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COPYRIGHT DEPOStn

BridgeWhist

By

George Fitch

P F Collier bf Son

New York

v-^

Copyright 1910

By P. F. CoUier & Son

(g;<CU256389

BRIDGE WHIST

TheLeadPencil as a Factorin the Game,

Abolition ofthe L,ongFlow-

ing Sleeves of Society

Leaders,

Revealing the Broken Sus-

pender Button by the

Turn of the Card.

Four Years' Apprentice-

ship for the lylll Rules

and Penalties.

BRIDGE WHISTBRIDGE WHIST is or-

. dinary whist with awheel- of-fortune at-

\

tachment. It is a cross be-]

tween double -entry book- '

keeping and roulette, and is

played with a deck of cards,

an adding machine, and a j

promissory note. It is listed

as a game, but generallyj

varies between a vice and alife-calling.

^

Bridge whist can easily be I

explained to any one who\

knows all about ordinarywhist, compound fractions,

j

Robert's rules of order, wire-

less telegraphy, mind-reading i

and silent signals. The rules

of ordinary whist prevail as

BRIDGE WHISTfar as they go, but, in order tomake the game appear morelike real financiering, eachsuit is given a diflferent valuein the counting. Each trick

over six when spades aretrumps counts two penniesor automobiles, dependingupon the location ofthe game.Glubs count four, diamondssix, and hearts eight. It is

also possible to cut outtrumps altogether by a simplemechanism, in which case

each trick counts twelve.

Then, in order to add aWall Street zest to the game,the values of these tricks canbe doubled or quadrupled byany one with a taste for

BRIDGE WHISTplunging; and in order tocomplicate matters still far-

ther, so that the experiencedplayer may get her just duesfrom the beginner, each court

card is permitted at times tobreak into the score with acount of its own. This ex-

plains the double-entry fea-

ture of the game. After ahand has been played, andthe winner's extra tricks havebeen multiplied by 2, 4, 6, 8,

12, 24, 48, or 96, according tothe value of the trumps andthe intensity of the proceed-ings, the losers appropriatethe pencil and do a little

harvesting of their own. If

they have held a majority of

BRIDGE WHISTcourt cards in the trump suit,

they may count themselves

twice the value of the trumpsuit. If they have held four

court cards, they get four

times the value of the trump,and if they have held five,

they get five times its value.

That ought to be enough,but it isn't. To show that

the game was invented by afirm believer in monopoly, it

is possible, if you hold four

court cards in one hand, to

count yourself eight timesthe value of the trump,while five court cards in onehand gives you ten times thetrump's value.

BRIDGE WHISTThus it will readily be seen

that, while the winners of ahand in bridge may cord up atotal of two points by skill,

the losers maymake ten timesthat much, simply by stand-

ing in with the royal family.

This makes it evident, with-out explanation, that thegame was invented in Eng-land.

The fascination of bridgelies partly in the fact thatthe game continues to be in-

teresting long after the last

card has been played. Theparticipants generally play arubber of three games, andthen spend the rest of theevening doing sums in simple

BRIDGE WHISTaddition, to find out who won.To-night they will find outwho won last night's game,but they will not find outwho won to-night's gameuntil some one remembers tobring home another tablet ofscratch paper.

Counting Them Out with the

Lead Pencil

THE varying values in

bridge account for its

peculiarly exasperatingqualities and its skill in break-

ing up families. The lead

pencil is forever elbowing its

way into the game and nulli-

fying the most brilliant play-

BRIDGE WHIST

• . . doing sums in simple addition to

find out who won . . ^

BRIDGE WHISTing. The winners may, bythe most magnificent andsuperscintillating whist, man-age to drag out a trick in theface of great odds and win arubber. Yet, at the end ofthe game, the losers mayexcuse themselves, and, after

half an hour's work with abank examiner, demonstratethat the winners owe themanywhere from thirty cents

to a month's house rent, sim-ply because the losers wereskilful enough to hold thehonor cards that were dealt

them.Thus, as in pugilism, the

strong point in bridge whistlies in counting your oppo-

BRIDGE WHISTnents out. There are other^ndmore harrowing ways ofdoingit, too. When your opponenthas made the trump, you maydecide that you have therequisite seven tricks in yourhand. If you are a sport, youwill then "double"—that is,

double the amount which theextra trick will win. If youropponents are people of nerveand recklessness, they will

