Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-06
Whist A GAME
OF MANY SIDES
System Not a Trade Mark of
Sh0rt-Suit Play.

ShOrt-Sult Play.
In the settlement of any disputed ques
ton there is a manifest advantage in be-
ing at once advocate, judge and jury
This sort OF Iynch-law practice is applleo
with signal success by our long-sul
friends Indeed, il is the only methoC
nv which they are able TO arrive at d
satisfactory conclusion. When the snort
suit system-as they insist upon calling
it's lugged up for trial before the self
appointed court, no argument Is heafo
save one for the prosecution, in when
the grain of fact struggles VANITY u
Icaven the lump of fiction: partisan
Judge sums up the case with much learn
ed setting forth of musty precedent, not
forgetting the due expression OF righteous
horror at the crime of trampling on the
experience of 80 years.: the jury OF
one (who. by singular and most fortu'
nate coincidence. is the same Fellow as
the judge and advocate aforesaidl, thus
duly loaded with assertions masqueradins
as facts. and opinions set forth as Jaw
brings i'm a verdict without leaving ais
seat: whereupon the wretched guerrilla
is led forth to instant execution, to the
accompaniment of much congratulatory
handshaking (amonS the advocate, Judge
and Jury aforeSaid), and a chorus OF hur-
rahs for the grand old Iong-suit game-the
game of the masters-the only logical.
scientific. progressive game. etc, etc Ol
course all this fuss and parade Is utterly
needless. except for the purpose OF tioou-
wnking the spectators. the moose Tor the
victim being duly prepared, and con-
venient tree selected. before ever the pro-
ceedingS were begun.
The man who wears green spectacles
&c
natural Moreover, no one denies ms
right to wear green spectacleS or 10
proclaim as loudly and as often as he
wishes that all things within the range
al his vision appear to be tinged with a
sreenish hue But when he comes out
with the flat-footed statement that green
is the only color in the spectrum that
everything in earth and sea and SKY is
one grand ST. Patrick's day procession,
and that all who. fail to observe TINS are
fools il is time to call his attention TO
the fact that some other people wear blue
Spectacles, which are presumably as cor
rect aids to vision as are his own: ana.
still further that a normal condition OF
sight. unohstructed by colored glasses of
whatever hue. reveals a variety of coiors
and shades of color wherein green plays
nut an, insignificant part.
Hidebound Long-Suiter.
The hidebound long-suiter is in the
same predicament as the gentleman with
green lamps He cannot play whist with
out the aid of a System" therefore
every one who doesn't follow his system
must have one land, of course, an inferior
oncp of his own. He spends his time In
Naliantly fighting windmills and decapl-
tatinc men of straw. Watch him as he
sets out to demolish the short-sult
heresy. He will not have progressed
very far in his argument before you Will
L h1nu.S
.'Short-suit SYSTEM totally oblivious or
The fact that there's no such thing, IN
existence The very genesis of the short
suit game is the abandonment OF exist
ing systems and the substitution of play
based upon judgment and calculation.
II is merely an attempt-however foollsh
or futile it may appear to our green
spectacled friend-to adapt the play 10
existing conditions instead of running In
"A groove with an unknown outlet. Onoer
such theory there Is no room for the
lard and fast rules of system. III
any such patent contrivances were need
cd in order to get the fill value OF the
hands. the one for which our long-sult
friends have the sole agency. is cheerful
" recommended as being quite good
aS any of later manufacture Pray. gem
tlemen accept this concession in the con-
ciliatory spirit in which it is offered, and
IN return be content to show us the error
Of our ways without any further diatrihes
against tine SHOrt-SCt SNSlelH
Foxy" Plays.
If there is pay which is open to
serious objection. as tending to invite loss.
il Is an original long opening, followed i'm
modiately by a singleton. If it is the in
tention 10 play for ruff or two. with a
hand containing weak trumps. II would
appear to be much safer to lead the sim
sleton originally. Certainly the shift from
ones strong suit to lead from extreme
weakness is most transparent indication
of what the player is driving at. and UNI
'ess partner Is fortunate enough to obtain
the lead at once. the attempt to make a
trump is likely to fail Even If partner
wins the trick. and the run is obtained.
opponents are quite as apt to derive bene-
III from the information thus furnished
ny taking advantage not only or the weak
ness of the one who bid for the ruff. but
also of the knowledge obtained concern
ing the distribution of the high cards in
the suit opened short.
Another play of similar nature which is
almost sure to prove disastrous in the
long run is the lead of short suit after
opponent has declared considerable trump
strength In their efforts to make losing
trumps players viii rashly start short
suits in the face of adverse trump leads.
and even If trump is made. not infre
GuentIy will lose several tricks before the
deal is finished.
Still third play directly in line with
The foregoing. which should be marked
Glass. handle with care" consists in put
ling up ace second-in-hand. on the first
round of trumps on the possible chance
that partner can ruff ones long suit and
VIII then develop the necessary strength
in the suit in which one is short. to en-
able both second and fourth hands to
make trump so apiece. Without
some reliable data upon which to ba Sc
ones hopes for such an outcome, the
play is seldom warranted.
Today one rarely sees an expert player
make an unusual effort to stop the first
round OF trumps. Years ago such plays
proved that II IS safer to give partner a
Z opponents do thereby succeed in OBJ
tanning two rounds. than T. is to give up
he control by playing ace second in
hand.
Straight Whist the Best
There are any number OF similar more
orless time-honored. trump-saving de-
vices, which have been relegated to the
rear by the expert whist player of the
present generation. He has found that
straight, hard whist is what wins match
es: that painstaking care and true STRAIT
egg. as distinguished from slap-dash heed
lcssness and poorly constructed ambus-
cades. are essential factors; that against
skillful opponents plays designed to save
one trick, but which risk the loss of two.
contest without more twos being credited
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