GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
INTRODUCTORY.
Before entering on an analysis of the general principles of the Game
of Whist, it is advisable to explain shortly on what foundation these
principles rest; for it might be supposed that a demonstration of the
propositions contained in these pages is about to be offered; that
the chances for and against all possible systems of play have been
calculated; and that the one here upheld can be proved to be certainly
right, and all others certainly wrong. Such a view would be altogether
erroneous. The problem is far too intricate to admit of being treated
with mathematical precision. The conclusion that the chances are
in favour of a certain line of play is not arrived at by abstract
calculation, but by general reasoning, confirmed by the accumulated
experience of practised players. The student must not, therefore,
expect absolute proof. He must frequently be satisfied if the reasons
given appear weighty in themselves, and none weightier can be suggested
on the other side; and also with the assurance that the method of play
recommended in this work is for the most part that which, having stood
the test of time, is generally adopted.
THE FIRST HAND OR LEAD.
The considerations that determine the most advantageous card to lead at
the commencement of a hand differ from those which regulate the lead at
other periods; for, at starting, the Doctrine of Probabilities is the
only guide; while, as the hand advances, each player is able, with more
or less certainty, to draw inferences as to the position of some of the
remaining cards. The number of the inferences, and the certainty with
which they can be drawn from the previous play, constantly increase;
hence it not unfrequently happens that, towards the termination of a
hand, the position of every material card is known.
In treating of the lead, it will be most convenient to begin by
examining the principles which govern the original lead. The
application of these principles will require to be somewhat modified in
the case of trumps, as will appear hereafter.
1. LEAD ORIGINALLY FROM YOUR STRONGEST SUIT.
The first question that arises is, Which is the strongest suit? A suit
may be strong in two distinct ways. 1. It may contain more than its
proportion of _high_ cards. For example, it may contain two or more
honours--one honour in each suit being the average for each hand. 2. It
may consist of more than the average _number_ of cards, in which case
it is a numerically strong or long suit. Thus a suit of four cards has
numerical strength; a suit of five cards great numerical strength. On
the other hand a suit of three cards is numerically weak.
In selecting a suit for the lead, numerical strength is the principal
point to look to; for it must be borne in mind that aces and kings are
not the only cards which make tricks; twos and threes may become quite
as valuable when the suit is _established_--_i.e._, when the higher
cards of the suit are exhausted. To obtain for your own small cards
a value that does not intrinsically belong to them, and to prevent
the adversary from obtaining it for his, is evidently an advantage.
Both these ends are advanced by choosing for your original lead the
suit in which you have the greatest numerical strength; for you may
establish a suit of this description, while, owing to your strength,
it is precisely the suit which the adversary has the smallest chance
of establishing against you. A suit that is numerically weak, though
otherwise strong, is far less eligible.
Suppose, for example, you have five cards headed by (say) a ten in
one suit, and ace, king, and one other (say the two) in another suit.
If you lead from the ace, king, two suit, all your power is exhausted
as soon as you have parted with the ace and king, and you have given
the holder of numerical strength a capital chance of establishing the
suit. It is true that this fortunate person _may_ be your partner; but
it is twice as likely that he is your adversary, since you have two
adversaries and only one partner. On the other hand, if you lead from
the five suit, though your chance of establishing it is slight, you, at
all events, avoid assisting your adversary to establish his; the ace
and king of your three suit, still remaining in your hand, enable you
to prevent the establishment of that suit, and may procure you the lead
at an advanced period of the hand. This we shall find as we proceed is
a great advantage, especially if, in the course of play, you are left
with all the unplayed cards, or _long cards_, of your five suit.
The best suit of all to lead from is, of course, one which combines
both elements of strength.
In opening a suit, there is always the danger of finding your partner
very weak, or of leading up to a _tenace_ (_i.e._, the best and third
best cards, or the second best guarded) in the hand of the fourth
player. If you lead from a very strong suit, these dangers are more
than compensated for by the advantages just explained; if your best
suit is only moderately strong, the lead is not profitable, but
rather the reverse. If all your suits are weak, the lead is very
disadvantageous. The hand, however weak, must hold one suit of four at
least, and this, if only headed by a ten or a nine, should generally be
chosen. Being unable to strike the adversary, you take the best chance
of not assisting him.
It follows that a suit consisting of a single card is a very
disadvantageous one to lead from; yet no lead is more common, even
among players of some experience. The reason assigned in favour of this
lead is the possibility of making small trumps. But it is important to
observe, that you stand very nearly as good a chance of making trumps
by waiting for some one else to open the suit. If the suit is opened
by the strong hand, your barrenness will not be suspected; you will be
able, if necessary, to win the second round, while you will be free
from the guilt of having sacrificed any high card your partner may have
possessed in the suit, or of having assisted in establishing a suit
for the adversary. Again, your partner, if strong in trumps, will very
likely draw yours, and then return your lead, imagining you led from
strength. If, indeed, he is a shrewd player, he will, after being taken
in once or twice, accommodate his game to yours; but he can never be
sure of the character of your lead, and may often miss a great game by
not being able to depend upon you. If you have great numerical strength
in trumps, the evils of a single-card lead are lessened; but in this
case, as will hereafter be shown, it is generally right to lead trumps.
In the opinion of the author, it may be laid down as an axiom, that in
plain suits (_i.e._, in suits not trumps) the original lead of a single
card is in no case defensible.
Many players will not lead from a strong suit if headed by a tenace;
preferring, for instance, to lead from ten, nine, three, to ace, queen,
four, two. They argue, that by holding up the ace, queen suit, they
stand a better chance of catching the king. So far they are right; but
they purchase this advantage too dearly; for the probable loss from
leading the weak suit may be taken as greater than the probable gain
from holding up the tenace.
