THE 
 
 WHIST-PLAYER 
 
 THE 
 
 LAWS AND PRACTICE OF SHORT-WHIST 
 
 onb 
 
 BY LIEUT.-COLONEL B * * * * 
 
 SECOND EDITION 
 
 LONDON 
 
 CHAPMAN AND HALL, 103 PICCADILLY 
 
 MDCCCLVIII 
 
 [The right of translation is reserved.}

 
 Stack 
 Annex 
 
 THE ARMY AND NAVY CLUB. 
 
 GENTLEMEN, 
 
 IT being generally admitted that justice is nowhere so 
 impartially administered as by a court composed of British Officers, 
 I fearlessly dedicate this treatise to you ; trusting that you will 
 mercifully consider the case of one against 'whom there are no 
 former convictions, and who for the first time appears before your 
 august tribunal. 
 
 B. 
 
 1C81674
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 LAWS OF THE GAME 17 
 
 TECHNICAL TERMS 23 
 
 THE ODDS 25 
 
 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS 26 
 
 THE LEAD 29 
 
 FORCED LEADS . 31 
 
 TRUMPS 32 
 
 SECOND HAND 35 
 
 THIRD HAND 38 
 
 FOURTH HAND ........ 41 
 
 PROGRESS AND CONDUCT OF THE GAME . . . .43 
 
 INFERENCES 71
 
 PBEEACE. 
 
 PRESUMING to write a treatise on any science, the principles and laws 
 of which have already been explained by numerous able pens, ex- 
 poses the writer, and with some degree of justice, to the imputation 
 of great vanity. 
 
 The fact implies, that the writer, in his own estimation, possesses 
 either a more extensive acquaintance with the subject than former 
 expositors, or a more perspicuous method of imparting his know- 
 ledge to others. 
 
 I cannot plead guilty to the first charge, should such be brought 
 against me ; being fully sensible of my own inferiority, and ever 
 ready to express my admiration of superior excellence in others. 
 
 I may certainly be considered liable to the second charge ; as 
 the hope of being able to give a clearer explanation of the rules and 
 maxims of the game than any as yet offered to the whist-playing 
 world has induced me to undertake the present work. 
 
 By the few authors on this subject whom I have read, regular 
 method appears but little regarded ; their instructions being con- 
 fined, almost entirely, to mere statements of facts, clothed often in 
 ambiguous language. Instead of gradually leading their pupils from 
 general and simple rules to an acquaintance with the deeper intrica- 
 cies of fine play, accompanying their progress with lucid explana- 
 tions, here so absolutely necessary, they confine themselves to simply
 
 X PREFACE. 
 
 stating that "with certain hands certain cards are to be played," 
 without giving the reasons why ; leaving thus to the individual and 
 unassisted efforts of the student the solution of each problem. 
 
 Such imperfect instructions render the study of the game most 
 irksome ; and I have known many a one throw down the book with 
 disgust, trusting rather most fatal error to time and chance for 
 the acquisition of that knowledge which a correct treatise ought 
 pleasingly to convey. 
 
 My object being to give this apparently laborious study a less 
 repulsive aspect, I trust my friends may be inclined to put a more 
 favourable construction on my seeming presumption. 
 
 The only merit to which this treatise can lay claim is, novelty 
 in the plan pursued. 
 
 It being generally allowed that no one can learn the game of 
 whist, and acquire a facility of readily playing the different hands, 
 without having the cards spread out before him ; and being aware 
 of the silly objection most people entertain against being found 
 " learning to play cards," although they will without hesitation openly 
 sit down to learn to play any thing else (a distinction without a 
 difference), the idea struck me, that a book of instruction might be 
 so contrived as to do away, in a great measure, with the necessity of 
 conspicuously strewing a pack of cards on the table, viz. by annex- 
 ing sketches or drawings of the different suits or hands which the 
 writer's instructions attempt to explain, and to which the reader can 
 without trouble immediately refer. 
 
 I imagine that the memory will be materially assisted by recall- 
 ing these pictured impressions. 
 
 Should my method succeed in assisting the efforts of the young 
 beginner in his praiseworthy pursuit of the most noble and intellec- 
 tual game ever invented for the recreation of man far superior to
 
 PREFACE. XI 
 
 that heavy dull game of chess, the trouble I have taken in its 
 arrangement will be fully compensated. I have, at any rate, the 
 consolation of knowing, that, if no one else profits by my labours 
 and researches, I have in the mean time gained a deeper insight into 
 the intricate mazes of the game myself, which has been a source of 
 much gratification, making pleasant what would otherwise have been 
 most toilsome labor ipse voluptas. 
 
 I cannot believe the time lost which may be spent in acquiring 
 a knowledge of this beautiful game. It is now, in good society, so 
 universally played in all civilised countries, that whoever enters 
 those delightful circles must expect to be called upon occasionally to 
 take a hand at the whist-table. His inability will be attributed to 
 churlishness or stupidity. 
 
 It is undoubtedly the duty of every person who goes much into 
 society to contribute as much as possible to the general amusement 
 its principal object, and to promote good feeling. A knowledge 
 of this favourite game gives the opportunity of displaying these 
 amiable qualities, and will therefore generally insure a welcome and 
 gracious reception. 
 
 As long as players confine themselves to moderate stakes, as 
 long as the game is simply made a matter of recreation, nothing can 
 be less objectionable than its pursuit. But when men make it the 
 business of their lives passing not only all their nights, but devot- 
 ing a great portion of each day to the card-table, playing for large 
 sums, it becomes as reprehensible and as detestable as any other 
 system of gambling. These men are generally notorious for their 
 overbearing manners, dictatorial tone, and irritability of temper. 
 Nothing can be more abominable, more ungentlemanlike, or in 
 worse possible taste, than this loud reproof and display of ill-temper. 
 Great forbearance is required to restrain your own justly-irritated
 
 Xll PREFACE. 
 
 feelings when subjected to this vulgar insolence. You cannot bully 
 whist into a man's brains ; and showing ill-temper with a beginner 
 only adds to his embarrassment. For my own part, whenever I 
 have had the misfortune to meet with one of these roaring fault- 
 finders and, with sorrow be it said, there are many such, so far 
 from receiving any advantage from his rude remarks, I have only 
 been impressed with indignation and disgust. The constant effort 
 which propriety strictly requires to control these feelings has 
 driven all remembrance of the plot of the game out of my head, 
 my thoughts being entirely absorbed by the mortification of being 
 compelled to submit patiently to this insolent vulgarity. 
 
 I have even seen and with much heartfelt reluctance be it 
 said some of the softer sex (for ladies love the game, and right well 
 many of them play) give way to these unseemly bursts of angry 
 feelings, distorting their usually sweet and placid features with ugly 
 wrinkles. Could they but once behold the hateful deformity thus 
 produced this frightful metamorphosis, the lesson would last them 
 for ever. 
 
 " Fie, fie ! unknit that threat'ning unkind brow, 
 And dart not scornful glances from those eyes : 
 It blots thy beauty, as frosts bite the meads ; 
 And in no sense is meet or amiable." Taming of the Shrew. 
 
 Courtesy is nowhere more requisite, or its absence more remark- 
 able, than at the whist-table. But let it not carry you beyond those 
 limits which the laws of the game prescribe. Passing them gene- 
 rally leads to future embarrassment. Play the game rigorously : 
 give and take no more than the fixed rules strictly authorise. This 
 is the only true way to avoid unpleasant discussions. 
 
 I have not the vain pretension to believe that any remarks con- 
 tained in this treatise will convey the slightest information to the
 
 PREPACK. Xlll 
 
 accomplished whist-player. They are addressed to, and solely in- 
 tended for, the uninitiated. Being grounded on the written opinions 
 of the most approved authors, they must give a true notion of the 
 real theory of the game. This once thoroughly understood, practice 
 becomes comparatively easy, and will in due time lead to perfection. 
 Having once reached the goal, keep in remembrance the indulgence 
 you have required during your progress there. Have a kind con- 
 sideration for the efforts of others, and note their faults with temper 
 and forbearance. Should you unfortunately discover that constitu- 
 tional infirmity robs you of the nn've 1 * of ".ontrolling your temper, 
 abandon at once and for ever all idea of becoming a whist-player. 
 By this generous self-denial you will be spared the mortifying reflec- 
 tion which must disturb those conscious of having so repeatedly 
 marred the pleasure and enjoyment of others. 
 
 I have said nothing concerning the laws of that obsolete game 
 called " Long -Whist." A few of its votaries may, I believe, still be 
 heard of in distant provinces ; but I leave this interesting discovery 
 to the curious and zealous antiquary, in his geological researches 
 among the fossil remains of the eighteenth century.
 
 THE LAWS OF SHORT-WHIST
 
 3Lafos of tfje ffiame, 
 
 IT is almost incredible that the scientific game of Whist, 
 which has for so many years been the favourite pastime of 
 men of intellect, which is now so habitually played in all civi- 
 lised countries, and in the pursuit of which enormous sums 
 are yearly lost and won, should possess no fixed code of 
 laws, by an appeal to which disputes might be immediately, 
 and without further argument, determined. This is truly 
 much to be regretted, and the inconvenience hence resulting 
 is universally acknowledged. 
 
 It is equally surprising, that where the remedy is so 
 simple, it should not long since have been applied. 
 
