Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-02-25

| the ten CT spades. VI course, ndu III
idea what that was, but / was sure 1t
was something brilliant, and / replied
with great complaisance: "Oh, the
Lone Star always knows when to
shine"
felt like one of the heroes of the
Alamo when the party was over, but l
don't intend to go to any more whist
parties.
Some Good Whist Advice.
Close students of whist will have
noticed that occasionally players may
overreach themselves by holding on to
too many of the cards of the suit they
have succeeded in establishing. A
little too much greed is shown in the
desire to bring in every card, and as a
consequence possible reeentries are
ungarded or aces are blanked at a
stage in the game when the hopes en-
tertained of bringing in the suit are
altogether too sanguine. A distinc-
ton is made when the partner is ex-
hausting trumps with the evident OBJ
Ject in view of bringing in the estab-
lished suit. In such case every card
should be retained as long as possible,
particularly if one can be certain that
the partner holds card of the suit to
| put one in later. There can be moth
ing more discouraging to good part
ncr who is striving to play your hand
to its best advantage than to see his
plans being frustrated by discards
made from the very suit he hopes to
see made. On the other hand, how
far it is safe to carry out ones part of
the programme is a matter that re-
quires careful study If it is evident
that the partner is to remain in the
lead at the trick that exhausts trumps,
not single card Of the suit should be
discarded so long as sure winners are
not parted with. If, however, it is
evident that one trump will be left in
tie hand of the enemy which it will be
necessary to force out. it is often an
absolute requirement to discard from
the established suit in order to retain
reentry.
There are times when even with the
outlook for ones suit favorable. and
Notwithstanding the fact that the
enemy has declared trump strength, it
! is safer to discard from ones establish
ed suit rather than to part with one Of
two guards to king, or even with
one or two small cards guarding an
ace. If the enemy has undertaken an
aggressive game, one must look ahead
and try to determine, first, how many
discards he will be obliged to make,
and, second, how long he will be able
to prevent the establishment of the
| suit of the enemy.
One of the most important points in
whisttraining is to notice the partners
discard as carefully as his lead. The
following rules are rudimentary to this
IL
forced by either your partner or the
enemy, and discard instead Of trump
ing, 1t Is an imperative call for trumps
unless you are so unfortunate as to
have no trumps. A player discarding
second hand on doubtful trick shows
four trumps or three goods ones that he
des not care to break. Trumping
doubtful trick second hand shows
| three weak trumps. If you have to
discard to the first suit led. that suit
being plain and no indication having
| been given of trump strength any
where, the course is comparatively
simple. If the plain suit is your par
| tners, you discard from your shortest
suit unless in so doing you unguard q
king and queen, when, unless you are
very short in trumps, it is better to
discard from the suit which requires
the least protection.
II the plain suit in which you first
fail is your adversary's, you discard as
a rule from your shortest suit, the ex-
| ception being that you are careful
neither to blank an ace nor to discard
singleton. The reason for this is
that when the enemy's suit Is exhaust
ed the suit in which you are shortest
is likely to be your partners, and by
getting rid of that card YOU deprive
yourself Of the power of putting him
in. If, however, your own suit is long
as well as strong, and you are fairly
strong in trumps, you may the more
safely unguard an ace or get rid of
singleton. The play then is to pre-
serve your long suit intact so long as
there is hope of establishing it.
Even if the suit be very long or very
! poor, it is safer to indicate weakness
by your first discard.
Ii your partner on an original lead
begins an aggressive trump attack, and
| you hold two weak suits, you should
try to make a dicard from each of
them. This will give him positive
information, and If he has no suit of
| his own he will lead you the best he
has in your declared strong suit. If,
y