rm ess£NCM w wmsT. 1 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. ©ipitSvM. (imm¥ ^o.l2,'2'[ siieifA.n:.. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THE ESSENCE OF WHIST. W. H. HOGARTH. K -■ 1'^ Age cannot wither it, nor custom stale Its infinite variety. Atitony <5r= Cleopatra. COl'NRIGHT, l8S8, i-V \V. H. HOGA-KTH. RkS! ECTiri.I.V I)EIjICATF.D TO .M . j . BAIL E Y , Pkesident of The Caki.eton Ci.ib. r.RCKiKLVN, N. V., BV The Althok. PREFACE. IN preparing the second edition of " The Essence of Whist." the writer disclaims any attempt at originahty in theory or prac- tice of the modern game of Whist, but ha> simply endeavored to put in convenient and concise form for ready reference, the most approved and largely adopted general rules for play, as prescribed by the leading authors in their more technical works. CONTENTS. t-ijrmation or i aDie^ - - ~ 9 Cutting, - - - lo Cutting for Partners, - - - lo Cutting Out, - - - II Formation of Fresh Tables, - - ii Shuffling, - - - - 1-2 Cutting to the Dealer, - - 12 Dealing, - - - 13 The Turn-up Card, - - 15 Playing with the Wrong IS umber of Cards, 16 Leading out of Turn, - - - 17 Playing out of Turn, - - 18 Exposed and Separated Cards, 19 Cards Played in Error or not Played to a Trick, - - - 21 The Revoke, - - 22 Placing the Cards, - - 24 Looking at the Last Trick, 25 Scoring, - - - - 25 Incorrect or Imperfect Packs, - 27 Consultation by Partners, - - 27 Bystanders, - - 28 Dummy. - 28 L>uuble Dummy, , I TK Ok Wh/si" 29 First Hand, - - - 34 Second Hand, - - - 35 Third Hand, - - - 35 Fourth Hand, - - - 36* Command of Suits, - - 36 Discarding, - - - - 36 ; ■ ■ ' ! ; • i \ -^ V ; First Hand — From Ace, etc., - 39 From King, etc., - 40 From Queen, etc., - 41 From Knave, etc., 42 From Ten, etc., - 42 Second Hand — From Ace, etc. - - 42 From King, etc., - 44 From Queen, etc., 44 Third Hand, - - - - 46 Fourth Hand, - - - 50 Management of Trumps, - - 50 Returning your Partner's Lead of Trumps. 53 Asking or Calling for Trumps, - 54 Echo of the Call, - - - 55 Force a Strong Trump Hand of the Ad- versary, - - - - 56 Playing to the Board, - - 57 Coups, - - - - 57 Refusing to Win the Second Round of a Suit, - - - - 58 Declining to Draw the Losing Trump, 59 Refusing to Overtrump, - - 59 Throwing High Cards to Place the Lead, 60 Grand Coup, - - - 61 Conversation of the Game, - - 61 66 LAWS OF WHIST. PMATION OF TABLE. 1. If more than four candidates assemble, the players are selected by cutting ; those first in the room having in strictness the preference. The six lowest belong to the table; the foiir lowest play^the first rubber [vide Law 8). 2. Should less than six assemble, fresh candidates have the right of entry in the order of their arrival. 3. A table is full with six players. Should a seventh cut, or should a seventh arrive, he does not belong to the table {vide Law i). But, if one of the original six leaves, the seventh has the next right of entry. 4. A fresh candidate who desires to play the next rubber, must declare in before any of the players have cut, for the purpose ot com- mencing such rubber, or of cutting out. 5- In cutting, the ace is the kowest card. 6. All must cut from the same pack. 7. Should a placer expose more than one card in cutting, he must cut again. CUTTING FOR PARTNER? 8. Should the players have been selected by cutting (vide Law i), they cut again for partners. 9. In cutting for partners, the two highest play against the two lowest. The lowest has the deal and the choice of seats and cards ; lie must alude hy his first selection. If the two lowest cut cards of equal value, they cut again for deal, 10. If two players cut intermediate cards of equal value, those two cut again for part- ners. Exariiple : a three, two sixes and a knave are cut ; the two sixes cut again, and the lowest plays with the three. Thus, if the second cut consists of a king and a queen, the queen plays with the three. If at the second cut, a lower card than the three is cut, the three retains its privileges as the lowest {vide Law 9). 10 11. Jf three players cut cards of equal value, those three cut again. If the fourth cut the highest card, the two lowest of the new cut are partners. If the fourth cut the lowest card, lie is the dealer, and the two highest of the new cut are partners. CUTTING OUT. 12. At the end of a rubber, should any candidates be waiting to come in, the players who have played the greatest number of con- secutive rubbers are out. Should all have played an equal number, they cut to decide which are to go out. The highest are out. 13. If a player quits the table when it is not his turn to go out, only one of the other players can be called on to retire ; as only two players can enter at a time, if two of the original players wish to remain in. FORMATION OF FRESH TABLES. 14. A player who belongs to one table {vide Law I), has no right to enter another, if the required complement of players can be pro- cured from candidates who have not played. 15. Should a player belonging to one table cut into another, he belongs to the table at which he last played. 1 6. If a player leaves a table and so breaks it up, the remaining players have the prior right to him of entering any other table. ' SHUFFLING. 17. The pack must not be shuffled [a) below the table; nor (d) so as to expose the face of any card ; nor (c) during the play of the hand; nor (d) except the pack is new, by dealing it into packets, nor across the table. 18. Each player has a right to shuffle once only (a) prior to a deal; (^) prior to. a fresh deal [mde Law 23); and (c) before a fresh cut {vzd^ Law 22). 19. The dealer's partner must collect the cards of the dormant pack. He has the first right to shuffle that pack. 20. The dealer has a right to a final shuffle (notwithstanding Law 18). Should he ex- pose a card in shuffling, he may be required to re-shuffle. CUTTING TO THE DEALER. 21. In cutting to the dealer, not less than four cards must be cut from the top, and not 12 less than four must be left in the bottom pack- et. The player who has to cut, having once separated the pack, must abide by that cut. 22. If, in cutting to the dealer, or in re- uniting the separated packets, a card is ex- posed, or if there is any confusion of the cards, or doubt as to the place \Yhere the pack was separated, there must be a fresh cut. 23. When there is a fresh deal the same dealer deals again; when there is a mis-deal, tlie deal is forfeited to the adversaries. There must be a fresh deal if (a) during the deal, or during the play of a hand, the pack is found incorrect or imperfect {vide Law 73); if [d) during the deal, any card except the last is found to be faced in the pack. 24. If a card is exposed during the deal, the side not in fault have a right to look at it, and the option of calling a fresh deal (ex- cept as provided in Law 27). If a fresh deal does not take place the exposed card, cannot be called. 25. If the dealer happens to see the trump card during the deal, the adversaries may also see it, and may call a fresh deal. '3 26. ( Vide Law 27). It is a mis-deal (vide Law 23) if (^) the dealer shuffles after the pack is cut with his consent ; if [b) the dealer omits to have the pack cut, and the adversa- ries discover the error before the trump card is turned, and before looking at their cards ; if [c) the cards are not dealt in regular rota- tion, beginning with the player to the dealer's left ; if (d) the cards are not dealt one at a time, except that if two cards are dealt to- gether to the same hand, the dealer may rec- tify his error prior to dealing a third card ; if (f) the dealer counts the cards on the table or those undealt in his hand; if [f) the dealer places the turn-up card face downwards on one of the hands ; if [g) the trump card does not come in its regular order to the dealer, the pack being perfect ; if (h) any hand has less than thirteen cards, and any other hand the corresponding surplus, even though the hand has been partly played out. (If the other hands have not the corresponding sur- plus, Law 35 comes into operation.) 