and ability
to read the hands nullify this objection
and that it is only Indifferent player
who requires number showing leads to en-
able him to count how many of his suit
partner has in hand While the Walbrook
system lays great stress upon the informa-
tory trump showing opening, it does not
contemplate nor involve careless middle or
end play. No system will produce good re-
suits unless it's devotees are skillful readers
of the cards and clever whist players all
around. 1t is necessary. though. that the
opening lead of any hand should be that
which will convey the most information to
partner, and the trump showing lead, its
advocates claim, is best adapted to this
purpose"
The Philadelphia Press whist editor COM
ments as follows:
''All that Mr.. Smith has to say is sound
The objection to the trump showers found
by the Hamilton team wnen they used
them was that by announcing trump
strength or weakness at the start the ad-
versary would know when to force hand
or when to lead up to it, and that this in
formation in the hands or two keen oppo-
nents was of more value to them, as rule,
than it was to one partner. It hardly
seems likely for this reason that these
leads will ever be resuscitated in this city,"
Basket Ball Schedule.
The District of Columbia Basket Ball
League. consisting of five clubs, met at the
Washington Light Infantry Armory last
night and decided upon the report submitted
by the schedule committee, the list of
games as made up being adopted. The five
teams in the league are the Light Infantry
Eastern Athletic Club, Queer .Wheelmen.
Mount Pleasant Athletic Club and Century
Cycle Club, and the schedule contemplates
games to take place until Saturday, March
.. The length of the schedule is occasioned
by the fact that all the games will be
played at the armory of the Light Infantry.
Ladies will be admitted free, and tickets
for their admttance will be distributed
among the members of the various teams.
Centrals VS.. GalIaudet.
The Central High School-Gallaudet foot
hall game. postponed from Wednesday last
on account of rain. will take place this
afternoon, provided the weather clears
enough to allow the ground to dry.
Another Victory for the All-Amefi-
cans.
The All-American and Baltimore clubs
played at Kansas City yesterday before
800 spectators, the former winning by the
score of 9 to 4. Hastings and Pond We're
the pitchers. the former being more effec-