The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-01
THE WHIST TABLE.
INFLUENCE or LITTLE THINGS IN
MAKING BIG SEQ "ES

signs which Cause tho Prudent Player To
Run To Cover-Hands with n single
Point In Thew That are stu Impor-
tant-Need of Mixing Tricks Quickly.
This is the lime Of he year when The prudent
yachtsman puts a reef in his sail before starring
II he has any doubts as 10 the strength Of the wind
outside. The breeze may not look particularly
strong from the shelter Of the snug little cove in
which his boat is anchored, but il is much easier
10 shake out a reef Than 10 put one in, and the
weather should always have the benefit Of the
doubt.
II is about the same in whist. There is The
same difficulty in Judging Of the conditions which
will confront The player before The end Of he hand
| al hough ii looks simple enough at The start
Things may be going along pretty smoothly with
| moderate breeze for The first few tricks, when
all al once there comes squall and the adversaries
blow your game 10 pieces with a whirwind Of
trumps, which means that making long suit will
be as impossible as carrying a large sail II is
then that The prudent mariner has reason 10 hank
/ his stars that he has a reef in his mainsai and
| that his lib is bobbed
| Many a whist player has stared hand with
his long suit in full sail only 10 fnd that he would
have been much better If If lie had shortened IL
and made his ace while he had The chance. Thou
sands OF winning cards lost every week because
| players do not keep sharp lookout 10 windward
| for approaching squalls II is great art 10 know
| whom TO run for IL and get your topsas home,
and the best whist player is like the best sailor in
| his quick perception Of the eXac, moment when
| he has more sail on than he can carry. These
| fellows hat carry canvas enough for fourteen
| tricks are always losing something overheard.
The old salt carries his iib sheet in his hand ready
| TO let go at any moment, and the careful whist
| player always has his thumb on his aces ready 10
get them home the moment he sees they are in
| danger
The hands in which aces are carried home in
| hacks" as Tracey Barnes used TO put II, and in
| which winning cards don't win tricks are not
those which are interesting On account Of big
| swings because they usually deals which
| should have been pianos. They are the hands in
which one pair gets three tricks while another gets
| four and in looking over the scores Of compass
game such deals attract little or no attention be-
cause the variation in the score Is so slight But
| II these deals carefully counted up they will
| be found 10 be very numerous, and TO them. much
more than TO the big swings due the large dif-
ferences in the final scores
Did you ever stop 10 examine the apparent
| trhcs that go to make the difference between the
| top and one or two minus A trick here and
another there: a bad fnesse. which could not have
gained any more than il lost failure TO play one
Of the second and third best; refusal 10 make
! the best card Of the suit on the second round:
neglect 10 drop two adverse trumps together;
allowing an adversary TO get rid OF losing card.
and lot Of little things like that. Only trick.
you say; but al the end OF twenty-four or twenty
| eight deals these MANY mickles have made a
muckle OF eight or ten tricks and these icices are
Just what left the players out in the cold instead
OF being high score.
There are some we-defned positions In which
II is always we'll to make every winning card in
| hail ct aha
best known yet one OF the most neglected, is that
in which your partner is leading trumps especially
| II he is doing so with the evident object OF bring
| ing in a good suit Under such circumstances
there is little use in holding up major tenace In
the adversaries' suit II will be led up 10 you.
| There is no use in leading small cards from your
| own long suit in the hope OF making two or three
tricks in il eventually There is not time enough
for you and your partner both TO make your suits,
and II you are the one that succeeds he will only
have TO throw away his good cards on yours
tho. 10 Nh no. bo,diro or 70 IN. command q, An,
i 20 Nv 's. Aoe pA w Wv go. =, 49,
suu 1heh no
'a, ;.,s ,I,Ma'u same nanv ,ou, s. i.,s
II vau, az pa r loads ,rum,. ,,,s, whole sui,
has been declared against him he must DO very
sure Of his strength and II you are in the lead
$40 ,,,,o ,-o,, ,l,,,J
| WIN "o more "unps 'ou ehouiu sene'oi' in"Ae
every winning card in your hand without regard
to the length of the suit trusting your partner 10
n;nJ ,ho b.,d go Uho ~, -, - ~ eli, ,,,,,
| "'nu VIC manu- up IL ne has IN! VI 'no eui' sou
lead you do no harm, because he would have to
lend that suit eventually but n ne has none OF Il
,,ou yiys bir, vow sdvan,sg.ors disc.,ds b.sd.,
you give MN very ADVANTAGEOUS u'scH'us, oes'ue'
getting clear idea as 10 what TO lead next
| Iftbe sdversa,ies lend trunps and .snecisl,v
| . w " 600 Jumps ~ p''
II they DO so after you OF your partner have shown
a suit against them, II is generally time 10 nun.
| I, ,hey call IN, t,up,ns ON Won, ripnirr oa,ds
| - ~ va. 'o' NN"'pe "a 49, "'---b
| ooh give 'he weak mana chance 10 run, but
| get home all the tricks you can before the storm
| burs,o o,or 20 ,,or b.ra ,o s,it, sr;,s % do 4,
w. Wv" g." 90 nu' w oli'' ou'' " Nv ~