"double back," thus quad-rupling the values. You are

then likely, after a hastymental inventory of your se-

curities, to double once more,thus multiplying the trick byeight, after which the gamewill proceed with clenched

BRIDGE WHISTteeth, each trick lost mean-ing another opera ticket gone.

It is under thesecircumstancesthat ladies who are other-

wise lovely and amiable havebeen known to whip out a

trump after "revoking," andsweep the boards with a cold

and haughty air which defies

criticism, providing their so-

cial positions are sufficiently

above those of their victims.

Such incidents lead the

wrathful losers to make re-

marks, which in time becomerumors, and before any onerealizes it another social cen-

ter has been shaken to the

core.

BRIDGE WHISTJust how bridge whist got

its name is not generallyknown. It is possible that it

is called * * bridge'

' because so

many people get 'cross overit. It is sometimes called the"bridge" of cusses, to dis-

tinguish it from that otherfamous bridge in Venice.

Bridge is a quaint and cer-

emonious game as far as theactual playing of cards goes,

though often resembling astock market afterward. It is

as full of etiquette as fencing.

It doesn't matter what youdo to your opponent, but youmust do it just so. The cards

are dealt just as they are in

denatured whist—thirteen to

BRIDGE WHISTeach player. This proves thatthere is something in thethirteen superstition, for

|

every player immediately re-

marks about his or her badluck. When the dealer hasfinished his nefarious work,he looks over his hand and \

figures out which suit is mostlikely to make his opponentswish they were dead. If hecan't find a good suit, or if

I

his partner kicks him underthe table, or if he thinks it

j

is more fun to criticize]

some one else's choice ofI

trumps, he "passes it over"to his partner, compelling her ]

to choose. When the trumpj

has been decided, the eldest]

BRIDGE WHISThand, which may or may notbelong to the youngest player,

coyly inquires:

"Shall I play, partner?**

And the latter answers:"Pray do."This is positively the only

time that prayer and bridgewhist get into the same roomtogether.

When the game really

starts, a most important thinghappens. The dealer's part-

ner spreads her cards downon the table, face up, neatly

arranged in suits, and retires

from the game, leaving herpartner to play both hands.

This provision has been foundnecessary from the fact that

BRIDGE WHISTthe game affords 400 timesmore chances for getting madthan ordinary whist. By giv-

ing each player in turn achance to go out on the porchand cool off, by kicking thespindles out of the porchbalustrade, the wise inventorof the game has made it pos-

sible for four mad people toplay through an entire even-ing without biting each other.

Having everything his ownway, like the Speaker of theHouse of Representatives,the dealer goes gaily throughthe game, playing both handswith a confident "I-know-what-you're-going- to-get-next" expression that is most

BRIDGE WHISTdisconcerting. Formerly by-law 94, section 6, prescribed

that if the dealer led from his

own hand when he shouldhave led from the "dummy"hand he must be penalizedone trick. This rule, however,led to so much nervous pros-

tration and temporary insan-

ity that it has recently beensuspended from all bridgewhist that is played on thelow gear.

When the hand has beenplayed the winners add uptheir extra tricks, multiplythe score properly, and enter

it in the proper place on thescore-card. Both sides thenquarrel over the question of

BRIDGE WHIST

. ."• a chance to go out on ths

\

porch and cool off, hy kicking the'

spindles out of the porch balustrade ...

BRIDGE WHIST"honors" or court cards, andthe side which wins enters its

honor score in another part ofthe ledger. Thirty points con-stitutes a game and twogames out of three make arubber. Thewinnerof the rub-ber gets 100 extra points for

its honor score, which is notincluded in the game score.