 Let a certain chosen number of the members of the dif- 
 ferent influential clubs in London meet. Let a code of laws, 
 compiled from the most approved authors on this subject, be 
 submitted to their judgment. When carefully revised, and 
 declared by them in every way eligible, let their opinion and 
 decision stamp it as authentic, that from the laws it may 
 contain there should be no appeal. 
 
 I should imagine that the different clubs in London, and 
 those in provincial towns, would offer no objection to the 
 adoption of such a code, by a reference to which any dispute 
 might be at once definitively settled.
 
 18 LAWS OF THE GAME. 
 
 It remains only for me to give a copy of those laws by 
 which the game is generally regulated. 
 
 Rubber. I. Four form a rubber. In cutting for partners, the two 
 
 Drawing for highest and the two lowest play together. If, in drawing for 
 partners, two or more cards of equal value appear, they must 
 be put aside, and those who drew them proceed again till 
 unequal cards are drawn.* The original lowest plays with 
 the lowest of the last drawers, and is entitled to the choice of 
 
 Cutting out. cards and seats. If more than four players are desirous of 
 joining the table, at the expiration of the rubber one or two 
 cut out, the highest retiring, to admit those waiting. Six 
 generally form a table, indeed ought always to do so : allow- 
 ing three to cut in becomes tiresome ; therefore, when seven 
 players accidentally meet, a " dummy" table ought to be 
 formed. If only four are playing, it is optional with them 
 to play two rubbers before cutting again for partners, and 
 
 seats. choice of cards and seats. In cutting, the ace is lowest. 
 Seats once chosen cannot be changed during the rubber. 
 
 shuffling. II, Every player is entitled to shuffle the cards; the 
 
 dealer having the right of giving the final shuffle before 
 placing the cards to be cut. Shuffling the adversaries' cards 
 is not compulsory ; but it is customary for the player on the 
 right of the last dealer to collect the cards at the end of the 
 game, shuffle them, and place them to the left of his right- 
 hand adversary. 
 
 III. In shuffling, the cards must be above and free from 
 the table. 
 
 * If two cards only of equal value are drawn, and they are either superior 
 or inferior to the other two, the drawers of these become partners of course.
 
 LAWS OF THE GAME. 19 
 
 IV. The pack is then placed conveniently for your right- Cutting. 
 hand adversary to cut, who must take care that more than 
 three cards are in each parcel, otherwise it is not a fair one. 
 
 V. If a card is exposed in cutting, a fresh cut is re- 
 quired. 
 
 VI. Having once commenced dealing, you cannot call 
 for a fresh cut, unless an accidentally faced card is found in 
 the pack ; nor can you do so if this faced card should be the 
 last one. 
 
 VII. The adversaries have a right to call for a fresh deal, Dealing, 
 if the dealer looks at the bottom, or trump card, before the 
 
 deal is completed. 
 
 VIII. If a card is exposed in dealing, those not in fault f a *5 sed 
 have the option of calling for a fresh deal ; but if a fresh 
 
 deal is not demanded, the exposed card cannot be called 
 during the game. 
 
 IX. If a dealer drops two cards together, and perceives ^ r ^f 
 the error at once, he can rectify it ; but if he lets fall a card 
 
 to the next hand, the deal is lost, for he cannot pass on a 
 card from more than one parcel. This penalty must be 
 exacted before the trump-card is turned. 
 
 X. If the adversaries touch the cards during the deal, 
 they cannot call a fresh one under any circumstances: and 
 should the dealer misdeal, he may deal again. 
 
 X I. Any one dealing out of turn may be stopped before ^"urnf ut 
 the trump-card is turned ; but the trump-card once turned, 
 the deal proceeds in rotation. If the cards have by this 
 mistake been changed, they must remain so to the end of the 
 rubber.
 
 20 LAWS OF THE GAME. 
 
 XII. If the dealer drops the last card on his own parcel 
 face downwards, he loses the deal ; but he may place it apart, 
 without turning it, while bets are made. 
 
 Trump card. XIII. The trump-card must be left exposed till the 
 dealer has played ; he must then take it up, or it is liable to 
 be called. No one after this has a right to see it, or ask 
 what it was, but may at any time during the game ask what 
 are trumps. 
 
 Naming XIV. You are entitled to require each player to name 
 
 cards. 
 
 his card before the trick is put together, but not after the 
 
 cards have been touched. 
 one card too XV. If one of the players remains with one card too 
 
 many, having omitted to play to a trick, a fresh deal may be 
 
 demanded. 
 Playing out XVI. If the third player plays before the second, the 
 
 of turn. r J r J 
 
 fourth may play before his partner. If the fourth player 
 plays before the second, the adversaries may compel the 
 second to win the trick, or prevent him from doing so. 
 
 Exposed XVII. Every card exposed and named may be called 
 
 whenever it will not constitute a revoke ; and this call may 
 be repeated till the card is played. This is often of serious 
 consequence, as the party in fault will not be permitted to 
 trump a suit in which he has a renounce as long as that re- 
 mains in his hand. If two or more cards fall to the same 
 trick, the opponents decide as to which shall remain : the 
 others may be treated as exposed cards, and as such subse- 
 quently called. 
 
 Calling a XVIII. He who calls a wrong card may be compelled to 
 
 wrong card. * 
 
 play his best or worst card of any suit during the deal.
 
 LAWS OF THE GAME. 2 
 
 XIX. Your partner cannot deal for you without general 
 consent. 
 
 XX. If a player timely discovers that he has trumped a ^ neous 
 suit by mistake, and withdraws his trump, he may be com- 
 pelled to play the best or lowest of the suit, and to play the 
 exposed trump when called. 
 
 XXI. Declaring that you can win the game, or a certain 
 number of tricks, or giving the slightest intimation concern- 
 ing your hand, empowers the adversaries to demand that all 
 your cards be exposed on the table. 
 
 XXII. Before the last trick is turned, you may ask to Eight cards 
 
 ' > seen. 
 
 see the preceding one eight cards being thus exposed. 
 
 XXIII. If the player in fault has none of the suit called, Exemption. 
 he is exempt from all further penalty. 
 
 XXIV. Hands thrown on the table must remain there, E ^ s sed 
 and cannot be taken up again under any circumstances. 
 
 XXV. A revoke is not established until the trick has Revoke. 
 been turned and quitted, or until the party revoking, or his 
 partner, has played again. 
 
 XXVI. The party revoking forfeit three points, which p|^[ t e y 
 the adversaries may either take from their score or add to 
 their own; or take three of their tricks and add them to 
 their own parcel, whichever may appear most advantageous. 
 
 XXVII. A revoke cannot be claimed after the cards are when not 
 
 claimable. 
 
 cut for the next deal. 
 
 XXVIII. If a revoke is claimed, and the adversaries mix Wh 
 
 are 
 
 the cards before the point is settled, they pay the forfeit. 
 
 XXIX. You may always ask your partner if he has none Fal 
 
 nou 
 
 of a suit he renounces ; if he has committed an ,error, he can
 
 %2 LAWS OF THE GAME. 
 
 rectify it, tut remains amenable to the usual penalty for an 
 " exposed card" (XVII.). 
 Tricks and XXX. Tricks may be scored at any time during the 
 
 honours, 
 
 Tbir claim " g ame ; not so honours, which must have been claimed before 
 the completion of the ensuing deal. The claim having been 
 once allowed, they can be scored at any time. 
 
 Fourteen XXXI. Fourteen cards in any one hand constitute a 
 
 cards in one * 
 
 misdeal, provided all the others have not their proper comple- 
 ment. If thirteen cards are found in each of the other three 
 hands, the pack must have been superabundant, by the acci- 
 dental introduction of a supernumerary card ; when the deal 
 is not lost, but a fresh one may be demanded. 
 
 thYrteeT XXXII. Should on e of the players hold less than thir- 
 
 teen cards, the deal is not lost; and should the apparent 
 deficiency have been caused by a " dropped card," he is sub- 
 ject to the severe and fixed penalty for a "revoke" for each 
 time he shall fail to play to the suit to which this dropped 
 card belonged. 
 
 XXXIII. Whoever shall by word or gesture show ap- 
 
 ble conduct. 
 
 proval or disapproval of his partner's play during the game 
 shall forfeit one point, to be added to his adversaries' score 
 or taken from his own.* 
 
 * This is an excellent law, and should invariably be most rigorously en- 
 forced.
 
 &ec!jntcai 
 
 FIVE points make the game : two games out of three make 
 the rubber, for which also two points in addition are reckoned. 
 
 A single game when the opponents have scored three. 
 
 A double when they have scored one or two. 
 
 A treble when they have scored nothing, commonly called 
 " love." 
 
 Bumper, two treble games, which reckons eight points. 
 
 Finesse, when you risk winning a trick second or third 
 hand, with the third or fourth best, having also in your hand 
 the best, with the hope that the intermediate card may be 
 on your right. If your first card wins, you are certain of 
 making two tricks in the suit if it goes round a second time. 
 Ex. If you hold ace, queen, of the suit led, you put on the 
 queen ; if the king is on your right, she of course wins, and 
 your ace secures the second trick. 
 
 Force : playing a suit which has been renounced to 
 " force" your partner or adversary to trump. 
 
 King card: the highest remaining of a suit. 
 
 Long trumps : the remaining trump or trumps being in 
 one hand. 
 
 Loose card : a card of no value. 
 