_Which card of the strong suit should be led originally?_--The key
to this problem is furnished by the remark, that it conduces to the
ultimate establishment of a suit to keep the high or commanding cards
of it in the hand that has numerical strength. In the suit of your
own choosing, you are presumably stronger than your partner; it is
therefore undesirable at once to part with your high cards. Hence it
is best, in general, to lead the smallest. Your partner, actuated by
a desire to assist in establishing your strong suit, will play his
highest card to your lead (_see_ Play of Third Hand, p. 92), and, if
he fails to win the trick, will, at all events, force a higher card
from the fourth player, and so help to clear the suit for you. Another
reason in favour of leading the lowest is, that it increases your
chance of making tricks in the first two rounds. For in the first round
of a suit the second hand generally puts on his smallest card, as will
be seen hereafter. If, therefore, you originally lead the smallest,
holding ace and others, the first trick will, in all probability,
lie between your partner and the last player; and since there is no
reason why the fourth player should hold a better card than the third,
it is nearly an even chance that your partner wins the trick. It is
certain (bar trumping) that you win the second round; therefore, if
the suit is led this way, it is about an even chance that you make
the first two tricks. But if you lead out the ace first, it is two
to one against your making the second trick, for the adversaries have
two hands against your partner's one, and either may hold the king. A
third reason for leading the lowest of your suit is, that your partner
may prove utterly weak in it; and in this case it is important that you
keep a commanding card, to stop the adversary from establishing it.
It follows, when you lead a small card originally, that your partner
should conclude you have led from numerical strength.
There are three exceptions to the rule of originally leading the lowest
of a strong suit.--1. When you lead from ace with four or more small
ones. In this case it is considered best to begin with the ace, lest
it should be trumped on the second round. 2. When your suit contains a
strong sequence, it is best to lead one of the sequence, in order to
prevent the adversaries from winning the first trick with a very small
card. 3. When you lead from a suit of more than four cards (not headed
by ace and not containing a strong sequence), the fourth-best card is
led, for reasons to be afterwards explained. (_See_ Appendix A, pp.
281-6.)
When you intend to lead from a sequence, the card to be selected
depends on the nature of the sequence, namely, whether it is a _head_
sequence or an _under_ sequence. By a head sequence is meant a sequence
of the highest cards of your suit, _i.e._, of the cards heading your
suit; thus, such a suit as queen, knave ten, six, contains a head
sequence of queen, knave, ten. Sequences that do not head your suit
are under sequences; thus ace, queen, knave, ten, is an example of an
under sequence of queen, knave, ten. You should--
2. LEAD THE HIGHEST OF A HEAD SEQUENCE
(_Except as specified in the Analysis of Leads, pp. 64-71_).
For, otherwise, your partner is uncertain where the highest lies, and
you and he may play two winning cards where one would have sufficed.
For instance, if, with queen, knave, ten, you lead the ten, your
partner may put the king on it, but he certainly would not on the
queen. In addition to this, if there is any _finessing_ to be done
in the suit, it can only be by your partner. By finessing is meant
playing an inferior card though holding a higher one of the suit, not
in sequence with the card played. Thus, to continue the illustration of
the sequence of queen, knave, ten. You lead the queen. Your partner has
the ace and others. He will not put it on, but will finesse by playing
his smallest card; and if the king lies to your left, that card is
completely hemmed in. Had you led the ten, your partner would have put
on the ace, and the king have been freed.
On the other hand, if you lead from an under sequence, you should lead
the lowest, the reason being that, in this case, you wish your partner
to put on his highest card. For example, with king, ten, nine, eight,
you should lead the eight and not the ten, as if your partner's highest
card is the knave, you wish him to put it on that he may not afterwards
block your suit by retaining a commanding card of it. Or, suppose your
partner's best card is the queen, the lead of the ten would probably
induce him to finesse, and thus give the adversary a chance of making
the knave the first round, and of retaining the ace in hand, although
you and your partner hold two honours in the suit. If your partner puts
on the queen, you are still able to finesse the nine when the suit
is returned, and this is much more advantageous than your partner's
passing the ten. In the first place, the finesse is postponed to the
second round, when, more cards having been played, you have more data
to guide you as to the policy of making the finesse; and, in the next
place, if you have a choice as to whether you or your partner shall
finesse in your strong suit, it is, as a rule, more advantageous
for you to do it. For, as already explained, it conduces to the
establishment of a suit for the strong hand to retain the command of
it, and for the presumably weak hand to play his highest cards.
With sequences neither at the top nor at the bottom of a suit
(_intermediate_ sequences), the card to lead is the lowest of the
intermediate sequence.
Players who adopt American Leads will, however, select the fourth-best
card when leading a low card from suits of more than four cards,
whether or not the suit contains an under sequence, or an intermediate
sequence (with the sole exception of ten, led from king, knave, ten,
and small). Thus, from king, knave, ten, nine, whether accompanied by
the eight or by smaller cards, they lead the nine; and so on for other
combinations. (_See_ Appendix A, pp. 281-6).
ANALYSIS OF LEADS IN DETAIL.
(_See_ also Appendix A, pp. 281-6, and Appendix C, pp. 289-94.)
[The following analysis should be familiarly known by every player, not
only that he himself may follow it, but also that he may form a correct
idea of the cards the other players hold, by observing what they lead.]
_Ace, king, queen, knave (in trumps)._
Lead knave, then ace.
With more than four in suit, lead queen after ace.
With only four in suit, lead king after ace.
_Ace, king, queen, knave (in plain suits)._
Lead king, then knave.
With more than four in suit, lead queen after knave.
With only four in suit, lead ace after knave.
_Ace, king, queen, with or without small ones (in trumps)._
Lead queen.
With more than four in suit, lead king after queen.
With only four or three in suit, lead ace after queen.
_Ace, king, queen, with or without small ones (in plain suits)._
Lead king, then queen.
_Ace, king, knave, &c._
Lead king, then ace.
Sometimes it is right, more especially in trumps, to lead king, then to
change the suit, and to finesse the knave on the return, particularly
if queen is turned up to your right. With more than five trumps it is
seldom advisable to wait for the finesse. No positive rule can be laid
down, either for trumps or plain suits.
_Ace, king, and small (in trumps)._
Lead king, then ace, if you have at least five small ones. Otherwise,
lead a small one (the fourth-best if an American Leader).
_Ace, king, and small (in plain suits)._
Lead king, then ace.
King is led before ace to inform your partner that you hold the winning
card of your suit, in case you should think fit to change the suit, or
in case the fourth player should have none of it. If your partner has
none, he should not trump, for, even if you do not hold the ace, you
want the adversary to play it, that he may not retain the winning card
of your suit.
When opening a plain suit, headed by ace, king, _after having been
forced_ to trump, lead the ace first. If you begin with the king, and
your partner happens to have none of the suit, he might trump the king,
in order to lead again the suit you have already trumped.
If intermediate cards fall and you remain with the command and the next
best, you inform your partner of the fact by continuing with the next
best. Thus:--You lead king from ace, king, knave, etc. To the king,
your partner drops the queen. You should next lead the knave.
