The sun., 1897-10-03
AROUND THE WHIST TABLE
THE NATTER OF 4 PROPER SfSTEA
UE CONDUCTISG MATCHES.

,..a n, n standard Method or PlnJ TOR Con-
,..,, Among Ciubs-ObIections TO the Usual
pInns-Tho New JcrseS sSie OF f.hs s""s
trnted-OpeninE PlaJs-Whht Fro"'o'"''
,.,,.n,,ron, season of s97.0s was formal
iv opened yesterday by tho decision OF the nrst
tronhy match. that between New YORK. holder
and New Jersey, challenger for the Auxiliary
Association trophy. The first match Tor the A.
w. L. challenge trophy was booked for the same
date at Toledo. hut, the keytesvllle Cluo having
hoclcd out and Minneapolis not wanting to go
so far for fortyeight hands, IT looks as II there
would be no game until next Saturday and as IL
baltimore may be the challenger to try conclu-
.,,ns with Toledo, the holder OF the cup.
with the advent of the serious playing season
there comes up the eternal problem OF selecting
the best methods OF settling the question of
supcriority among number OF competing
clubs. pairs or individuals. When only two
teams Of four each are engaged it Is generally
conceded that the A. w. l.. schedule for two
table duplicate is the BEST but when the contest
extends to larger numbers most Of the arrange
ments SO far suggested have been found unsatis-
factory.
Take the case OF the match played last night,
in which thirty.two players ON each side were
arranged for. In these contests it has always
been the custom for the captains of the compet-
ing teams to pick their strongest pairs and to
pit them against the supposed strongest pairs Of
the adversary. After q few tables have been ar
ranged In this manner the remainder are filed
up with lot of second and third rate players.
who are supposed to be able to hold their own
against players no better than themselves. 1t
has usually been found that these socalled sec
ond.raters are the ones that decide the match.
because they can give away more tricks in two
or three deals than n skilful player can get back
from O strong adversary In q whole sitting.
Howells idea Of playing all such matches on
the progressive system seems to be steadily
gaining in favor. Under this ARRANGEMENT the
players can be divided into teams OF four. each
quartet playing against every opposing quar-
tet for an equal number Of hands, or they can be
90 arranged that each pair plays q certain num-
Der Of hands against every opposing pair. In
Boston they have lately been very successful
with competitions for teams Of eight, SO arranged
that the matter Of opposition is very nearly
oQualized, and the playing strength OF the teams.
as teams, is thoroughly tested.
1t is unfortunate that the league cannot adopt
some standard methods of play for all the vari-
Gus forms Of contests that take place in inter
club competition, Just as it has settled the
methods of play for the A. w. L. The annual
matches for tho championship have never been
conducted twice in tho same manner and no
one knows until a short time before the compe-
rangements are always more or less depend
ent on the number OF entries. Several sug-
Eestions have been made and six of them
have been tried, but all seem open to
some objection. Milton Work rather favors
some sort of preliminary trials in the various
sections or associations. each district sending
its champion to compete at the annual tourna-
ment. He thinks the great trouble with the
Hamilton trophy contests is that there are too
t-.n l,t, t1.~sr L.so
divided into sections or playing very short
matches. AS these divisions are decided en-.
tirely by chance, the result of the preliminary
contests is often matter of luck, and if there
Is no division tho matches are considered too
short to be decisive.
The essentials for q satisfactory and decisive
contest are chiefly threefold: sufficient
number Of hands to make the match fair
test by eliminating the influence which
the result of single freak deal might
have upon the total score; actual defeat
Of every competitor by every other, instead
Of taking it for granted that A can beat G
because B has beaten and has in turn been
beaten by "A; equal chances on hands of equal
possibilities 1t 10 very unsatisfactory for q
strong club to fight through twelve freak deals
and TO win match by narrow margin from q
strong adversary, and then to have q dozen
Foians against q weak club and to lose the
match by the result of single deal in which
the cards lay badly for legitimate fnesse. or
something of that kind.
The SUN has already pointed out that the sys-
TEN of play 10 which the great mass Of club mem
bers are accustomed is the one that should be
adopted for deciding the championship. or else
the proposition should be reversed. and the gen.
that the meu bers will be called upon to play il
they ever compete for the ehampionship,, It Is
training at com pass whist. playing each success.
sive deal against new adversary (which is the
universal club game,. to sit down and show
hands against the same adversaries. II the he
for hGss ThS 4bs
the duplicate nights at the club should be SO
tice at that style of play.
1t would seem that the scheme adopted for the
a. satisfactory as anything tried SO far. and
should be equally so for the Hamilton trophy at
wSa snd fulfilled all the
that have been given as essential for fair
places a easy seSton and no Food for
tune. tune in not having to play certain freak
my one that their abilities had had fair test
.ood at the top at the inish viii satisfy any any
scloser approximation to the true standing Of
the competing clubs than has ever been reached
In contest for the Hamilton trophy.
DIFFERENCE IN STYLE.
The New York and Brooklyn players have
been looking forward to last nights match fol
ZONE ZONE time, and some Of them have been care
iny studying the system OF the New Jersey
methods. That there is great difference in thu
way New York and New Jersey would treat Ger
tain hands is admitted. but which would resui
IN me best score IN an important match is al
open question.
Here is n rather in erestinp hand which fur
hishes q good example OF Jersey play. II wa,
sent TO TIE sun by A. T.. Roberts OF Elizabet h
and goes TO show that the Jerseymen know al
orportnnty for coup when they see 1t. Al
are are pmnrtners against ". dealt and turned
IN" heart 4. The underlined card wins tn,
trick and the card undor 1t is the next one led