The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-25
AROUND THE WRIST TABLE.
FORCING TRIM PsIND TACTICS NECES-
SARY TO REFUSE THE FORCE.

what "whist Tactics" Has to shy on tho
subject-Examples Of Good Management
and of Bad-AnaIysos of Games-Notes.
Under the head OF the management OF
trumps there are no less than thirty three Diff
forent points touched upon In Whist Tactics.
oil OF which came up for the consideration OF
the sixteen players who took part In the corre-
spondenoe tournament In 1894 An examination
ofthe way these experts man aged their trumps
would seem to confirm the opinion that the
GROWING manpuvre In the tactics OF the long
suit player Is to force out the best trump from
the adversaries and so leave himself with the
last with which TO bring in his suit. The only
hope for the victim Of these tactics Is to refuse
the force. and the tournament furnished many
fine examples OF the skill necessary in giving
and avoiding force under these conditions.
Refusing to win a trick which Is certainly
against you is something which needs careful
consideration. It may be set down as an
axiom that a beginner should never refuse to
win q trick. In the first place. he does not
know enough and cannot read hands and stu
atoms closely enough to be sure that he will
get that trick back again. In the second place.
one should never give UP certain trick unless
he Is pretty sure that he will get at least two
for 1t. II the distribution OF the cards is not
very unusual. What can possibly be gained by
giving tho adversaries n trick as loan
when there ia no prospect Of interest ?
As player becomes moro skilfu. how
ever. especially in judging OF the possibili-
ties OF hands under average conditions, he will
see that there are many occasions in which 1t
would be folly to break up his whole hand just
for the sake OF winning ono trick. Such
player can usually give excellent reasons for
his refusal to win the trick. and experts will
agree with him that he took the only chance to
mako q great game with the cards he held.
This Is quito a different thing from the wild
coups attempted by those who have not the
knowledge or the skill necessary to see when
to refuse to win tricks.
The most common opportunity for refusing
TO win tricks is in the opening of the hand.
when you have a great suit to play for and lust
trumps enough to bring It in. but no reentres.
Quite a number OF hands have been published
in THE Sun which have shown remarkable
swings duo to refusing to be forced early In
the hand In one OF the n1s.5hes between the
Knickerbocker Whist Club and Staten Island
Club there was one deal in which the players
at three different tables. holding seven spades.
two small clubs; no diamonds and four good
led up to them on the first trick. hoping the
leader had not the king and that second hand
only one table was this original conception Of
the possibilities Of the hand properly carried
3gt and MADE ma Of
practically won the match. |
Beginners frequently make the mistake Of
are too good to ruff with. forgetting that IL |
they have no urgent need OF their trumps for |
with them while they have the chance hand |
was published in. THE SuN some time ago In |
1 his @
the A X Y. and he lost four tricks by it.
when good player refuses to win trick |
one OF two reasons: 81 ther he has 10 trumps or |
he is very anxious indeed. to keep together
TO keep his trumns intact must be that he
hopes to be able TO extract all those held by |
shea be be % S% 81
overheard all the usual rules for second hand |
play and to Jump into the lead at the first OPP
trump he has. Regardless S OF a nnmber ne T Ps
will show his partner Just what high trumps |
are against him and he can Judge of the situa-
. II should be very easy matter to read tho
%hSh Is Sm Ss
partner: In the first place. he must hold ex-
s so four trGuW y because With three only,
enough to ruff in and lead. or is at least too
second place, when player refuses to ruff he
must discard. and he naturally discards the
one which he is not trying to MAKE It has
tnat IL Is the height OF folly for player to save
his trunps to make a certain suit and at the |
same time to throw that suit away.
Whom player refuses to ruff certain win
ming card W hich he knows his partner cannot |
run either. he INN lately gives his partner
a photograph OF his hand and tells him exactly
what no hopes to accomplish. what suit he ex-
pects to make and how he proposes to do it.
All he asks OF his partner Is that he shall pro-
tect him In the suit which he discards and Will |
let nothing stop him from getting at the trumps
at the earliest possible moment.
UNFORTUNATELY although the players inten-
tons may be excellent. his plans NAV mscarry
through no fault Of his own. Sometimes II 10 |
the cards that lie in such a peculiar manner
shat success is impossible. and sometimes It is |
che partner who fails to rise to the situation,
Both these may be regarded as a matter OF |
luck. the first depending on the accidental dis-
trbptionl Of the, cards, and the second on the |
accidental distribution Of tho partners or their |
thing about these hands Is. that when |
they COME up in o compass game it will |
usually be found that some pair has sue |
ceeded in bringing off the coup that 40 |
many have tried for. but the manner in which |
they have accomplished it IL sometimes sur |
prising. Here is a hand which was played at |
the knickerbocker Whist Club on May 80 in |
WHICH G. +. Watson and f. T. Baker held |
ABS cards and made a great fight for the |
spade suit. A that prevented them from |
making 1t was tho accident that A had but one |
spade and could not return the suit to his |
do md tpr nod hn, d.,