It is a most important matter to know what to discard, when you hold none
of the suit led, and either cannot or do not think it desirable to trump.
The discard may be grouped under three heads:--
1. When trumps have not been led, nor have been called for by either
adversary. Then discard the lowest of the weakest suit.
2. When your partner has led trumps, and you have to discard on a winning
card of his, throw away the lowest card of your weakest suit.
3. If the adversaries have either led trumps or have called for trumps,
throw away the lowest card of the strongest suit.
Simple as this system of discarding really is, and sound as it is, some
players never seem to comprehend it. They will too often do the very
opposite, and will throw away from their strong suit when their partner has
led trumps, and from their weak suit when the adversaries have led trumps.
{205}
When a player has had the original lead, and has shown strength in one
suit, it is unnecessary that he tell his partner that he is strong in that
suit by discarding from it when the adversaries have led trumps; he may
then discard from a weak suit, unless he has to keep it guarded.
Towards the end of a hand, and when only four or five cards remain, the
discard is often of vital importance, and should be carefully attended to
by a partner.
Attention may be called to the occasional advisability of discarding
falsely, when one has mastered the principles of the game. Such false
discard may be understood by the following example. Suppose you hold ace,
queen, and two small clubs and two small spades. The adversaries have led
trumps, and your left-hand player has drawn the last trump from your
partner. According to rule, you ought to discard a club, to show your
partner your strong suit. As, however, your left adversary has the lead, he
would at once lead a spade up to your indicated weak suit. You may
therefore discard a spade, in the hope that he may lead a club up to your
ace, queen.