METHODS OF SCORING AT WHIST. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. 0 00 000 0000 0 .0 00 000 0 GENERAL RULES FOR BEGINNERS. 1. LEAD from the best suit; if you have a sequence of king, queen, and knave, or queen, knave, and ten, they are sure leads, and gain the tenace to yourself or partner in other suits. Begin with the highest of a sequence, unless you have five in number; in that case play the lowest (except in trumps, when always play the highest) in order to get the ace or king out of your partner's or adversary's hand, and make room for your strong suit. 2. With five of the smallest trumps, and not one good card in the other suits, trump out, which will make your partner the last player, and give him the tenace. 3. If two small trumps only, with ace and king of two other suits, and a deficiency of the fourth suit, make as many tricks as you can immediately, and if your partner refuses either of your suits, do not force him, because that may weaken his game too much. 4. Seldom return your partner's lead immediately, if you have good suits of your own to play, unless it be to endeavour to save or win a game: what is meant by good suits is sequences of king, queen, and knave, or queen, knave, and ten. 5. If each party has five tricks, and you are assured of getting two from your own hand, win them, in expectation of scoring 2 that deal; because losing the odd trick makes two difference, and you play 2 to 1 against yourself. Except when you see a probability either of saving your lurch or winning the game; in either of which cases risk the odd trick. 6. When you have a probability of winning the game, risk a trick or two, because the share of the stake, which your adversary has by a new deal, will amount to more than the point or two which you risk. The foregoing case refers to games 1 to 6, in pages 14, 15, 16. 7. If your adversary is six or seven love, and you are to lead, then risk a trick or two, in hopes of putting the game upon an equality; therefore, admitting you have the queen or knave, and one other trump, and no good cards in other suits, play the queen or knave of trumps; by which means you will strengthen your partner's game, if he is strong in trumps; if weak, you do him no injury. 8. If you are four of the game, play for an odd trick, in hopes to save one-half of the stake; and, in order to win the same, though you are pretty strong in trumps, he cautious how you trump out. What is meant by strength in trumps, is, one honour and three trumps. 9. If you are nine of the game, and though very strong in trumps, yet if your partner has a chance of trumping any of your adversary's suits; then do not trump out, but give him an opportunity of trumping those suits. If your game is scored only 1, 2, or 3, you must play the reverse, and also in 5, 6, or 7; because in these two cases, you play for more than one point. 10. If last player you find that the third hand cannot put on a good card to his partner's lead, admitting you have no good game of your own to play, then return the lead upon the adversary; which gives your partner the tenace in that suit, and often obliges the adversary to change suits, and consequently gives the tenace in that new suit also. 11. If you have ace, king, and four small trumps, begin with a small one; because it is an equal wager that your partner has a better trump than the last player: if so, you have three rounds of trumps; or else you cannot fetch out all. 12. If ace, king, knave, and three small trumps, begin with the king, and then play the ace, (except one of the adversaries refuses trumps) be-. cause the odds are in your favour that the queen falls. 13. If either king, queen, and four small trumps, or queen, knave, and four small trumps, begin with a small one, because the odds are on your side that your partner has an honour. 14. If king, queen, ten, and three small trumps, begin with the king, because you have a fair chance that the knave falls in the second round, 'or you may finesse your ten upon the return from your partner. Refers to cases 1, 2, 3, in pages 16, 17. 15. If queen, knave, nine, and three small trumps, begin with the queen, because you have a fair chance that the ten falls in the second round, or you may wait to finesse the nine. Refers to cases 1, 2, 3, in pages 16, 17. 16. If knave, ten, and four small trumps, begin with a small one. See in No. 13. 17. If knave, ten, eight, and three small trumps, begin with the knave, in order to prevent the nine from making a trick; and the odds are in your favour that the other three honours fall in two rounds. 18. If six trumps of a lower denomination, begin with the lowest, unless you should have ten, nine, and eight, and an honour turns up against you; in that case, if you are to play through the honour, begin with the ten, which obliges the adversary either to play his honour to disadvantage, or leave it in your partner's option, whether he will pass it or not. 19. If ace, king, and three small trumps, begin with a small one. See in No. 13. 20. If ace, king, and knave, and two small trumps, begin with the king, which, next to a certainty, informs your partner that you have ace and knave remaining; and by putting the lead into your partner's hand, he plays you a trump; upon which finesse the knave, and no ill consequence can arise, except the queen lies behind you single. Refers to cases 1, 2, 3, in pages 16, 17. 21. If king, queen, and three small trumps, begin with a small one. See in No. 13. 22. If king, queen, ten, and two small trumps, begin with the king. See in No. 20... 23. If the queen, knave, and three small trumps, begin with a small one. See in No. 13. 24. If queen, knave, nine, and two small trumps, begin with the queen. See in No. 15. 25. If knave, ten, and three small trumps, begin with a small one. See in No. 13. 26. If knave, ten, eight, and two small trumps, begin with the knave, because in two rounds probably the nine falls; or, upon the return of trumps from your partner, you may finesse the eight. 27. If five trumps of a lower denomination, begin with the lowest, unless you have a sequence of ten, nine, and eight; in that case begin with the highest. 28. If ace, king, with a small one. and two small trumps, begin See in No. 13. 29. If ace, king, knave, and one small trump, begin with the king. See in No. 20. 30. If king, queen, and two small trumps, begin with a small one. See in No. 13. 31. If king, queen, ten, and one small trump, begin with the king, and wait the return of trumps from your partner, when finesse the ten, in order to win the knave. 32. If queen, knave, nine, and one small trump, begin with the queen, in order to prevent the ten from making a trick. 33. If knave, ten, and two small trumps, begin with a small one. See in No. 13. 34. If knave, ten, eight, and one small trump, begin with the knave, to prevent the nine from making a trick. 35. If ten, nine, eight, and one small trump, begin with the ten, which leaves it in your partner's discretion whether he will pass it or not. 36. If ten, and three small trumps, begin with a small one. |