_Ace, queen, knave, ten, with or without others._
Lead ace, then ten, even though one of your others is the nine.
With more than four in suit, lead knave after ten.
With only four in suit, lead queen after ten.
_Ace, queen, knave, and small._
Lead ace.
With more than four in suit, lead knave after ace.
With only four in suit, lead queen after ace.
_Ace, queen, ten, &c. (in trumps)._
If knave is turned up to your right, lead queen.
_Ace and small ones (in trumps)._
Lead ace, if you have seven in suit, and then a small one (the original
fourth-best if an American Leader).
Lead a small one (the fourth-best if an American Leader), with less
than seven in suit.
Obvious variations, taking into account the trump card, are omitted. It
is assumed, _e.g._, that, if your partner has turned up the king, you
would lead a small one from ace, queen, knave, &c., or from ace and any
number of small cards.
_Ace and small ones (in plain suits)._
Lead ace, with five or more in suit.
Lead a small one after ace (the original fourth-best if an American
Leader).
Lead lowest, with only four in suit, the cards being of a lower
denomination than in the leads already enumerated.
_King, queen, knave, ten, with or without others._
Lead ten, even though one of your others is the nine.
(_a._) If ten wins the trick:--
With more than five in suit, lead knave after ten.
With five in suit, lead queen after ten.
With only four in suit, lead king after ten.
(_b._) If ten forces ace:--
With more than four in suit, lead knave after ten.
With only four in suit, lead queen after ten.
The common practice is (or was) to lead queen after ten, in all cases,
to inform your partner that the lead was from king, queen, knave, ten,
and not from king, knave, ten. But, if the ten wins the trick, the mere
fact of continuing with a high card informs your partner that the lead
was from king, queen, knave, ten; for, with the only other combination
from which ten is first led, (viz., king, knave, ten), if the ten wins,
the next lead is a small card.
If the ten forces the ace, and your partner can give you credit for not
leading a losing card when you hold a winning one, he is informed, by
the second lead of any high card but the king, that you led from king,
queen, knave, ten. Therefore, queen and knave are high indifferent
cards, and you select the knave to show five or more originally; the
queen to show four exactly (_see_ Appendix A).
_King, queen, knave, and more than one small._
Lead knave.
With more than five in suit, lead queen after knave.
With only five in suit, lead king after knave.
_King, queen, knave, and one small one._
Lead king, then knave.
If the king wins the first trick it is not safe to go on with a small
one, ace being sometimes held up by the adversary, especially in trumps.
_King, queen, and small ones (in trumps.)_
Lead king, if you have seven in suit, or if one of your small ones is
the ten.
Lead a small one (the fourth-best if an American Leader), with less
than seven trumps, and not holding the ten.
If king is led, and it wins, after king lead a small one (the original
fourth-best if an American Leader).
_King, queen, and small ones (in plain suits)._
Lead king.
If the king wins, after king lead a small one (the original fourth-best
if an American Leader).
_King, knave, ten, nine, with or without small ones._
Lead nine, even though you also hold the eight.
(_a._) If nine wins the trick:--
With more than four in suit, lead ten after nine.
With only four in suit, lead knave after nine.
(_b._) If nine forces queen, or both queen and ace:--
With more than five in suit, lead ten after nine.
With five in suit, lead knave after nine.
With only four in suit, lead king after nine.
(_c._) If nine forces ace, but not queen, king must be led after nine.
Then (third lead),
With more than four in suit originally, lead ten after king.
With only four in suit, lead knave after king.
_King, knave, ten, with one or more small ones._
Lead ten.
If the ten wins the trick, lead a small one after ten (the original
fourth-best if an American Leader).
If the ten forces the queen, or both queen and ace:
With more than four in suit lead knave after ten.
With four in suit, lead king after ten.
If the ten forces the ace, and not the queen, king must be led after
ten.
_King, knave, nine, &c. (in trumps)._
If ten is turned up to your right, lead knave.
_King and small ones._
From all strong suits headed by king, other than those already
enumerated, lead a small one (the fourth-best if an American Leader).
_Queen, knave, ten, nine, with or without others._
Lead queen, then nine, even though one of your others is the eight.
With more than four in suit, lead ten after nine.
With only four in suit, lead knave after nine.
_Queen, knave, ten, and small._
Lead queen.
With more than four in suit, lead ten after queen.
With only four in suit, lead knave after queen.
_Queen, knave, nine, &c. (in trumps)._
If ten is turned up to your right, lead queen.
_Queen, knave, and small ones._
From all strong suits headed by queen, knave (or by queen), other than
those already enumerated, lead a small one (the fourth-best, if an
American Leader).
From queen, knave, nine (six or more in suit), if an American Leader,
lead fourth-best. If not, lead queen.
_Knave, ten, nine, eight, with or without small, ones._
_In trumps_, if queen or king is turned up to your left, lead knave.
Otherwise, _in trumps_ or _plain suits_,
(_a._) If the second hand is known to adopt the practice, even
though numerically weak in the suit, of not covering an
honour with an honour (other than the ace, _see_ p. 88),
lead eight.
With more than five in suit, lead nine after eight.
With five in suit, lead ten after eight.
With only four in suit, lead knave after eight.
(_b._) If the second hand adheres to the old practice of covering
an honour with an honour when numerically weak in the suit,
lead knave, then eight. And
With more than four in suit, lead nine after eight.
With only four in suit, lead ten after eight.
_Knave, ten, nine, and small._
_In trumps_, if king or queen is turned up to your left, lead knave.
Otherwise, _in trumps_ or _plain suits_,
(_a._) If the second hand, when numerically weak, does not cover
an honour with an honour (other than ace), lead a small one
(the fourth-best if an American Leader).
(_b._) If the second hand, when numerically weak, covers an honour
with an honour, lead knave. And,
With more than four in suit, lead nine after knave.
With only four in suit, lead ten after knave.
_Knave, ten, eight, &c. (in trumps)._
If nine is turned up to your right, lead knave.
_Knave, ten, and small ones._
From all strong suits headed by knave, ten (or by knave), with the
exceptions enumerated, lead a small one (the fourth-best if an American
Leader).
_Suits of four or more cards without an honour._
Lead a small card (the fourth-best if an American Leader).
