Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-08

just What the leader nOlus III the way
of high cards. In view of the fact that
so many players seem to be unable to
apply this rule In such a manner as to
obtain the full benefits thereof, 1t will
be considered in detail In the next ar
ticle.
Section 2
Continuing the discussion of the dis
card, let us next consider those cases
which are treated under the heading
Single Dscard-Declared Trump
At declared trump the adverse trump
strength is generally so strong that 1t
is seldom possible for the opponents OF
the dealer to bring in long suit. The
retention of small cards in your long
suit is therefore usually of small bene-
fit. On the other hand, 1t is more I'M
portant not to disclose your weakness
to the dealer. 1t therefore follows that
1t is usually. better to discard high
card from your strong suit, whatever
be the complexion of the dummy and
regardless of which hand will have the
lead next. Inasmuch as usually two
and at most only three tricks can be
expected from your strong suit against
a declared trump, 1t Is evident that the
occasions when the discard of even a
small honor will materially weaken
your hand are so rare that the rule
tion. OF course in those rare cases In
which you hold such length and
strength in trumps as to warrant you
in expecting to bring in a long suit II
NAV be better to discard a small card
from a weak suit, and generally speak
ing to adopt the rules given for single
discard no-trump. The next subhead
may be styled
Double piscard-No Trump
Under this heading will be found
hands which present the greatest diff
Guilty, for there will be found many oc-
casions upon which to follow the com
bination discard will apparently entail
needless sacrifice, but upon more care
full examination the sacrifice Will DC
found more in the imagination than II
reality except in those very rare hands
which require sacrifice whatever dis
card may be adopted. 1t may be ac.
cepted as an axiom of the game ina,
there is no system of discard that VIII
not at times prove unsuitable TO tne
hand in question, but the writer feels
safe in predicting that II the complna,
ton discard is thoroughly understood
and the full advantage is taken OF tht
previous play of the hand and the cards
remaining in the dummy, the real stu
dent of the game will find that In 9s
cases out of 100 1t is more satisfactory
than any yet suggested.
1t is evident that the most important
considerations are, first, is your strong
suit established? and, second, Will youl
partner have the lead Immediately? II
both these questions are answered al
firmatively, it is evident that you are
perfectly safe in discarding from your
two weak suits, thereby retaining all
your cards in your strong suit. In thls
case there is clear gain of one trick
over the Elwell discard. If either OF
these questions are answered negative
ly il becomes necessary to consider the
pI evious play and the dummy hand
with view to determining, first.
whether discard from weakness Will
materially injure your hand or, what
is almost as important, enable the
dealer to play his hand to better ad-
vantage, particularly in finessing, and
second, if you will thereby leave your
partner in doubt as to your strength
1t is obvious that should one of your
weak suits contain three to queen jack
that it's strength is materially lessened
If not destroyed ntirely so far as that
suit is concerned by discard. IL is
equally obvious that II the suit con-
sists of three to'nine that you do not
weaken your hand by discarding one
of that suit. But by such discard
you may materially strengthen the
dealers hand. If the dummy holds In
such a suit four or five cards to the
ace jack and the dealer holds the kins
| ten and one or more small CARDS by
your discard you will inform him that
you do not hold three to the queen
and thereby enable him to finesse
| against your hand and by winning a
trick with the jack capture your part
ner's queen. Hence you must always
consider the effect your discard vii
have upon the dealers play. If dummy
contains no strength in the suit from
which you wish to give weak dis
card it is evident that the knowledge
that you are weak therein is of no adj
vantage to the dealer If dummy is or
| your right and of great advantage te
him if dummy Is on your left. OF
course If you have already shown youl
strength to your partner and you are
satisfied that he will be in the lead or
the next trick, and has one to lead, you
care little as to the knowledge giver
of your weakness. If dummy discloses
such strength in one suit that nj
! finesse is possible therein and so grea'
that your partner is warned not to ex
pect strength from you it is usually
| safe to discard twice from that suit
1t is impossible in an article of reas
enable length to give specific instance!
of the various situations under which
the player must determine his discard
| DuL IL Is DelloNeu tudt Will tHS Iol
| lowing general rules for his guidance
i the intelligent player will be troubled
so rarely as to be unworthy of consid
| Grafton.
When the dealer is to be in the Leaf
| it is better to show strength thai
weakness, as the information is les
valuable to him. This rule, however
does not apply where the composition
and position of the dummy hand Is sucl
that knowledge of your weakness in
certain suit gives no advantage to tn
dealer. Remember that the dealer al
ready knows the adverse strength, bu
does not know, until SO informed b.
leads or discards, in which hand it /
contained or, If divided between tn
two. You should, therefore, alway
carefully consider whether the infor
nation which he will acquire from
your discard will materially assis
him. Conversely, if your partner vii
be in the lead, 1t is manifest that
you can retain all the cards of you
strong suit without the risk of mis-
leading him, it is better to do so. Il
determining whether he is likely to b
confused you have a right to assum
that he will daw the natural and logica
differences from the previous play an
the position and composition of tn
dummy hand, and that he will ais
consider the same as 1t appears to you
and these inferences, together with tn
composition of his own hand, will b
considered by him in reading your dis
/ card.
Double Discard-DecIared Trump
| mi. xxr11f fnI xYnt 70 y.