The sun., 1900-12-16
" hist.

Few persons who are not brought into
realize the hold which the game Of whist
has taken upon our higher card players
| Thousands of men in this country play
whist four or five nights a week and
| a many women play II every day And
! discussion OF the complicated theories
that have sprung up with tn" enormous
| cultivation of the game Is endless.
When Milwaukee saw the first Whist Com
gress in 1891, called TO draw up code
| Of laws better suited 10 America than
the English gambling rules, there were
few whist clubs then, most of them al
| iuncts Of larger social ORGANIZATIONS.
Duplicate whist had lust been invented
| Whist players then received little notice
in the press. but before long they OUT
numbered chess players ten TO one. the
Whist League alone now having %, 1000 mem-
bers. When the congress met In Milwaukee
whist was played after the somewhat
wooden English pattern and the only au-
thority recognized was CAvENDIsH the
expert OF the London Field. He held that
every hand should be opened ON the
| mechanical principle of beginning with tine
longest suit. The American Whist League
preached the long-suit theory as the only
true faith. In 1895 they invited CAvEN-
DISH 10 visit America during the annual
congress. then held at Manhattan Beach,
so that this country might see how the
master handled his card, He came, bur
he did not add much 10 the reputation
Of his school. as ne proved to be q
very secondrate player. And to his sur
prise many men disagreed with his theory,
and asserted that the only reason It's weak
ness was not more widely recognized was
because no one played anything else Some
herctics thought that instead of requiring
every one to follow a hard and fast system
the game would be much more interesting
II the players exercised their judgment
in the openings and were taught 10 dis
crimin,'e between hands in which long
suit con.l probably be made and those
in which II would be better to- pay greater
attention TO "supportinG cards." and to
that combination which the cowboy would
say gives the drop 10 the man who holds
the key of it. the tenacc.
Gradually believers in this new school
spread. The greatest score ever made at an
annual congress Of the league was that of the
Capitol Bicycle Club OF Washington. who
were and still are the shortest Of all short
suffers. The A. W, l.. challenge trophy,
which was played for at the congress to
which CAvENplsH was invited, was won
by the short-suit team OF the New York
Whist Club. The Manhattan team. Of
which tho high priest Of the short suffers
was captain, carried of five ont Of tho
sx prizes in the inter-cltv tournament that
year and during the existence of tho club
the team never lost "A match. although il
challenged all comers, short suits against
long. for money. any sum the long suffers
would put up. The fundamental idea of this
team was that wlr~n they opened a long
suit it indicated sufficient strength behind
it TO make it probable that the suit miyht
be brought In. When they led short
suit. it warned the partner to pick up what
tricks he could by fncsSe and undcrplay.
A" So evident were the advanta ges of this
system" says BUTLER. the whist historian.
that HAWKINS, who was a member of
the team. used to laugh at the blindness
of the long-suit experts. aud wonder how
long 1t would be before they would wake
up and see it. Well they are fully alive
to 1t now"
In argument. the long-sut game still
retained the weight Of recognized author
ity. But in 1896 there was presented In
THE Sun full analysis of all the official
records OF the play for the championship
trophies OF the league during a period Of
several years In this II was SHOWN that
when the long suit was opened just because
1t was long. the advcrsaries won the ma
jority Of the tricks. In 9e deals there were
81 times In which the original leader never
took a trick In his long suit. although he
held aces. IS kings. 10 queens. 20 jacks.
II tens, and 40 small cards. In only two
cases was the suit trumped. In not
more than one trick and in only 10 did he
do that, while the adversaries got no less
than es tricks out OF these suits. without
trumping
Then players began to try II generally
The New Jersey Whist Club. one OF tho
best In the country. the Pyramid Club Of
Boston. the strongest coterie of PLAYERS
in New England, took up short sliits and
supporting cards as a regular system Of
play. This team Is now merged In the
American Whist Club Of Boston. and they
are the unquestioned champions Of the
world, having this winter defeated all |
corners for the challenge trophy. winning !
It nine consecutive times from ths strongest