3. LEAD THE HIGHEST OF A NUMERICALLY WEAK SUIT.
When it is your fate to open a numerically weak suit, your object
should be to do as little harm as possible. You cannot expect to win
many tricks, so you must do all you can to assist or _strengthen_ your
partner by leading high or strengthening cards; for, by leading the
highest of a suit numerically weak, you take the best chance of keeping
the strength in your partner's hand, should he happen to hold it.
You will not often be driven to open a weak suit originally, as one
of your suits must contain as many as four cards. But it may so turn
out that your four-card suit is composed of very small cards indeed,
in which case you might prefer to open a suit containing better cards,
though numerically weaker. Every one can see that ace, king, queen,
is a better suit to open than five, four, three, two; but, as you
descend in one scale and ascend in the other, there comes a point where
the two descriptions of strength nearly or quite balance. With hands
containing only a suit of four small cards--say none higher than the
seven or eight, and suits of three cards of higher value--the choice is
sometimes difficult. Also, with hands in which your only four-card suit
is the trump suit, you might sometimes deem it advisable to open one
of the other suits, as a smaller evil than leading a trump. As a rule,
when you are in doubt, stick to the general principle, and lead from
your four-card suit, even though it is the trump suit.
Whenever you decide on opening a suit of but three cards, choose, if
possible, one in which you hold a sequence which may be of benefit to
your partner, as queen, knave, ten; queen, knave, and one small one;
knave, ten, and one other, and so on, and lead the highest. If you have
no sequence, lead from your strongest weak suit. Thus, two honours not
in sequence, and one small one, is a better lead than ace and two small
ones, or king and two small ones. These, again, should be chosen in
preference to queen and two small ones. When leading from a numerically
weak suit that contains ace, king, or queen, but no sequence, if you
have any indication from the previous play that your partner is strong
in the suit (as will be explained in Section 4), lead the highest. But
having no guide as to his strength lead the lowest. You run the risk of
making your partner think you have led from numerical strength; but, on
the other hand, by leading out the high card, you at once give up the
command of the suit, and, unless your partner has strength in it (the
chances being against this), you leave yourself at the mercy of the
opponents.
The case is different with numerically weak suits headed by a knave or
a lower card. Of these suits you should lead the highest; by retaining
such a card as the knave you would scarcely ever be able to stop the
adversaries from establishing the suit, should they be strong in it;
and, by leading out the high card, you do all you can to aid your
partner, should he have strength.
Ace and one other, king and one other, or queen and one other, are
very bad suits to lead from. By holding them up you and your partner
stand a better chance of making tricks in the suit; and if it should
be the adversaries' suit (the chances being two to one that it is) you
keep the power of obstructing it and of obtaining the lead at advanced
periods of the hand. If you lead from ace, king only, lead ace, then
king.
It follows that when you lead a high card in the first round of a suit,
and in the next drop a lower one (subject to the rules respecting leads
from sequences and the lead from suits of five or more cards), your
partner should infer you have led from a weak suit. Thus, suppose you
lead a nine, which is called an equivocal card, as it comes from both
strong and weak suits. If in the second round your partner can infer
that you hold a higher card, he knows you have led from strength. But
if in the second round you lead (say) the eight, your partner may be
equally certain that the former card was the highest of your weak suit.
4. AVOID CHANGING SUITS.
_When you obtain the lead after one or more tricks have been played,
the question arises whether or not you should open a fresh suit._ If
you have had the lead before, it is generally advisable to pursue your
original lead, for you thus take the best chance of establishing the
suit, and you open a fresh suit to a disadvantage.
The fall of the cards in the previous rounds may cause you to alter
your game. Thus, the previous play may have already established your
suit, or may have so nearly established it as to justify you in
leading trumps, as hereafter explained; or your partner may have shown
a very strong suit, or a strong trump hand, which may modify your game.
Again, your partner may prove utterly weak in your suit; you would then
often discontinue it, unless holding the winning cards or a strong
sequence, because, with these exceptions, your continuing it gives the
adversary the opportunity of finessing against you, and of cutting up
your suit; or you may sometimes discontinue a suit if you expect it
will be trumped (as will be further explained in Sections 13-16); but,
failing such indications, it is best, as a rule, to pursue the original
lead.
If you have not had the lead before, it is in most cases advisable to
open your strong suit, when you possess _great_ strength in any suit,
for you open such suit to advantage; but with weak or only moderately
strong suits, which you open to a disadvantage, you would, as a rule,
do better to return your partner's original lead, or to lead up to the
weak suit of your right-hand adversary, or through the strong suit of
your left-hand adversary. When in doubt as to opening your own suit or
returning your partner's, you should, as a general rule, be guided by
your strength in trumps. With a strong trump hand play your own game;
with a weak trump hand play your partner's game.
If your partner has had a lead, and you are thoroughly conversant
with the system of leading developed in Sections 2 and 3, and with
the Analysis of Leads (pp. 64-71), you know by the value of the card
he has led whether he is strong or weak in that suit, unless he has
led an equivocal card, which is led from both strong and weak suits.
In this case, if you have no evidence from your own hand, or from the
fall of the cards, you presume, with a good partner, that he has led
from strength. But you mostly have some evidence; for instance, if he
leads a ten originally, he has led from king, queen, knave, ten; from
king, knave, ten; or the highest of his suit. If you hold--or either
adversary plays--king or knave, you know that your partner has led the
highest of his suit. But, in the absence of these cards, and especially
if the ten wins the first round, or falls to the ace or queen, you may
conclude that your partner's lead was from strength, and you would do
perfectly right to return it.
When you have won the first trick in your partner's lead cheaply, you
must be cautious in returning it, as the strength must be between your
partner and your right-hand adversary. For example, say A, Y, B, Z, are
the four players, and that they sit in this order round the table, so
that A leads and Z is last player. If A leads a small card of a plain
suit, Y plays a small one, and B (third player) puts on his best card,
the queen, which wins the trick, it is clear that Z can have neither
ace nor king; A cannot have them both, or he would have led one,
therefore Y must have one of them at least; and, if B returns the lead,
he leads up to Y's strength, and may cut up his partner's suit.
By observing the card led by either adversary, you can similarly
tell whether he has led from strength or weakness; so also you can
judge from the card played third hand by the adversary whether he is
weak, it being presumed that the third player puts on his best. It is
advantageous to lead up to a weak suit, because you compel the second
hand to put on a high card, or give your partner the opportunity of
finessing. It is generally less advantageous to lead through a strong
suit, unless you are sure that the second hand is not _very_ strong,
and that the fourth hand is weak. Otherwise, by continuing the suit,
you may be establishing it for the adversary, and getting rid of the
command of it from your partner's hand.
