Evening star., 1897-11-02
WHEN TO LEAD TRUMPs
Not Always Advisable Even With
Five I'm Hand

Not Always Advisable Even With
Five In Hand.
When to lead trumps will probably al
ways be a much discussed question among
minister's. B. W. Smith says In the Balti-
more News:
Many excellent players believe that It
Is always right to open the trump suit
holding five or more, regardless of the
other contents of the hand, and the older
writers advised this course. When the
rest of the hand consists Of three short
suits the trump opening. In the long run,
Will unquestionably prove winner. Like
wise when holding a completely estab-
iisned long suit, such as ace. king. queen
and two or more small, and four or five
trumps. that the latter should be opened
all will agree. But suppose the leaders
hand to consist Of five trumps and a good
long plain suit, not established nor prob
ably capable of establishment without
assistance from partner, what then? The
cards may be so placed that the trump
opening from such holding will be most
successful, as where partner has one or
two honors in the leaders strong suit.
thus rendering its quick establishment
easy, while one of the adversaries has
none or but a single card therein, and may
make off a trump or two before they can
be drawn, unless opened originally. The
experience of local experts, however, has
tended to bring about their almost unani-
nous adherence to the more conservative
opening, and the better opinion seems to
be that from such a holding the plain suit
should be led and partners ability to assist
In its establishment ascertained at once.
This assistance he may render either by
holding good cards in the suit thus forcing
out the adverse strength, or by trump!ng,
II short, the averSaries' good cards therein.
The latter method is, of course, very much
crippled, if not entirely destroyed, when
the hand is started with the trump at
tack
The above leads Mr. Work of the Phia-
delphia Press to say: THE experience of
Baltimore experts, to which Mr.. Smith re-
ferS, has a counterpart in this city, and
but few of our best players will now, as a
general rule, open trumps with a long un-
established plain suit in hand. Such an in
stance was presented in the match at Jer-
sey City on Saturday, where the south
hand in section at one time held SIX
trumps, including a sequence from the
king to the ten, and a five-card suit headed
by king. In this particular the
north hand held but one card of the long
plain suit and two trumpS. This was pos
sibly a rather extreme example of the doc
trine suggested by Mr.. Smiths article but
there can be little doubt that experience
has taught most players to establish
long suit first and lead trumps afterward.
True 1t is that well-known New York
writer is at present harping on the reverse
doctrine, but by this time majority of
minister's appreciate the real value of his
ideas and act accordingly"
Any suit, however long, with the ace and
King missing, and presumably against you,
will be very difficult to establish and bring
in with five trumps. without a re-entry
In the other suits. AS soon as the first
trump trick is taken by the adyersaria;,
they know your lead Of a trump is TO bring
In suit, and they try to force you t.
trump their good cards by establishing
suit of their own. And 1t is conservative
whist to find the lay of the high cards In
your suit before you are disabled by an
overhold game. 1t is also good play to in
vte trump lead, holding no suit capable
OF taking trick, by leading a singleton.
especially IL you have major or a vice
tenace in trumps.