27. If the adversaries touch their cards during the deal, prior to the dealer's partner having done so, they lose their right to call a fresh deal (vide Law 24); and if the dealer commits any of the errors mentioned in Law 14 26, he does not lose the deal, but is entitled to deal over again. But, if during the deal a player touches his cards, the adversaries may afterwards do the same, without losing the benetit of a mis-deal, or their privilege of calling a fresh deal, should the occasion arise. 2S. If the adversaries interrupt the dealer (as by questioning the score, or asserting that it is not his deal, and fail to establish such claim), and the dealer commits any of the errors mentioned in Law^ 26, he does not lose his deal. 29. If the dealer deals out of turn, or with the wTong pack, he may be stopped before the trump card is turned ; but otherwise the deal stands good. 30. If a player takes his partner's deal, and mis-deals, the latter loses his deal, and the adversary next in rotation to the player who ou;:^ht to have dealt then deals. ^ t I UKIN-UP CARD. 31. ( Vide, also Law 26, paragraphs/ and ^.) The dealer is bound to leave the turn-up card face upwards on the table till it is his turn to play, when he may mix it wdth his other cards. After this no one has a right to be informed 15 what card was turned up, nor who dealt; but any player may be told what the trump suit is. 32. If the trump card is left on the table after the first trick is turned and quitted,. it is liable to be called. Note : this penalty is never enforced. 33. If the dealer takes the trump card into his hand before it is his turn to play, he may be required to show it ; if he shows a wrong card, that card may be called {vide Laws 43, 45). If he declares himself unable to recollect the trump card he may be required to play (a) his highest or (b) his lowest trump at any time during the hand {vide Law 75). - 34. If a player names the trump card dur- ing the play of the hand, he is liable to have {a) his highest or {0) his lowest trump called {vide Law 75). PLAYING WllH THE WRONG NUMBER OF CARDS. 35. Every player, before he plays, is bound to count to see that he holds thirteen cards. If a player plays to the first trick, holding less than thirteen cards, and the other players have their right number, the deal stands good. The player who has played with less 16 than thirteen cards, is as answerable for any revoke he may have made, as though the miss- ing card had been in his hand. He may search the other pack for it {vide Law 26, paragraph //, for the rule when the other players have not their right number of cards, and Laws 36, 49 and 50, for the rule respect- ing redundancies or deficiencies which ac- crue during the play, and Law 73, for the rule respecting imperfection of the pack). 36. If a player takes into the hand dealt to him, a card belonging to the other pack, the adversaries may call a fresh deal. L.-Ai.'iiNG OUT OF TURN. 37. ( Vide also Laws respecting playing out of turn, Nos. 41, 42.) If any player leads out of turn, the adversaries may call [vide Laws 43, 45) the card led in error; or they may call a suit {vide Laws 40 and 75) from the offender or his partner, when it is next the turn of that side to lead. It follows that if a player leads when it is his partner's turn, the adversaries can call a suit from the right player. If they allow him to lead as he pleases, the only penalty that remains is to call the card led in error. 38. If a player plays to an imperfect trick 17 the best card on the table, and then leads without waiting for his partner to play; or if a player having led leads again (one or more cards) without waiting for his partner to play, the partner may be required to win if he can, the hrst, or any other of the cards led. If the lead is thus given to the partner, the re- maining cards improperly played may be called {vide Laws 43, 45). 39. If a player leads out of turn, and the other three follow him, the trick is completed, and the error cannot be rectified. But if only the second or the second and third players have played to the false lead, their cards, on discovery of the mistake, may be taken back; and such cards cannot be called. The origi- nal offender (or his partner) is liable to the penalties for leading out of turn (vide Law 37). 40. If a player called on to lead a suit, has none of it, he plays as he pleases, and the penalty is deemed to be paid [vide Law 75). 41. ( F/^/? also Laws respecting leading out of turn 37, 39). If the third hand plays be- fore the second, the fourth has a right to play before his partner. 42. If the fourth hand plays before the 18 second and third, the second may be required to win or not to win the trick {;vide Law 75). It follows that if the second player has none of the suit led, he may be required either to trump or not to trump the trick. EXPOSED AND SEPARATED CARDS. 43. An exposed card, i.e., a card shown face upwards on or above the table, is liable to be called {vide Law 45). If it is retaken intt) the hand, the adversaries may require it to be placed face upwards on the table, and they are not bound to name it. 44. Cards separated from the rest of the hand, but still held by the player, are not ex- posed ; they are detatched cards. A detached card, if named, is liable to be called (vide Law 45). Should the adversaries name a wrong card, the right one cannot afterwards be called, and the mis-caller or his partner is liable to have a suit called {;vide Laws 40 and 75) when next it is the turn of that side to lead. N'ote : cards dropped below the table are in strictness detatched ; but they should not be purposely looked at by the adversaries, and they cannot be called. 45. Cards liable to be called must be left face upwards on the table, and not taken 19 into the player's hand again. The player is bound to play them when they are called, provided he can do so without revoking. The call may be repeated at every trick till the card is played. A player cannot be prevent- ed from playing a card liable to be called. If he can get rid of it in the course of play, no penalty remains. 46. If two or more cards are exposed in playing to a trick, the adversaries may choose which shall be played to the current trick ; and they may afterwards call the others. 47. If two or three players throw their cards on the table face upwards, each player's exposed hand may be called {vide Laws 43, 45) by his adversaries. But should all four throw down their cards, the game is aban- doned, and no claim that the game might have been won or saved can be entertained, unless a revoke is established {^ide Law 51.) Throwing down the cards is then construed as an act of play equivalent to playing again ; the revokers are liable to Law 61, except that the penalty cannot be exacted by taking three of their tricks. 48. If a player legally called on to play the highest or the lowest of a suit, or to win or not to win a trick, or called on to lead a suit, fails to comply, and it appears, after the trick is turned and quitted, or after he or his partner has played to the next trick, that he could have complied with the demand, he incurs the revoke penalty [vide Law 6i ). CARDS PLAYED IN ERROR OR NOT PLAYED TO A TRICK. 