Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-09-16
Wits
DISCUSSION OVER THE THREE AND
-FOUR TRUMP ECHO-RULES GOV
ERNING THE SAME - THE
WHOLE SYSTEM PROBA-
BLY, A DISADVANTAGES
TO THE GAME.

more confusing as time goes on. The
latest advice on this subject Is from
the pen of Lieut-Col B. Lonsley. 1t
appears in the current ncraber OF
Whist, and is as follows:
THE question as to whether the trick
showing possession of a minimum Of
three trumps is more trick-winning
than the echo which shows a mini
mum of four trumps is of Importance.
1t Is manifest that no echo at all is
possible within the two rounds. when
the third hand must try to win the
trick on the partners first or second
trump lead, but on the winning the
third, that hands return leads are IN
themselves Misunderstanding"
The ecno usually occurs, therefore,
only when first hand or second hand
(either of them or between them)
wins the first two tricks in the trump
suit, or when third hand is given an
opportunity for making plain-suit
echo.
The most simple exemplification
seems to occur when the leader holds
ace, king, queen, and one small trump;
he leads off king and next follows with
the lead of queen. Surprising partner
TO hold jack, eight, three he must, for
the three echo, play the eight to the
first round and .-4e Uhree to the second
round, and the leader is thereby in
formed that his partner hiss remaining
at least one trump higher than the
eight but with only this information
he could not venture upon third
round OF trumps, because he might
thereby draw his partners jack, and
thus leave an adversary who origin
ally held four trumps with the COM
mand. Should third hand hold but two
trumps an therefore not echo, it IS
clear that one Of the adversaries must
nave possessed at least four trumps
and wouiu remain in command If the
leader should go on with his third win
ming trump moreover, with the three
echo declined, both adversaries can
count the trumps in each of the hands,
whereas the four-trump leader cannot
locate the remaining three trumpS
which stand against him. Therefore,
In the case when the king led shows
precisely four trumps. the three echo
: seems disadvantage and the four
echo should then alone be used. Ii
the four echo be made in reply to the
king led, the leader may confidently
take his third round with certainty
of drawing the last adverse trump and
still leaving one with his partner. On
the other hand, when the leader indi-
Gates five or more trumps by leads
from certain combinations of ace,
queen, or jack, the three echo usually
enables him to locate all trumps out
side his own hand after the second
round.
''The following rules appear, there
fore, to be the best:
"G). With king led, as showing
precisely four trumps, the partner
Should only echo if holding a mini
mum Of four trumps.
"(2) With the queen or Jack led
from minimum of five trumps (as
shown by partners own hand and the
fall Of the cards) partner should echo
with possession of at least three
trumps."
If this advice is strictly followed and
the three-trump echo Is used, unless
upon an honor led showing at least
five in suit, the convention will scarce
ly find sufficient use to be of more
than ordinary interest as one of the
many devices which are the legitimate
outcome Of the present condition of
whist Presumably if your partner
leads an nonor showing five in suit,
you can do no harm by playing the
second best, except in provoking false
cards on the part of the adversary
Experience in play and the analysis
of many hands, with view to testing
the value of the three-trump echo,
would seem to demonstrate that when
ever an honor is held (not the ace) in
trumps and two small cards. and two
honors and one small card, the show
ing of them is distinctly disadvan
tageous.
For instance, you hold queen, ten,
and three to an honor led. The second
best is, the ten, and should the jack be
solus in either second or fourth hand,
with the nine against you, you lose a
trick 1t is also disastrous should you
hold queen, jack, and six-therefore
the opinion may be confidently eX
pressed that 1t is dangerous to practice
the three-trump echo with honors.
Now, if it be only safe to use the
three trump echo on an honor led, and
then not holding honors. the use Of
the convention relegates itself to the
sphere of the lower cards and even then
harm may be done if two of them,
ten and nine. and two hOnOrs are
pare IN the nanuS OF elJner adversary.
1t becomes very evident, then, that un-
less a mass of special rulings be adj
united, the three-trump echo is of lit
tie or no practical value. involving no
principle, rot giving scope even among
remote possibilities for its use.
While it is admitted that during a
match game the opportunity to show
exactly three trumps may sometimes
present itself, yet such an occasion
may or may not save trick. and the
scheme becomes simply an added tax
upon the player, whose whole thought
should be as untrammeled as possible.
The playing Of a higher followed by
lower card has always been asso-
ciated with the trump signal and at
an earlier development of the game
constituted its sole USE Latter day
innovations have so perverted this
simple significant game that to-day its
character IS degraded and 1t represents
almost any chosen meaning, from a
signal to a private convention. It's
FIRST flight was taken as an echo to
SHOW four trumps, since when il has
been made to mean winning card,
change the suit, weakness, or almost
anything that partners may agree
upon.
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