Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-03-27
HONElL'S WHIST LESSON.
Startling Finishes Of Numerous Nota-
Bile Games.
100 Much Conventionalism and Too
Many Methods, Which Are Quite
CONFUSING Mastery Playing Of
a Hand Methods to Eliminate
Memorizing in Duplicate Play.

MemorlzIng in Duplicate Play.
One OF the first things | learned in
regard to match play at duplicate
| whist was this-the game isn't over
until the last card is played 1t is not
| necessary that the score should be
very close. | have come into the home
stretch with only single frame of
four deals to play, a bunch OF tricks
behind, and still, by dint Of good
luck, have contrived to pull the match
out OF the fire. Every match player
has had an experience OF the same
sort. The result of many an import
ant contest OF "a, or even OF As, deals
would have been changed if there had
been a few more deals to play. One
OF the most remarkable instances OF
the Garrison finish on record in
league games occurred on Saturday,
January 10, i'll the match between the
Baltimore and Park club teams for the
league challenge trophy. Up to the
forty third deal Baltimore was three
tricks ahead, with six deals TO play
On deal is Park gained four tricks,
and ON deal "A five, which, with an
other gain of one on deal AZ, gave Park
the match and cup by a margin of
seven. This was case OF punching
hits, with a vengeance. 1T was not
sheer luck, either, since the Balti-
moreans apparently went to pieces
The record OF the play shows that
they played very badly on deals 43
and "A.
In the match just previous to this
the Baltimoreans had had an easy
thing in the team OF the Boston Dupll-
cate Whist Club. At the end OF the
36th deal Baltimore was barely sin
gle trick ahead On deals 81 to Az,
however it gained seven. This re-
verse took the ginger out of the Bos-
tonians, and on the last hitch Of eight
deals they parted with eight more
tricks, losing the match by It. | men
ton these circumstances merely as an
introduction to a little story. 1t is
pretty well understood by all expert
minister's that the Baltimore game is as
full OF conventionalities as an egg is
full OF meat Still, the Bostonians
were not sure they knew all the ms
and outs of their adversaries' system
and so before the game they deter
mined to ask the Baltimore captain,
as they had a right to do under the
league rules, to explain the pecullarl-
ties of his game. Captain Whelan
however, took the initiative and first
requested Captain Baker, Of the Boston
team. to unbOsom himself Captain
Baker delegated this privilege to Frank
Smith. and for Is or 20 minutes Smith
unbosomed himself OF all the Bos. lon
game he knew and perhaps more too.
And, now" said Baker, will Mr..
Whelan tell about the system Of his
team?"
on answered Whelan, we play
pretty simple and straightforward long
suit game, but if you will put any
questions you may think Of we will
answer them
There was pause TO the proceed
ings | can imagine the twinkle in
Frank Smiths eye as he said TO him
self:
What a fine thing it is to have a
lawyer on ones team"
Captain Whelan is lawyer, and
shrewd one, too as we'll as one of the
shrewdest minister's in the country.
But he is also fair minded sports
man, and | need scarcely add that
when the Bostonians questioned him
ne frankly and explicitly answered all
their queries and volunteered some in
formation besides. And what was the
pretty simple and straightforward
long suit game that he described? Let
us see.
Imprimis-the rotary discard.
In secundis-the discard of 2, 5,
4 or 5 to signify willingness to ruff;
anything higher, no desire to be
forced.
Et cetera-queen, 8 and as calling
cards.
Also the three trump echo with GER
tain notifications. which l have for
gotten. Also a few other wrinkles
that | do not remember.
For the rest, the long suit games.
except SO far as affected by tenace
suits, supporting cards, trump
strength, and so forth.
Ye shades of Hoyle and Mathews
and Clay, and thou impending shade
this a pretty simple and straightfor-
ward game?
I'm not kicking. Oh, no, So long
as there's no law against it, let them
play any old thing they like | don't
know that the Bostonians were much
better. 1t is not an individual mat
ter, this. 1t is a matter that concerns
every dover of whist. Shall this intri-
cate conventionalism go on indefinite
ly? Milton Work says "the Baltimore
system Is in the main conventional and
in all points sound" Milton Work
ought to know, if it were not that his
ideas Of soundness at whist have var
led during the past five years, through
an arc of 1870 degrees For my own
part, | don't believe that any system
| which is in the main conventional can
| be in all points sound To get con-
ventionality one is very apt to sacri-
[ fee soundness, and that is Just what
| the up-to-date conventionalist is do
| ing. as sure as two and two make four.
| and not 49,.
| There's another thing. Isn't it alb
l surd to see two teams, engaged in a
| competitive sport, sit down for an
| hour before championship match and
| explain to each other the theory and
| practice of their respective games? I'M
| agine two foot ball teams doing the
| same thing! There is something
| wrong somewhere. Either the two
teams ought to be allowed to go in and