49. If a player plays two cards to a trick or mixes the turn-up or one of his cards with a trick to which it does not belong, and the mistake is not discovered until he has played again, he is answerable for any consequent revokes he may have made. If the error is detected during the play of the hand, the tricks may be examined face downwards to ascertain whether they contain a card too many. If one is found to contain a surplus card, it may be searched and the card restor- ed ; the player is liable for any revoke he may have meanwhile made, should he not have followed suit in the suit to which the card belongs [vide Law 26, paragraph /;, and Laws 35, 36, 50 and 73). 50. If a player omits to play to a trick, and such error is not discovered until he has played to the next, the adversaries may call a fresh deal. If they allow the deal to stand. the surplus card is considered at the end of the hand to be played to the imperfect trick, but it does not constitute a revoke therein. THE REVOKE. 51. Should any player not follow suit, when he holds some of the suit led, and not discover his error before the trick is turned and quitted, or before he or his partner has played to the next trick (notwithstanding that the previous trick remains unturned) he re- vokes. 52. Should a player not follow suit when he can, and discover his error before the re- voke is established vide Law 51 the adver- saries may call on the offender to substitute [a) his highest, or [b) his lowest card [vide Law 75) of the suit led, for the card played in error ; or they may allow the player to play as he pleases to the current trick, in which case they may call [vide I^aws 43, 45) to any subsequent trick the card improperly played [vide also Law 53.) 53. If a player discovers his mistake after any of the subsequent players have played to the trick, they are at liberty to withdraw their cards and play differently ; the cards thus withdrawn cannot be called. 22 54- When a player does not follow suit, his partner is permitted to ask him whether he has any of the suit led. The adversa- ries must not turn the trick until the question has been replied to. 55. At the end of a hand, the claimants of a revoke may search all the tricks. If the ac- cused parties mix the tricks before the adver- saries have examined them, the revoke is i/sty facto established. 56. A revoke cannot be claimed after the cards are cut for the next deal. 57. Any player may require a hand in which a revoke has l)ee!n detected to be played out. 58. If both sides revoke, the penalty [vide Law 61) is exacted from each side by the ad- versaries, and neither side can score game that hand. 59. If a player revokes more than once in a hand, any of the penalties [vide Law 61) may be taken for each revoke. 60 It is not fair to re\oke on purpose. Having made one revoke, a player is not justified in making a second in order to con- ceal the first. 61. When a revoke is proved, the adver- saries [a\ may add three to their score ; or [b) 2; they may take down three from the score of the revoking party; or (c) three of their tricks and add them to their own ; and, in whatever way the penalty is enforced, the side revoking cannot score game that hand. The penalty cannot be divided, i.e., a player cannot add one to his own score and deduct two from that of his adversaries, and so on. 62. The revoke penalty takes precedence of all other scores. Thus, if the player re- vokes when the adversaries are at two to love, the adversaries win a treble, notwith- standing that the player revoking made thir- teen tricks and holds four by honors. Bets on the odd trick, or on the amount of the score, are decided by the actual state of the score after the revoke penalty is exacted. «1.40«NG THE CARDS. 63. Any player, during the play of a trick, or after the four cards are played, but not after they are touched for the purpose of gathering them, may require the players to place their cards before them. 64. If a player, before his partner has played, places his card without being required to do so, or names it, or says that the trick is his, the adversaries may require the offender's 24 partner to play [a) his highest or (^) his low- est card of the suit led, or (if he has none of the suit) to win or not to win the trick [vzde Law 75)- ■ LOOKING AT THE LAST TRICK. 65. Each player may demand to see the last turned and quitted trick. At most eight cards can be seen, viz.: four on the table not turned and quitted, and the previous trick. SCORING. 66. A rubber is the best two out of three games. If the same players win the first two games the third game is not played. 67. A game consists of five points, reck- oned by tricks, by honors, and by revoke penalties (ViWe Laws 61, b2j. Each trick above six, made in the play of one hand, counts one point. Honors (ace, king, queen and knave of trumps) are scored thus: if a player and his partner (one or both) hold four honors, they score four points ; any three honors, they score two points ; any less num- ber, they do not score honors. 6S. Players, who at the commencement of 25 the deal are at the point of four, cannot score honors. 69. To score honors is not sufficient ; they must be claimed audibly before the trump card of the next deal is turned up. If so claimed they may be scored at any time dur- ing the game. If honors are not claimed be- fore the trump card of the next deal is turned up, they cannot be scored. 70. The winners gain ((7) a treble, or game of tliree points, when they score five before tlieir adversaries have scored anything; (^) a doul)le, when their adversaries have scored only one or two; (c) a single, when their ad- versaries have scored three or four. 71. The winners of the rubber gain two points (the rubber points) in addition to the value of their games. Should the ru])ber con- sist of three games, the value of the loser's game is deducted from the gross number of points gained by their opponents. 72. An erroneous score (if proved) maybe corrected at any time during the game in which it occured, and at any time before the trump card of the first deal of the next game is turned up. An erroneous score (if proved) affecting the amount of a game already scored, {i.f.j of a single, double or treble scored, 26 one by mistake, for the other) may he rectified at any time during the rubber. OORRECT OR IMPERFECT PACKS. 73. If a pack, during or after a rubber, is found to be incorrect or imperfect, the hand in which the imperfection was detected is null and void ; the dealer deals again. But the discoveiy does not alter any past score, game or rubber [vide Law 26, paragraph h, and Laws 35, 36, 49 and 50. ) 74. Torn or marked cards must be replaced by agreement among the players. A player may call for new cards at his own expense. The dealer chooses which pack he will deal with. CONSULTATION BY PARTNERS. 75. When a player and his partner have the option of exacting one of two penalties, or of calling a suit, they may agree who is to make the election, but they must not consult which of the two penalties it is advisable to exact, or which suit they shall call. If they do so consult, they lose their right. As soon as one of the penalties or suits is demanded, that decision is final, and another penalty or 27 suit cannot afterwards be called for [vide Law 40). In exacting the revoke penalty partners have a right to consult. r3YSTANDERS, 76. If a bystander makes any remark, which calls attention to and so affects the score, he is liable to be called on by the players only to pay all their stakes and bets on the game or rubber. 77. A bystander, by agreement among the players, may be made referee on any question. No player should object to refer to a disin- terested bystander, who professes himself able to decide any disputed question of fact. DUMMY, 78. Dummy must deal at the commence- ment of each rubber. 