The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-20
AROUND THE WHIST TABLE.
coMMON.sENsE THEORY OF The USE
OF THE DISCORD.


No Absolute Rules For Particular situa-
lions in It-Valns of Freedom In the
Disoard-Manper In which 1t May Pre-
vent Guessing-Discnrd Properly USED.
The com non sense theory OF the discard 10 .
compara tively simple affair. although 1t care
fully avoids laying down any absolute rules for
any particular situations. There seems to be
some fatality IN whist which makes II impos-
sible for two persons to agree upon any par
ticular scheme OF arbitrary conventions. espe-
cially in the discarda. without coming to
grief. How often we see two players coming
together In q compass game for the FIRST time
and agreeing to play some pct system which
ono or the othor fancies, and how curiously
the deals In that particular game seem set up
TO beat that very system II they agree to da-
card In q certain way. along comes hand In
which the system drops about five tricks As
q modern writer says. all such schemes are
either q waste OF ingenuity or an insult to the
intelligence OF the partner. There never can
be an absolute rule for anything in whist. bc-
cause each hand presents its own difficulties
which must be solved by the comm on sense
player In his own way.
bAbout the only general rule for the common
sense discard is to throw away the suit which
you don't want your partner to lead. That does
not mean that you are not willing for the adj
versaries to lead II up to or through you on
the contrary. such thing may be exactly to
your taste. A player should be free at all times
TO discard according to the best interests Of
his own hand agrseably to his Judgment Of the
situation and without any fear that his partner
will be tempted to do something foolish Just
because n certain suit or q particular card has
been discarded.
Freedom in the discard enables a player to
protect himself In many situations in which
one who Ia bound to an arbitrary system cam
not do 60 Suppose your partner has led
suit. won by the player on your left, who leads
trumps and presently you have to discard.
You do not want to give any Information about
your hand so you discard your partners suit;
the top. bottom or intermediate. anything you
please. This does not say which suit is your
best or your worst. but simply that you prefer
to keep your trum pleading adversares guess
ing for the present. and guessing is notorious
ly a losing game.
II you see that you will probably have two
discards and you want to show your strong
suit to your partner, you can usually do so by
discarding both the others. This style OF dis
carding frequently follows q speculative lead
OF short trumps when your partner is found
able to continue them. Ifone suit has already
been shown. especially by the adve rsaries. one
discard will usually direct your partner to your
best suit II your best suit Is known. discard
may be very useful In showing which OF the
remaining suits Is your better chance for re-
entry. A discard OF your own suit especially
II established. should be q positive indication
that you have a re-entry in the suit you keep.
and such discard will usually show that the
re-entry card Ia not an ace. or you would not
be keeping guard to 1t. Under such circum-
stances your partner should be on the alert to
play the Deschapelles coup.
II Dartner discards tho aame auif twica
It will usually be found that he does not care
which OF the others you lead to him and wants
you to select whichever you can give him tho
more assistance In yourself. This should
prompt you to lead the best card you have OF
such suit. regardless OF number. 80 that he
may know on the first round exactly what high
cards are out against him. fyour partner dis
cards the adversaries' suits you may be pretty
sure that he wishes you to play your hand
without any regard to him. az he is probably
In the high grass with surprise party for some
one
II Is frequently good policy. however. not to
discard the adversaries' suit. even at tho risk
OF breaking up your hand. especially II such
discard will enable them to place the remain
ing cards In their suit. They may be playing a
very forward game in order to make a certain
suit. Whom the time comes to get beck to the
suit. the player holding 1t may take some sort
OF hnesse which will spoil the whole thing,
Just because he 10 In doubt as to the exact loca-
ton OF single card. II you discard the
suit. your card may give him the key
to the whole situation. This Ia especially
true OF situations in which the second
best and one small are still out
against the strong hand. II these cards are
divided between yourself and your partner.
you having the small one. and you discard It,
the player Immediately sees that his suit lie es-
tablished. because he can catch the only one
out against him with one lead. If you decline
to discard this small card. letting go something
valuable In another suit. he will naturally con-
clude. when you play the small one second hand.
for instance. that you were keeping 1t as a
guard to the second best. and he will inesse
against you. letting your partners second-be
win trick.
As an example OF this situation, take the fol-
lowing sktrmish. in which 2 dealt and turned
the heart seven.