 Love : not having scored. 
 
 Minor tenace : second and fourth best, as king, knave. 
 
 Misdeal : not having in turn given thirteen cards to each 
 hand.
 
 * TECHNICAL TERMS. 
 
 Points : each trick made over six counts one point. 
 The four honours being with partners count four points ; 
 three honours with partners count two ; adversaries holding 
 two each, they are said to be " divided," and nothing is 
 reckoned for them. 
 
 Renounce : having none of a suit led. 
 
 Revoke : not following suit when able to do so. 
 
 Score : the number of points marked. 
 
 Slam : when either party wins every trick. 
 
 Tenace is when fourth hand holds first and third best, 
 which ensures two tricks. Ex. Fourth hand holds ace, 
 queen: if the king is led, ace takes it, and queen wins 
 second trick ; if king is not led, queen wins the first, and 
 ace secures second. If second player holds ace, queen, ten, 
 he "finesses" queen, trusting to the king being on his right; 
 if, however, she is taken on his left, he becomes last player 
 with ace, ten, against knave, and the tenace is thus esta- 
 blished. 
 
 See-saw : partners ruffing an alternate suit. 
 
 Sequence : cards in succession, as 2, 3, 4, ace, king, 
 queen, &c. 
 
 Tierce : a sequence of three. 
 Quart : a sequence of four. 
 Quint : a sequence of five, 
 
 Ace to queen. 
 Ace to knave. 
 Ace to ten.
 
 A DEEP calculation of the odds, as explained by some au- 
 thors, is superfluous and unnecessary, and would infallibly 
 involve the young whist-player in much perplexity. It is 
 nevertheless essential that he should make himself acquainted 
 with the following, as a knowledge of them may frequently 
 assist him in making his leads. 
 
 1. It is 2 to 1 that your partner does not hold a card 
 which you have not. 
 
 2. It is 5 to 4 that your partner holds one card out of 
 any two. 
 
 3. It is 3 to 1 that he does not hold two cards out of any 
 three. 
 
 4. It is 5 to 2 that he holds one card out of three. 
 
 5. It is 4 to 1 that he holds one card out of any four. 
 
 6. It is 3 to 2 that he does not hold two cards out of four. 
 The odds as above given are not, perhaps, strictly correct, 
 
 but they are sufficiently so for all useful purposes. 
 
 The odds given in favour of the winners of the first game 
 winning the rubber are 5 to 2, but they are positively 3 to 1. 
 
 At the commencement of the game the odds are about 6 
 to 5 in favour of the dealer, with players of equal skill.
 
 Entrotmctorg 
 
 SORT your cards carefully, and range the black and white 
 suits alternately : they will be thus more easily distin- 
 guished and remembered. Do not put your trumps on 
 either flank, or your watchful and keen-eyed opponents may 
 detect the number you hold. If you place them always on 
 the left as some thoughtless players always do, and to the 
 first lead you are seen to draw a low card fourth from the 
 left, it will at once be known that you hold still three supe- 
 rior trumps to the one you have played. This must tell 
 greatly against you. Count the number you hold in each 
 suit ; and after every round, mentally name the best card of 
 the suit still unplayed. This is a great assistance to memory. 
 It is of the utmost importance that you should recollect 
 the cards played. Your ultimate success depends almost en- 
 tirely on this most essential point. You must not despair if 
 your memory frequently fails you at first. Like all other 
 distinct faculties of the mind, it is strengthened by practice. 
 Habit is memory's best auxiliary. If you take a proper 
 interest in the game, the mental application requisite to 
 enable you to follow its various modifications will amply 
 suffice to ensure attention a most indispensable quality in 
 a whist-player. Trust not, therefore, to any artificial system 
 of mnemonics ; for all the rules given for fixing the attention 
 are mere expedients for interesting the mind. Study with 
 fixed determination to make yourself thoroughly acquainted 
 with the principles and theory of the game, and you will find 
 that your powers of recollection will be in proportion to your 
 extent of knowledge.
 
 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 27 
 
 Inattention or careless play fully justifies your partner 
 in strongly expressing his annoyance and displeasure; and 
 should you be in fault, you must submit in silence to the 
 well-merited reproof. 
 
 Theoretical knowledge will ensure satisfactory practical 
 results. But you must not be too anxious to display this 
 knowledge by underplay and deep finessing. Play rather, 
 for some time, as straightforward a game as your hand will 
 permit. A false card will deceive your partner ; a false 
 manoeuvre cause your rashness to be followed by defeat. 
 
 Endeavour to acquire a habit of playing your cards ra- 
 pidly. Nothing is so wearisome and worrying to your part- 
 ner, and indeed to the whole table, as that eternal pondering 
 over your hand, or partially drawing out several cards before 
 you play. Consideration is, of course, at times highly neces- 
 sary; but having, after careful inspection, determined on 
 your plan of attack and defence, a short delay ought to 
 suffice to meet any unexpected manoeuvre of the enemy. 
 
 Keep your eyes constantly fixed on the table ; it is there 
 the game is played, the battle fought. Perpetually poring 
 over your own hand during the progress of the game may be 
 compared to the vain folly of a pipeclay general idly in- 
 specting the belts of his troops, while the ringing tubes of 
 the enemy are dealing death among their ranks. 
 
 Receive instructive reproof, when given in a gentlemanly 
 manner, mildly and gratefully. Knowledge acquired from 
 oral instruction will assuredly make a deeper impression, and 
 one far more permanent,, than can be obtained from the pri- 
 vate study of all the books that have been written on the 
 subject.
 
 28 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 
 
 Trust to the judgment of experienced players, and pre- 
 sume not to form opinions from casual results, or you will, 
 to a moral certainty, entertain wrong notions, draw errone- 
 ous conclusions, and establish false theories most prejudicial 
 to your progress, and most difficult to eradicate, and which 
 will not fail to involve you in disastrous consequences. This 
 will guard you against the folly and rudeness of finding fault 
 with your veteran partner on the unexpected failure of a 
 well-intended manoeuvre. Fortuitous circumstances may in- 
 tervene to mar the most subtle scheme. " Checks and disas- 
 ters grow in the veins of actions highest reared." Bear the 
 disappointment with good temper, and bend gracefully to 
 the opposing storm. 
 
 Although the following pages are intended to elucidate 
 the accepted maxims of this fascinating game, you must not 
 suppose that they are never to be departed from. The end- 
 less changes and infinite variety which constitute its great 
 charm, preclude the possibility of laying down fixed rules 
 for the management of every hand. This, so far from being 
 a disadvantage, establishes its superiority over almost every 
 other game, and gives it that intellectual character which has 
 secured the approbation of the educated world. The mind 
 is pleasingly excited by the conviction that there is always 
 something to be learned ; and that success depends, not on 
 chance, but on superior judgment. 
 
 Ready powers of calculation, coolness, and abstraction, 
 are all requisite qualities to form the fine whist-player ; and 
 he will indeed be considered, at all times and in all coun- 
 tries, an immense acquisition by the true lovers of the art 
 who crowns these qualities with SWEETNESS OF TEMPER.
 
 SLeatr, 
 
 MUCH depends on the way you may open your game ; there- 
 fore never lead a card without a specific object. 
 
 1. The best leads are from 
 sequences ; and in general, begin 
 with the highest : but with a 
 quart or quint to a king, or 
 with king, queen, knave, begin 
 with the lowest ; otherwise, if 
 your partner holds ace and only 
 one other, he will be compelled 
 
 to take your queen, and your suit is obstructed. 
 
 2. The next best lead will be from your strongest suit, 
 in which case lead the lowest, unless you can lead from 
 another suit, which, on return from your partner, will give 
 a chance of a fair finesse ; as, for instance, from 
 
 3. Ace, king, knave, lead the king, 
 then change your suit; and when your 
 partner returns your first or original lead, 
 finesse the knave, when, unless the queen 
 is on your left, you make three tricks in 
 the suit. 
 
 4. With ace four of a suit,* lead the 
 
 lowest ; with ace five or more, the ace, as, having so many 
 of the suit yourself, there would be a probability of your 
 ace being trumped if you kept it for the second round. In 
 trumps, ace and four others, the ace. 
 
 * By this is meant ace and three small ones, ace and four, &c. &c. 
 
 D
 
 30 
 
 THE LEAD. 
 
 5. With ace, king, and others, lead the king ; because, if 
 trumped, your partner knows where the ace is, while your 
 adversaries remain uncertain, an advantage on your side. 
 
 6. With king, queen, and others, lead the king, and if 
 it passes lead a small one, as the ace may have been kept up 
 by your adversaries ; should your partner hold it, your three 
 tricks are secured if the suit is not trumped, or should you 
 have been able to keep the commanding card the wisest 
 play till trumps are exhausted. 
 
 7. With king, or queen, or knave four of a suit, lead the 
 
 lowest. 
 
 8. With king, queen, ten, lead the 
 king: if he wins, change the suit; and 
 when your partner returns your first lead, 
 you must make two tricks in the suit, if 
 ace, knave are on your right, and the ace 
 has been kept up (55). 
 
 9. With queen, knave, nine, lead the 
 queen ; if she falls to ace or king, finesse 
 the nine when the suit is returned : if 
 the ace and king are not both against 
 you, two tricks fall to your share. 
 