79. Dummy is not liable to the penalty for a revoke, as his adversaries see his cards. Should he revoke, and the error not be dis- covered until the trick is turned and quitted, the hand must proceed, and no penalty ac- crues for the revoke. 80. Dummy, being blind and deaf, his partner is not liable to any penalty for an er* 28 ror whence he can gain no advantage. Thus, he may expose his cards without incurring any penalty. If he leads from the wrong hand, a suit may l)e called from the right one. 3LE DUMMY. 8l. There is no mis-deal, as the deal is a disadvantage. 29 ETIQUETTE OF WHIST. The following rules belong to the establish- ed Etiquette of Whist. It is difficult to apj^ly any penalty for their infraction ; the only rem- edy is to cease to play with players who habitually disregard them. Two packs of cards should be used. Anyone, having the lead and several win- ning cards to play, should not draw a second card out of his hand until this partner has played to the first trick, it being a distinct in- timation that the former has played a winning card . N'o intimation whatever^ by "H'o^n or gesture, should be given by a player as to the state of his hand, or the game. " \Ve must speak hy the card.'' The question "who dealt?" is irregular, and should not be answered. A player who desires the cards to be phiced or demands to see the last trick, should do it for his own information only, and not in order to invite the attention of his partner. By agreement among the players, one player may cut, shuffle or deal for his partner. No player should object to refer to a by- stander who professes himself uninterested in the game and able to decide any disputed question of facts, as to who played any par- ticular card, whether honors were claimed though not scored, or vice versa, etc., etc. Bystanders should make no remarks, neither should they by word or gesture give any information of the state of the game, un- til concluded and scored, nor should they walk around the table to look at the differ- ent hands. 32 GENERAL RULES FOR THE PLAY. FIRST HAND. Lead onginally froju your strongest suit. In selecting a suit, numerical strength is the principal point to look to. If you lead from a sequence, the card to be selected depends on the nature of the se- quence, i.e., whether it is a head sequence or an w«^(?r sequence.. Lead the highest of a head sequence. From intermediate sequences, with se- quences neither at top or bottom of a suit, lead the smallest of the sequence. Lead the highest of a numerically weak suit . Avoid changing suits. If you have not had the lead before it is advisable to open your strong suit when you possess ^;r£7/ strength, but with only a moder- ately strong suit, you would as a rule do l^et- ter to return your partner's original lead. When in doubt you should be governed by your strength in trumps. With a strong 34 trump hand,. play your own game; with a weak trump hand, play your partner's game. Rehirn the lowest of a strong smt, the high- est of a weak suit, 1st Exception.— Wh^n you hold the winning card, return it, whatever number of cards you hold, lest it be trumped the third round, or your partner supposing it to be against him, should finesse. 2nd Exception.— .-SS\i^n you hold the second and third best, in plain suits, you return the highest. SECOND HAND. Play your lowest card second hand. If, however, you have a sequence of high cards, such as queen, knave, ten, or knave, ten, nine, you play the lowest of a sequence if you are numerically weak, but with more than three cards of a suit, you pass a small card lead. Play the loivest of a sequence. THIRD HAND. In the first round of suit you should gener- ally playyoiir highest card in order to strengthen your partner. With ace, queen (and of course, ace, queen, 35 knave, etc., in sec[uence) you do finesse, for in this case, the finesse cannot be left to your partner. In trumps you may finesse ace, knave, if an honor is turned up to your right. Some players finesse knave with king. FOURTH HAND. Play of the fourth hand generally endeav- ors to take the trick. COMMAND OF SUITS. Keep the command of yout adversarf s suit. Get rid of the comma nd of your partner s suit. DISCARDING. Discard fro }n your weakest suit. When trumps are not declared against you, your partner will assume you are weak in the suit you first discard ; but, when trumps are declared against you, he will give you credit for strength in the suit from which you origi- nally throw away. It is clear that if the opponents declare great strength in trumps (by leading trumps or asking for them), that your chance of bring- ing in a suit is practically nil. You should, .S6 therefore, in such cases, abandon the tactics you would otherwise adopt, and play to guard your weaker suits, by discarding from your best protected suit. You must, in fact, play a defensive game. This is most import- ant, as it affects subsequent leads. In the first case your partner will refrain from lead- ing the suit you have discarded ; in the second he will, unless he has a very strong suit of his own, select for his lead the suit in which you have shown strength by your discard. It must be borne in mind that it is only vour oriorinal discard which is directive. ^1 DETAILS OF THE PLAY. RST HAND. FROM ACE, ETC. Ace, king and others, lead king, then ace. Ace and king alone, lead ace, then king. Ace, king and others, after trumping another suit, lead ace, then king. In trumps, ace, king and five others, lead king, then ace. Ace, king and less than five others, lead small one. Ace, king and queen, lead the king, queen, then the ace. In trumps lead queen, king and ace. Ace, king, queen and knave, lead the king, then knave. In trumps, ace, king, queen, and knave, lead the knave, then ace. Ace, king and knave lead the king, then ace. If queen does not fall, lead the small- est of the suit. If you lead king and change the suit, your partner should know you have ace, knave, and desire the suit to be led up to you. Ace, queen, knave and another, lead the ace, then queen. 39 Ace, queen, knave, ten, lead ace, then the lowest of the sequence. Ace, queen, knave, and more than one small one, lead ace, then a low one. Ace, queen, ten and nine, lead the nine. In plain suits with more than four, lead the ace. In trumps, lowest of the ten, nine, sequence. Ace, knave, ten and nine, lead the nine, in plain suits with more than four, lead the ace, then the lowest of the sequence. In trumps, ace, queen, ten, etc., knave turned up at your right hand, lead the queen. In trumps, ace, knave, ten and nine, if queen is turned up to your left, lead ace. All other ace suits, lead the smallest, ex- cept with four or more .^mall ones ; then lead the ace. In trumps, ace and small ones, unless you have seven, lead small one. FROM KING, ETC. King, queen, knave, ten, lead the ten, then the queen. King, queen, knave, and one small one, lead the king, then queen ; if ace does not face, then a small one. King, queen, knave, and more than one small one, lead the knave. 