The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-26
AROUND THE ~WHTSTTABLE,
wHoERsoME eRoHTH OF THE FEEL
fHG l9IINsT "CONVENTIONs."

HI INC A0AAAnA SSNN ANAASNesE
new ncsohnpetiss Played whist-A Feature
or the short-sule Game-Aunlyues ef
Several Gnnes-Cirb Notes aud News.
THE Sun has received quite q number Of let.
tsrs from various parts OF the country heartily
approving the stand II has taken upon the sub
feet OF arbitrary conventions, and expressing the
hope that something will be done to put a stop
10 them before they bring the game into disro-
pute. The only excuse offered by tho advocates
for these lodges 10 that the executive OF the
American whist League has defined as allowa'
bic any system Of play which Is not "secret,"
and that previous explanation to the advers
saries is sufficient excuse for anything.
The time was whom 1t was not necessary for
rentlemen to refer TO the officers Of tho league
In order 10 determine what was fair and what
was cheating OF tho card table. No one ever
accused q team of using secret" conventions,
for "~seoreoy Z" implies that the system would ro-
ouire q certain amount OF caution and manage
mont In order 10 keep It remote from observa-
ton. A private convention. on tho other hand,
Il one that 10 not public; something that 10
remote from the generally accepted condi.
lions Of play, something that one must be
introduced 10. something that 1t will DO neces-
sary to explain 10 the partner In advance, or It
will DO totally meaningless to him. no matter
now frequently uO ulhy btO " NJ ~ Whiub Jhul0s
Ono might see q player lead queens. mines. and
Fights for weeks at q time, and never dream,
unless the system was explained to him, that
those leads had an occult meaning apart from
any principle Of play.
Perhaps tho term "rriyate conventions" 10
not o good ono. "Guide posts for buffers and
alleged experts" would DO better. as II moro
closely describes tho ain and purpose of all
such plays. The fundamental principle under
lying all these arbitrary conventions 10 that the
partner does not know enough about the game
to find his way to tho proper play Of q hand
without them. The fallacy underlying them all
10 that the adversary will not derive equal bene-
at from these sigma put up along the common
road which all four players at the table arc
following.
The theory Of whist adopted by modern PLAY
ere seems TO be exactly opposed to that of tho
old masters. The writer recently had the pleas
ure Of quito o long talk with o man who had
been intimate with Deschapeles's old part
ner In Paris, and gathered from him that tho
chief strength Of Deschapelles's game lay in his
adroit management of the trump suit. Upon
frst taking up his hand he would study Its pos.
sibilities. and glance et the score to sec
what he had to hope or foar. II he thought
his hand would be better II there
were no trumps to interfere with 1t,
NO WOulu leHu LTuuupo. IL no tuOukuL1
on the other hand, that his trumps would DO NO.
cossary for self-proteotion. he would lead q plain
cult. AS his partner followed the same princi.
pie, It was Deschapelless custom. when he was
not the original leader. to govern his play by the
indications given In his partners opening. II
his partner led trumps. Deschapelles made every
effort to assist him in getting them out, but II
the partner did not lead trumps Deschapelles
would require unusual strength In his own
hand to Justify him In running counter to his
partners game. and as a general thing he
would be very slow to draw his partners
trumps. and very prompt to stop the adversaries
In this example OF the masters play we have
the essence Of a very simple principle of whist
making the earliest practical inference as to
the possibilities of the partners hand; what TO
hope for. what to fear; when TO attack, when to
suit game, In which the top OF nothing is a card
OF warning and defence; the lead of trumps is O
call to worry and destroy.
The modern champion, looking through the
goggles OF his pet, conventions. Is blind to the
Possibilities OF such q system. He cannot see
four cards to be played. He plods nlong YEARLY,
noting all the sign posts on tho road, although
M Whish 81 be IS the Roln may sh p3i at the ' end ' he has the BE-
qualification of seeing his doom In advance. lie
knowG the msior, te Mmn H. u oyer Iss him n,n me a xm9w ~
seems to- dorive a certain satisfaction from the
contemplation Of his own destruction.
Lie ~ " III OiBout pthooi az tIoS thSy
make a double-duminy problem, Of the last few
tricks In every hand. and the chief object of the
the hands SO accurately that this problem may
be correctly solved. Tho boast Of the short.suit
school is that the game is over before The
suffers are winning thet tricks: TO the common;
present q perception problem OF absorbing inter
est. and the object Of the partners Is to divine
as rapidly an they can what is possible with theiI
| cards and what ia imnrDbable. The lOnR-Suite al
makes the first eight tricks a mechanical rou'
tine, and then lays down his hand and studies
for several minutes over his dummy problem In
the ending, in tho solution Of which he hopes te
get back one or two of the tricks that he sees he
The co9mon:sens player does not wait until
the hand Is almost over and tho adversariei
h lbs T, Sii s9I ynfa IL; q III tb an 6anSa a. y e sb sr gayiie 81
possible moment, SO that he may decide whathel
70 run for his life or 70 lie in ambush. He pridel
ness lies: That is the difference betweeI
sight or nine, tricks and then wea RIGS
which he is often unable 70 solve; Th'
tSast or three three tricks is.' and then Jumps into D T.,
thick OF the fight and thoroughly enjoys him
or ton. Did you ever hear a laugh from a long
suffer during a trophy match Did you eve
s coS tim q the 'I pips IN the drs s" eight Ttn rieks 81 Tt
you ever hear them ask an adversary to com
and see papa1 MOL They are the saddest 10
player enjoy himself at the whist table 20,
must sit beside a short-suiter. No wonder thos
who know and play the game tell you the,
10 the old long suits.
As an example of this quiokness Of perception
take the following hand. the first four tricks O
which were given as a perception problem IL
THE SUN Dec. -. Y holds the following cards
the heart nine turned by his partner:
H-Q 7 6 5 3.
CO 10 g 4.
D-A.
S-A Q 2.
A and B arc using American leads, while !
and 2 are playing weak suits down. A lead
for the FIRST trick.