The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-16
AROUND THE WHIST TABLE.
i, olD QUESTION OF LEADING
TRuMPs FROM FIVE

.., Of old and Modern writers =
y,,,,ms Furnished by the LOnE-Suit
...,o, Tested in Actual Play Re-
"a, obtained from the Same HRnds
=, p,nerent systems Of Play.
4 ,hs many still unsettled questions OF
~ ,,,otepy there Is probably mont which
vps..n rise 10 so much dispute as the adj
h,.s,u,v NJ leading trumps from FIVE. The
Nnr.,,oo of the a~ncionts was against the lead;
moasrn school. playing straight whist,
y n, while the duplicate school seems to
4. about half and halt.
mn. older writer's on the game had a good
l..i N say on this subject. and all OF them
40 the arguments Tor and against the trump
.,,,ot. Mathews, writing In 1913. which was
-, attsr short whist, or thefl ve-poInt game.
~ come into fashion. says;
an very strong In trumps. IL 10 always right
intorm your PAL tner OF It as soon as possible.
-, n il dIficult to Judge when to lead trumps.
M. following situations will assist the beRin-
: 10 ransom, and in general direct him prop
orly;
,A.t vour partner has q strong suit.
"sscond-H strong In other suits though
weak in rumps yourself.
"Third-H your adversaries are playing from
weak suits
,,rone suit yourself. or have reason to suppose
,our mariner has one. do not lead trumps un-
t.ss you have six" Again. in maxim 81:
syith four trumps do not lead one unless your
strong suit is established"
While five trumps are not mentioned. six are
oiven as the smallest number from which to
jssd trumps regardless OF the rest OF the hand.
when we come to Burney. writing In 1923. we
and In maxim 20: with Ave trumps 1t Is
almost invariably good to get out two rounds.
Nv doing which you much disarm your adver-
saries from obstructing your own or your part
pers suits. and still remain with strength
enough to stop those Of the adversaries." In
maxim 81 he says: But with Ave trumps and
Ave or six small cards OF another suit 1t will be
batter to lead from the latter than to lead the
trumps. II you are deficient in two suits you
must expect to be forced. which will lessen the
prospect Of your being able to bring In your
ionF suit. On being forced. pursue -FOUR own
suit, which may induce the adversaries to lead
tumps. which will be much better for you than
iiyou had begun with the trumps."
In maxim "a Burney makes the following In
t~eresting remarks about leading trumps from
rsplit hands,: IF three cards In every suit
are dealt to you you cannot expect to profit by
arenounce. The greater chance Of 30 profting
will be with the adverse party. therefore it is
not amiss, IL not otherwise disadvantageous, to
lead the trumps."
When we come to Celebs. in 1851. we ind:
with many good players 1t is the %rulenever
10 lead trumps with a bad hand. unless part
ner calls for them" What constitutes a bad
hand is. unfortunately. left TO our magma
ton. In Maxim 20 CRlebs SAYS: with Ave
trumps it Is the general rule to extract two
rounds; with six it is imperative. You thus
disable opponents from intervening the IA
vorable suits and remain with sufficient power
to ruff the unfavorable." In this case CRlebs
evidently assumes that one OF the tEumps shall
stand how one can be sure OF getting out two
rounds Immediately. Burney makes the same
Coming down to more modern times. Proctor
says: When you are the original leader, hold:
Ing Ave trumps, not more than one honor. and
Tor expecting that your partner has one good
slt which. by means OF your .trumps., you can
he ehances are two to one that by opening any
other suit you would he playing the adver-
sares' game. as you have no means Of guess
your proper lead is your fourth best trump"
suit fts s1h @Is Ied By o1 Pole Hs and Mri't csve er ihi have nave
advocated leading .trumps from Ave. on the
stronger in the plain suits than both the adj
American Whist Club believes in always lead
ing trumps from FIVE. while the Minneapolis
players DO not think Il advisable when The best
and unestablished. Bouv6 says 1t wins
ofener than it loses. That depends very
largely upon whom you play It against.
Bouv6s experience has probably been chiefly
against those who do not know how to manage
hve-trump, hands from which trumps are. not
led. II he had a little practice In New York or
BROOKLYN he might change his opinion very
considerably. afte- seeing, how our local cracks
work this kind of hand. Here is one that was
played at the Brooklyn Whist Club on women's
night last week. in which a player led trumps
from five with all the assumed conditions In his
favor. Zdealt and turned the heart nine.