Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-07
NUMBER SHOWING
LEADS IN Whist
PIain-Suit Echo Not a Purely
Conventional Play.

The Introduction of Misunderstanding (or.
as they are more commonly called,
'Anerican'') leads constituted the most
radical innovation liz the manner of play
Ing whist which the game has ever under
gone Tn movement of later years In
opposition to the conventional system and
its many peStent outgrowths. though
going deeper into the theory o. the game.
has not had-nor ever can have-such
widespread effect upon the great body OF
whist players as did the system of Caven-
dish and Trist. For common-sense
whist" Is merely a return to a style OF
play once well understood. and an extern
sion or amplifcation OF principles which
have always been recognized as essential
to success at the whist table.
Every fad finds followers Yet one
cannot but feel surprise at the unanlmlty
with which the system of Misunderstanding
leads was at once adopted by the great
body of American whist players. Patrlotic
pride in a scheme called American per
haps had something TO do with II. but
the term is hardly warranted Dy the ldStS
Cayendish was equally responsible Win
Trist for the invention o. the system anu
his influence, through his teNtDoohs' "'s
far the most potent in securing ioIoW
ing Moreover. Drayson another Eng
IlShman, was anedO OF llitii po'ti -
plying the Misunderstanding principle 10
smaII-card leads After all, the chlei
reason of the new systems popuiaTi.y
lay in the fact that if this was as us
promoters claimed, the best ana only
scientific way of playing whist, ANYBODY
who could count might easily become an
expert. -
The Introduction of duplicate whist
raised a crop of heretcs who began 70
doubt whether these devices were trick
winning Some were bold enough 10 say
that nrerey as an intellectual EXERCISE
the performing of simple sums IN auoltioh
and subtraction was hardly comparaipie
to the endeavor TO fathom motives TO play
for results to ambush the adversary ana
to steer clear of his traps. and TO READ
situations by the more difficult DATA OF
cards played without tag attached 10
each one. But. passing by these cues
tons, which afford interesting Suno lo9
argument, it is desired to call attention
briefly to the only convention embraced
In the Cavendish-Trist scneme which IS
based upon a natural and logical founda-
ton This is the So-called plaln-suit
echo.
1t is evident that when you and your
partner are both long In the same suit,
sound policy would dictate the retention
o. low card so that, at a later period.
YOU retain the power 81 throwing MIN
IN the lead IL desirable, either TO make
his long cards or for some other pur-
pose Although this is claimed by the
conyentionalists as a part of their num-
ber-showing system, 1t Is really nothing
but the exercise of ordinary common sense
which dictates the wisdom OF preparing
for possible emergencies, and. incidentally.
making sure that you will not be forced
to block suit in which your partner
may be longer than you. There is the add
ed advantage that partner is enabled to
place" his suit. and so avoid the error
OF continuing it when both adversarfes are
void The play is in truth, not conven-
ton at all. but simply what any skillful
player would naturally do If left to his
own devices This is by no means the
only way in which information can be
cleaned by the observant player from the
natural play of the cards without any pre-
arranged conventional meaning. 1t is
only the tyro or the dull player who is at
sea unless every one at the table comes
as near to exposing his whole hand as
the rules allow.
Useful as this play Is. 1t may be shorn
OF its value at times by skillful adverse
false carding. But the same may be said
of any play that can be made, conven-
est art in whist is In discovering
the situations wherein the adversary
may be deceived without risk Of
embarrassing partner, and the player who
easily detects such tactics on the part OF
his opponents is, indeed. entitled to the
much-abused name of expert.
An example OF the uncertainty attach
ing to the plain-suit echo under conditions
that admit Of deceptive false carding by
the adversary is seen in the Following
deal. from actual play. Trump, five OF
clubs, turned by z; leader, A.
The play at table one: