THEORY OF WHIST. A trump lead from three or less is seldom wise, being only justifiable by great strength in all other suits, or by special necessity, such as stopping a cross ruff, &c. You must not lead trumps simply because your long suit is trumped, for if your adversaries are strong in them, you will only be playing their game. The proper card to lead from your own strong suit of trumps varies a little from that of common suits. For the latter is influenced by the chance of being ruffed, from which the trump suit is free. For this reason, unless you have commanding strength enough to disarm the adversaries at once, you play a more backward game, generally leading your lowest, to give the chance of the first trick to your partner. It is also very often advantageous to reserve a high trump to give you the lead the third time round, as in case of adverse strength of trumps remaining against you, it may enable you to force it with much advantage. If you have ace, king, queen, or any other commanding sequence, lead the lowest of them first, and then the next lowest, and so on, to inform your partner. If you have ace, king, knave of trumps, it is good to lead the king and then stop, waiting for the return of the lead in order to finesse the knave. If your partner asks for trumps, you are bound to lead them, and if he leads them you are bound to return them, the first opportunity. Remembering in either case, if you had not more than three, to play your highest, in order to strengthen his hand. In inferring that your partner has asked for trumps, recollect that there are cases in which he may have necessarily played the higher card first: in the trump signal it must be played unnecessarily. Never lead through an honor turned up, unless you otherwise want trumps led. On the other hand, do not hesitate to lead up to an honor, if you are strong in them. As explained in Chap. IV. You may finesse in trumps much more deeply than in plain suits, As master cards must ultimately make. Ruff freely when weak in trumps, but not when strong. See directions for the Second Hand. It may often be advisable when strong in trumps even to refuse to trump a trick which is certainly against you, as your trumps will ultimately make, and you may perhaps discard advantageously. If you see your partner do this, he will probably want trumps led, and you must carefully avoid forcing him. Do not force your partner if weak in trumps yourself.* At least, not until you have ascertained it will do him no injury; for your weakness renders it probable he may be strong, when forcing may be the worst injury you could do. On the other hand, force a strong trump hand of the adversary whenever you can. Whenever you are not strong enough to lead trumps, you are weak enough to force your adversary. If, when you or your partner are leading trumps, one adversary renounces, you should not generally continue the suit. *One of the best modern players defines four trumps with one honor' as sufficient strength to warrant your forcing your partner. 1 THEORY OF WHIST. As you would be expending two for oue drawn. Your proper game is then to try and make your and your partner's trumps separately. It may, however, often be advisable, even under this disadvantage, totally to disarm the adversary, if you or your partner have cards or suits to bring in. In this case the renouncing hand should be led up to, rather than through. Similarly, if your partner renounces trumps, it is generally advisable to go on. As you draw two trumps by expending one. If you are dealer, retain the turn-up card as long as you can. To inform your partner; if not, recollect it, and notice when it falls. When, however, the adversaries are drawing trumps, it may sometimes be advisable to part with it unnecessarily, in order to make them believe you have no more. General Directions. Sort your cards carefully, both according to suit and rank, and count the number of each suit. This will greatly assist the memory. If not leading, always play the lowest of a sequence. This is one of the modern conventional rules by which information is conveyed to your partner as to the contents of your hand, and if you have an observant and educated partner it must be carefully adhered to. Get rid of the commanding cards of your partner's long suit as soon as possible. Retain those of the adversaries' suits as long as you conveniently can. As explained in Chap. IV. Discard generally from short or weak suits, not from long or strong ones. For the cards of the former are of very little use, while those of the latter may be very valuable. Besides, your first discard is generally a very important source of information to your partner. It is, however, sometimes worth while to break the rule for the sake of retaining a guard to an honor or second-best card, particularly in your adversaries' suits. When you have the entire command of any suit, it is a conventional signal for you to discard (when the opportunity arises) the best card, in order to inform your partner. Thus, having ace, king, queen, and knave of a suit not led, you would discard the ace; for it must be ob vious that you would not do this unless you had others equally good behind. Discarding the second best generally intimates you have no more of that suit. You throw it away because it is not likely to make. Be careful in the mangement of your small cards. In order not to mislead your partner. Do not throw away carelessly a three or four if you hold a two. When your partner first renounces a suit, call his attention to the fact. As it may save a revoke. Keep constantly in mind the desirableness of affording information to your partner, of obtaining information as to his hand, and of playing the hands jointly. This being the essence of the modern game. Pay attention to the state of the score, which ought often to influence your play. Remember that the third trick saves the game when honors are equal; that the fifth saves it against two by honors, and the seventh against four by honors Note also that the odd trick is twice as valuable as an other, as it makes a difference of two to the score Notice further, when you are near winning the game, how many tricks are wanting for that purpose. In all these cases it may be expedient to modify the usual play for the sake of getting the trick you want in preference to speculating for more; for when you particularly require one trick, it would be folly to risk it (by finessing, for example) in order to have the chance of gaining two. The state of the score may sometimes influence your whole plan. For example, if the adversaries are four, and you have a bad hand, you should lead your best trump, as explained in Chap. IV. Consider also the effect of the lead. It is often desirable to depart from the usual modes of play for the sake of gaining the lead, or of giving it to your partner. And it is also sometimes worth while even to throw away a trick in order to give the lead to one of your adversaries; as, for example, to make them lead up to a tenace or guarded second. These two latter rules afford the principal opportunities for fine play. Do not be discouraged when sound play fails of success, which must often occur. |