The sun., 1898-01-16
AROUND THE WHIST TABLE.
voxEx LEARNINe TO PLAY THE
ZANE As WE'LL As MEM.

.--,.. made By Women IN whist ohewu
CenEresses and Club nIeetingp vtns
ss.r.s made by women AEsinst n1s-
nav women Played sono Freak mands.
s,,.ral years ago writer on whist wa
IA TO prepare an article on the subject for O
-or,,n's magazine. 1t is probable that he was
'.n.cted to frame It on the plan Of the heart.
..h,.rt talks, and to demonstrate that whist
-, not fitting gamo for the weaker sex. who
lid be better occupied at homo minding the
s.hss Instead OF this. the writer referred 10
,oot II for granted that there wero many wo-
.,sn who had no babies. and many more whose
k.bIes had grown up and gono out into tho
,-orld TO shift for themselves, and he thought
,hnt such might find in whist very harmless
s,d eyen profitable occupation for their lei
sure hours.
He analysed tho mental characteristics OF
tbe successful whist player, and showed that
vomen possessed them in marked degree. He
srplained the apparent superiority Of tho mon
hy their more extensive opportunities, and
vent 90 far as to prophesy, in spite of eminent
authority to the contrary, that within year
A. two women would demonstrate their ability
n play whist as well al men. He thought
All that was necessary TO that end was equal
epportunity for practice against strong play
ers in properly organized women's whilst clubs,
which we're then unknown, but which tho
grIter Aid would come shortly. and with them
an organization similar to the mems league.
The gentleman who presidos over tho des-
tnles and morals of women in general and
euidos them in the true path with monthly In
,tsllmcnts of good advice. did not allow this
article to appear in his paper. Had he done
10 he might now point with pride to tho fact
that he was the very first to sec what was COM
ing and to predict the future position of wo-
men in whist, for everything that was prophe-
sled in that article has happened. even to tho
formation of q women's s.whist league.
Every successive meeting OF whist players
demonstrates moro clearly tho approaching
eouaty OF tho sexes in the matter OF skill at the
whist table. At the sixth congress tho women
were only moderately successful. At the sew
onth they were much moro in evidence, and in
the various association meetings and compass
games on guests nights at the mems clubs
they have been steadily gaining ground. The
averages mado by women in women's clubs is
much higher than that made by men in mems
clubs, and their play is much freer and moro
enjoyable. Some of our champions take about
fifteen seconds to every card played. SO slow
and labored are their mental processes, and so
heavily do they feel the strain Of playing q
studying out tle rami6cations of the other
fellows at the same time. Women do not sit
and dream for ten minutes over the play of a
deuce or trey. II they cannot see through q
position In fifteen seconds they trust to their
powers of intuition, and usually get 1t right.
Recent returns show some remarkable scores
made by women against men. In the Ohio
State congress we find team Of tour women
from the Kismet Club of Cincinnati-Mrs.
Poyntz, Mrs. Davidson, Mrs. Gaar, and Mrs.
Poyntz-winning the progressive match for
fours bv defeating such crack teams as four
men who have all been on championship teams,
President Mandell. Bufflnton, Mitchell. and
Parsons, the cracks of the Chicago Whist Club.
The four women players from Toledo were next
to the top in almost every event. and some OF
them got six moro tricks than the best mems
pair entered. ..-..t
Until this year there has been no movement
to encourage women in the New York clubs
but the Knickerbocker Whist Club broke the
ice on Jan. 5 and threw its doors open to
women. The result was such a success that
the managers have announced that the first
Wednesday in each month will be for women
game 'ua and W twelve tables We're formed. 20 owing VII g
dealt at each table, but tha variations on the
scores of these twelve hands made 1t evident
that they were about tho incest lot or freaks
in many a day. Some persons made eleven plus
and Others eight minus on tho same twelve
hands. There were several hands with swings
Of four or five tricks in them, and one with q
swing OF eeven.
One freak, which attracted q good deal of at.
tention. was No. 9, Ia which dealt and turned
the heart 10. and A had the following assort-
ment of cards:
H-9.
S--A4,:h,e1o.s,z
S-A, Q, 8.
The scores on this hand varied from seven to
twelve.trcks for Alb. One pair made 12, three
made IL. one made 10, two made 8, one made 8,
and four made. Here is how Alb got twelve
tricks out of 1t: