Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-03-06
HOWELL LESSON ON WHIST.
Clu0 Discipline Cannot Wholly Over
come Individuality in Leads.
10 MISUSE of he Trump Signal-A
ono Worth Studying-A Master
Hands Comment on the "Flexa-
BILE" Game.

'eah ought to adopt and
piaccce that style or system of play
~hich It's members like best. If the
members are divided in their oninions,
- matter now loyal they may be to
tneir captain and how sub
inisslve they may be to dis
cipiine they cannot do first class
WORK. A player who thoroughly be-
heves in liberal methods and is adept
at the common sense" game cannot
advantageously be tied down to the
strict long suit routine. nor can play
CT whose mind runs to routine be cut
loose from it without mourning the
FISK OF losing himself. Experience
mas time and again shown the inca
paclty OF Heterogeneous team. Per-
maps the most striking example Of
mlsnt four to-day is that Of the Brook
iyn Whist Club. In this organization
tnere are as fine players as anywhere
else IN the world, but they do not get
together" The strict long suit ele-
ment might supply powerful team all
Dy itself, but for the liberal or com
mon sense" element, which will not be
ignored. The liberal influence is not
sumclent, on the other hand, to secure
team entirely after its own heart.
compromise is the inevitable result
compromise team, compromise
methods and success that is compro-
missing. / do not mean this for crit
lclSm, but merely as a statement OF
unfortunate facts. Every member OF
Brooklyn Whist Club team for
year or two has been q thorough eX-
pert, but no two members have been
quite agreed as to the best style of
game to play. They have all had to
surrender some of their convictions,
and have consequently been unable
hard and conscientiously as they have
tried-to throw their souls into their
work. The team has lacked amalga-
nation, and on this account unques-
tionably, rather than any other, has
failed to achieve those results which
ought to be expected from the repre-
sentatiyes Of big metropolitan club.
Now, to get down to the positive side
OF the question, what is necessary
above everything else for efficient team
work at whist is unanimity of senti-
ment among the members. Of course
goes without saying | do not propose
to go into particulars concerning what
ability at whist is. 1t is sufficient to
mention, among the qualities of the
successful expert, accuracy, quickness
of perception, knowledge of sound prin-
ciple, courage, spirit and physical
stamina. Given these requisites in all
the members of a team, they must
then be in accord with regard to the
theory of the game and filled with 10y
atty and enthusiasm for the cause they
represent. | deplore the practice of
players representing different clubs
in different league or association
matches. 1t savors of the mercenary,
who is not SO good and reliable fight
er as the patriot. A match player at
whist. should cherish the interests of
his club far beyond the interests of
personal ambition. At the same time,
personal ambition, cannot be destroyed
and should not be. The personal ambi
lions of all team members
should tend in the same di
rection and be worked out in
the same manner Make up a
team from men who hope to win vic
tories and distinction by means of the
strict long suit routine or from men
whose favorite weapons are those of
the liberal game-one of the other
but don't try to amalgamate two
classes of men, methods and ambitions.
You can't do it. Whist faith is a
powerful sentiment In its relatively
insignificant way it is as irrepressible
rs faith, political or religious. And
you can't make men of different faiths
strive together, with all their faculties,
heart and soul, toward common end.
can scarcely forbear smiling at my
own earnestness and seriousness in
this matter; whist is so small a thing
to be subjected to the rules of moral
philosophy. Still, am convinced that
what I say is true. There are such
things as profound whist convictions.
They must be recognized by clubs and
club captains. A club captain, after
determining the amount of material
of sufficient ability at his command,
should then select as his team only
those men whose whist faith is the
same as his own. A long suit cap
tain should not attempt to bring
short suit player under his discipline,
nor should a short suit captain hope
to convert to his methods a man who
believes long suitism to be the rock
bottom principle of the game.
AS an example of the value of homo
xeneity in team work | can mention no
more successful team than that of the
famous Hamilton club, which, slightly
changed, is now winning match after
match for the Philadelphia Whist
Club in the league challenge series.
Philadelphia's last victim was Cincin-
natl. It is impossible, except by a
superior system of play or by streak
IF luck. to overcome the team work,
clocklike in it's precision, of the Phil
adelphia team. l believe first class
short suit or common sense four
could defeat them, but | have no idea
where it is coming from The new
cult which l may call whist liberal
ism, has not yet made that Roadway
IN the big clubs which warrants any
Of them to put a liberal team in the
Geld They may as we'll make up
tbair minds. however, that their eff
forts to beat the old Hamlltonians at
their own game are sheer folly. 1t Is
valor. but not discretion. The spec
ialty of the Philadelphia men Is close
and accurate reading of the cards by
conventional methods and superiority
IN end play over all their rivals. Ii
INV team ever shows itself clearly
better than they, it must be, in my
1900 o,ipion q team composed OF