strong enough to lead trumps but not strong enough to call for them, as with Knave and four small ones, when your partner's King over the Ace would not be sacrificed in the one case but would in the other. This convention is the Call for Trumps. You may call for trumps by leading an Ace, then the King, and then a small one, or by winning with Ace and leading the King. Refusing to ruff a winning card may be regarded as a call for trumps. Calling for trumps when your partner clearly has none, and is leading high cards, indicates your desire for him to change the suit. Echo of the Call. 36. On seeing your partner's call for trumps, or on his leading high ones of them, if you have four trumps call yourself, so that he may understand you have four at least. This convention is the "Echo of the Call." Affording Information. 37. Give as much information to your partner as you can. Thus, when drawing the last trump, do it with the next higher: when you have Ace, King of two suits which you are going to lead, first lead the King of the weak suit, then the King, Ace, and little one of the strong suit, so that your partner may have the best data to guide him as to whether he should call for trumps. The Trump Card. 38. When the trump card is a high one, modify your play according to its position. When the dealer, retain the trump card in hand as long as possible, for your partner's guidance, unless your adversaries show strength enough to draw it. Miscellaneous Advice. 39. Do not lead out the command of your adversary's long suit, but get rid of the command of your partner's. 40. When strong in trumps, endeavour to establish your own long suit: when weak in trumps, your partner's. 41. When strong in trumps, endeavour to force your partner; when weak in trumps, your strong adversary. 42. When, to prevent the adversary ruffing a suit, you lead trumps from Ace and small ones, lead the Ace to secure two rounds. 43. When you think your partner is calling on the adversary's suit, to lead out the best to see is more dangerous than to answer the supposed call without confirmation; but an alternative course can generally be adopted, such as leading what must be his strong suit if he has one. 44. When the adversaries' trumps are exhausted, in order to establish your long suit, you may play a little one, when otherwise you would play a high one. 45. When you win cheaply fourth hand with only one other, unless with a very strong suit or many trumps, you can hardly do better than return it up to weakness, as your partner can only lead the suit up to strength at a disadvantage. 46. Do not open a fresh suit without occasion; as, when the cards are evenly divided, it often happens that each fresh lead entails the loss of a trick; and, instead of putting your partner to the disadvantage of being third player, it is better to lead the third round of a suit for the adversary to win with the disadvantage of opening a fresh suit. 47. When, late in the hand, a suit remains which all have avoided opening, it is often advisable to lead a losing card (more frequently a trump) so as to place the lead with the adversary. This is strongly indicated when he has just declined to take the lead by ruffing. 48. When your right adversary leads the Ace, and then a small one (showing he held at least five), if you held King and four others, and are fairly strong in trumps, you should play your lowest; as the round must be failed in, and if ruffed by the adversary you save your King, and if ruffed by your partner, at the expense of his lowest trump, you retain the master-card, if not the tenace in the suit; if you held King and three others, and third player dropped the Queen first round, it is best not to play the King even to cover, as he |