In discussing leads from weak suits it was supposed, for the sake of
convenience, that the leader had no indication from the play to guide
him. But in practice, in by far the greater number of cases, weak suits
are opened late in a hand when inference from previous play has given
an insight into the strength or weakness of the several players. Thus,
you commence with your strong suit; your partner fails to show any
strength in it. After several other tricks are played you get the lead
again, remaining with (say) king and two others of your first lead. You
do not wish to take one of the guards from your king, and you do not
deem it advisable to lead a card which your partner may be obliged to
trump. You therefore try another suit. By this time you know, either
by the adversaries' leads what their strong suits are, or by the
players' discards (_i.e._, by the cards they throw away when not able
to follow suit,) what their weak suits are, as will be explained under
discarding. Guided by these indications, you make choice of a suit for
your second lead in which your partner is probably strong, and under
such circumstances you would, as a rule, lead the highest of the suit
of your second choosing, if numerically weak in it.
When you have led a strengthening card, and it wins the trick, you can
rarely do better than continue with your next highest. For example:
from queen, knave, and three you lead the queen, which goes round. It
hardly requires to be stated that you make the best use of your suit
by continuing with the knave. When your strengthening card does not
win, the course of the play is the only guide as to whether you should
continue the suit. The application of the considerations advanced in
this Section will generally inform you where the strong and weak suits
lie, and you will act accordingly, giving your partner his strong
suit, or, if he has not shown one, leading up to the weak suit of the
right-hand adversary, or through the strong suit of the left-hand
adversary.
It has several times been assumed that it is advantageous to have the
lead at advanced periods of a hand; we now see one principal reason why
it is so. The leader knows by observation where the strong and the weak
suits lie, and he will generally be able to make use of this knowledge
in assisting his partner, or in obstructing his opponents.
The principles explained in the preceding pages apply mainly to the
original lead, or to leads early in a hand. They apply also to leads
generally; but, at advanced periods of the hand, and towards its
close, their application is frequently modified by inferences from the
previous play, and by the state of the score. Examples of departure
from the rules here laid down will be presented in the illustrative
hands.
In the second round of a suit--
5. RETURN THE LOWEST OF A STRONG SUIT, THE HIGHEST OF A WEAK SUIT.
When you return your partner's lead, the card you should choose to lead
the second round depends on the number of cards of the suit you have
remaining. Thus, if you remain with three cards, you must have had four
at first. You therefore had strength in the suit, and you should return
the smallest of the three remaining cards, agreeably to the principle
that with strength it is to your advantage to retain the command in
your own hand. If you remain with two cards only, you should return the
higher one, to strengthen your partner; and, similarly, if you have
discarded one of a four-suit, and are left with two only _at the time
you return it_, you have destroyed the numerical power of your suit,
and should therefore treat it as a weak suit, and return the higher
card of the two remaining in your hand.
The advantages of this principle are numerous. In the case that you
and your partner are both numerically strong, the return of the lowest
prevents him from finessing in a suit which must be trumped third
round. Further, if your hand is weak, you naturally return a suit
in which you infer that your partner is strong. You then return a
strengthening card to get a high card of your partner's strong suit out
of his way, and you enable him to finesse if he thinks proper, and so
to keep the command of his suit in his own hand.
It is true that with two small cards only (say the five and the six)
you do not strengthen your partner by returning the six. But there is a
collateral advantage in keeping to the rule even with small cards--_you
enable a good partner to calculate how many you have left of the suit_,
and often where the remainder of it lies. Thus, your partner leads a
small card of a suit of which you have king, three, and two. You, as
third player, put on the king. If you return the suit, you return the
three, and not the two, when it ought to be inferred, either that you
have returned the smallest of a suit of four or more, or that you have
no more of the suit left, or the two only. When your two comes down in
the third round it ought to be certain that you have no more. If your
partner has confidence in you, he can often calculate what you have
left before the third round is played; thus, in the above instance,
your partner, not having the two himself, and seeing that it does not
drop from the adversaries, concludes, with tolerable certainty, that
you remain, after the second round, with the two and no more.
There are two exceptions to the rule of play above stated: 1. When you
hold the winning card you return it, whatever number of cards you
hold, lest it should be trumped the third round, or, your partner,
imagining it to be against him, should finesse; and 2. When you hold
the second and third best, in plain suits, you return the highest.
Thus, suppose you have queen, knave, ten, and one small one of a suit
of which your partner leads a small one, you (third hand) put on the
ten, which is won by (say) the ace. If you afterwards return the suit,
you should return the queen, for you not only force out the king, if
against you, but you also do not block your partner's suit, should he
have led from great numerical strength, say five cards to the nine, an
advantage which you lose by returning the small one.
It should also be observed that, occasionally, when you return your
adversary's strong lead, you do not lead the higher of two remaining
cards, especially if you hold the second best guarded. For example, you
are A; Y is your left-hand adversary. Y has led a king, which was won
by the ace, leaving Y with the queen and others. You remain with knave
and one small one. If you are driven to return this suit, you should
return the small one. The queen will probably be put on second hand,
and you will remain with the best.
[Illustration]
THE SECOND HAND.
In the first round of a suit, you should generally,
6. PLAY YOUR LOWEST CARD SECOND HAND.
You presume that the first hand has led from strength, and, if you
have a high card in his suit, you lie over him when it is led again;
whereas, if you play your high card second hand, you get rid of a
commanding card of the adversary's suit, and, when it is returned, the
original leader finesses against you. Besides this, the third player
will put on his highest card, and, if it is better than yours, you have
wasted power to no purpose.
If, however, you have a sequence of high cards, you should put on one
of the sequence second hand, for, if you pass the trick altogether, the
third hand may win with a very low card, or, with his low card, may
force a high one from your partner. The chief objection to playing an
unsupported high card does not apply, as the leader cannot successfully
finesse against you in the next round.