 10. With ace, queen, knave, lead the 
 ace, then the queen ; if your partner 
 holds the king and others, and is a good 
 player, he will take your queen with his 
 king, and return a small one, so as not 
 to stop your suit.
 
 FORCED LEADS. 31 
 
 11. With ace, king, three small ones, you may, if strong 
 
 in trumps, and you require three tricks to win the game, ones - 
 risk leading a small one, and run the chance of your partner 
 winning the first round with the knave, should the queen be 
 on his right. 
 
 12. It is seldom judicious to lead a single loose card with single card, 
 the expectation of ruffing, as your opponents are almost sure 
 
 to detect your object, which they must do if holding many 
 of the suit themselves, in which case they will immediately 
 lead trumps, if strong in them, draw yours and your part- 
 ner's, and thus establish the suit you had expected to ruff. 
 Wait patiently till the suit is led by your partner or adver- 
 saries, when you obtain the desired ruff to a certainty, and 
 perhaps enable your partner to make third and fourth best. 
 Again, if you lead this single card, and your partner is de- 
 cidedly weak in the suit, he may imagine it to be your strong 
 one, and lead trumps to enable you to establish it, and thus 
 play the adversaries' game. A single loose card should be 
 led only when you are playing for the odd trick. This will 
 be explained hereafter. 
 
 13. If you want two rounds of any suit, and you hold 
 ace and others, lead the ace. 
 
 jforceti lUatis. 
 
 14. The progress of the game, and adverse fall of cards, 
 may frequently oblige you to make disadvantageous leads, by 
 which the chance of gaining two or three tricks in a suit is 
 lost; for instance, from a suit in which you hold tenace.
 
 32 
 
 TRUMPS. 
 
 If thus forced to lead from ace, queen, and others, lead the 
 ace, and then a small one. This, however provoking, is 
 better than opening a fresh weak suit in the middle of the 
 game. 
 
 15. It is bad to be compelled to lead from several small 
 cards. The above case (14) will show the disadvantage of 
 leading from three of a suit, except, of course, from se- 
 quences (1). Compelled by circumstances, lead the highest: 
 thus, with king, knave, and another, lead the king; and if 
 it succeeds, continue with the knave, which will give your 
 partner the option of finessing. 
 
 The disadvantage of this lead is easily 
 understood when you consider th# with 
 ace, knave, or ten, and another, or king, 
 knave, and another, you have a very fair 
 chance of making two tricks if the lead 
 comes from elsewhere; whereas, when 
 forced to lead them yourself, in the latter 
 case you may lose all three if ace, queen, ten are against you. 
 The examples given ought to be sufficient to enable you 
 at once to distinguish a "forced" lead from an original one, 
 when coming from your partner, and to show the propriety 
 of regulating your play accordingly. 
 
 16. One of the greatest difficulties presented to the young 
 whist-player is the judicious and proper management of 
 trumps, which seems to him involved in endless perplexity.
 
 TRUMPS. 33 
 
 It is therefore a point that requires his utmost attention, 
 as no game can be correctly played without a thorough know- 
 ledge of it ; while ignorance is sure to lead to destruction, the 
 slightest error in this particular being fraught with fatal con- 
 sequences. He must first learn when it is right to lead them. 
 
 The objection evinced by a great majority of players to Main object 
 
 i_i_ I'll rm MI * n Pl a y* u 
 
 part with their trumps is quite incomprehensible. Ihey will trumps, 
 not understand that the grand object is not to make as many 
 tricks in trumps as possible, but, by skilfully wielding them, 
 to establish superiority and command in other suits. It is 
 quite clear that this most desirable aim cannot be attained 
 if they are kept in hand to the last. They ought to be used 
 as a most formidable attacking force, not looked upon as a 
 reserve. 
 
 17. With five or six trumps it is almost always right to TO weaken 
 lead them ; by so doing you may reasonably expect to weaken * 
 your adversaries, take from them the power of ruffing your 
 
 own or your partner's best suits, and still be left with suffi- 
 cient to ruff theirs. This rule will be evidently seen to be To establish 
 imperative, if your object is to establish a long suit.* 
 
 18. It is generally right to lead through an honour, giving Through an 
 your partner the opportunity of a finesse. 
 
 19. If you hold ace, king, knave, and the queen is turned 
 up on your right, lead the king ; this makes three tricks cer- 
 tain. When your partner returns the lead, if the adversary 
 puts on a small one, your knave wins the second round. If 
 
 * I once heard a first-rate whist-player say, that with four trumps in your 
 hand, it was mostly right to lead them ; but that he who held five, and did 
 not lead them, was fit only for a lunatic asylum.
 
 34 TRUMPS. 
 
 he puts on the queen, she falls to your ace, and your knave 
 becomes king card (3). 
 
 20. With ace, queen, ten, and the knave 
 turned up on your right, lead the queen, 
 and finesse the ten on return of suit. This 
 secures two tricks ; for if the queen falls to 
 the king first round, your ace and ten must 
 both make if led through or up to. 
 
 21. With king, queen, three small ones, 
 Difference you may either lead a small one, or begin with the king, and, 
 
 between > > 
 
 piaia^uitif ^ ^ P asses > proceed with your lowest, as the ace may have 
 been kept up by your adversaries requiring the lead after 
 the third round. (Observe the difference with plain suits, 
 in which, with the above-named cards, the king is always 
 led.) (6). 
 
 22. If your opponents are at the point of three, and you 
 have marked, perhaps, only one, lead trumps, and your best 
 
 TO strength- jf y OU h ave no honour : the obiect is to strengthen your 
 
 en partner. * J J 
 
 partner, and also to make him acquainted with your weak- 
 ness ; when, unless he should chance to hold two honours, 
 you cannot possibly save the game, it being most unlikely 
 that he should succeed in making ten tricks against two by 
 honours, which alone give your adversaries the victory. 
 
 23. With a very weak hand, and only two trumps say 
 queen and another lead the queen : she will be a strength- 
 ening card for your partner (22~). Leading the ace, if you 
 
 TWO rounds, hold it, and then a small one, insures two rounds. 
 
 The proper management of trumps during the progress 
 of the game will be explained as we advance, our present
 
 SECOND HAND. 35 
 
 object being to show the general rules for playing the four 
 hands in succession. 
 
 &econtr ^antr, 
 
 24;. As a general maxim, play your lowest card second 
 hand, being careful not to destroy the tenace you may hold 
 in any other suit by so doing. This is easily understood ; 
 as, for instance, with 
 
 25. Ace, king, knave, play the king second hand, by Ace, king 
 
 . . knave. 
 
 which you preserve the tenace ; as when the suit is returned 
 by left-hand adversary, you must make three tricks, which 
 you could not have done had you put on your lowest the 
 knave if the queen had been on your left (3). 
 
 26. With ace, queen, ten, put on the queen for a similar 
 reason, viz. the chance of making a trick with the ten. 
 
 27. King, queen, ten, put on queen with the same object. 
 
 28. With queen, knave, nine, put on the knave (9). 
 
 29. Put on the lowest of a sequence. This has the ad- ^^ 
 vantage of giving your partner direct information always a 
 most desirable object as he knows to a certainty that you 
 
 do not hold the next inferior card to the one you play ; and 
 also shows him. that, if you win with the queen, the king is 
 not on his right hand. 
 
 30. With ace, king, and others, 
 put on one of the honours, unless 
 very strong in trumps, when you may 
 put on a small one, with the hope that 
 your partner may hold third or fourth 
 best. This is always a great risk, a
 
 36 
 
 SECOND HAND. 
 
 su * t being so frequently ruffed third round, and gives also 
 your adversary the opportunity of making a small trump. 
 The first round may also be won by your opponents, in 
 which case you lose two tricks. 
 
 31. With ace, queen, and others, 
 put on the lowest. If the lead is 
 from king, and your partner wins 
 with the knave, you secure three 
 tricks, remaining with ace, queen 
 over king.* 
 
 32. With ace, knave, and another, if the king is led, do 
 not take it ; throw a small one, and keep your ace for the 
 queen, which is almost sure to be on your right (6) ; your 
 knave then wins the third round, and you make two tricks. 
 
 33. With ace, knave, ten, one 
 other, if in trumps, you may put on 
 the ten with a fair expectation of win- 
 ning the first trick, because in trumps 
 it is right to lead a small one from 
 king, queen, and others (21). But 
 in plain suits the king is always led 
 (6). If, therefore, a small plain card is led, put on the small 
 one, as king or queen must be behind you, and your ten 
 would be sacrificed without any advantage gained. 
 
 * In all these cases, where three tricks are allowed to be secured, we of 
 course infer that the suit is not trumped. This will show the expediency of 
 getting out the trumps before you lead the suit for the third time. 
 
 There is also another exception to the general rule of putting an honour 
 on an honour second hand, viz. if you hold ace, and the knave is led, do not 
 cover it with the ace unless you also hold the queen, when the king cannot be 
 on your right (1). The knave is never led from king knave.
 
 SECOND HAND. 37 
 
 34. With king and others, do not put the king on queen Kin s ana 
 led, as this lead has probably come from queen, knave, nine 
 
 (9). If the ten is in your partner's hand, you must make one 
 trick at any rate ; because if left-hand adversary does not 
 put on his ace second round, the ten wins ; if he does put it 
 on, your king is safe to win the third trick. If ace and ten 
 are both with left-hand adversary, you cannot make a trick 
 in the suit by any manner of play. 
 
