The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-09
AROUND THE WHIST TABLE.
TWO CLASSES INTO WHICH TEHACE
SUITS MAY BE DIVIDED.

Tho First Is tho Suit which Must De
Led Up To and the second 10 the
Suit which Must He Ied-Some stn-
tistics from Tho SUMS 10000 Denis.
1t should be evident from the principles
which were stated in last weeks article that
tenace suits may be divided into two great
| classes-those which are valuable simply as
tenaces. and those which are valuable az part
OF a long suit. In the first class the suit m ust
be led UP to In order to secure the best results
from 1t. while in the second case the suit must
be led. but tho cards forming the tenace must
he retained. tho opening lead being a small
card
When We lead suit headed by a sequence Of
| at least three cards, such as A X q. X . j. or
Q j 10, we begin with one OF tho sequence. be-
cause our object Is to make tricks with the
high cards. Having got the higher cards out
OF our way. We may pursue two different
courses-proceed to make tricks with the cards
that remain the best or quit the suit entirely,
leading the trumps instead. the object being to
make the small cards In the established suit
! as we'll rs the high ones.
When we lead suit headed by cards not in
| sequence we begin with a small card. because
| our object IL to get the higher ones out Of our
way and eventually to make tricks with tho
smaller ones as well as with the cards that head
tHo hult' IL We Huu ITO Sucil ODJcCL IL WSulu pe
useless to waste time leading small cards. and
the partner should so understand IT, II we lead
high card which is not part Of one OF the Sc
quences already enumerated such as queen.
Jack ten. but which Is evidently the top OF our
sut.the object must be to save high cards In our
partners hand by giving him possible flnesse.
warning him at the Same time to protect him
self in that particular suit and to lead US some
thing olse.
II we follow these principles OF leading to
their logical conclusion they bring US to tho
following simple. common-sens understand
ing OF the reasons TINT prompt partner to
open his hand in a certain way when he leads a
plain suit:
II he begins with the top OF the suit he Ia try
ing to make tricks with the high cards in that
suit. or hopes to put you in favorable position
to make tricks with your high cards. II he be-
gins with tho bottom CT the suit he is trying to
make tricks with the small cards and he wants
you to stick to that suit or to the trnmrs until
it is demonstrated that he cannot succeed.
This gives us three easily distinguished
classes Of comm"n-scnse leads in plain suits:
Trick takers, by some persons called the run
ming game. in which the player gcts home his
aces aud kings while he has chance support
suit. ard not to lead It back except with intent
to force: such leads are request Tor the
supporting cards in return. unless he is strong
to play for his small hrs ySp
%Sch hat S suit led should
played until II is established or the trumps are
led to defend Il Such Leads are eo request to
| turn the one opened II he is not able to lead
| trumps,
suit and sometimes from the top II must be
| the difference In the constitution OF the suit II.
| we sometimes open suit with a small card and
! sometimes will not touch such suit at all, as
in the Of tenaces, 1t cannot be the suit that
| nj on phoipp therefore II mnat he the
panyinG rcrntry cards and trumps. II a suit
| is opened from the bottom and the object 10 to
take tricks with any cards OF the suit that may
happen TO he left after the others are out Of the
or orr the lowest that You held. The whole, thing
to sacrifice possible. tricE-taking cards to set
higher ones out OF the way. hoping to get the
Snk nY ase
When you have no hope OF making tricks
the small cards hs Of 7n,s you don't
get higher ones out Of your way because they
are not in your way. On the contrary. your
lows and II you will only wait "a while they will
probably play those higher cards and leave
ns i1n s you With powerful forcing Weapon
keeping sti with your aces you may kill the
s MAKE MAXI BOTH
those cards If The nee falls before etc l. Is your
& py sS do o Sot ao the m
which you are strong you must open those in
which you short and weak.
! The common sense player does not consider
any suit az long which does not contain at
least five cards. because. strictly speaking a
| long suit is one in which you are probably long
| er than any other player at the table and in
which you will probably hold cards after those
| four hands out of every ten do not contain any
| plain suit OF more than four cards. and the
| player must ma ke up his mind how such hands
| are to be treated, as none OF them can be prop
| erly call ed long suit hands.
| II tho best suit in the hand Is headed by a Sc
| Quencc il NAV invariably be selected rs the
| best opening but. like many other good things
animation OF THE SUNS 10000 deals shows
| that there were zoos in which the original
leader held NO plain suit Of more, than four
| cards and in about one eighth Of these the
iour-card suit was headed by tcnace. the en-
| act proportions being as follows:
Suit H,adsdbp Deals
Double.major tcnace A Q Observation-Disclosures. ~
Double minor tenace, Observation-Disclosures. ~
Minor tennce lh2
Total fourcard tenace suits ...................% $50
In IA Of these deals the original leader held
| Ave trumps. in 20 he had four. In IL he had
| three, in ~ he had two and in he had one
, only Examination and analysis of the prob
out the best In almost every case in which the
original leader hcld TOUR or fve trumps,, In
fact, the trump cad would suggest, itself as
the safest opening, from no less than 81 OF
following. THE SUN would Ii Ike its corre-
| spondents to send in their selections of an
opening lead from the nine hands given below,
the card in the first column being the ,t turned
| trump suit:
I ,,o1s4'a A91,9oss k1 .oss2 o,a
! ~ ~, $S555$$$$s Rff53 - H. .