With a moderate sequence, such as queen, knave--knave, ten--ten,
nine--you play the lowest of the sequence if you are numerically weak;
but, with more than three cards of the suit, you pass a small card
led, agreeably to the principle already discussed--that in weak suits
you play to strengthen your partner, but in strong ones you leave him
to help you. For instance: the leader (A) has king, ten, nine, eight,
seven of a suit; the second player (Y) has queen, knave, and one small
one; the fourth player (Z) has ace and two small ones. A leads a small
card; Y should play the knave; if he does not, the card led forces Z's
ace. It is true that this happens also if Y passes with queen, knave,
and two small ones; but Y, in this case, has a guard to his queen and
knave, and is left with the two winning cards after the second round of
the suit.
With a sequence lower than ten, nine, there is no advantage in putting
on one of the sequence; so the lowest should then be played second
hand, in conformity with the general principle.
7. PLAY THE LOWEST OF A SEQUENCE.
When you do not head a trick, you throw away your lowest card to
economise your strength. Thus, with queen and two small ones, you would
not throw the queen to king led. It is an error to suppose that it is
of no consequence which card you play when you hold only small cards
or cards in sequence. It is not of much consequence as regards merely
the chance of making tricks; but it is of great importance in affording
information to partner.
Thus, suppose the players to be as before, A, Y, B, Z. A leads the
three of a suit, Y plays the five, B the four. It ought to be certain
that B has no more of the suit, it being presumed that he, not being
able to head the trick, throws away his smallest. If he afterwards
plays the two, and it turns out that he previously played the four
_through carelessness_, his partner loses confidence, and gives up all
hopes of drawing correct inferences from his play.
The principle applies equally to cards in sequence. Thus, say queen is
led, and you (second hand) hold ace and king; if you put on the king,
your partner gains the very important information that you have the
ace also. For queen is not led from ace, queen, &c., so the leader
cannot have the ace; the third hand cannot have it, or he would win
the king; and the fourth, not having it himself, infers that you have
it. If you put on the ace, not only could he not tell that you hold
the king, but would assume that it lay with the leader's partner. The
principle, though stated for the sake of convenience in respect of the
second hand, applies to the third and fourth hands also. (For a fuller
examination of this point _see_ Section 12.)
[Illustration]
ANALYSIS OF PLAY OF SECOND HAND IN DETAIL.
(_See_ Note on Analysis of Leads, p. 64.)
_Ace, king, queen, &c._
Play lowest of ace, king, queen sequence.
_Ace, king, knave, &c._
Play king (but _see_ p. 89).
On the second round of the suit, it becomes a matter of judgment
whether you should play ace or finesse knave. No positive rule can be
laid down.
_Ace, king, &c._
Play king.
In trumps it is sometimes right to pass, leaving the chance of the
first trick to your partner.
Obvious alterations on account of the trump card are omitted. It is
clear that, with ace, king, &c., if your partner has turned up the
queen, you should play a small one; and that, with ace, king, knave, if
your right hand adversary has turned up the queen, you should play the
knave; and so on for other cases.
_Ace, queen, knave, &c._
Play lowest of queen, knave sequence.
_Ace, queen, ten, &c._
In trumps, play ten, or with cards in sequence, the lowest of the ten
sequence.
In plain suits, if strong enough in trumps to lead them, play ten, or
lowest of sequence; if weak in trumps, play queen (but _see_ p. 89).
With ace, queen, ten only, play ten, whether strong in trumps or not.
_Ace, queen, &c._
Small card led.
In trumps, play a small one.
In plain suits, with five in suit, play a small one if strong in
trumps; the queen if weak in trumps.
Knave led.
Play ace. It is useless to cover with the queen, as the leader cannot
hold the king (_see_ Analysis of Leads).
These instructions assume ordinary original leads from strength. If
ace or queen is turned up, some players lead knave, from king, knave,
ten. If you know this is the practice of your right hand adversary, you
should exercise your judgment as to covering with ace or queen.
Also towards the close of a hand, knave might be led from king, knave
for various reasons, perhaps as the best chance of saving or winning
the game or a point, or as a false card. No rule can be laid down for
such cases.
Ten or nine led.
Play queen.
_Ace, knave, ten, &c._
In trumps, play ten, or with cards in sequence with the ten, the lowest
of the sequence.
In plain suits, play a small one.
The reason for the difference is that, in trumps a small card may be
led from king, queen, &c.; but in plain suits, not. Hence as, in plain
suits, the king or queen must be in the third or fourth hand, your
strength would be wasted by covering.
_Ace and small ones._
Play a small one.
As before observed, the original lead of a small card from strength is
assumed.
If, after several tricks have been played, you particularly want the
lead, or you suspect the possibility of a lead from a single card, or
one trick is of importance, you would often be right to play the ace.
Again, no rule can be laid down.
_King, queen, knave, &c._
Play the lowest of the king, queen, knave sequence.
_King, queen, &c._
Small card led.
Play queen.
In trumps it is sometimes right to pass, unless you hold ten also, or
only three in suit.
Knave led.
The usual practice is to cover with the queen. But, it can be shown by
calculation that, if the lead is from knave, ten, nine, and small,
more is gained than lost, in the long run, by passing.
The best lead from knave, ten, nine, &c., is disputed; and so also is
the question of covering.
_King, knave, ten, &c._
Play the lowest of the knave, ten sequence.
_Queen, knave, ten, &c._
Play ten, or lowest of sequence.
_Knave, ten, nine, &c._
Play nine, or lowest of sequence.
_Queen, knave, and small; knave, ten, and small; ten, nine, and small._
Play as directed at pp. 82-3.
_Covering or passing second hand._
If an honour is led, and you have the ace, as a rule play the ace.
If an honour is led, and you hold an honour, not the ace, pass as a
rule.
It was formerly the practice to cover an honour with an honour, if
numerically weak. Calculation shows more is gained than lost, in the
long run, by passing. But, if a strengthening card is led, late in a
hand, it would often be right to cover. No positive rule can be laid
down for the play of the second hand under such circumstances. When you
have the _fourchette_ it is almost always right to cover. Thus, if
knave is led, and you hold queen, ten, &c., put on the queen.
If a ten is led, and you hold queen and one small one, play queen.
The lead is probably from king, knave, ten, &c., and the queen may
save your partner's ace. With queen and two small ones, or with other
combinations not enumerated as those with which a high card should be
played second hand, pass.
If a nine is led, and you hold king and one small one, play king. The
leader must have opened an ace suit (either ace, queen, ten, nine, or
ace, knave, ten, nine), assuming him to have led from a suit of four
cards. The same applies if you hold king, nine, and eight is led.