 35. With ace, ten, and another, in the 
 same manner pass the queen; and should 
 your partner fortunately hold the king, 
 you make three tricks in the suit. You 
 must here particularly note, that if the 
 queen wins, the king must be with your 
 left-hand adversary ; consequently it would 
 be folly to finesse your ten in the second 
 round. 
 
 36. You will always be perfectly justified in passing an 
 honour, if by so doing a fair probability is offered of esta- 
 blishing a long suit. A case will be given. 
 
 37. Many players differ as to the expediency of putting King, one. 
 on king second hand if he is single guarded. I think the 
 soundest play is decidedly to do so, it being two to one 
 against left-hand adversary having ace. Should he hold 
 queen, and his partner led from ace, they make two tricks to 
 
 a certainty if you keep back the king. 
 
 38. With queen and one other, put on the small one. Queen, one. 
 Putting on the queen would expose your weakness, and your 
 opponents would be sure to finesse against you. Should the 
 
 E
 
 38 THIRD HAND. 
 
 lead be from trumps, and the ace or king has been turned 
 
 up on your right, you may in that case put her on. 
 Knave, one. 39. With knave and one other, put on the small one, 
 
 unless you wish your partner to lead trumps, when put on 
 
 the knave. 
 Ten, two 40. With ten and two others, put on the ten second 
 
 others. r 
 
 round ; by so doing you may enable your partner to keep 
 the best card in his hand for third round. 
 
 Ejjtrti $atttr. 
 
 Success depends greatly on the skilful management of the 
 cards in the third hand. Finessing is more general and more 
 practicable in this hand than in any other, in which the fine 
 player has the best and most frequent opportunities of dis- 
 playing his knowledge of the game ; and great results may 
 be expected from superior talent. He will never forget his 
 partner's original lead, and note carefully the cards that fall 
 to it. He will show his judgment and subtle expertness by 
 returning his partner's leads, or by a timely change of suits. 
 From his partner's first lead he may draw conclusions as to 
 his probable strength by comparison with his own hand, and 
 decide whether it will be most advisable to endeavour to 
 make the most of his own cards, or to forego his own chances 
 of success, and trust to his partner's power and skill. 
 
 41. Win with the lowest of a sequence, and return the 
 highest. 
 
 42. The state of the scores must be your guide as to 
 how far you may venture on finessing (page 23). It would
 
 THIRD HAND. 
 
 39 
 
 be most unjustifiable, with a weak hand and a low score, 
 imminently to risk the game for the sorry purpose of gratify- 
 ing your vanity by an ostentatious exhibition of under-play. 
 
 With ace, queen, four or five of 
 a suit, put on the queen ; if she wins, 
 return the ace immediately, remem- 
 bering that the commanding card of 
 partner's lead should never be re- 
 tained. It is evident from this, that 
 if third hand plays ace first round, 
 he cannot hold queen also. 
 
 43. If, after the first round, you remain with 
 queen, ten, against king, knave, you may safely 
 venture to finesse the ten; because, second player 
 not having put on king second round, it is an 
 equal chance that your partner holds it. Your 
 ten, therefore, wins the trick if the knave is not 
 in fourth hand ; but it is equally probable that 
 he may be in second hand. 
 
 44. Never take your partner's queen with ace ; as, al- 
 though she may be taken by king in fourth hand, it would 
 be very injudicious to expend two honours in securing one 
 trick ; added to which, you throw away the command of the 
 remaining cards in the suit. 
 
 45. Your partner leads knave, take it with ace if you Knave led, 
 
 * ' f ace in hand. 
 
 have it (1), unless you also hold ten, when you may pass it, 
 reasonably expecting to gain a trick by finessing ten, should 
 the opportunity offer.
 
 40 THIRD HAND. 
 
 
 
 46. With ace, knave, and others, pass your partner's ten 
 with a similar ulterior view. 
 Ace and two 47. With ace and two small ones you ought certainly to 
 
 small ones, 
 
 ?n Vt nfne ead " a ^ ow tne n i ne to pass, if led by your partner : because the 
 nine is never led, except, first, when highest of a poor suit ; 
 second, from king, knave, ten, nine ; third, from quint to a 
 king. In the second case, if the queen is not on your left 
 it must win. In the third case it is ipso facto a winning 
 card. In the first case, it is evident that you can win but 
 one trick, which your ace secures second round. You conse- 
 quently run no risk with the above-named cards in passing 
 partner's nine. 
 
 48. With king, knave, and two others, finesse the knave, 
 and return a small one. 
 
 4-9. With queen, ten, and others, play queen first round, 
 and finesse ten on second. 
 
 50. With king, knave, and another, put 
 on the king, and return the knave ; this will 
 probably strengthen partner's hand ; if he 
 led from queen, your knave draws the ace 
 if on his left, and his queen is secure. 
 There is also another way of playing these 
 three cards, viz. to your partner's lead 
 putting on the knave, and if it wins, returning a small one, 
 when, if your partner has led from ace, you make three 
 tricks, remaining with king for third round. 
 
 51. Holding king and others, if your partner leads the 
 ace, and then the queen, take her with your king, and return
 
 FOURTH HAND. 41 
 
 a small one, otherwise he will not be able to pursue his suit : 
 you must be aware that he holds the knave also (10). 
 
 52. Always return your partner's lead, particularly in Equivocal 
 trumps, unless you have strong reasons for not doing so : as, partner. 
 for instance, if he leads an equivocal card nine or ten ; if 
 
 you feel confident that the game can be won, or a greater 
 number of tricks made by playing your own cards, regardless 
 of his hand. 
 
 JFourtfj ^antJ. 
 
 53. It seems almost needless to say that you must win the Difference 
 
 between 
 
 trick as cheaply as possible ; and if you cannot beat the third * hird and 
 
 fourth hand. 
 
 hand, throw the most useless card you have to it. Mark 
 this difference between the third and fourth hand, with the 
 former you win with the lowest of a sequence ; fourth hand 
 win with the highest. This is done to keep your adversaries 
 in the dark. 
 
 54. If you have a decidedly weak hand, and the third weak hand, 
 hand shows poverty in the suit led by his partner, by putting 
 
 on eight or nine, and you win the trick, it is much better to 
 play back to this third weak hand by returning his partner's 
 lead than to open one of your own weak suits. This is the 
 most likely way of putting the lead into your partner's hand, 
 which, under the circumstances, ought to be your principal 
 object. It gives him useful information, and he will then 
 make the most of his own cards. If you open a weak suit, 
 he will fancy you strong in it, return it, and give the lead 
 again to his adversaries.
 
 FOURTH HAND. 
 
 55. With ace, knave, and others, 
 if the king is led, pass it ; should 
 the suit be continued, you make two 
 tricks to a certainty, which you 
 could not have done had you taken 
 the king (32).
 
 attti (Eontiuct o! tfje ffiame. 
 
 HAVING made yourself thoroughly acquainted and con- 
 versant with the foregoing rules and maxims, you must 
 proceed to learn their application in the progress of the 
 game : become acquainted with their exceptions, so that 
 you may at once know when they may and ought to be 
 departed from. This brings us to what is called " under- 
 play," or the " back game," which consists in keeping back 
 the best card to deceive your adversaries as to its real 
 position, with various other artifices employed to mystify 
 your opponents. 
 
 Under-play is a manoeuvre a knowledge of which in the importance 
 
 of the know- 
 
 game of whist is of vital importance. It is one which the l ed r ge j fun ' 
 experienced player, like a skilful general, is constantly prac- 
 tising, and tells fearfully against the uninitiated. As long 
 as you remain ignorant of its principles, the consequences 
 must be disastrous and fatal. 
 
 It is a common but unwise expression as leading to 
 hurtful conclusions that " cards will beat their makers." 
 The individual who adopts this as his motto will never be- 
 come an accomplished player, evidently leaving all to blind 
 chance, trusting solely to fortune for success. But the fair
 
 44 PROGRESS AND CONDUCT 
 
 goddess does not remove her bandage to prosper fools. Her 
 favours are indiscriminately distributed. The indolent and 
 ignorant invidiously believe that the successful owe all their 
 advantages to her smiles and partiality. Not so. They are 
 the result of their own acquired knowledge and skill. For- 
 tune will always appear to attend upon those who best know 
 how to profit by her gifts, well illustrated by the old adage, 
 that " the winds and the waves are mostly in favour of the 
 ablest navigators." I cannot believe the odds on the side of 
 good players so inconsiderable as some writers state them to 
 be. I am firmly convinced that there are more games lost 
 by downright bad play than through bad cards. No one 
 who does not choose to take the trouble really to learn the 
 game has any business at the whist-table. It is a wretched 
 killing of time, and shows a miserably weak intellect, that 
 can find amusement in idly pitching about a table pieces of 
 painted pasteboard. A man of this stamp should confine 
 himself to playing " beggar my neighbour" with his grand- 
 mother. 
 
 certain ad- ^6. Under-play can be more frequently practised with 
 trumps? m certain advantage in trumps than in plain suits. You may 
 indeed feel quite satisfied that you will profit more by not 
 winning with the ace first or second round, but curbing 
 your impatience by waiting for the third. The advan- 
 tage to yourself arid partner is immense, securing the lead 
 after the third round of trumps ; should either of you com- 
 mand a long suit, success will most certainly crown your 
 forbearance. The following example will prove the asser- 
 tion.
 
