Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-03
ODD TERMS IN WHIST
THAT Is PULLING
TO 4 BEGINNER.
4 Great Change from the Good Old
Days OF second Hand Low. Third
rillas." Potential Tenaces." &c.
New York SUM

CNew York SUM
TH. continual spread and growth in
popularity OF whist during the last few
years has been remarkable in many re-
sra.ts. and the changes that have taken
Place In the tactics Of the game have
mounted almost TO a revolution The
-.aI old days when such simple max
inns as second hand low, third hand
lgh" were sufficient for the average
PLAYER, have passed away, and a person
now requires months of careful training
before he can acquit himself decently
even in social game.
Ia 1889 there were only two teachers
.e this country. and the only paper that
ever referred to the game was the Bos-
CON Herald. To-day there are several
teachers in every large city, and no
fewer than forty-two newspapers have
rshIar whist departments, edited by
some skiful player or well-known au-
thor. a quiet rubber i'm the home circle
.- at the club was then the extent of
the players ambition but now teams Of
experts travel hundreds OF miles just to
play a single match of forty-eight deals
against a rival club. All the large
cities have annual tournaments to de-
eide the supremacy of the local clubs;
state associations have been formed all
over the country, and valuable trophies
are played for every week; the American
Whist League holds its annual congress
for the discussion of the laws and the
play for championship honors. This
organization has upon its lists nearly
1000 members. and publishes an official
organ devoted exclusively TO the interests
Of The game.
The increase and concentration Of at
IGNITION upon any subject naturally tend
t1 develop il in various ways, and among
D.her things 10 increase and cOmphcate
i.s nomenclature. The technical terms in
Use Al the whist table ten years ago
were few and easily understood, but to-
day they are so numerous that none but
The expert understands them all. The
Sun continually receives letters like the
following. asking tor an explanation OF
certain phrases which are used in con-
usctlou with the published analyses of IL
Illustrative hands:
To the Editor Of the sun: Sir-While
J have played whist for number OF
ya.rs. and have become very much IN
r.rasted In Around the Whist-Table,'
a.. published in the sun, there are many
words applied to the game Of which 40
DOT comprehend the meaning, ana Deg 10
ask ~ YOU will kindly advise me what Is
the technical meaning of "hnesse. sueI
ITg " lied his own singleton run
..ross-ruff." "tenace and minor tenace
potential tenace." force" leading
spades to an honor" twice guardeu
Jack" top of nothing etc.
These expressions have meaning IN
conference.-the to me, and l acknowledge
INV Ignorance in the hope that you Will
Doe good enough TO explain them, as am
honestly endeavOring TO obtain tho |
rough knowledge Of the fascinating game
q whist. W. "a ~
Railway, y. j.
The foregoing letter gives long Dut |
..r from complete list OF the terms winch /
confuse the novice at the whist table.
one M the most common difficulties with !
trs beginner Is to grasp the meaning OF |
The terms used in describing particular /
combinations of cards. Even experts are |
not thoroughly familiar with many Oh |
them III should be observed thaI "heh-
ever d number is mentioned IL embraces
6I the cards in the SUIT spoheu o. |
whether any particulars are added or not |
A few, Of the more common forms OF such |
oxgrpssions are: ACE fifth in spades
ace tJ five hearts" King third IN
diamonds" "Queen-jack to four clubs.
lu each Of these the figure expresses ms
total number Of cards In the SUIT. Ace
fifth" means that the ace was the nun
spade ace 10 FIVE" does not mean tnat
ua player held the ace and hVe o'her
hearts, but that the ace belohseA W tIe
combination Of five cards in the heaIt
Suit "KinR third" means that tAere
were three diamonds. Of which the KING
was the best There were only -FOUR cluDS'
Including the queen and jack. II per
SON speaks of having four spades 10 an
honor. he means that one OF ms spaues
Was the ace king, queen, OF JAN, o"'
that he did not hold two OF those cai 20,
Combination of high cards, when spoheh
of vitbou, regard 10 the total number
!u the suit are divided into two cias9e0
aequeuces and tenaces-and these again
are further distinguished according 10
their rank Although. properly speahlns,
IL sequence must be composed OF se'IeS
OF al least three things next IN Nalue -
one another the word Is USED III "hI"'
fyr TWO only such as king ana queeh'
because there Is no word in any language
hat expresses the idea or TWO tiihs'
next 10 each other I'm rank. y heau Sc
QIence IS the ace. king, queen soIlio-
times called the "tierce major Inc
quart major" is the ace, king queen
lack
II the sequence is OF inferior RANK u
So named after the highest caro-.
tercs 10 the queen" means the sequehcS
OF queen. jack, ten. There are also III
termediate sequences" such as JACK YEN
nine. and a suit. which also contains Ine
ace and deuce The cards OF sequence
are eorneti,nes shaken of as indifferent
cards" because one Is as good as the
other for trick-taking purposes. Many
persons think when an Indifferent cara
Is spoken OF II means one Of no vaiue'
Cards Of equal value. II not actually ths
highest Of the suit are never spoken OK
a. tierce majors. but as the three best