If a medium card is led from a suit of at least four cards, three being
higher than the card led, and you hold cards that (together with the
leader's cards) make up a sequence, cover with the lowest card you can.
For example:--The original lead is an eight. You (second hand) hold
ace, king, ten, with or without small ones. If the lead was from queen,
knave, nine, eight, as is most probable, and the ten is put on, it will
win the trick.
Again: the original lead is a seven. You hold ace, queen, knave, eight.
If the seven is the lowest of a four card suit, the lead must have been
from king, ten, nine, seven. Therefore, the eight put on will win the
trick.
The same applies, if the leader of an ace follows with a medium card.
For example:--Ace is led originally. The next lead of an American
Leader is, say, the eight. You had originally king, queen, ten, four,
and you played the four to the ace. The leader must hold knave, nine
and small. You should, therefore play the ten. And, observe, the play
would be the same, if the second lead of a player who does not follow
the American system were the seven, as then he must hold knave, nine,
eight.
If a small card is led, and you hold an honour and a small card, pass
the trick as a rule; for by putting on the honour you expose your
weakness, and enable the original leader to finesse against you on the
second round. The principal general exception to playing a small card
second hand, is when the circumstances of the hand cause you to seize
any chance of getting the lead, as when you want to stop a lead of
trumps, or to lead trumps yourself. Then it is often right to play a
high card second hand, when unsupported by another high card.
Also, in trumps, if king or queen is turned up, and you hold it singly
guarded (_i.e._, if you have only one other trump), it is generally
advisable to put on the turn-up, second hand. And if you hold king
or queen, singly guarded, and a superior honour is turned up to your
right, you should play the king or queen.
* * * * *
In the second round of a suit, if you have the winning card, you
should--in plain suits--generally put it on second hand, subject to
a finesse that will certainly be successful; but in trumps there are
many cases in which you should not, especially if you have numerical
strength in trumps, and a good hand besides. Your winning trump must
make, and, by passing the second round, you perhaps enable your partner
to win with a third best trump--or even a smaller one--yourself
retaining the command.
If, when led through in the second round of a suit, you conclude from
the previous fall of the cards that the second best card is to your
right, it is sometimes advisable to put on the third best. You thus
save your partner's hand if he holds the best. For instance: if knave
is led in the first round, and your partner (then second player) puts
on king, which wins the trick, it is clear (if the ten is your best)
that your partner has the ace, for the third player could not win
the king, and the leader could not have led from ace, knave. If your
right-hand adversary afterwards returns the suit through you, you
should put on the ten in order to save your partner's ace.
[Illustration]
THE THIRD HAND.
(_See_ also "Whist Developments." DE LA RUE & Co.)
In the first round of a suit, you should generally
8. PLAY YOUR HIGHEST CARD THIRD HAND,
in order to strengthen your partner. You presume that he leads from his
strong suit, and wants to get the winning cards of it out of his way;
you, therefore, do not finesse, but play your highest, remembering that
you play the lowest of a sequence.
With ace, queen (and, of course, ace, queen, knave, &c., in sequence)
you do finesse, for, in this case, the finesse cannot be left to your
partner. In trumps you may finesse ace, knave, if an honour is turned
up to your right. Some players finesse knave with king, knave, &c.; but
it is contrary to principle to finesse in your partner's strong suit.
If your partner leads a high card originally, you assume it is led
from one of the combinations given in the Analysis of Leads (pp.
64-71), and your play third hand must be guided by a consideration of
the combination led from. With ace, you pass queen led; you are then
in much the same position as though a small card were led, and you
finessed with ace, queen.
Knave, led originally, is from king, queen, knave, &c. (some players
lead knave from knave, ten, nine, &c.) In either case, if you hold ace
with one small card, play the ace; with more than one small card, pass
(_see_ p. 98). If your only honour is the king, you should pass knave
led. For, the second hand having passed, you assume ace to be to your
left (p. 88). Should the queen be there also, you waste the king by
covering; and if queen is to your right, the knave forces the ace.
Ten may be led originally from king, queen, knave, ten, or from king,
knave, ten, &c. If you hold ace, you should put it on; but if you hold
queen, you should pass. Holding both ace and queen, your play depends
on whether you wish to obtain the lead on the first round of the suit.
If your partner opens a suit, late in a hand, with a high card, your
play, third hand, will depend on your judgment of the character of the
lead. If it is probable that your partner has led from a weak suit,
you will often be right to finesse king, knave, &c., or to pass his
card altogether, so as not to give up the entire command of the suit.
Thus, if ten is led and you hold ace, knave, &c., 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
the tenace. Similar remarks apply to a forced lead of knave, when you
hold ace, ten, &c. 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 the knave if you
are strong in trumps, but not if weak.
In the second round of a suit, if 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 again depend on your strength
in trumps. If weak in trumps, secure the trick at once; if strong
in trumps, and especially if strong enough to lead a trump (_see_
Management of Trumps, pp. 120-24), should the finesse succeed, it is
generally right to make it. 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, since 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 tenace from making, and your only
chance, therefore, is to finesse. Thus, if you lead a small card from
queen, ten, and two small ones, your partner wins the first trick
with the 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. In trumps, the winning
card is often held up by the adversary, but you must submit to this
contingency, and generally finesse.
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 led, and does not trump it, you (third hand) should
not finesse a major tenace (_i.e._, the best and third best cards).
This often occurs in the second or third round of a suit; also, if your
partner (third player) has won a trick very cheaply, and the suit is
returned, it is rarely of any use to finesse if you have the winning
card.
In some few positions, however, it is necessary to finesse, even if
the second player holds nothing. Thus, your partner leads a knave,
and the second hand renounces (_i.e._, does not follow suit); if you
(third player) hold king, it is useless to cover, as ace, queen in the
fourth hand must make. Again, you have king, and two small trumps; your
partner leads a small one; the second hand renounces. If you want one
trick to win or save the game, you (third player) play a small trump,
when the fourth player will be obliged to lead up to your king guarded.
The state of the game and of the score will often direct as to a
finesse late in a hand. Thus, if you hold a winning card, and want one
trick to save or win the game, of course you should not run any risk.
A finesse against even one card is generally wrong, if, by playing
otherwise, you prevent the adversary from scoring three or five. A
finesse is almost always bad, if by not finessing you insure the odd
trick, as that makes a difference of two to the score. In the opposite
case, a finesse is generally right (sometimes even against more than
one card), if its success gives you the odd trick, or puts you at the
score of three or five.