 First round : 
 C leads knave of 
 trumps, B plays 
 three, D four, A 
 throws deuce. 
 
 Second round : 
 C leads queen of 
 trumps, B plays 
 six, D seven, A 
 throws another 
 small one. 
 
 CASE 56. 
 
 FIVE BY CARDS AGAINST Two BY HONOURS. 
 DIAMONDS TB 
 
 Third round: 
 C leads king of 
 hearts, B small 
 one, D small one, 
 A trumps with 
 small one, and 
 leads ace of 
 trumps; remain- 
 
 der all fall to it. 
 A then plays a 
 small club, B 
 wins with queen 
 and returns a 
 spade (98). A 
 makes seven 
 tricks in the suit.
 
 OF THE GAME. 47 
 
 Supposing that you are dealer, and that you turn up the A B partners 
 
 * against C D. 
 
 deuce of diamonds. You find in your hand the ace, with 
 two more small ones ; ace, king, knave, seven, spades ; ace, 
 one small club. Your left-hand adversary has king, queen, 
 knave of trumps, with a long suit in hearts. With the view 
 of establishing his long suit, he will lead a trump ; throw 
 your deuce to it : he will lead another trump ; let him have 
 that also : he will now, being uncertain as to where the ace 
 lies, probably lead a heart; trump it with your remaining 
 small one, and lead your ace : his king must fall to it, and, if 
 trumps were equally divided, they will all be exhausted at 
 the same time. You now lead your small club, hoping your under-piay ; 
 
 securing lead 
 
 partner may make second best : if so, you on return set the after third 
 
 r J ' J ' round of 
 
 lead again, and most probably make all your spades. You trum P 8 - 
 will thus score five by cards, against two by honours. The 
 reason for leading the small club is plain enough. If you 
 lead off all your spades, and leave your ace and small club to 
 the last, the right-hand adversary will not allow your partner 
 the chance of making his queen, but will put on his king 
 second hand and make him. This would not only save the 
 game, but enables your opponents to score their two by 
 honours. 
 
 57. If you hold ace, king, and a small one of left-hand Ace, king, 
 
 and small 
 
 adversary's lead, and his partner puts on a low card, say nine, ? ne ? fl d eft " 
 win the trick with the ace, and return the small one : your sary>s lead - 
 left-hand adversary will probably not put on his queen 
 from which he doubtless led believing the king to be with 
 your partner, who consequently makes his knave, and your 
 king remains for the third round. 
 
 F
 
 48 PROGRESS AND CONDUCT 
 
 58. Even with ace, king, four trumps, it would be un- 
 wise to win both first and second trick. Keep your king 
 card for the third round, no matter where the lead comes 
 from ; always recollecting to ensure two rounds if it ema- 
 nated from your partner. 
 Ace, four 59. If at the end of the game, trumps being all played, 
 
 small ones. ... -. n ,, . 
 
 you remain with ace and tour small ones of a suit not yet 
 led, and your adversary leads the king and queen, let them 
 both pass, and you will probably make three tricks in the 
 suit ; whereas if you had played your ace first round, you 
 could have made but one. 
 
 60. With four trumps and a long suit to bring in, do not 
 allow yourself to be forced, even should certain winning 
 cards be led. Throw loose cards to adversaries' winning 
 cards. The moment your partner gets the lead, he will, if 
 he knows any thing of the game, lead trumps to get them out 
 
 Declining of your way, and you establish your long suit. Mark well 
 the fall of the cards in the following example : spades 
 
 A B partners trumps. You hold ace, knave, ten, deuce; a long suit in 
 
 against C D. 
 
 clubs, ace, king, queen, two small ones ; no hearts, and four 
 diamonds. Your partner dealt, and turned up queen. Your 
 right-hand adversary leads the king of hearts* throw a small 
 diamond ; he leads the ace of hearts throw another dia- 
 mond ; bent on forcing you, he leads another heart throw 
 again a diamond : your partner wins this third round of 
 
 * Having been accustomed to dash, with intense satisfaction, a small 
 trump on a winning card, the uninstructed player sees with dismay his partner 
 pass an ace or a king, and even reluctantly admits the expediency. This is 
 one of the many prejudices which experience expels from his mind.
 
 First round : 
 D leads king of 
 hearts, A throws 
 small diamond, 
 C small heart, B 
 small heart. 
 
 Second round: 
 D plays ace of 
 hearts, A small 
 diamond, C small 
 heart, B small 
 heart. 
 
 CASE 60. ^^^ 4L , 
 
 ESTABLISHING SUIT WITH FOUB TRUMPS. 
 SPADES TRUMPS. 
 
 Third round : 
 D plays small 
 heart, A dia- 
 mond, C ten of 
 hearts, B wins 
 with queen and 
 plays queen of 
 trumps, D puts 
 
 on king, A wins 
 with ace, and 
 
 plays in succes- 
 sion knave and 
 ten of trumps, 
 draws them all, 
 and establishes 
 his suit of clubs.
 
 OF THE GAME. 51 
 
 hearts, and leads his queen of trumps his best, If right- 
 hand adversary puts on king, your ace wins the first trick ; 
 you then lead the knave, which brings down four more 
 trumps ; and now your ten draws three more. Your long 
 suit of clubs is now established, as you remain with the 
 lead and the long trump. 
 
 In the descriptions here given of the method of playing 
 different hands, it is not intended that the student should 
 cherish in his memory the exact position of every card ; for, 
 so endless are the ever -varying accidents of this interesting: Application 
 
 . of given 
 
 game, that a thousand years might elapse, and not once find rules to 
 them similarly disposed. The object is to assist the elucida- P racticc - 
 tion of the principles of the game, convince him of their 
 truth, and give him correct notions. Having once cleared 
 away the mists of doubt and prejudice which obscured his 
 judgment, the induction is simple enough. Guided by and 
 acting on his knowledge of fixed principles, he must arrive 
 at just and happy conclusions, and will be able successfully 
 to apply the given rules in a particular case to general prac- 
 tice. 
 
 61. From the last example you learn this fixed and im- important 
 
 maxim. 
 
 portant rule, viz. " whenever your partner refuses to trump 
 a certain winning card, play a trump the moment you get 
 the lead, and the highest you have in your hand." 
 
 62. It therefore follows, that if your adversary refuses to 
 trump your winning cards, by no means lead trumps (the 
 
 great and most common error of all beginners), but continue Forcing ad- 
 forcing him, as long as possible, with the best cards of the dining a 
 suit he renounces. Always bear in mind that refusing to
 
 52 PROGRESS AND CONDUCT 
 
 ruff, so far from showing weakness in trumps, is the strongest 
 proof possible of great power, it being an established maxim, 
 " never to trump early in the game if strong in trumps, but 
 always if weak;" in the latter case the object being to make a 
 small trump the moment an opportunity offers, which would 
 otherwise be useless. Leading trumps when your adversary 
 refuses to ruff is therefore playing his game. 
 
 Passing 63. If the queen of trumps is led on your right, and you 
 
 trumps. hold king and five small ones, let her pass, because the 
 chance is equal that your partner holds the ace. If your 
 opponent has led from queen four trumps, it is also an equal 
 chance that the ace lies single either with his or your part- 
 ner ; if with the former, her loss is more severely felt, as two 
 honours will be expended in the gain of one trick. 
 
 64. Supposing you have ace, king, queen, of a plain suit, 
 eight other cards of no value, and the ten and nine of trumps, 
 lead off your ace, and follow with the ten of trumps, because 
 weak hand it is 5 to 2 in favour of your partner holding either king, 
 trumps. queen, or knave of trumps (see Odds). Should he be so for- 
 tunate as to have both king and knave, he will pass your ten ; 
 this forces the ace from your right, if the queen is on your 
 left. The moment your partner gets the opportunity, he will 
 return your original lead ; you win and play back your nine 
 of trumps, the capture of adversary's queen is certain. 
 Passing 65. If the queen is led on your right, and you hold either 
 
 queen with 
 
 ace or king, ace, ten, or king, ten, and another, let her pass: should the 
 ace or king be in your partner's hand, you make three tricks 
 in the suit. The queen having been led most probably from 
 queen, knave, nine, you have the finesse of the ten on the
 
 CASE 68. PLAYING FOB THE ODD TRICK, WITH FIVE TRUMPS AND SINGLE CARD. 
 HEARTS TRUMPS. 
 
 If leader, begin with the four of clubs. 
 
 If third player, and D trumps your partner's winning card, do not over-trump, but 
 throw small diamond (81).
 
 OF THE GAME. 55 
 
 return of the suit, and your ace or king wins the third 
 trick (35). 
 
 66. It is easy to establish a loner suit if you are strong in Long suit 
 
 J J and weak in 
 
 trumps, in which case you of course lead them at once. If trumps- 
 weak in trumps, show your partner your suit first, and he 
 will then endeavour to get the trumps out for you. 
 
 67. Do not force your partner if weak in trumps your- Erroneous 
 self, as it will leave you both exposed to the full power of 
 
 your enemies. To this general rule there are, however, 
 exceptions, viz. : 
 
 1st, If your partner has evidently led for a ruff. You 
 may infer this if he leads ace, and then a small one of a The force. 
 plain suit, and you have several of the suit yourself. If 
 you are weak in this suit, he must have led from ace 
 and several others. 
 
