| Show OBSERVATIONS ON WHIST Some of tho Dimrtilties About 1Iaylus a Poor Hand IVclL There is nothing which taxes the ability of a whist player moro than the playing of a poor hand With a good band an ignoramus may win tho game but it takes ability tow to-w in with a poor one This is where the strategic strat-egic force of the whist player is brought into play Sometimes when thu playing of one card may or may not make the gamo established rulo is thrown aside and a sublime sub-lime nerve Is shown Then ngain tho player holding poor cards U often called upon to throw tho lead into his partners hand or to keep the lead out of his opponents hand In order to do this he may be obliged to lead from a short suit or to throw on a high card second hand In brief the player with a poor baud plays a defensive gamo He is so to speak at bay but if at a critical moment mo-ment bo can step In and aid his partner tho game may still bo saved Suppose for instance in-stance that you hold the following hand 01 and 8 of hearts 6 8 and 0 of spados a 7 4 and 3 of diamonds and 8 4 and 2 of clubs Your partner B turns up a small heart and D on your right leads a small spade You put on the 8 second hand not the fl as tha play In this ease may savo your partner a good card C takes it with tho a and leads back a small diamond which you take with tha a Kbwnere conies the point audit involves a great principle You have the lead and your partner has given no indication that he wants trumps True he hasnt had a chance to signal but that makes no difference You cant take it for granted You can however arrive at a conclusion Ds long suit is spades Cs is diamonds and neither of them want trumps led You have but three trumps in your hand Now the inference is that your partner has at least four and the probability ia that ho has live You can do nothing yourself and your play is to throw the lead into his hand Your long suit n tho diamond and If I you had led originally you would have played the 3 but now you have good reason to suppose pow that your partner has hearts and clubs You dont dare to play trumps because your inference that your parner has five or more of them may not ta true Therefore you lead the highest club you have highest from a suit of timed J and the chances are your partner will secure the trick Then if he has a good hand ho may get the trumps out and save tho game If ho hasnt a good hand it Is lost any way but you havo had the satisfaction satis-faction of playing your hand for all it was worth TOM LANSINO |
