The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-02
AROUND THE WHIST TABLE.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF PLAYING
THE CoMMOE-SENsE CAME

Mistakes That People Make in Considering
1t as q Acknowledgement Artificial
Notions About whist-Common-Sonso
Methods Illustrated from Actual Play.
In spite OF all that has been published on the
common sense game. there are still quite
number OF persons who do not grasp its fun
danental principles and cannot see how part
ners can understand each other as well Ms they
undoubtedly do. Such persons will usually be
found to be such as have not yet mastered the
| principles OF whist as game, apart from any
system. or do not understand reasoning from
no other basis than the simple facts OF tho
play as they are presented by the natural fall
OF the cards. Every now and then some OF these
people write to THE Sun asking for some de-
tails OF the common sense "system." as II 1t
! were a rule OF thumb affair like American
leads. All that thero 10 to II is a few general
principles. to which 1t would not be necessary
to call attention but for the fact that modern
players have been born and brought UP in such
| artificial methods that they need to be told
what the natural course OF play would be.
10 deeply rooted is the prejudice in favor OF
some OF these artificial methods that very few
people play the common. sense gamo In Its alb
solute purity. as it should be played. They
still cling to certain leads. to showing num-
Der In trumps. or something OF that kind.
: They are In some doubt about the discard or
have hankering after interior leads from
ei ON "auus' tno' uoh hAe W ieeu s'i"'
4 e"'u 'tot" w. oue 'heS e'auu "ppaiieu
""'n 'uu 'e'l 'hoth 'he.oes' 'h.nV W ieau i" '"s
/ Ht iue AS"o se'"s W a''r"'o 'nein ~ a
'"'u "a'' wv .ne' "'"a'' pi"' ~ WI"
I string tied to the old'system.
! great many persons think the common
sense.Rame would be.al rightIf It retained.the
| trump signal. while others think IL Is vital to
show number in trumps. Elwe still holds
70 ,he Iecessi'. Oh showing nunioer IN 'runrs
ny I""u'hR VIC iour'n.oes.' pur'hk 'he SEASON
'u'v eioeeu III p'ooAsn ne uaoe a VOC" p'u'
vi '' nlehs' 90 Vi WnIc" ITO maui III ee'eh
~ p'o'eu WIN l. l. paNei, anu III '"o'.
"0'en 'n.' "auo 'ne Top score n'e ',iiies anu
: ootn' Will o"e vi IL '"lce' ne' p'"!eu az
sotu'ev "I'nou' any conventions Except VI.
/ ,edu Vi 'he ''ur'h "es' IN 'r"'nps' using no
trump slRha's or echoes' ana no NUN oer-sho"
Ing ioau' III pi"in Suits. iheso resui'S "ere
a''aiheu ny p,ayins silnp'e' stra'ea''or"aru'
h"neeC w"'s.' 'ne p'asers su'un'H 'hehiseN'S
entire' oy 'ne iail Oh ehe oafus'
INC kener"' pfincipies vi 'he coiL mon s"nse
kahe aie co'hParat!NsS low ou' 'heS must oe
! io,ro"eu WIN apso'uVo 'Iueh'y VI 'he pai'nerS
",i neVee nave 'ha' confluence ID ea'h- otner
! "h'.n 10 ~ oSseh'iai W euocess III "his', for
D the oehene OF tnose VINO arc Interested IN inc
sSe'elhae'o s'uoy Oh the game lhE Dun pro-
po'se W give 'nes' kenerai ptinc'p'eS ID OUT
iue' a''oui p"n'ou w i'ius.ra'No nanus ifoH'
"' ~, .l",' wing "o" 'ne, a'pp'
Inc nrst Rfeat principle oi .he kalne Is Chae
'here snas' Do morning IN any Oh 'he plays.maoe
"ui'h " VIII no necesear' 70 eApiain 10 an in-
'e''lEoh. p"''poi Inns 10 III. nai ueS' .'iihh
ABOUT tne sa"e' because IL VIII oe lounu lhae
INC s'uuen' III 'ot'''hua''S returning 10 MS oiu
houons ABOUT the game lor an explanation.
having seen play maue' i's meaning shou'o
10 seh-e'i"en' 10 any person Oh ordinary com
mon sense whose NINA Is not oeloRsed WIN
io' ol preeoneeNou notions 'haO carus piafeo
IN certain way must mean certain Things.
ihi' prlno'pis anects inc ieaos IN many
ma's, prec'uoe' any 'uen'"on'en.iohs as
the King 10 sho" 'our or 'ne queen 10 sho"
nVe: IL KNOCKS ON inc neao al suen interior
isaas Of inc ~ from y ~ OF ~. or tne
rom 80 anu other'' penu'''ih a'es' ante
penultimates and fourth bests. All original
~. 1T. ou , $500. ,ao p ~ 'n mb oo n,r u
ene su.', ne i've. an In.etlot e"ra lhe OILY OK
to continue the suit a second time. the lead
| h.ino ND. ,or ~. .,m nj. nyrno,a -, .bo-,nr
tho partner that you hold command of It and
can re-snter with It at any time. but that you
have no hope OF making any OF the small cards
OF 1t unless he 10 unusually strong In trumps.
This Is often a great milling block for
the oesinner. ne cannon see why SUIT 10 leo
| once, as with inc King. ana Then abandoned.
| Tho Idea In that there In no use qoinR on with
~. mt urti tha n.-tn.r has - 49,. nd
| 'ne Su'' un'n 'ns par'uoF mas at 'eas. had
| chance to ray whether or n ot he can do any
thing to help II out The fact that II Ia shown
| o,1 .hondo,.d ..r, I, n,,i.,oi,,h,. ~.
anu "onhuoneu e"'s IN uhhis'aAaoi' Inn
guage. Il have this suit. but It 10 hopeless. even
with reasonable assistance from YOU. Your
| 49, 80 ha o,.thI.,r ,,,,,.,.I
mana must Do somethinR unusual or cannot
do anything with my suit"
One great difficulty with thoss who tara n n
o.. oor,r,,,, -. -, g. 49,. 80.
inc com unoh sonee Rame IL tnae 'neS arc DOT
prepared for it. They don't know what sort
of hand should prompt them to show A suit
.nd init Il or ,o.on r.,th 4, -. ~, ,.,,,h +, =
anu puit H. OF Rofoh WIN IL, or not touch IL at
all They have not had sufficient experience
| in the game to enable them TO iudse OF thu
| ,l, =. :, -,
prooaoie Val'e OF hano' 10 estimate what
may be expected from the PARTNER. and to de-
! eide whether the cards dealt them ara hetter
eue "no.e. ,"e 'a,uS ooa't l'ei, are oet'er
su,ted LOT tne ,4nR OF INC snort SUI game IN
utI .h9 cCnuItions Wnlch prevail. ms ue-
| clSlOD Is Oltou very because upon