Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-02-06
HOWELL ON WHIST.
nav the Wisest Theories Often Fail of
Their PI pose.


/. Vas well that the friends of the
u7vtation" game didn't go wild with
5aizht when the New Jersey Whist
,-rb team, playing invitation" won
tse American Whist league challenge
.-opfy from Baltimore and defended
81 oLce against Brooklyn. for since
tbese notable victories the Jerseymea
have lost the cup to another club in
beir own State--the Park club of
Plaindeld, N. j.
And | must state with all candor-
tboush I am one of the most enthusi-
ostic friends, hackers and promoters
Of the Invitation" game-the Park
club team played plain, fourth best"
vhtst-plain as it can be with Ameri-
can leads and subechoes and all the
reauements Of latter day convention
e.ism.
have never claimed the winning Of
any match at whist to be due solely or
even mainly to system so that / am
free to say, without prejudice, that the
defeat Oh the New Jersey Whist club
BY Park was due, not to a superior
style, but TO superior Skill on the part
81 tile .ictors. The Park club team is
ulquestlonaDly one OF the abiest in
tie country. It's members have fought
side BIZ side for several years in local
and national matches. In their State
tournaments they have shown them
selves facile principles by permanently
cation trophies, and in the national
field they have before held the A. w.
L. challenge trophy through a victory
over the famous Hamilton club big
four' Of Philadelphia. They alo ex-
perienced, clever players, amalgamat-
ed into a hard pulling team by con-
staut practice together. 1t will be sur
prisipg if they do not maintain their
recently acquired supremacy in a Sc
res Of challenge matches to come.
Though I am in sympathy with the
New Jersey Whist club team in their
capable efforts to play the Invitation"
game J cannot wholly indorse their
position in playing also "a strictly long
suit game as they and close observ-
eTs nj their style say they do. In
whist Openings" I am on record in
opposition to the long suit game with
"frlls" If one tries the true invita-
ten game, he must be untra mmeled
by strict long suitism, and if he choos-
es to abide by strict long suitism he
would better let generally informatOry
leads alone. If your adversaries know
that you invariably open your
longest suit and at the same Zine can
tell fem your card led whether you
are strong or weak particularly in
t7umps-Which seems TO be the New
Jersey Whist club system, like mod
ifed' whist-yOu simply give your adj
7ersar.es the advantage % compulso-
ny trump showing leads, which are an
cid story and time and again have
been proved fallacioUs.
My theory OF the game is quite diff
feTant. | never open long suit with
4 small card unless I am strong
enough all round TO make the bringing
il of the long suit a reasonable proba-
bility, but on the other hand, | don't
aim to show weakness by my original
lead. The short suit opening is not
neces4 arily an indication of weakness,
MOI is the top Of nothing opening form
q weak suit. I recollect a case Of re-
cent occurrence in which l opened
with d plain suit spot from the lead
Of ), b, anu :, dnC III the END won
trek with my 6. The adyersaries
aidn't know it until it was too late,
bur | had four trumps and other good
cards. The led was not an indica-
ton Of weakness, as they learned to
their cost.
In short, I believe in the small card
invitation game, when the hand is
plainly strong enough to defy the adj
Versaries. Otherwise let them look
out for pitfalls.
In the system Of play truly known as
the Howell game-which phrase l DO
not relish, but accept as inevitable for
a time-we depend On the short suit,
supporting card plays in the ordinary
run Of hands more than we do on the
long suit, small card invitations.
And, after all, with a strong all
round hand the trump attack, from
Snort or long trpmp5, is far better
than the invitation. I append q pref
ty example OF the short trump attack,
III which a substantial gain was made |
by by the trump leader over other |
methods Of opening in a big tourna-
mant game The king Of spades was
tuned South and West had "all the |
advantages that appertain unto the |
original lead Here is the way the
MAY ran: