The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-12
AROUND THE WHIST TABLE.
PLANS THE TENTH CONGRESS OF
wi AMERIOAM WHIT LEAGUE

for the Hamilton Trophy-DIscussion oil
the "Dont-Force-Me" Lond-DupliontU
Bridge Whist-Thc Intercity Conf sst,
Although the official programme OF the tens
congress Of the American Whist League. '. lich
is to be held In Chicago next July. has not
yet been issued, sufficient details arc 10 hand
to enable THE SUN to give its readers n general
idea OF tho schomc and the manner in which
the various contests will be decided.
The system adopted for the Hamilton trophy.
which represents the championship Of the
United States for teams OF four players from
tho same club. will be a return to the old lose
and-drop-out' scheme Of years ago. When
all the entries have been received they will be
divided into two groups. All those from clubs
west OF tie Ohio and Pennsylvania limo will be
placed In one hat: all those from the east OF
that line in another. Whichever hat contains
the smaller number Of entries will be drawn
from first, and the club 40 drawn will play a
match Of twenty-four deals against the club
which is first drawn from the other hat. This
drawing will continue until the hat containing
the smaller number OF entries has been eX-
hausted. and then the names remaining in the
other hat will be drawn in pairs. These pre-
liminary matches will be played on Tues
day afternoon, July IL. and tho losing club
in each match will be dropped from
the contest. and will therefore be free TO enter
other events. On Tuesday night tho winners
OF the afternoon series will be drawn In pairs
and will kill one another or in a second series
Of twenty-four-de matches. This process OF
selecting the httest or luckiest survivors will
be continued on Wednesday afternoon and
evening, or until such time as only eight teams
are left. These eight will then get down to
business. each OF them playing n twenty-four-
deal match against each OF the others. as at
Boston last year. and the winner OF the most
matches. trick score deciding ties. will take the
trophy and the championship. II is not likely
that there will be moro than eight teams left
after the first round, AMI 1t is very probable
that among the killed and wounded OF the first
days battle will be some teams that could de-
feat the four that eventually win the trophy.
The first round Of tho A. W. l.. challenge
trophy for teams Of four will be played on
Wednesday afternoon. SO that those who have
been dropped from the Hamilton trophy pre-
liminaries will be In time to enter. The pairing
OF the teams In this contest will he on the same
system as In the Hamilton trophy. but there
will not be time to reduce the number to eight
and still allow these eight to play twenty-four-
deal matches against one another.
The Minneapolis trophy for pairs will be
played on the compass system this year. the y
and S pairs playing only against the L and w
combinations. No details Of the method Of
selecting positions have yet been announced.
but 1t would seem to be a good scheme to adopt
the system which is so popular in tho Knicker-
booker and tho Long Island Women's Club
here. which Is to put all those making plus |
scores in the first round n and $ in the second
round. and to keep putting those with the best
aggregate trick score At the end OF each round
n and S for the next round. This results in
making the top score players kill each other |
off. and allows the low-score partners a chance
to retrieve themselves by getting back into the |
y and S division. In the last round the trophy
should 20 to one OF tho \ and s pairs. with
some sort OF consolation prize for the best
score among the L ami W players. This con-
test will not begin until Thursday afternoon.
so ,%that=the also rams in tn" Hamilton and
A. w. L. matches may have a chance to put in
the stronger half of their teams for a possible
pair championship.
The usual mntch for the auxiliary trophy for
associations will probably be played on Mon
day, the system depending on the number OF
the other events begin.
There will lie the usual omen events for pro-
Er"sslve pairs and tours. running from Monday
night until saturday afternoon. finishing up
with q progressive. straight whist match on
cIane"e IN thSeSe or tmst Events Mtt' and "@ cha That Wits" viii 6e
the restriction OF mixed pairs" men and ' wo-
a @sP; to r ,ff G at, i}yi}a9 i F5%f no rs IiS,,s sysn ing
for men only and The other for women only.
The officials Of the league hay" decided that
congress is held to bear ali the expenses. which
1t has always done heretofore. the league itself
right D dthrsction. Which bic needs ed o oni i to be s III Sse
mented by a schGmG Ior raising the amount
fees, 1t has already been decided that each
player in the open events will be charged 30
play or. every possible opportunity. their weeks
fun will cost them about ST.. II there are even
the sum required from the open events alone.
Why should all the players in the champion
ception these match PLAYERS have ali their
expenses horne by the clubs which they repre-
set t. ana ne the they tG Sam much Thn better AFFORD to pay
"rs. who foot all their own bills, i the league
the match player for his weeks amusement,
nH II . ~ nun about on . par With the progress
a cent in the way Of subscriptions The custom
Of making the entrance fee proportionate TO
should certainly he applied 10 whist matches.
The plan was suggested by one Of the dele
g g,.a 5, to I'll" B%st%m c3,nGfGss; and the ad-
on the league. officials some day, 1t
t MSnta f lee Of ofF S St c"veT ali tHs TO ch maKG an fR5
events. so that. whether a player spent the
dropped from that and then went into the A.
Ono i: or or even nassed from that to The Mime
him TO enter anything on the programme.
This business Of begging from mon who do
t hH5 pi WE6 SUdR Do ERTonId be- to stP" ny tae a sHPe fEs be 81
way TO do i is TO charge such fees as will cover
all the legitimate expenses Of the meeting:
'F 'AiSNA WI Il
bridge contest; SO that will probably not be in
GUIDED In the list OF events until 1900. =. j.
Tormey ofSan Francisco is on n crusade against
bridge and giving sunday school talks about It
at various clubs, quoting alleged facts which
exist chiefly in his " Imagination. In n
speech before the Toledo Whist Club. whose
members know nothing OF the game. and
therefore cannot Judge Of Its merits. he stated
that he knew several Eastern clubs which
had been practically, ruined by the introduce
ton of bridge whist" on account Of its fascina-
tons. This is a iqrge statement TO make, but
u Mr., Tormey will send n list {. the ruined
Eastern clubs" accompanied by a statement
OF their position with regard TO membership
and financial s3undncss before ana after
taking" to bridge. THE Sun will be very glad
to publish it.
The Whist Club OF New York tried the ex-
pertinent Of PLAYING a duplicate bridge match
for teams OF four players on Friday night. The
teams were pitted against one another on tho
same system as that used in tho i~ntercity tour
nament There will he three rounds altogether,
SO that each member of the team will have each
OF tho others lQra partner in one round. The
number OF deals is proportional to the number
OF entries. and the count is kept as in the ordi-
nary game reckoning honOrS, games and rub
beers and plnying 10 the snMrn. IL Tho rmhhnr IL