Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-12-25
BALTIMORE WHIST CLUB AN
NOUNCEMEyNT

The Baltimore Whist Club has issued
prospectus to its members outlining
the schemes of play to be followed dur
ing the season at its club rooms. This
club is one of the most famous in the
country, not only for the excellence of
the play of it's members, but also be-
cause of superiority Of it's manage
ment. An insight is afforded of the
way things are done in an up to date
whist club from perusal of the fol-
lowing:
The season will be divided, as here
tofore, into two periods of four months
each, the fall or winter period compris-
ing Friday nights from October to jan
uary, inclusive, and the spring period
Friday nights from February to May,
inclusive. An appropriate prize will
be awarded to the player securing the
greatest aggregate plus in each per-
iod. Two records will be kept of each
players score, a straight and handi-
cap record. The handicap record will be
continued throughout the entire period
of eight months, and will determine
the award of special handicap prizes.
Average and not aggregate scores will
decide the result in this competition,
and players to contest must partici-
pate in at least 20 out of "a
nights play. The handicaps have been
fixed by the Match Committee and are
based on the recognized ability of the
players. -Four jewelled buttons are Of
fered for the highest plus scores at
each Friday evening, which will be
held by the winners one week. Two of
the buttons will become the permanent
property of the two members who
make the greatest number of top
scores during the entire season. In
case of a tie the highest match score
will win. Wednesday might has been
set apart for practice of teams of four,
and as many tours as possible will be
organized by the Match Committee,
with view of developing and per-
fecting team work and system play. A
new feature that has been introduced
is the pair contests under the Howell
system, which will be played every
Saturday afternoon, beginning at $3.50
o'clock. Two nights in each month
will be selected as ladies' nights, and a
special committee will have charge of
these occasions, which proved so inter-
esting and popular last year.
INFERENCES AND PERCEPTION.
whist is language and every card
played an Ineligible sentence" So
said James Clay at a time when the
language of the cards was less precise
but more comprehensive than it is to-
day.
Some inference of more or less i'm
portance may be drawn from every
card that falls at the whist table. The
knowledge deduced from these infer
ences is called whist perception" up
on which more than any other quality
depends good play and correct judg-
ment. The ability to make accurate
and quick deductions from the play is
within the power of any intelligent
person to acquire and with careful
practice the habit will become almost
mechanical with regard to the most
frequent situations, leaving the mind
free to engage in reasoning upon I'M
usual circumstances.
The differences deducible from the
opening leads of partner and adver-
saries are of the simplest form and
will naturally be the first to demand
the attention of the student A knowl-
edge of the Table of Old Leads, given
in a previous article, will enable you
to instantly infer from a high card
originally led, other high cards in the
leaders hand. For instance, on the
lead of king, you conclude that the
player holds ace or queen, and If the
king holds the trick and he follows
with the queen, you know that he had
both caxds. The jack led informs you
that the leaders hand contains king,