 2d, If he does not himself play trumps, having been 
 once forced, at him again. 
 
 3d, If superiority in trumps is evidently against you. 
 
 4th, Should there be a probability of establishing a 
 see-saw. 
 
 5th, If you are playing for the odd trick only. This 
 is a fitting opportunity for showing when it is right to 
 lead a single card. 
 
 68. If you want only the odd trick, and you are leader when to 
 
 . i n i i 11 n lead a single 
 
 with one small card, ace, knave, and three small trumps card, 
 four small cards of third suit, and three valueless cards of 
 fourth suit, lead your single card. If it is won by fourth 
 player, he, guessing from his own hand that you have led 
 from a single card, will either lead trumps, or through your
 
 56 PROGRESS AND CONDUCT 
 
 weak suits ; in which case it is probable that you and your 
 partner gain the tenace, he in one of the plain suits, you in 
 trumps, 
 odd trick 69. If w ith the above hand you are third player, and 
 
 with single 
 
 card. your partner leads the ace to your single card, and then 
 
 plays the king, should he by chance be trumped on your 
 right, do not over-trump, but throw away a low card of your 
 weakest suit ; because this makes your partner last player in 
 the next round always an advantage, and may give him 
 tenace in your weak suits. 
 
 70. If you know that your partner has the last trump in, 
 and you hold ace, king, and three or four small cards of a 
 suit not yet played, if you lead, play a small card of this long 
 
 partner left suit, it being an equal chance that your partner has a better 
 
 trump. card than the fourth player. If he does win this first round, 
 you most probably gain five or six tricks in the suit ; whereas 
 had you led ace and king, it is 2 to 1 against your making 
 more than two tricks, because it is 2 to 1 against your part- 
 ner holding queen (see Odds). The lead once taken from 
 you, after second round, you cannot get it again, and the 
 remaining small cards are consequently useless. By the first 
 method of playing these cards your risk is very trifling for a 
 considerable contingent advantage. 
 
 Long trump 71. At the end of the game, being left with a thirteenth 
 
 and thir- 
 teenth card. carc [ a losing card, and the long trump, lead the losing 
 
 card, as it may perchance be passed on your left, and your 
 partner may win with an inferior card. If you play your 
 thirteenth card first, your adversary will certainly not pass 
 your losing card, there being only two cards left to be played.
 
 OF THE GAME. 57 
 
 72. Be ever most particular in noting the cards your 
 partner throws when declining a ruff: should his discard be Discard. 
 a low one, never lead up to it, as you may be quite certain 
 
 that it is from his weakest suit. If he discards the best of a 
 suit, it is a clear intimation that the next best are in his hand 
 also. If he discards a second best, he has no more of the 
 suit. In both cases he wants trumps to be led. 
 
 73. Do not be too anxious to trump second hand early Trumping 
 in the game. Never, in fact, do so, unless very weak in " 
 trumps, but let your partner have the chance of winning 
 
 with second or third best. A strong example has been given 
 (60), showing the propriety and immense advantage gained 
 by allowing even two certain winning cards to pass when you 
 are strong in trumps. The case would be exactly similar if 
 your partner had the long suit to bring in. 
 
 74. Suppose diamonds trumps, and to a club led your Five tricks 
 partner throws a heart; his hand must be composed of ieadingking 
 
 * up to ace. 
 
 trumps and spades : you win the first trick, but being weak 
 in trumps dare not force him (67). Should you hold king, 
 knave, one small one of spades, and your partner has queen 
 and five small spades, by leading the king you may make five 
 tricks in the suit. Your king falls to adversary's ace ; he 
 may lead trumps, which your partner commanding exhausts : 
 when you get the lead again, play the knave of spades, and 
 then a small one up to partner's queen ; he will make every 
 card in the suit (see note to 31). In all these examples, 
 given to show the necessity of clearly understanding the na- 
 ture of a force, you will also see the fatal result which must 
 overthrow you if you injudiciously force your partner with-
 
 58 PROGRESS AND CONDUCT 
 
 out the requisite strength in trumps to justify it, as he will 
 of course conclude that you hold at least four, and play ac- 
 cordingly (67). 
 
 Long suit 75. You cannot possibly expect to establish a long suit 
 
 trumps w ^k ^ our trum P s only, if you take a force, or over-trurnp 
 early in the game. Seeing the trumps fall from your adver- 
 saries ought to give you additional confidence, as you are 
 strengthened in proportion as they are weakened by every 
 one drawn from them. 
 Partner's 76. Be most careful never to obstruct your partner's suit 
 
 suit not to be 
 
 obstructed, by keeping the commanding card in your own hand (42). 
 This requires great attention; but a little calculation will 
 prove the truth of the maxim, and practice will soon con- 
 vince you of the expediency of acting up to it. For in- 
 stance : 
 
 77. Should you hold queen, ten, one other of partner's 
 strong suit,* and you have to play, lead the queen, and then 
 the ten, which will leave the course open to him, and he may 
 make four or five tricks. If you lead a small one, keeping 
 your queen for the third round, she stops the suit, and the 
 remainder become loose cards in partner's hand. 
 
 cautions 78 jf partner commences with the ace of his strong suit. 
 
 against ob- 
 struction. o wn i cn y OU hold queen, ten, nine, and a small one, play 
 
 the nine to his ace, the ten to his king; and your queen 
 winning the third round, you lead back the small one. If 
 you had thrown the small one to his ace, you would have lost 
 one trick by obstructing his suit, as you must have won the 
 
 * The suit not having been led by either adversary, it is clearly your 
 partner's strongest.
 
 CASE 78. HBAHTS WERE TRUMPS. 
 
 Showing how to avoid obstructing your partner's strong suit.
 
 OF THE GAME. 61 
 
 fourth round, when, as in case 77, the remaining cards are 
 useless. 
 
 79. If your partner leads ace, king of his strong suit, you 
 having queen, ten, one, must play your ten to his ace, and 
 queen to his king ; you may in this way gain four tricks, and 
 risk the loss of only one. It is easy to see, that if your op- 
 ponents have but four cards of this suit equally divided be- 
 tween them, they must all fall to your partner's ace and king; 
 and not being obstructed by your queen, he proceeds un- 
 molested with the remainder. 
 
 80. The great advantage of forcing a strong hand has 
 been sufficiently exemplified. It now becomes necessary to 
 guard the young player against the too-common and ruinous 
 error of forcing both adversaries with the same suit. One 
 moment's reflection being sufficient to expose this egregious 
 folly, it is really most surprising that so many fall head- 
 long into it. Surely no great effort of intellect is required unpardon- 
 
 able error in 
 
 to take in this single fact, that leading a suit renounced a r ^" s two 
 by both adversaries enables one to throw away loose cards, 
 while the other makes his small trumps ; and that conse- 
 quently the former, through your senseless proceeding, is 
 put in a position to trump your best suit. Grasp this im- 
 portant maxim at once, and never lose sight of it. 
 
 81. It being frequently of much consequence to make Making 
 
 * partner last 
 
 your partner last player in any suit about to be led, this de- ortant im " 
 sirable object is obtained by declining, circumspectively, to 
 over-trump right-hand adversary. If partner holds tenace, 
 your judicious forbearance makes it secure (68). 
 
 82. Now that you fully understand the impropriety of
 
 62 PROGRESS AND CONDUCT 
 
 forcing your partner when you are numerically weak your- 
 self (67), you readily draw the gratifying conclusion, that he 
 is moderately strong in trumps himself if he decides on fore- 
 Detecting ing you. Some little judgment is, however, necessary to de- 
 ject in lead- c [ft e whether it is his intention to force you. His real object 
 
 ing to a re- J J 
 
 nounce. - g j n f erre( j f r om the card he leads. If he plays a high card 
 of the suit you renounce, he may not wish you to ruff; if 
 he leads a low one, you may conclude that such is his 
 intention. 
 
 Leading 83. When your adversary refuses to ruff, mark well the 
 
 king card of * 
 
 d?s7a r r S d ry?s car< ^ ke tnrows away ; and if you have the commanding card 
 of that suit, lead it before you proceed with your force. 
 
 fmm^a" 1 ^* ^ e con duct of the game should invariably be regu- 
 
 guide.' lated by your strength in trumps : great power in this re- 
 spect authorising you to play a bold dashing game ; weak- 
 ness compelling you to abstain from all rash ventures, and to 
 act with extreme caution and circumspection. 
 
 importance 85. If you are weak, never risk the loss of the fifth trick : 
 
 of fifth trick. J 
 
 on it may depend the fate of the game and of the rubber. 
 Recollect that three by cards and two by honours make 
 game ; consequently, if your adversaries hold three honours, 
 and you can secure but four tricks, it is all over with you. 
 Let all your efforts then be directed to saving the game, 
 effected by making sure of the fifth trick. 
 
 command- 86. If strong in trumps, and your partner ruffs a suit of 
 
 partner's which you hold the commanding card, force him with small 
 
 renounce. 
 
 ones of this suit, keeping your commanding card back ; it 
 will prove as valuable as a trump at the end of the game, 
 and perplexing to your opponents.
 
 CASE 89. RUFFING WITH BEST THUMP. 
 CLUBS TBUMPS. 
 
 First round: D leads six of spades, A trumps with ace, C ten of spades, 
 P) small diamond. 
 