When the evening's play is

over the players retire for re-

freshments, leaving their sec-

retaries and tellers to post upthe books and compute thereturns. When the game is

played merely for amusementthis ceremony is often omit-ted, the books being balancedonce a month.

BRIDGE WHISTBridge has become im-

mensely popular in society

circles for several reasons. Inthe first place, it does awaywith the necessity for conver-sation, thus putting the rich

and the intelligent on anequality. In the second place,

it provides a polite and com-paratively painless method ofdistributing wealth, into

which the Socialists woulddo well to look. In the third

place, a good knowledge ofbridge gives the player un-limited facilities for showingcalm superiority, haughtydisdain, amused contempt,and other expressions whichdistinguish the real things

BRIDGE WHISTfrom the bargain counterbrigade.

As a rule a special costumeis prescribed for bridge play-

ers. In London, however,women are supposed to playthe game in tight-fitting cos-

tumes with short sleeves.

Formerly, when long, flow-

ing sleeves were the style, it

was found in certain circles

that when a society leader's

hand was very poor she gen-erally managed to sweep a fewcards off the table with hervoluminous cufFs, thus mix-ing up the game and puttingthe auditor under a great dis-

advantage. Long, flowingsleeves were abolished in

BRIDGE WHISTpoker games in the Westmany years ago, but for a dif-

ferent reason. Whereas theLondon sleeves got the cards

off the table the Nevadasleeves got them on to thetable. The former was harderon the reputation, but thelatter was more detrimentalto health.

The Rules ofBridge

for Blood

THERE are two kindsofbridge whist—^bridge

for fun and bridge for

blood. The rules of play in

the former are comparativelysimple, but in the latter

BRIDGE WHISTi

there are as many rules as i

there are in golf when it is

being played by two Scotch- i

men. In a game for blood,

where each player is countingon paying grocery bills if the

j

right card is turned, nothing \

is left to chance. The con-versational lid is clampedtightly down, and the onlywords allowed during playare prescribed by the rules.

This is necessary, owing to !

the great chance for signaling

between partners. A mild ]

and inoffensive word, like

"pshaw," may mean onlyindignation to the opposition,

;

while to your partner it may '

mean: **Lead trumps and\

BRIDGE WHISTdivide the swag in the alley

later.'

' In the highest circles

where bridge is played withthe passion of the trueartist, a wink or a sneezemay be as serious to thewinker's or sneezer's repu-tation as a fifth ace is in

another and popular cardgame.As a celebrated authority

on bridge has remarked,perfection in the game is

accomplished slowly andafter long effort. One maylearn the political game in ayear, and in the course of afew years may perfect him-self in astronomy, Sanskrit,

biology, and bridge-building.

BRIDGE WHISTPerfection in bridge, however,is not so easy a matter. It

requires not only a knowl-edge of the 1,111 rules andpenalties, the best plays, andthe best methods of settling

large debts on a small income,but it calls for great skill in

deduction and mind-reading.The accomplished player is

supposed to read by the playof a card not only the in-

tention of the player but thehand which he holds. Natu-rally, only long practise will

enable you to know thatwhen an opponent has put athree-spot of clubs on yourace of trumps she holds fourmore clubs, is short on spades.

BRIDGE WHISTwill take the second trick in

diamonds, owes for thediamonds she wears and hasa hole in the heel of herleft stocking. Yet this is

child's play to the accom-plished bridge player.

Before the beginnerattempts to play bridge heshould devote at least four

years to a study of the game.The first year should be de-

voted to learning therules and penalties, the con-

versation of the game, andthe meaning of such mys-teries as "chicane,"

*

'cross

ruffing," "eldest hand,"* 'established suit,

'

'* guarded

honors," "dummy," "grand

BRIDGE WHISTslam," **Littleslam," *Tar-borough," "Singleton," andthe other 99 terms which are

used to fog up the game for

the beginner and make himeasy meat. At the end ofthe first year the noviceshould have acquired such a

vocabulary that the ordinarycitizen will be able to under-stand only one word in sevenof his bridge conversation.