40 King, queen and small ones lead the king. In trumps, the small one, unless you hold seven trumps, or king, queen, ten, etc., then lead the king, If king goes around, con- tinue with a small one. King, knave, and others lead a small one. King, knave, ten and others lead the ten. King, knave, ten and nine lead the nine. In trumps, king, knave, nine, etc., and ten, turned up to your right, lead knave. In other numerically strong suits, headed by king, lead a small une. FROW QUEEN. ETC. Queen, knave, and ten, lead the queen, then knave. Queen, knave, ten, nine, or five or more of the suit, lead queen, then the lowest of the queen, knave, sequence. Queen and knave lead a small one, unless you have six or more of the suit, then lead the queen. In trumi>s, queen, knave, nine, etc., if ten is turned up to your right, lead queen. Queen, knave, and two or more small ones, lead a low one. In other suits, headed by queen, of four at lea:^t, lead a low one. 41 i=ROM KNAVE, ETC Knave, ten, nine, etc., lead the knave, then ten. Knave, ten, nine and eight, or five of the suit, lead knave and then the lowest of the sequence. Knave, ten, eight, etc., lead a small one. In trumps, knave, ten, eight, etc., if th^; nine is turned up to your right, lead the knave. In other suits, headed by knave, lead a small one. FROM TEN, ETC Ten, nine, eight and another, lead a small one. In trumps, ten, nine, eight, and another, lead the ten. ECONO HAND. FROM ACE, ETC. Ace, king, etc., play king. In trumps, it is often right to leave the chance cf the first trick to your partner. Ace, king, queen, play queen. Ace, king, knave, play king. If second round comes from the original leader, you will then know whether he leads from strength or weakness, and finesse accordingly. 42 Ace, queen, knave, play knave, with ten also, and others belonging to the sequence, play the lowest of it. In trumps, ace, queen, knave, if king is turned up to your left, put on ace. Ace, queen, ten, play queen. You thus make certain of two tricks, unless you are led through twice, and both king and knave lie over you. If strong enough in trumps to lead them, it is sometimes advisable to put on the ten. In trumps, ace, rjueen, ten, play ten. Ace, queen, and small ones, play a small one, unless knave is led by a good player, when put on ace. This requires modifica- tion towards the close of a hand, for then the leader might have the king. Ace, queen, and three or more small ones, play queen, if weak in trumps, and a small one if strong. Ace, knave, ten, one or more small ones, play a small one. In trumps, play the ten, for from king, queen, etc., in trumps, a small one is led, but in plain suits the king is led. Ace, knave, and one or more small ones, play a small one. It is useless to put on knave, second hand, in any suit. Ace and four small ones, play small one, 43 unless the game is in a critical state, and you are weak in trumps. If you suspect a single card lead, it is often right to put on ace. FROM KINO, ETC- King, queen and others, play the queen. In trumps, play a small one. King, queen, ten and small ones, play the ten. King, queen, and one small one, play the small one. In trumps, king, queen, and others, play small ones. King, knave, ten, etc., play the loMCst of knave, ten, sequence. FROM QUEEN. ETC Queen, knave, etc., queen, knave, ten, etc., queen, knave, ten, nine, etc. If you are numerically weak, play the lowest of the se- quence ; but with more than three cards of the suit, play a small one. With one honor and one small card of a suit and a small card is led, play the small one as a rule, but when the circumstances of a hand cause you to seize any chance of get- ting the lead, it is then often right with ace, king, or queen and one small one, to put on the honor. If you hold king and another, and the 44 nine is led. juit on the king, as ihe leader must have ace; same if eight is led, and you hold king, nine. In trumjis^ if king or -[ueen is turned up,, and only singly guarded, it is generally best to put on the turn-up second hand. If you hold king or queen singly guarded, and a superior honor is turned up to your right, you gain an advantage by putting on your king or queen ; if the superior honor is turned up to your left, the reverse. With queen and another, your partner hav- ing turned up ace or king, put on small one, second hand. If ten is led, and you hold queen and another, cover with the queen. With queen and two others, pass the ten. If ten is led, you hold knave and one or more small ones, play a small one. If an honor is led and you have a higher honor and numerical weakness, cover it. With one honor and numerical strength you pass an honor led — except you have the ace, when put it on. Some players pass king led if they hold ace, ten, etc., or pass queen led if they hold ace, ten, etc., or king, ten, and one small one, but it is generally better to cover. 45 When you have fourchette, cover, of course ; thus, if knave is led, and you have queen, ten, etc., put on queen. In second round of suit, if you have the winning card — in plain suits — generally p^ut it on ; in trumps, there are many cases in which you should not, especially if you have numeri- cal strength in trumps, and a good hand be- sides. If, when led through in the second round of a suit, you conclude from previous fall of cards that the second best card is to your right, it is sometimes advisable to put on third best, thus saving your partner's hand if he holds the best. THIRD HAND. Generally place your highest card third hand to strengthen your partner. You presume he leads from his strong suit, and wants the win- ning cards of it out of his way. You there- fore do not finesse, but play your highest, re- membering that you play the lowest of a se- quence. With ace, queen, and with ace, queen, knave, etc., in sequence, you do finesse. In trumps you may finesse ace and knave, if an honor is turned up to your right. vSome 46 players hnesse knave with king, knave, etc., but it is contrary to principle to fireside in your partner's strong suit. If your i)artner leads a high card originally, you assume it is led from one of the combina- tions given in first hand lead, and your play third hand must be guarded by a considera- tion of the combination led from. With ace you pass queen led, you are in much the same position as though a small card were led, and you finesse with ace and queen. Knave may be led originally from either king, queen, knave, etc., or from knave, ten, nine, etc. In either case, if you hold ace with one small card, you should play ace in plain suits ; but in trumps, or any suit with more than one small card you should pass. If your only honor is king, you should pass knave led. For second hand, having passed, you assume ace to be at your left. Should the queen be there also, you waste the king by covering, and if the queen is to your right, the knave forces the ace. Ten may be led originally from king, queen, knave, ten, etc. If you hold ace, put it on; if you hold queen, you should pass. Holding ace, queen, your play depends on 47 whether you wish to obtain the lead on the first round of suit. Your partner opens a suit, late in a hand, with a high card. Your play, third hand, will depend on your judgment of the charac- ter of the lead. If it is probable your partner has led from a weak suit, you will often be right to finebse king, knave, etc., or to pass his card altogether, so as not to give up the entire command of the suit. Thus, i( ten is led, and you hold ace, knave, etc., it is clear that the card led is the highest your^ partner holds in the suit. You therefore pass, and unless both king and queen are to your left, you remain with ten ace. Similar remarks apply to a forced lead of knave when you hold ace, ten, etc. If you have considerable strength in a suit in which a strengthening card is led, you must be guided by your strength in trumps. Thus your partner leads knave from a weak suit, and you hold ace, king, and small ones, you may, as a rule, pass knave, if you are strong in trumps, but not if weak. In the second round of suit you (third player), hold the best and third best cards, and you have no indication as to the position of the