tends to make it a matter of routine, and to discourage the freedom of individual skill. This is a great mistake. It is indeed essential that the foundation of all good play should be systematic knowledge; but it is not pretended that the rules are to be considered as inflexible. In the latter portion of Chapter IV. many cases are mentioned in which strict play should be departed from; and in the present edition it has been thought. desirable to enlarge at some length (in Appendix B) on one of the most important of these cases-namely, playing with a bad partner. This condition, although of such frequent occurrence, has been but little noticed hitherto in Whist books, and it is hoped that the remarks now offered will show what an important influence it may exercise on the practice of the game. W. P. ATHENÆUM CLUB: PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. THIS ESSAY was originally published in December 1864, as a Second Part to the Sixteenth Edition of the well-known work 'Short Whist, by Major A.' Since its appearance it has been honored with the commendation of some of the most eminent authorities on Whist; and it is now reprinted in a separate form. It is believed that the manner herein adopted of treating the Theory of the game is, in a great measure, new. Some of the later works published on Whist have been more explanatory than the early ones, but still they have consisted at best of merely practical rules, without reference to their theoretical basis; and the Author is not aware that the attempt to trace the whole practice of the modern scientific game back to one grand fundamental principle, namely, that of the combination of the hands of the two players, has ever before been made. It has often indeed been said that each player must endeavor to play his partner's cards as well as his own; but this has usually been only given as an incidental maxim of practice; it has 6 not been treated as the main principle of action from which the whole play springs. The nearest approach to this attempt the Editor has met with is in a little French book, entitled Génie du Whist, méconnu jusqu'à présent. Par le Général B. de Vautré. Paris: 4o édition, 1847.' This author makes the true genius of Whist consist in what he propounds as the novel principle of the combination of the two hands; or, as he expresses it, 'l'auteur enseigne la manière de jouer avec vingt-six cartes, selon son expression, et non pas avec treize, comme tout le monde. But as he was ignorant of the long suit system of play, as a necessary means of carrying the combination principle into practice, he was obliged to form an imperfect system of his own, and therefore his explanations do not correspond with our modern game. The Author's experience leads him to believe that an exposition of the fundamental Theory of Whist will not only be satisfactory to accomplished players, by making clearer to them the principles they already act upon, but will be found of still greater advantage for teaching the game in the ordinary domestic circle. The young people of the family, especially, are often repelled from Whist by thinking it dull and difficult. Nothing can be more erroneous than such an idea: if learnt on proper principles it soon becomes an attractive amusement, as well as an admirable mental exercise, and to attain moderate proficiency in it is much easier than is usually supposed. But there are many players of more experience who take real pleasure in a domestic rubber, but who are still much in the dark as to the true merits of the game; and it is desirable to impress on this large class how greatly the interest of their recreation would be increased if they would, by a little study of the principles of Whist, learn to play it in a more rational and systematic manner. The practical rules and directions here deduced strictly from the Theory, are identical with those sanctioned by the best modern authorities, and adopted by the best modern players. ATHENÆUM CLUB: |