The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-12-15
THE BRIDGE WHIST TABLE.
QUESTION OF THE PROPER DIS
CARD AT NO-TRUMP.
A Point OF the Game Upon which Players
Are Divided in Opinion-shail II do
Made From strength or weakness.
theories Tested In Actual Games.

-lHtoEINs bNsfNN
In the old days Of duplicate whist the
leading players were divided Into W
camps, short and long, after having dwelt
a. harmony for ANY years. To-day
,horn seems to be a likelihood Of a similar
.nnaration in the ranks Of the bridge play
r. who have so far been very harmonious
In their views.
The point over which the split comes 10
tho discard at no-trump. Some say, From
yaakness Always some say. From
strength" some say. 1t depends
The Bridge Manual was b first book
- advocate the discard from strength at
ro.,rump. and II was very generally ortiz
oised on that account That was moro than
q year ago.
To-day most Of our leading players and
all our best teachers lay down the discard
from strength az imperative. and the latest
writer on the game. 'Hellespont,' sums up
rho matter by saying that the proper dis
card against a no-trumper lie a.card OF the
suit you want led.
poe. denies this absolutely. He says:
.your partner must infer that your first
discard is from the suit which you par
~,icularly wish him NOT to lead, ifthe discard
Il made while your adversary is winning
tricks .
All the authorities seem to lay a good
Aesl OF stress on who has the lead when the
Aboard is made. Doe" says o u correct
discard is from your weakest suit when
your partner Is In the lead. There Is a
great difference, he says. between h COM
rieSlon the gamo wears when your partner
Is leading out winning cards and Its COM
rle1ion when your adversary Is doing 80.
If YOUR adversary has the lead you dare
no, unRuard even a jack, and 1t Ia generally
difficult 10 discard from a weak suit with
out unguarding II.
Your only thought, then, when your
discard has to be made while youradversary
has the lead and is likely 10 keep It, Is to
leep weak suits guarded and to avoid
betraying your partner. Your only thought
when your partner has the lead should be
10 guide him 10 the suit you want led
Does" only advice as to how TO accom-
pish all this Is TO discard weakness always.
See pages so and 90.
sHellespont" points out there are two
executions 10 any rules about discarding.
and these are when either the echo or the
discard Of the best of a suit is employed.
The call, trumps or no trumps, means lead
his suit The discard Of an ace means
absolute command.
When your partner Ia leading and you
have to discard. he says II you have two
discards there can be no doubt "a to what
suit you want led, as you can discard from
the two in which you are weak, unless
such discarding necessitates unguarding a
valuable card.
What YOU are TO do in such an excep-
tional case he does not tell us. As you can
never tell when you will have two discards,
YOU must begin with one of the weak suits,
your partner being in the lead.
Wv hen your adversary Is leading In a
no-trumper. he goes on 20 say, lit Ia only
your first discard that II directive and your
partner must infer nothing from any sub
eeouent ones. You first discard must be
from the suit you want led, and all other
discards are OF no account.
There is, however, an exception and
that IL when the second discard is made
from the same suit as the first, but without
an echo. THIS is useful when you dare not
unguard your only strong SUIT"
While this may be easy to read. II Is not
by any means easy to play. What are you
10 do If you start out 20 make two of these
di-cards without an echo, and never get a
chance To make the secondY What does
the first mean? II your partner Is in the
Lead and you nave only one discard, which
l. one Of your weak suits. how il he TO
guess which Of the Others you would dis
card II you had another chance'
What il wanted In any partnership game
more than anything else IL 10 make u
easy for the partner. Don't keep him
guessing After the game IL lost through
bis being misled Il Is not much satisfaction
20 him 10 be- told that yours was an aleatory
discard.
Why Tablespoon should recommend
tho discard from a weak suit IA directive
when your partner l. leading, and the dis
card from "A strong ruit as directive when
the adversary H. leading, IL In hard To see
uulos, on. l. sure 81 having two discards
uu the partners loads. and only "a On the
ado.r,an -.
40 uur questions the sOundness 81 die
c%friing from the strong suit when trumJ-
are declared. no matter whether " l. the
partner ~ the adversary tina II Ia tlie lead,
fss'fu," the -uength Ia trumIs u declared
against YOU by he nlsTc fact 81 the make.
WY chang thr practice wh,G a." II strength
g. 40 tlr suits J. declared against you,
v'drn ~ b. ty the make Of no trumpsi
N.'llHg ran 10 simpler than the single
dnsfIt" di-oard from the last prOi~ted
49, ~ ulur-e. n loses "A trek nov and
fHI -uuHflmus more than one, but how
uHU. l.s- b. gain Make = note 81 tho
rs.'s ~ no. discards you s- at any good
iIIF Iall' add count up the ousi
h'Ir ere tsu hauds plas'd ~ "p" alter
a| rH.t Ia us Tot 4 Iaassd u
e. riNr 90 hu-truup uu uies aofs
@ H '. o. against the doalr