The Art of Card- Talk

THE second year shouldbe spent in the studyof bridge from the

standpoint of mathematics,telepathy, psychology, and

BRIDGE WHISTastrology. By the end of this

year the student should beable to know the resultswhichwill follow from leadinga seven of diamonds in thelast game of a rubber in anestablished suit against thedealer in the dark ofthe moon.He should also be able todiagnose his opponent's handso well that it will be plain tohim, when the latter discards

a weak spade on a highheart, on the defensive dur-

ing the third hand with thescore 10 to 8 against him andthe thermometer at 78° Fah-renheit, that he is holdingprotected honors, will lead

through if he gets a chance.

BRIDGE WHISTand that, moreover, in a

]

moment of intense excite-|

ment he has broken a 1

suspender button in the rearj

of his wardrobe. There arej

17,876,432 combinations ofthis sort in bridge, and thegood player knows all ofthem.

I

The third year should bedevoted to the reading andtranslating of signs. Bridge

\

abounds in signs, which are\

permissible and highly use-

ful. You are expected to i

tell from the cards yourI

partner leads whether sheexpects you to trump, todiscard, to lead from your

{

strong s\ut, or to have a\

BRIDGE WHISTconvulsion and delay thegame until the trump is for-

gotten. You can also tell

by signs what your partnerthinks of you. When shelifts her eyebrows, after youhave played, she means''chump." When sheshrugs her shoulders shemeans "idiot." When sheglares pleasantly she means:"Why didn't you return mylead?" When she smilespolitely while grinding herteeth she means: "Why do I

play with a numskull ? " It

is not pleasant to the begin-

ner to understand thesesigns, but it is useful, for as

soon as the student has

BRIDGE WHIST

When she glares pleasantly she means: ';

*'Why dxdnH you return my lead?^^ ]

BRIDGE WHISTlearned all the plays he will

not be content until he canuse these signs himself.

The fourth or senior yearcan be spent profitably onthe fine points of the game—how to make the novicefeel happy and contentedwhen he is losing $5 aminute ; how to quarrel witha lady in a gentlemanlymanner; how to quote Rule39 to an opponent in such amanner as to make him feel

that when it comes to play-

ing bridge your game is ofthe cantilever variety, whilehis is only a culvert. This is

also a fine year in which to

leam how to play $7,500

BRIDGE WHISTworth of bridge a year on a$5,000 salary and come outeven or better.

With his education thusfinished, the beginner needhave no hesitation in enter-

ing the most refined andexclusive circles, and min-gling freely with the best

players without leaving his

watch at home. Knowingbridge, he will need to knowneither conversation normanners. In a good stiff

game there is no time for

either.

BRIDGE WHISTA Few Helpful Dejinitions

THESE few remarkswould not be completewithout some defini-

tions of bridge terms whichwill be found both useful andnecessary. The followingare the most important

:

**Dummy"—The leader's

partner; your partner.

"To RufF"-To trump.

To "Cross RufF"-Tomakeyour partner cross by trump-ing.

"Grand Slam"—To showtemper in putting down a

card.

BRIDGE WHIST**Revoke"—A riot signal,

produced by refusing tofollow suit when you have it.

"Finesse"—To economizein spots when taking a trick.

"Pass it Over"—Duringthe game, to allow yourpartner to name the trump.After the game, to settle up.

"Eldest Hand"—The handwhich is dealt first.

"Old Hand"-The playerwho comes out ahead."Love All"-Something

wliich happens at the begin-

ning of a game and neveragain.

"Odd Trick"-To playsomething of which yourpartner does not approve.

BRIDGE WHIST*Toints"—What you

make money on, the sameas in Wall Street.

jW

One copy del. to Cat. Div.

FEB 1 IS-5f

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