The considerations as to finessing and the course of play generally,
that come in as the hand proceeds, are so complicated, and depend so
much on inferences from previous play, and on the state of the score,
that one can scarcely do more than to state a few broad rules, and to
add some examples. Illustrations of the conduct of the hand at advanced
periods will be found in Sections 17 and 18 (pp. 134-155), and more in
the hands.
THE FOURTH HAND.
The fourth player having, with a few exceptions, merely to win the
trick, if against him, his play involves no further development of
general principles.
The exceptional cases, where the fourth hand should not win the trick
though he can, or should win his partner's trick in order to get the
lead, depend so much on the previous fall of the cards, that they can
best be illustrated in the hands.
THE COMMAND OF SUITS.
(_See_ also Appendix B., pp. 287-8.)
In the foregoing chapters it has been incidentally stated that you
should
9. KEEP THE COMMAND OF YOUR ADVERSARY'S SUIT: AND
10. GET RID OF THE COMMAND OF YOUR PARTNER'S SUIT.
The reasons will be obvious to those who are familiar with the previous
pages; in the first case, you obstruct the adversaries' suits, and
prevent their establishing them; in the second case, you assist in
clearing the suit for your partner.
Thus, with ace and queen only of a suit led by your partner, if you win
with the queen, play out the ace at once; but, if the suit is led by
your adversary, keep the ace in your hand. If you play out the winning
card of the opponent's suit in hopes of trumping the next round, which
is often done by those who play a trumping game, you do just what
the adversaries want; for the lead of the ace gives them valuable
assistance towards bringing in their suit when trumps are out.
Though the advantage of getting rid of the command of a suit, of
which your partner has declared numerical strength, is recognised
theoretically, the application of the principle is much neglected in
practice. In order to get rid, at the proper moment, of the command
of your partner's suit, a thorough knowledge of the Analysis of Leads
is requisite, as the following examples will show:--1. Your partner
leads ace, originally, of a plain suit. He has led from ace, queen,
knave, &c., or from a suit of five cards at least. You have four of
the suit, say ten, nine, eight, two. To his ace, you should play the
eight, not the two. All follow suit, and your partner continues with
knave, or with a small card. You now know for certain that he led from
five at least. You should play the nine, even if the second hand puts
on a winning card or a trump. When the suit is led again, you should
play the ten. Your partner is left with two small cards, and you do not
block his suit; if you had played two, eight, nine, it is very probable
that you would keep the command of the suit with the ten. 2. If instead
of ten, nine, eight, two, you held, say, ten, nine, three, two, and
your partner leads ace and a small one, you should similarly play the
nine on the second round. 3. If your partner led from ace, queen, knave
and one small one (as you will be informed by his leading queen after
ace), you cannot block the suit; but, if you have played the eight to
the ace, as in Example 1, you must still play the nine to the queen, or
you have called for trumps (_see_ p. 125). You lose nothing by this,
as you and your partner still retain the winning cards of the suit. If
on the third round you find it necessary to play your small card, you
have not called for trumps (_see_ Appendix B, pp. 287-8). 4. Similarly,
you have king, queen, and two small cards of a plain suit of which your
partner leads ace and a small one. All follow suit to the ace; the
second hand trumps the small one. You should play the queen, and to
the third round the king. 5. Your partner leads knave of a plain suit
originally, from king, queen, knave, and at least two small cards. The
second hand plays a small card. You (third hand) hold ace, &c. Whether
or not you should put on the ace, depends on the number of small cards
you hold. Having only one small card, you should play the ace, that you
may not block the suit. Having more than one small card, you pass the
knave. Suppose the knave wins the trick, and your partner continues
with king or queen. If you now remain with ace and one small card, you
should put on the ace; but, if you have ace and two small cards left,
you should pass again, as you still have the power of getting rid of
the command on the third round. 6. To continue the previous example.
Say the two rounds of your partner's suit have resulted in the fall of
seven cards of it, and that you still have ace and a small one left.
Your adversary now leads the suit a third time, that his partner may
trump it. You should play the ace, keeping the small card of the suit
of which your partner will still hold two cards. 7. If your partner
leads a small card of a plain suit originally, and you can tell from
the fall of the cards that the card led was not his absolute lowest,
you know he led from a suit of more than four (_see_ Analysis of
Leads), and if you had four originally, you should be prepared to get
rid of the command on the subsequent rounds. For example:--Your partner
leads eight. All follow suit, and the queen falls. On obtaining the
lead again, your partner leads the six, showing that he led from at
least five cards. Ace comes out. One adversary does not follow suit.
You held, originally, knave, five, four, three, and have played the
three and the four. Your partner now has the lead again, and leads the
king of his suit. You, holding knave and one small one, would play very
badly to retain the knave. You should throw the knave on the king, and
your partner's suit is freed. 8. Your hand contains four cards, viz.,
ace and one small spade (spades not having been led), and two losing
diamonds; your partner has nothing but spades, of which he leads the
king. If you pass it you cannot make more than two tricks, for the
winning diamonds are against you in one hand; but, if you win your
partner's king, and return the small one, and your partner has led
from king, queen, you still win two tricks, and get a chance of making
three or four.
A collateral advantage of playing as advised, is that a good partner
will often know how many of his suit you still have in hand. Thus, he
leads knave, which you pass; he continues with queen, which you win. It
ought to be a certainty that you remain with one small card of his suit
and no more. If you pass again, it should be equally certain, when your
ace comes down in the third round, that you have one small card of the
suit in hand. Again: your partner leads ace and knave; knave is won by
the adversary with the king. You, holding ten, nine, eight, deuce, have
played eight and nine of the suit. If the winner of the trick does not
lead a trump, your partner would infer, with tolerable certainty, that
you remain with the deuce and ten of his suit, as no one is asking for
trumps (_see_ p. 125) and no one has played the deuce in two rounds.
In trumps, the case is somewhat different, as you cannot block your
partner's trump suit. It is then only advisable to get out of his way,
if you see from the fall of the cards that it is essential he should
proceed with trumps. Thus: with ace and one small trump you would not
put ace on his knave led, unless very desirous of three rounds of
trumps immediately. Moreover, in trumps, your partner can count your
hand in another way; for with four trumps you would echo, as will be
fully explained under Management of Trumps (p. 128).