The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-27
AROUND THE WHIST TABLE.
DISCUSSION or THE NATTER OF DIS
CARDS IN DOUBTFUL CASES

Deoeptive Discards aud the Way They Are
ManaRcd-The OLD Rule of Selecting Ono
Suit and Sticking to It-Some Hands
Illustrating the Questions In Point.
1t is possible sometimes in whist to make
double play. as 1t were a discard showing
your weak suit. and OF the same time declar-
Ing four trumps. The old masters used to
state II as a general rule that when strong in
trumps" you should not ruff doubtful cards.
II took some time for the authorities to define
strength in trumps." but they finally agreed
TINT 1t was four or more. Modern players do
not think 1t necessary to pass a doubtful trick
with Ave or more trumps. because with so
many they are usually strong enough to ruff
and lead. The exceptions are hands in which
tho fifth trump looks as II 1t might be useful
as a card Of reGntry.
Discarding when you cannot win the trick.
or it Is already your partners, and discarding
second hand on doubtful tricks. are two diff
ferent things. In the first case there is a good
deal OF judgment to DO used as to the suit
which you shall select to discard from. but In
the second there is usually nothing to decide
except whether to ruff the trick or pass it.
There are times when it would doubtless be
good policy to ruff doubtful trick. even with
four good trumps. but there are others when
1t would be very foolish to trump in. even with
three small ones. This rule about trumping
doubtful tricks. Just because you havc less
than four trumps, should be made rather elias
tic Many a fine hand has been spoiled and
countless tricks have been lost by sticking in
little trump second hand on doubtful tricks
when the player had no desirable continue
ton after taking the ruff and getting the lead.
Cases arise. but they are rare when player
can see far enough ahead to know that he will
| want all his small .trumps to lead to his part
| ner. and cannot afford to ruff in. The most
common situations are those in which there is
| a chance that partner may have something to
develop IL you pass the trick Of course. II it Is
| agreed beforehand that passing doubtful tricks
| shall be an arbitrary convention to show four
| trumps. any such exercise OF Judgment Is i'm
possible and the player is compelled to make
! quite number OF plays that he knows are
| foolish when he makes them.
| There are also times when 1t pays better to
get rid OF the last card in a plain suit than to
trump. especially II you see that by 50 doing
| you can over-trump ne xt time. or can get into
| the lead to advantage or perhaps stop cross
| run. There are also many occasions in which
| 1t is very necessary to discard certain losing
| card instead OF trumping. especially il you see
| that you will be in the lead with that card after
| all your partners trumps are gone.
There are q great many deceptive discards
| both in your own suits and those OF your ad-
versaries. These are made for the especial
purpose OF leading your adversaries to misread
the hands. A remarkable example Of such a
| play was published in THE SUN two years ago.
when a player who saw that both the winning
cards Of his suit were on his right. and dis
| carded his own best OF the suit to make the
| player on his left think he had the two above
| 1t, and so fooled him out Of two tricks by get
ting him to lead another suit which was held
by the partner OF the gay deceiver Such articles