intermediate card, your play should de- 4^ pend on your strength in trumps. If weak, secure the trick at once ; if strong, and espe- cially if strong enough to lead trumps, it is generally right to finesse. If you hold second and fourth best, you may nearly always finesse ; for you conclude that the winning card is over you in the fourth hand, as your partner has not led it, and the second player has not put it on. If the third best lies over you also, you cannot prevent the ten ace from making. Thus, if you lead a small card from queen, ten, and two small ones, your partner wins the first trick with tlie king, and returns. a small one. The ace is certainly to your left ; you therefore finesse the ten, for if your left hand adversary holds ace and knave, he must make them both, but otherwise your ten forces the ace, and you are left with the best. It is of no use to finesse against your right- hand adversary in a suit in which he has shown weakness. For instance, if the second hand has none of the suit, and does not trump, you (third hand) should not finesse a major ten ace, [i.e.y best and third best). This often occurs in the second or third round of suit ; also if your partner (third player) has won a trick very cheaply, and the suit is returned, it 49 is rarely of any use to finesse, if you leave the winning card. In some few positions it is n-ecessary to finesse, even if the second player does not hold any. Thus, your partner leads knave, and, the second hand renounces. If your third play hold king, it is useless to cover, as ace and queen, in the fourth hand, must make. Again, you have the king and two other small trumps play a small trump, when the fourth hand will be obliged to lead up to your king guarded. FOURTH HAND. The fourth player having, with few excep- tions, merely to win the trick, if against him» his play involves no further development oi general principles. MANAGEMENT OF TRUMP8. In the great majority of hands trumps are appUed to their special uses, viz.: ist. — To disarm the opponents, and prevent their trumping your winning cards, and — 2nd. — To trump the winning cards of the adversaries. In order to comprehend when trumps may be most profitably applied to the first, and when to the second of these uses, we must 50 first clearly perceive the objects aimed at throughout the hand, viz.: To establish a suit, to exhaust the adversaries' trumps, and to retain the long trump, or a certain winning card, with which to get the lead again, for the purpose of bringing in the suit ; also to en- deavor to obstruct similar designs of the op- ponents. Lead trumps when very strong in them. With great strength in trumps (five or more) you may lead them at once to disarm oppo- nents, without waiting to establish a suit. The exceptional hands are principally : 1st. — Those which contain five trumps with- out an honor, and five small cards of a plain suit. 2nd. — Five trumps without an honor, and four middling cards of one plain suit, together with four bad cards of another plain suit. But if the adversaries are at the score of three^ you should lead a trump with these hands, as your partners must have two honors, or very good cards out of trumps, for you to save the game. If you are at the score of three, the adver- saries love one or two, you should not lead a trump merely because you have five trumps with two honors, if they are unaccompanied by a very strong suit, or by good cards in each suit. F'or here, if your partner has an honor, 51 you will probably win the game in any case ; if he has no honor, you open the trump suit to a disadvantage. Bearing in mind the severe consequences of leaving the adversary with the long trump, you must be cautious in leading trumps from less than tive ; four trumps and a moderate hand not justifying an original trump lead. You should instead lead your strong, plain suit, and if you establish it and the adversaries do not meantime show any great strength, as by leading or calling for trumps, you may then, with four trumps, generally venture a trump lead. Wiih strength in trumps you may generally finesse more freely in the second and third rounds of trumps than you would in plain suits. In plain suits an unsuccessful finesse may result in the best card being afterwards trumped, which cannot happen in trumps. Moreover, by finessing you keep the winning trump, and so obtain the lead after the third round. With a well protected hand containing four trumps, tw^o being honors, a trump may be led originally, but if your partner turns out weak m trumps, you should alter this plan. Trump leads without strength in trumps 52 can only be right in consequence of some special circumstance in the state of the game, or of the score, viz.: ist. — Cireat commanding strength in all plain suits may call for a trump lead. 2nd. — Or to stop a cross-ruff, in which case it is generally advisable to take out two rounds, if possible ; so with the winning trump you play it out, whatever your others are. jrd. — If you have a wretched hand, and you are love to three or four, you assume the game is lost, unless your partner is very strong, and if he is very strong, the trump is the best lead for him. This is frequently carried to excess, aSj l)y concealing your weakness, you often stand a better chance of saving a point, if not the game, than l)y at once exposing it. RETURNING YOUR PARTNER'S LEAD OF TRUMPS. Return your partner's lead of trumps at once, except he has led from weakness, when you return it or not, as suits your hand. If you find one of your adversaries without a trump, you should generally proceed to es- tablish your long suit, and abstain from draw- ing two trumps for one. On the other hand, if your paitner has no trump, it is often right 53 to endeavor to weaken the adversaries by con- tinuing even their "trump lead. ASKING OR CALLING FOR TRUMPS. Whenever you throw away an unnecessarily high card, it is a sign (after the smaller card drops) that you want trumps led. This is called asking for trumps or calling for t7^mps. When you ask for trumps you command your partner to abandon his game and lead a trump, and you promise him, in return, to win the game, or make a considerable score. The minimum strength in trumps which justifies you in issuing such an order is fo2ir trumps, two being honors, or five trumps, one being an honor, with such cards in your own or partner's suits, that you are reasonably se- cure of not having a suit brought in against you. This rule only applies to an original ask. If you have had the lead, and did not lead trumps, or an opportunity of asking, and have not asked, and you then ask for trumps at a later period, it is not a command, but merely means, from the fall of cards, you consider a tnimp lead would be advantageous. When your partner asks for trumps, and you have four or more at the time you obtain the 54 lead, lead the smallest, unless you have ace, or three honors, or the queen, knave, ten ; if you only have two or three trumps, when you obtain the lead, lead from the highest down- wards, whatever they are. C OF THE CALL. If your partner leads a trump, or asks for trumps, if you have numerical strength in trumps, you should ask at the first opportuni- ty. This is called the echo of the call. If you have four trumps, and are forcedy you should echo, notwithstanding you no longer have numerical strength. When second hand, do not trump a doubt- ful card, if strong in trumps. By a doubtful card is meant a card of a suit of which your partner may have the best. Whether you should trump or not depends almost entirely on your strength in trumps. It is an advantage to trump when you are weak in trumps, for you thus make a little trump. It is disadvantageous to trump a doubtful card when strong in trumps, for you weaken your numerical strength, and diminish the proba- bility ol bringing in your suit. If, instead of trumping, you throw aw'ay a losing card, you inform your partner that you have strength in 55 trumps, and also l)y vour discard what your strong suit is. If you refuse lo ovtrLiunip, ur tiLiiUi) a cer- tain winning card, your partner should con- clude, either that you have no trump, or more probal)ly four trumps and a powerful hand be- side.