(a) The finesse belongs to the higher order of play and consists in the attempt to take a trick with a card lower than your highest card and not in sequence with it, trusting that no intermediate card may lie on your left.
(b) It is not proper to finesse in your partner's long suit, with one exception. Holding the ace and queen of his suit, play the queen on a low card led, and if it wins the trick, the ace may be returned later.
(c) The expediency of finessing or not can only be determined by practised players from careful observation of the cards.
Rule.—Acting on the theory of the fourth-best led, when leading a small card, R. F. Foster, of New York, worked out and published a useful convention known as his "eleven rule," which has become the most popular addition to the rules of the game. This rule enables all players to know at once how many cards are held by the other three players that are superior to the fourth best card led, and is thus explained : By numbering all the cards of a suit from deuce to ace, the 13 would number a total of 14 (2 to 14 inclusive). When any player leads his fourth best, he has remaining in his suit just three cards higher than the one led; deduct these three from 14, the remainder is II, being the whole number in suit, exclusive of the three known to be in the leader's hand. Therefore, to ascertain the number of cards superior to the fourth best led that are out against the leader, we have only to deduct the face value of the card led from II, and the remainder will be the number of higher cards held by the other hands. Then the dealer's partner from his hand can tell how many cards are held by the two opponents that are superior to the card led, and by noting them as they fall, can tell when the suit is established. This valuable rule is used by all good players of both whist and auction bridge.
The laws are made for the comfort and convenience of all persons who want to play a good game and in the best form. The strict observance of the laws will prevent dis putes and add much interest to the play. The player who is not acquainted with the laws and rules is often at a serious dis advantage and liable to commit petty errors for which the penal ties are severe. The penalties are taken from the code of the laws.
The Penalties.—If dealer reshuffles the pack after it has been properly cut, he loses his deal.
There must be a new deal by the same dealer—(i) If any card except the last is placed face up in the pack; (2) if during the deal or during the play of the hand the pack is proved incorrect or imperfect. It is a misdeal :
(I) If the dealer omits to have the pack cut.
(2) If he deals a card incorrectly and fails to correct the error before dealing another card.
(3) If he counts the cards on the table or in the remainder of the pack.
(4) If he does not deal to each player the proper number of cards and the error is not "discovered" before all have played the first trick.
(5) If he places the trump card face downward upon his own or any other player's cards.
A misdeal loses the deal unless during the deal either of the adversaries touch a card or in any other manner interrupt the dealer.
The following cards are liable to be called by either adversary. (I) Every card faced upon the table otherwise than in the regular course of play.
(2) Every card thrown with the one led or played to the cur rent trick.
(3) Every card so held by a player that his partner sees any portion of its face.
(4) Every card named by a player holding it.
All cards liable to be called must be left face upward upon the table. A player must lead or play them when they are called, provided he can do so without revoking.
Leading Out of Turn.—If any player leads out of turn, a suit may be called from him or his partner the first time it is the turn for either of them to lead.
Revoking.—To revoke is to renounce in error without being corrected in time. A player revokes if when holding one or more cards of the suit led, he plays a card of a different suit. The pen alty for revoking is the transfer of two tricks from the revoking side to their adversaries.
The game of auction bridge has become very popular all over the world in the last 25 years, and has far surpassed the game of whist, especially with the young people and in the domestic circles. Whist still holds its own, however, with the older clubs and players. The American Whist League has met in annual congress every year since its organization in 1891, meeting alternately in cities east and west.
is a modification of whist, the chief distinctive feature being that a single player generally has to oppose the other three. The game in America adheres to the English rules in the larger Eastern cities, but it is played very little. In the west a variation, "Slough," has superseded "Solo." The literature of the game is now limited to Cavendish on Whist, in England and the Gist of Whist, by Charles E. Coffin, in America.
(C. E. Co.)