The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-14
AROUND THE WHISTTABLE.
ARRANGEMENTS ron THE ANNUAI
CONGRESS AT PUT-LN-BAT

tbs country was specializing on the result Of
President Barncy's appointment OF q committee
OIL system Of play. and many wise prophecies
we're made as to the system that would probably
lc recommended at the executive meeting in
Nashville. THE Sun also ventured on q little
prophecy. and. In an article published Aug. 2.
predicted that when tho Nashville meeting was
held IL would DO found that no system Of play
had teen agreed upon. This was apparently tho
only correct prediction made, for this IL exactly
what has happened. President Barney informs
The srS that the committee did not even meet,
mot being ready to submit any report"
The most important matter settled at the Nash.
vile meeting seems to have been the programme
tor the seventh congress. which will be held at
Putin bay July 8 to 10 inclusive. While the
details have not been definitely settled. the of.
fcirl programme is as follows:
First-A contest for the Hamilton Trophy for
the year ls07-9s. During the preliminary play.
which will occupy the afternoons and evenings
OF Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
each club will play a match against every other
club in the contest. and the two clubs with tho
highcs, trick score will play q Hnal match on Sat
friday. The number OF hands in the preliminary
matches shall not exceed az per diem, and tho
fnal match shall consist OF 4s hands on the reg
ulir A.. w. L. schedule score card plan.
Sccond-A contest for the first possession Of
tic American Whist League trophy for the year
,-p7-9s. Tho preliminary play will occupy tho
evenings Of Tuesday, Wednesday. Thursday,
and Friday. and will be conducted under the
Mitchell progressive system. The two clubs
With he highest trick score will play = Anal
match on Saturday. The number Of hands in
he preliminary matches will be as near twenty
- ;hc number OF entries will permit, and the
Gnal match will consist of forty-cight hands.
~ provided for In the schedule score cardn
Third-A contest for the Minneapolis Trophy
'm sn& I.H ih p'i new HSWci iO pair proaressivs system,
IN which each pair completes a match against
every other pair at one sitting. There viii DO
ings OF Wednesday. Thursday, and Friday, and
be pnir with the highest trick score shall be de-
Fourth-A contest for the brooklyn Trophy
for teams representing a~uSiliary associations.
The Tournament Committee will decide as TO tho
method OF play after tho entries have been re-
.,finh-Progrcsslyc {. fours." match score,
duplicate Whist Club OF San Francisco.J
Sixth-Pro.rcssiyc q" pairs" Tuesday evening.
seven,h-Prosressive pairs" Wednesday
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Tours" Wednesday
eySnins. i5tSs score, individual iga P primes after.
Tcnth-Proercssive pairs" Thursday even
ing indiyidual prizes; .n,,." v-,,.x ,,..
h'c u iosAtHo'O pohe' Niue ~
Tweinh-Progrcssiyc &" .tours, Friday evening.
trick score, individual prizes.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS straight whist con.
test, saturday evening, individual prizes TO the
pan nd Hiniissii . .oSv lasSrs' NH niII'' hn s %, de-, 70 m,
players who represent the winning. club in the
hnsl play for the Hamilton. A. w. L., and Min
The arrangement for the Hamilton trophy
seems TO have stirred up "A hornets nest, and
c%riticisins It very severely. Milton Work, who
was Chairman Of the Tournament Committee
OF match methods, was not present at the Nash
Vile meeting. but has this to say about the new
The main topic of discussion OF the day in
whist circles lie the very surprising action Of the
league directorate at the Nashville meeting in
ton Trophy l%ontest at the ncxt.congress- which
~ me opinion OF most minister's Is far less con-
t SfEsit and tn saF 1ssny H'A II R 1Se ! als .f sRIr fsy ens Sss.
zach team viii have went nine matches OF
number OF entries the number OF deals per match
Will increase proportionntely.
Then again II is tricks, not matches. that
count This means that II half a dozen fours OF
nearly equal strength. all OF whom are much
better players than tho rest Of the contestants
entered IA, not unlikely case), the two fours that
have the luck TO get the most tricks given 10
them will plny in the fnals, while the others,
who may have defeated the two lucky tours and
played u shade better all through. can enter
a progressive straight whist contest or go
Let us see what is the inevitable result Of
this system; there never has been an annual. tour
nament yet, and this year will not DO an excep-
three classes. viz:
The Experts-That is, the crack teams OF the
country % which there are generally about six
The Moderate Players-That is, teams who
play good whist, but have not the experience or
The Noyices-This class includes teams max
ing their whist debut, who have come to learn.
and who would not In a real match play within
twenty Tricks OF the FIRST class.
Now. our prediction is that under the system
adopted this latter class will decide the tourna-
The experts, in games of the absurd short
ness determined upon, will about average up In
tricks in their matches with each other; but
even II one, or two teams, by superior play get a
little ahead in these Greek VS.. Greek encounters.
question OF who viii be the Two leaders viii be-
decided by, which expert teams get the most pres
But in addition to the lack Of getting hands
with opportunities for the ~novices TO fall
down there is in a short match a chance that
eR1a ng'iteS peculiar plays may win against one
anorher. Verify, there viii be SOME hard things
sSlH about the hckle goddess before the last
I've believe the directors have selected a plan
a9Ht WI. prove popular with the majority. az 1t
AZ he cracks, ana gives the clubs a fine chance
70 WIN some short matches against experts by
mlrab!e, as It brings everybody in the contest
eoSethtr, but we cannot help but believe that as
SSol. hCltuo ID inc WOFbt tho
league ever adopted, and we very much
aoubt II Eastern clubs will care to send their
teams so Tar merely TO draw chances in Il lottery,
OF, 70 20 more accurate, u gift enterprise. We
say u Is "a tatal mistake in any important con-
t.sl 10 allow the winner TO be decided by the
srliks he happens to have given To him, and wo
zee sure that experience viii prove this Wow TO
p correct, and the system OF play OF 81 will not
sine system OF any future year.
me novelty and variety In the plan will
uouDtIess prove most attractive to the contest
snls' and we predict that all who enter will lind
,he contest most enjoyable; but that at the end
w winner will have as thoroughly earned tho
Ute 0f champion as has tho winner at any
p'ssGealhg congress, we very much doubt"
,hHlE, W ofk 8 views are given In full, because
s1sy WIZ probably have more weight than those
K any other player in the country. Mr.. Work
a Oceh II prominent factor In the arrange
nohi' Tor all previous congresses and 10 the
tJa4lhS spirit OF the team that now holds tho
haaAllItoh trophy, and would like TO keep 1t.
= ~ joyaI expert IN tournament arrangements,
=, !, hNker Of, the Brooklyn Whist Club, seems
oaeFeg with Mr.. Work IN condcmnins the new
ptah, This is what he says:
rue dcgis!Dn OF the Executive Committee to
aaNe the Hamilton and A. w. l.. trophies COM
petfi Tor on tho same plan. and that plan
,olnihS more than the ordinary progressive
aetry,sp round or razzle-dazzle scramble for
nEhs ,whI,h Is exhibited every Monday night
nv ,he Brooklyn Whist Club, is likely to DO dis.