The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-09-18
AROUND THE WHIST TABLE.
INTERESTING CONTESTS IN NEW YORK
THIS SEASON.

Local Clubs Arranging Their Games So ne
to Attract the Best Grade of Plnyera-
Trump ManaEement-Where Tricks Are
Gained by RefraininE from n Trump Lead
II rivalry has anything to do with keeping up
the interest in whist contests. that feature will
not be lacking in New York this winter. as sew
eral local organizations are already putting on
their war paints and each seems determined
TO make as great a show Of braves as IL can,
and all Of them are ready to go upon the war
path and hunt for their rivals scalps. Whether
they will massacre their adversaries' hands or
their own when It comes to the actual battle at
the whist table remains to be seen.
All the local clubs arc preparing for tho COM
ing season by arranging their games 40 as to
attract the bcst grade OF players. Tho most
interesting programme so far determined upon
Is that OF the Whist Club OF New York. at IL
West Thirty sixth street. The new whist
committee. which will probably be Elwell. Tay-
lor. Floyd and Foster, will be instructed to ar
range a series OF duplicate whist games and
matches that will prove q strong drawing card
for all the experts within fifty miles. The gen.
eral idea, as explained to THE Sun by @. A.
Henriques, President OF the State Association
and Secretary Of the club, is to give the dupli-
cate players the exclusive use Of the lower
floor Of the club on Wednesday evenings. and
to have two series OF compass games, each run
ming twelve or fifteen weeks. in which valuable
prizes will be given to the players making the
best scores In each OF the various events into
which these contests will be divided.
In addition to these games 1t Is proposed to
set aside the first Wednesday In every month.
beginning Oct. 5. as q guest night, on which
members Of the club may invite their men
friends to visit the club and take part In the
compass games. The club proposes to make
these affairs attractive socially. and will pro-
vide refreshments and give handsome prizes to
the winners on each evening. For the four
persons making the top score on these guest
nights. whether they are members OF the club
or not. the committee has provided four solid
gold medals. Of very handsome design, which
are to be the property Of the winners until the
next guest night. At the end OF the season
the four persons who have mad the best
scores during the series Of eight nights
will be entitled to permanent posses
sion OF these medals. whether they are
club members or not. When it is con-
sidered that in the Whist Club OF New York
there can undoubtedly be found q higher grade
OF whist than in any other club In this country.
and that it has always been the ambition OF
local players to get a chance to cut in with such
stars as Henriaues, Hawkins. Elwell. Taylor.
Newman. Spafford. Gleason, Hatch. Browning.
Cole. Faber and 0'Bryan. all Of whom are to be
found at the New York club on compass nights.
it goes without saying that invitations to these
Wednesday night games will be in great de-
mand.
The Whist Club will not have a monopoly Of
the glory and players, however. for the other
clubs propose to offer more new attractions In
the way Of duplicate games this year than ever
before. and all Of them will do, their best to
elevate the standard Of play, and so to attract
the good players. 1t is well known to whist
committees that nothing. proves SO strong u
magnet as q good game where the whist is OF a
high GLASS and q man has to be well up to win.
Strange as It may seem. it Is certainty a fact that
there is nothing whicha player dislikes so much
as an easy game. and most men would rather
travel fifty miles to be beaten by really first
class players than stay at home and win against
a lot of buffers. The man who can beat Hem
riQues and Spaf1ord out OF a trick usually feels
prouder OF 1t than IL he got five out Of Smith
and Jones.
TRUMP MANAGEMENT.
The hand published last week, played at the
whist congress in Toronto. was o good example
OF forward trump play when the hand offered q
fair chance to make a suit. Here is an example
Of the opposite case, In which tricks were
gained simply by retaining from a trump lead,
even when. strong in them, because there was
no good suit to play for. After the suits have
been developed. however, the partner leads
trumps from great weakness. and then tho
strong trump hand Of the original leader comes
in to good advantage. The hand was played
at the Canadian congress. Corlett and Fuller
holding ABS cards. z dealt and turned the
heart king.