 Second round: A leads three of trumps, C nine, B wins with knave, 
 D four of trumps. 
 
 B wins third and fourth round with queen and ten of diamonds.
 
 OF THE GAME. 65 
 
 87. If the remaining trumps are between you and your 
 partner, and you hold besides only one or two loose cards, 
 play a trump that will put the lead into your partner's hand, 
 to enable him to play his own game. 
 
 88. Stop your adversary's long suit without a moment's 
 hesitation, even when obliged to ruff with your best trump. 
 A double advantage is obtained by this apparent sacrifice : 
 you take from one opponent the lead, from the other the 
 opportunity of throwing away loose cards. 
 
 89. Supposing at the end of the game you are left with 
 the best trump and one small one say ace and deuce and 
 
 two loose cards ; your partner, you know, holds the next best Ruffing with 
 say knave ; your adversary a suit of which you have none : 
 trump with your ace, and lead the small one to your part- 
 ner's knave. This may give you four tricks and the game. 
 Had you trumped with your small one, you would have been 
 compelled either to lead your ace, when your partner's knave 
 would have fallen to it, or one of your losing cards : you 
 could not in this way possibly make more than three tricks. 
 
 90. Do not be induced to change your suit merely be- caution 
 cause the first and second round have been unsuccessful, changing 
 
 r~\ suit - 
 
 Continue with the suit; you may give your partner an op- 
 portunity of trumping and over-trumping. Nothing can be 
 worse than opening a fresh weak suit in the middle of a 
 game (14). 
 
 91. Each player is left with four cards. You hold two TWO trumps 
 
 T 1 1 ^ fT l ^ With two 
 
 trumps and two thirteenth cards. You know that your op- thirteenth 
 
 r cards. 
 
 ponents hold the other two remaining trumps, superior to 
 yours : lead one of your trumps ; because if the two with
 
 66 PROGRESS AND CONDUCT 
 
 adversaries are divided between them, they both fall to your 
 lead ; you then ruff whatever suit they lead, and your two 
 thirteenth cards must of course make. By this mode of play 
 you secure three tricks, 
 when to 92. When dealer, play the turn-up card as soon as you 
 
 play turn-up 
 
 card. can without detriment to your opponents' lead ; it tends to 
 
 deceive them. Withhold it as long as possible from your 
 partner's lead ; this gives him information as to your proba- 
 ble strength. 
 
 object in 93. A thirteenth card is generally led to get the best 
 
 leading * 
 
 card teenth trum P out f partner's hand, intimating a wish to be led up 
 to. Therefore in a similar case put on your best or none. 
 
 94. As one of your primary objects will always be to 
 establish tenace, your great aim should clearly be directed to 
 defeat this manoeuvre with the enemy. A little subtlety will 
 be requisite. 
 
 TO stop ad- 95. If your left-hand adversary leads a suit, and discon- 
 
 versary*B . . , . . 
 
 finesse. tmues it to show his partner that he wants to finesse, your 
 best chance of defeating his object is to lead the suit through 
 him yourself: this may induce him to alter his plans, dread- 
 ing a ruff on the third round. Thus : if he has led king, and 
 changed his suit to show that he holds ace, knave also, by 
 leading the suit yourself he will probably forego his intended 
 finesse, put on the ace, and you may make your queen (3). 
 96. You may occasionally, with advantage, throw away 
 
 Deluding a high card to adversary's lead, should you wish to induce 
 
 discard. 
 
 him to discontinue the suit : but this ruse, though very suc- 
 cessful against the young player, must seldom be attempted 
 with experienced practitioners. It must at any rate be done
 
 CASE 99. THROWING AWAY A WINNING CARD. 
 CLUBS TRUMPS. 
 
 First round : D leads queen of diamonds, A nine of spades, C diamond, 
 B diamond. 
 
 Second round : D six of hearts, A three of hearts, C ten of hearts, B knave. 
 
 Third round : B nine of diamonds, D trumps, A ten of spades, C spade. 
 
 Fourth round: D small heart, A ace of hearts, and his king and knave of spades 
 win the two next rounds.
 
 OF THE GAME. 69 
 
 without a moment's hesitation, or your design will most cer- 
 tainly be detected. 
 
 97. Failing trumps to establish a long suit, you should f n tai "f 
 keep in hand as long as possible the ace or king card of any 
 other plain suit, to endeavour to get the lead when trumps 
 
 are out. 
 
 98. Do not immediately return your partner's lead if you First trick 
 
 won with 
 
 win with the queen ; the ace or king must be against you (5). i ueen - 
 
 99. A case might occur in which it would be expedient 
 to throw away one of several winning cards rather than a low 
 one. If, for instance, your adversaries are in possession of 
 the only remaining trump, and you hold three or four win- 
 ning cards of one suit, with ace, one small one of another, Throwing 
 
 away win- 
 
 should the adversaries lead a suit of which you have none, nin s cards. 
 throw one of your winning cards; because, should your 
 right-hand adversary subsequently lead through your ace, 
 you, having retained the small one, can pass it, your partner 
 having an equal chance with third player of winning the 
 trick. If this fortunately happens, he may lead a forcing 
 card, draw the long trump, and your ace brings in your 
 winning cards. Had you thrown the small card, your part- 
 ner could not have obtained the lead, as your ace must have 
 been played second hand the long trump would not have 
 been drawn, your winning cards must have been sacrificed. 
 
 100. With ace, knave, and another of your partner's 
 lead, win with the ace and return the knave ; it gives the 
 opportunity of finessing. After winning with the ace, it is 
 good play to return the highest of any two remaining cards. 
 
 The examples given, if read with proper attention, ought
 
 70 PROGRESS AND CONDUCT OF THE GAME. 
 
 to be sufficient for all theoretical purposes. A more elabo- 
 rate treatise would only tend to produce weariness and con- 
 fusion. 
 
 I must refer those curious to see how far enthusiasm will 
 carry a votary in his comments on a cherished art or science, 
 to the writings of the celebrated Deschapelles. 
 
 The aspirant should, without delay, while the impressions 
 received from private study are fresh on the mind, proceed 
 to carry his theory into practice. 
 
 I can suggest no method by which this desirable object 
 
 can be so readily obtained, or by which instruction can be so 
 
 clearly conveyed, as playing dummy with two experienced 
 
 friends kindly willing to assist your endeavours. The im- 
 
 Advantage mense advantage of oral instruction will then be fully exem- 
 
 struction, plified ; the saving of labour and gain of time incalculable. 
 
 and of play- * 
 
 ing dummy. Q ne week under the auspices of such tutors ought to qualify 
 you for taking your seat at the ordinary game. In playing 
 dummy you will have no fresh rules to learn : they are 
 precisely the same as those already given, with the single 
 exception,* I believe, that dummy cannot revoke, though, of 
 course, his partner can.f One hand being exposed on the 
 table facilitates instruction amazingly. Your friends will 
 point out, and you cannot fail to observe, the importance of 
 certain leads : for instance, you must see the manifest ad- 
 vantage of leading through a strong hand up to a weak one ; 
 the folly of forcing two opposing hands ; the impossibility of 
 
 * Extremely doubtful. 
 
 f Dummy by many is allowed to be of the gentler sex : this is pre- 
 posterous. Who ever heard of a " silent lady !"
 
 INFERENCES. 71 
 
 establishing a long suit until trumps are exhausted ; and the 
 wisdom of not taking a force when strong in trumps yourself. 
 Dummy being equally liable with his partner to the 
 penalty for leading out of turn, a slight caution is necessary 
 on this point, as when taking dummy yourself you may at 
 times get confused, and, in your eagerness to lead, forget 
 who won the last trick. This is an oversight often com- 
 mitted even by old players. The constant correction is tire- 
 some and vexatious ; the penalty must be exacted. 
 
 Inferences. 
 
 IT may not, perhaps, be considered superfluous to close 
 this treatise with a synopsis of the inferences to be drawn 
 from the fall of certain cards ; for although they have been 
 pointed out in the " progress of the game^," still, by being 
 brought together, and thus detached, submitted to obser- 
 vation, they will become more strongly impressed on the 
 memory. 
 
 1st, If fourth hand wins with a high card, and then plays 
 one of less value, with which he could have won the trick, he 
 holds the intermediate cards. Ex. If he puts the ace on the 
 nine, and leads the knave, the king and queen are also in his 
 hand. 
 
 2d, If the leader plays king and stops, he also holds the 
 ace and knave (3). 
 
 3d, A player refusing to trump a winning card indicates 
 his wish to have trumps led (61).
 
 72 INFERENCES. 
 
 4th, Throwing a high card and then a low one expresses 
 the same wish. Ex. If to a winning card your partner drops 
 the queen, and to the next a small one, or drops first nine 
 and then eight, lead trumps directly. 
 
 5th, Trumping second hand early in the game indicates 
 great weakness. 
 
 6th, When your partner forces you, conclude that he 
 holds at least four trumps. 
 
 7th, If a high card is led, ace excepted, the next best is 
 in the same hand. Your own cards will correct inaccuracy 
 in this inference. 
 
 8th, Leading a high card followed by a low one indi- 
 cates weakness and a desire to ruff. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 LONDON : 
 FEINTED BT ROBSOti, LEVEY. AND FRAKKLYK, 
 
 Great .New Street and Fetter Lane.
 
 A 000 093 933 o