^. If you have six trumps, trump in, and then lead trump, with five the same, if your suit is established. Exceptions : ist. — You should not persist in refusing to be forced if you find that the adversary has entire command of his suit. 2nd. — You should not refuse if your partner evidently intends to force you. jrd. — You should not refuse to overtrump if you have reason to believe that your left hand adversary is strong in trumps. FORCE A STRONG TRUMP HAND OF THE ADVERSARY. If you have numerical strength you are just- ified in forcing your partner. Do not force your partner if you are weak in trumps. You may, however, force your partner under these circumstances : ist, — When he has already shown a desire. t'^ be forced, or weakness in trumps, as by -^6 trumping a floui)ltui carvi, (jr refraining from forcing you. 2nd. — When you have a cross-riifit. jrd. — Sometimes when you are playing a close game, as for the odd trick, and often when one trick wins the game. 4th. — Sometimes when great strength has heen declared against you in trumps. If your partner leads a thirteenth card, or a card of a suit in which he knows that both you and the fourth player renounce, your play must depend on your partner's strength in trumps. If he is strong he wants you to put on your best trump, either to make trumps separately, or to force out one or two high ones, to leave himself in command. If he is weak in trumps he wants you to pass the card that the fourth player may obtain the lead and lead up to your hand. PLAYING TO THE BOARD. Play to the score. Watch the fall of the cards, and draw your inferences at the time. COUPS. Leading from lueakest suit. It is advisable in most cases where the game is desperate, and where it is clear that your partner must 57 be strong in your weak suit, lead from your weakest suit, notwithstanding Principle i. Your partner should finesse deeply in the suit you lead him, and should not return it, but actuated by motives similar to yours, should lead his weakest suit, in which you finesse deeply, and continue your weak suit, and so on. Treating long suits like short ones. It often happens towards the close of a hand that an unplayed suit, of which the leader holds (say) four cards, can only go around twice. In such a case, if your suit is headed by queen or knave, you should treat it as a suit of two cards only, and lead your highest, taking the best chance of making two tricks. REFUSING TO WIN THE SECOND ROUND OF A SUIT This is a case of by no means infrequent oc- currence. For example : one of the adversa- ries has a long suit declared in his favor, whicli is led a second time. Only one trump re- mains in, wdiich is in the hand of the second or fourth player. As a rule the second round of the suit should not be trumped. The third round will probably exhaust the adverse hand which is numerically weak in the suit. If it so happens that the player who is numerically 58 strong in it has no card of re-entry in any other suit, he will then never bring in his long suit, as his partner, whose hand is exhausted, can- not lead it again, should he get the lead after the third round. If there is a card of re-entry in the hand of the player who has numerical strength, he must bring in the suit, whether the second round is trumped or not. A similar rule applies, but less frequently, when one adversary has the long trumps, and his partner a long suit nearly established. ING TO DRAW THE LOSING TRUMP. When all the trumps are out but two, and the leader remains with the best trump, the los- ing trump being in the hands of his adversary, the natural and obvious play is to draw the last trump. But there is a class of cases in which the trump should not be drawn as a matter of course, viz., if one adversary has a long suit established, and his partner has a card of that suit to lead. REFUSING TO OVERTRUMP. Cases often happen where it is not advisable to overtrump. Most of these depend on the fall of the cards and on inferences from the 59 play, and cannot be generalized. But there is one case in which it is nez^er right to over- trump, viz., when three cards remain in each hand, and one player holds the second and third best trumps, with one of whigh he trumps the card led. If the player to his left has the best and fourth best trumps, he can never gain anything by overtrumping, and may lose a trick. This rule for not overtrumping cannot be laid down absolutely when there are more than three cards in hand ; but when only four trumps remain in, second and third best against best and fourth, it is so frequently advisable not to overtrump, that the player should consider well the position of the remaining cards be- fore overtrumping. Since it is so often right not to overtrump under these circumstances, it follows that when the case arises the player who holds second and third best should, as a rule, attempt to defeat the coup by playing a false card — i.e., he shoujd trump with the higher card in hopes of deceiving his left hand opponent as to the position of the third best trump. THROWING HIGH CARDS TO PLACE THE • LEAD. This coup presents itself in a variety of forms -. 60 the folio wing one is selected as likely to lie of use : Whenev^er you are left at the end of a hand with the ten ace in trumps (either best and third best, or second best guarded) over the player to your right, and two other cards, l)Oth being cards of the suit led by him, you (second hand) should always throw the highest card of his lead to that trick. \"ou can never lose by so doing, and may \\\u. GRAND COUP. The Grand Coup consists in throwing away a superfluous trump. At the first glance it appears impossible to have a superabundance of trumps ; but cases sometimes happen where a player has a tncmp too many. To get rid of this trump — as by undertrumping a trick al- ready trumped by your partner, or by trump- ing a trick which he has won, or which you know he may win — is to play the grand coup, CONVERSATION OF THE GAME. Afford information by your play. You inform your partner by following the recognized practice of the game, as by leading from your strong suit originally, by leading from the highest of a sequence, by following suit from the lowest of a sequence, etc., etc. 6i The instructed player frequently selects one card in preference to another with the sole ob- ject of affording information. There are some ways of conveying informa- tion which have not been explained. ' The most important of these is i}\Q penultimate lead from suits of five or more cards. For the sake of convenience it has been hitherto assumed that the lowest card of a strong suit is led originally, except the suit contains five cards to the ace, or king, knave ten, etc., or is headed by a strong sequence. But if the suit contains an intermediate se- quence of three cards (say for example, queen, ten, nine, eight, and four), the most advanta- geous card to lead is the eight. If it turns out that your partner is very weak in the suit, your eight must force an honor. If your four is afterwards played your partner knowing you to lead originally from your strongest suit, at once gives you credit for having