Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-10
don't PLAY TWO
SUITS At WHIST
Returning Partners Suit Nee
essary as an Aid to ES-
Establishment.

on the original opening Of a deal, when
the third hand wins the first trick what
should he continue with, We do not
think the subject is given the attention IL
should receive. The question whether a
new SUI. should be opened or the partner 8
Suit at once returned is confusing TO many
players. The situation is constantly arts
ing. and is confusing TO the beginner. and
has even given to better players many
anxious moments and differences of op!n-
ion among experts
In it's consideration there must at once
he eliminated all cases in which the wis
dom OF a trump lead is debated. When to
lead a trump and when not to do so is a
totally different question. and one which
has no place in the present discussion.
Therefore, when a change in suits is re-
ferred TO il is understood that it is a
change to another plain suit that is con-
templated and that trump lead is not
considered.
1t must first be remembered that there
Is one point in the argument of our short
suit friends that is sound. in that ii is
generally better to have some one else
lead your suit than to do 1t yourself. 1t
should also be borne in mind that there
is but one combination of cards that is
led up to you, viz, queen, jack, ten. and
there are but two others in which, as a
rule, II makes no difference who leads
viz: Ace, king, queen and king, queen,
jack. II is this, IN a measure, that causes
the advice to be given to a beginner
Don't change suits Text books of a
few years ago did not realize the situation
in this respect. and the player was taught
10 always open his long suit as soon as
he got the chance We doubt If any eX
perienced player at the present time would
agree with this. 1T is this effort to estab-
lish two long suits. which usually results
in neither being established. and is used
as a strong argument against the long
suit game
II has been found best under all circum-
stances. to return partners suit. unless
you have one of the combinations above
mentioned. viz, ace king. queen or king,
queen. jack or queen, jack. ten. at the
head of your long suit. or unless YOU ara
satisfied for any reason that the suit you
lead can be more easily cleared than the
one of which four cards have been al
ready played. To this rule. as TO any
other at the game of whist. there are eX-
who knows when TO follow or depart from
tile rule. For special cases no rule or adj
wee can be given; they can only be dealt
with as they arise.
The argument used above will be
found so generally sound that it will bear
careful thought and study. We recon-
mend it's general adoption in practice at
the present day. 1t will be noticed that the
average player generally tries to estab-
lish two long suits. one in their own and
one in their partners hand. The imposs-
klity of doing so can be easily recog-
nized. compared to the efforts of the
opponents to only try to establish one.
A practice game between the ladies'
team of the Marlborough Club and a quar-
let of gentlemen players. played during
the past week, developed some very pretty
deals. two of which are presented below.
The play was close on most of the boards,
a single swing of three tricks being made
in the following manner: Trump. 10 of
clubs, turned by Z; leader, A.
The play at table l.: