The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-10-13
fHB BRIDGE WHIST TABLE.
ONE THING IN WHICH THERE rs
NO ABSOLUTE NEVER.
ne mule Absot Returnins rsur Part
ses-s a~at-Csadiusas IN which danes
May n Wen by Esreskins u-1euenss
Thai ths Player ohsubd study.

ser-s auat-Csadiu sas IN which 0ames
MAY h wsa by Isresktns u-Eeucnss
That ths Pisyer shsusd study.
Among the many things In which there
may truly b said TO b no absolute never
In bridge, IL the rule about never failing
TO return your partners suit at no-trump.
The old hand. at the game are particu-
larry anxious TO impress on the beginner
that II a suit In opened. IL should be con-
tinu~d unless Il IL obviously hopeless.
Even ~ the beat oard Of Il IL safe In the
dummy, get Il out OF the way. II dummy
has the seoond-best staring you In the
face. don't mind that. play the suit out
and Get Il cleared. because n your partner
has q rexntry he can make the established
cards Of the nrst suit played. but II you
shift you will probably allow his rcentry
10 b. forced out before his suit 10 cleared.
In theory, this !. all very we'll. hut there
are cases IN which Il may he obvious from
the cards you hold, the make, and tho
cards In the dummy. that IL i- worth while
for you to try your own suit and let POUR
partner's alone. There are times when
you can see that to return your partners
suit NAV be 20 establish a card over which
your partner holds t~naoe. Your partner
fAuN tFlaht ~ fb''h /"
In the dummy: your King wins third hand.
The are is marked in your partners hand.
and IL hs has the jack al<o. he has that
suit, stopped. whereas u you return It..
dummy ma likes the queen or holds the COM
nland.
In such cn-.- Il often becomes a que--
ton whether 10 go on with the suit hrst
opened or TO lead up to dummy's weak
- z,ts - wAsaF naR mr.
TO TO through what must be the dealers
suit. The books give us abundant eH-
amples Of tho proper methods Tor return
ing suits. provided yuu win the first round
third hand
With two only, return the higher. 40
that When the lower falls, your partner
may know that YOU have no more. and
% h. able 10 count those remaining IN the
hand Of the dealer and estimate the prob
ability Of your being ahle to lead the sui,
again. With both second and third best
OF the suit. one Of those cardsyshould I've
returned. ~ as 20 be sure Of forcing the
command. as when you win the first round
with the are and have queen and Jack re-
naming, you return the queen.
With card. which are not second and
third best. Il j. usual 10 return the highest
N IL Is a card that will beat snything IN the
dummy, or that will give your partner
a possible nne~se over the dealer For
instance You hold >. the 10 Q In the
dummy and your partner leading the 8
II your king holds, the rule would be 10
return the Owest OF three remaining the
deuce but A. your jack beats the dummy's
hes; card. thsi is the proper play.
suppose the dealer holds . : q, his queen
Il .hu, out. because ne cannot afford 10
cover the Jack unless he hold the . al-o.
II YOU return the deuce. your partner must
plsy the ace to shut out the 10, and the
oueen /. good. The same position comes
up when your partner leads from king
and queen and forces the are on the first
round. II you get In and have the 10,
lead Il through the jack, and N that card
l. not In dummy's hand, ~ a. 20 let your
partners queen hold over the dealers
lack and keep him from stopping the suit.
The interesting positions are those In
which the third hand doe not return his
par,ner's suit al all. but either plays his
avn or zoe. up 10 the weakness In dummy
In certain makes hs dummy weakness
IL not 20 he relied upon ton much. a. II may
lie the dealers strength, and he may lie
quite willing 10 IL led through.
Suppose he hiss made IL no trhnn and
YOU win the first trick with the king %
diamonds. third hand. ace not bring in
the dummy. You al~o hold the ace of hearts,
and dummy has both acr and king % clubs
with two ANAL spades II looks easy 10
r. no TO that weakness In spade. u dummy
has your partners suit stopped or " you
have a hne~se over dummy ~ the -nit
hut n moments thought will tell YOU that
the make must have been on q solid spade
slI, with reSntry In hearts. and that To
lead spades wouid he to let the dealer run
on about seven tricks Al once.
There are times when YOU hold such
suits ~ your own that you can 80 they
will have n better chance for saving OF
winning the game than the suit FIRST opened
nv your partner. IL nav hs that you are
sure you can show such a suit by dis
cards on your %patrner's suit. or YOU may
be willing To Iead Al once jus, TO show y.
even at The risk or expensr Of dummy's
winning the hrst round. This In particu-
arly true when dummy h the strong hand
and will nave TO lead away from his best
combinations In order 10 avoid leading
minor points In the problem have to lie
carefully considered and IL 70 In their correct
valuation that the expert shows his skill
The beginner must rccoilect that when
he takes upon himself the respon-ib'hty
Of tossing his partners suit overheard
and starting out With his own. he Is assum-
Inc a responsibility very similar Ia that
taken by the whist player when he calls
for trump~. because he is asking his part
uer 10 abandon a project which has already
hen partly developed In order Ia take up
something else. When the third hand has
solid sui, which 10 can run IN without any
assistance from his partner, that In another
matter, but such cases are rare, especially
against good makes The circumstance
which med consideration are thc-s In
which the third hand wants a suit led "a
him and fearr he cannot indicate that fact
unless he ieads Il himself and those In which
he .ee- that more may he gained by letuns
III. ..x,n.r L.an his oWn suit until II can IL
u-ed 10 hotter advantage a. q rsentry thar
a. q trick winner.
Herr u an example ~ q very common
STYLE 81 play. which 10 a deal that came ny
some weeks ago In Buffalo On thesc caro-,
and che score l~ove-ail. the dealer made \
no trump.
I3k9s.