led from a suit of at least five cards, of which three, all higher than the eight, still remain in your hand. The information thus obtained has been found in practice to be so valuable, that the rule of leading the lowest but one has been extended to all original leads from suits of five cards or more, whether containing an intermediate se- 62 queiice or not. It follows that if a player leads originally the lowest card of a suit, he has led from a suit of four cards exactly; if he leads the lowest but one, he has opened a suit of at least five cards. Information as to the number of trumps you hold can be similarly communicated by trump- ing with the lowest but one and then leading with the lowest. In trumps, if you keep the turn-up card in your hand, your partner knows where it is ; so having turned up a nine, and holding the ten, trump with the ten in preference, but with very small trumps of equal value, trumping with the higher card may be mistaken for an exhibition of four or five trumps. If pDu are weak in trumps and your adver- saries have shown strength in them, it is not advisable to keep the turn-up card, for if the adversaries know you have it they will draw it, wdiereas if you play it, they are uncertain as to your holding another. If you have complete command of a suit you can publish the fact by discarding the highest of it ; the presumption being you would never throw away a winning card, with a losing one in your hand. If you discard a second-best card, you ought 63 to have no more of the suit, for with the best in your hand you would discard that, and with a smaller one you would discard that. By winning with the highest and returning the lowest of a sequence (more especially fourth hand), you know that you have the in- termediate cards. The Theory of Whist tells you how to play your own hand to the greatest advantage, how to assist your partner, and how to weak- en and to obstruct your opponents. This knowledge constitutes a somid player. If to theoretical perfection you add accurate obser- vation, acute perception, and quick applica- tion, you becom.e a master of the science. 64 GLOSSARY OF TERMS. — ^ Winning Iwu games — i.e., eight p«jints — before your adversaries have scored. niunio rr ti SHI- — Having the best cards of that suit ; and when l)y means of those or your numerical strength in the suit you have exhausted the higher cards which were against you, you are said to have es- tablished the suit. See Establish. 'f;/^r'V. — Certain recognized methods of playing by which information is offered to your partner as to the state of your hand, more especiallv as to its numerical strength. — See See Saw. — The card you play when you can- not follow suit, and do not trump it. — Scoring five before your adversaries have scored three. — Asking for trumps in response to your partner's ask, when but for his de- mand you would not have called. 66 — The player on the dealer's left hand. '.:..'. — A suit is said to be established when you have exhausted all the best cards in it which were against you, and thus retain its complete command. See Co7n7nand. ■ Sc Car^: — Playing a card contrary to the conventional rules of the game with the view of deceiving your adversary ; but as it is likely at the same time to mislead your partner, the practice is justly repro- bated. . — An endeavor, when second or third player, to take a trick with a lower card when a higher is in your hand, in the hopes that the intermediate card or cards may be with your right hand ad- versary or your own partner. — Leading a card that compels your adversary or partner to play a trump. — Scoring five points. This may be done in one hand by (a) holding the four honors and making the odd trick; (d) three honors and three by-tricks ; (c) having turned eleven tricks. If neither side makes the game in one hand, each adds the score they have made to that 67 gained in the loUowing hands until one has made game. Hand. — xhe thirteen cards held by each play- er. Ho>i.>'. — Ace, king, queen, and knave of trumps. The ten is sometimes called the fifth honor. KiHk: Card. — Xhe best card left in each suit. Thus if the ace and king were out, the king- card would be the queen. /_...'. i'u\ — Xhe commencement of the play by the elder hand, or the card played by the winner of a trick immediately after having won it. L.i.u.K — Xhe first to play each round. Ltadin. — If you play first vou are said to ieaci through your left- hand adversary, and 7ip to your right- hand adversary. icnv; Situ. — One of which you hold originally more than three cards. The term is therefore indicative of strength in mini' — The last of the suit of trumps. ' ..•-.:. <• A card not likely to make trick, and therefore the most available inr a ^ discard." — No score. 68 — To. make a card means to win a trick with it. To make the cards means to shuffle. \.}u>ic: — A term indicative of your plan of commencing the game, just as the first moves at chess are so termed. — Tiie same players playing two rubbers consecutively, or, should it be necessary, a third rubber, to decide which is the best of the three rubbers. /.'.v. :-:£ Beginning with the lowest card but one of the suit you led origi- nally, if it contains more than four cards. mi Suits — Suits not trumps. — The score made by tricks and hon- ors ; for each trick after six one point is scored. — Sequence of any four cards. '•' -^^o/or. — The sequence of the four high- est cards of a suit. — A trick is said to be quitted when Liie four cards constituting it have been ;^athered up and turned on the table, the hand doing so having left them. "'' — Sequence of any five cards. Winning a trick at an advanced j.cii.ju (j^ the hand, so as to secure you the lead. 69 — To play a card of another suit than that led, holding none of the latter. - — ^^To play a card of another suit while holding a card of the suit led. A ./;\'c, — Two games won in succession,or two out of three games, constitutes winning a" rubber. — Another word tor trumping a suit. — The points marked by coins, counters 1 -r otherwise. —Partners trumping each a suit, and leading to each other for that purpose. Also called a Cross-Ruff, bicuinit — Three or more consecutive cards in the order of their merit. A sequence of three cards is called a tierce, of four a quart, of five a quint, and so on. Ace, king and queen, are called tierce-major. An under sequence is one at the bottom of the suit. An intermediate^ one of which you hold cards both higher and lower. ■:. fui/ to)- l'}uwpi\ — Throwing 'away an un- necessarily high card, following it by a smaller card of the same suit. A suit of three or less than three cards. ; ii — Making game after your adversary has scored three or four up. — One card only in a suit. 70 — Making every trick. — One containing more tliau the axcitige number of high cards — in con- tradistinction to numerical strength. "'' — -The best and third best cards (in the same lianU]t. — "^cMiiencf oi .ui\ liircc caros. ■' — ^The sequence of the tliree liighest cards of a suit. ' •. — Scoring uw ',,-t'iine \<^nir a'l\ei"sar\' scores one. — Four c.U'i-, 'vi/.. llN^ tlirec played l<) a card ]e'!. I'lie card turned up by ■ Li\c dc...^.. ' — Cards of the same suit as tliat arned up by the dealer. F/i7v Speaking generally, it means keeping back best cards and playing sub- ordinate ones instead. This is sometimes advantageous ii> trumps, or in plain suit when strong in trumps, or when trumps are out, but such a ruse must be used sparingly and with care. " >'/ — One containing les^ than the average number of high cards — in con- tradistinction to a suit short in number of cards. 71 -Z^^Hr LIBRARY OF CONGRESS lO 020 237 398 7