Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-08-19
THE WHIST TABLE.
More About the Play of Second Hand.
Some Important Suggestions as to
How a Decision Should be Made.
Points Worth Remembering.

| Some Important Suggestions to
| How Decision Should be Made.
Points Worth Remembering.
Continuing the subject touched upon
last week in this column, attention
must be attached to the care that sec
ond hand must exercise in regard to
are against him. He must, in fact,
often hold on to cards worthless them
selves in order to protect his partner,
and to tempt third hand to finesse in
case the suit is returned through the
second hand player. The following
| will serve as an illustration. Hearts
had been led once, and third hand
on winning with the king had exhaust
ed the trumps. Second hand had fol-
lowed once and had been obliged to
make two discards. In such cases sec
ond hands first discard should give his
partner all the information possible as
to which is his trong suit, but with one
or more worthless hearts he should re-
tain them in order to conceal his
weakness.
A very popular play with second as
well as with fourth hand "a to refuse to
win a king or queen led when holding
| ace, jack, and but one small card. In
the hands of an expert this hold up may
occasionally prove winner, but for
the rank and file of whist players it is
risky experiment, working at times
dlsastrously. Should the leader be
q player who is easily influenced into
| leading trumps, and the ace is needed
as a card of re-entry, the play might
pass without question, provided the
| hand would be benefited by the ex-
haustion of trumps. 1t would. how
| ever, appear to be the better play to
| win the first trick with the ace. and
then TO lead the trump, for the knave
being once guarded will serve as
fe-entry unless a successful finesse is
made against it If the suit is returned
through it. Recently a hand was
noted in which this hold up" was
made, in which the trump was at once
led not because the leader was easily
| balted, but because his hand warrant
ed such lead. Thinking that his part
ner held the ace, he saw great posi-
| billtles in the hand, but as it happened
the hold up proved successful. Very
often, however, when fourth hand
makes this play you see second hand
| trump the suit on the second round
supposing it to be held absolutely
! against him, and in doing so often
| breaking up four trump holding to
his regret later. 1t is a dangerous
! game, this playing of opponents to as
! slst your schemes, often causing the
/ bitter to be bitten.
! Another favorite play by second
hand is TO pass the second round of
the suit when holding the winner.
! There are times when this is neces-
sary, if, for instance, the card led on
! the first round and the one led on the
second round show mat fourth hand
can win the trick, barring bad play, on
! the leaders part. Take the following
as an illustrations: North leads the
seven of diamonds, South plays the
| jack, and West wins with the queen.
! When North gets in the lead again, he
; plays either the eight or a small dia-
nond. Here, second hand. holding the
ace and small cards, should play small
( for, unless North has played badly. he
/ cannot hold king and ten. but must
/ hold either king and nine. or ten and
| nine. If he holds king and nine. West
| must hold the ten, as South has de-
MED it by playing the jack To be
! sure, South may have played badly
and false-carded the jack-perhaps
/ even worse, he may have fnessed lack
/ from king, jack. North may be
/ common sense" player, giving no in
/ formation by leading fourth best. In
/ that case, he would be playing badly
I in the second round. if holding king
/ ten he did not lead one of his equals"
/ the queen and jack having fallen to
! the first trick. Many players take a.
/ long time to learn the proper handling
| Of equals, and are also slow to take adj
/ vantage of the denial of equals in the
/ hands of the enemy. More tricks are
| lost by the holding up of winners in
! the first or second round by fair play
ers than they will ever gain by similar
| plays after they have become experts
| at the game.
| Suppose second hand holds the mas
| ter trump. and his opponent leads from
an established suit. Second hand
| might as well trump the first winner
| he has the chance to take as to stay
| off and allow third hand, holding the
| losing trump. to make discards on suits
| OF which fourth hand may hold the
i winning card. Of course, to trump a
| losing card with the master trump.
| thus giving third hand discard. would
be bad play, unless cross ruff' were
in progress, in which case the quicker
one can get in and lead trumps the
/ better.
| 1t is great mistake for second hand
/ to fnesse against his partner. Most
| players have learned that il is bad sec