has not a named card, to lead on the supposition he has it is to play against calculation. Whereas, the odds being in favor of his having one of two named cards, you are justified in playing accordingly. Calculation is also of use on other occasions, which the maxims will elucidate; but after a few leads have taken place, it is nearly superseded by observation. Where the sets are really good players, before half the cards are played out, they are as well acquainted with the material ones remaining in each other's hands as if they had seen them. Where two regular players are matched against two irregular ones, it is nearly the same advantage as if they were permitted to see each other's cards, while the latter were denied the same privilege. It is an axiom, that the nearer your play approaches to what is called the dumb man the better. These may be called the foundation of the game, and are so merely mechanical, that any one possessed of a tolerable meinory may attain them. After which comes the more difficult science of position, or the art of using the two former to advantage; without which, it is self-evident, they are of no use. Attentive study and practice will, in some degree, insure success; but genius must be added before the whole finesse of the game can be acquired. TECHNICAL TERMS. Bumper.-Winning two games before your adversaries have scored one. Cutting-In.-Selecting partners and deciding who shall deal, at the commencement of the game. Cutting-Out. Deciding, by the highest cards cut, who shall remain out, when more than four desire to play. Call. When at eight, and having two honors in his hand, one partner inquires of the other, "Can you one?” or "Have you an honor?" The Deal.-The distribution of the cards from left to right, one by one. Mis-deal.-An incorrect distribution of the cards. Double.-Scoring ten before your adversaries score five, in the long game; or five before they score three in the short game. Eldest Hand.-The player at the dealer's left. Finesse.-Retaining your best card, and playing one of ess value, thereby taking the risk of losing the trick. Forcing.-Playing a card that must draw a trump. Faced Card.-Is a card with its face placed the wrong way relatively with the rest of the pack. Hand.-The thirteen cards dealt to each player. Honors.-Ace, king, queen, and knave of trumps. King Card.-The highest card not played of any suit. The Lead.-The commencement of the play by the person on the dealer's left, or the card played by the winner of a trick immediately after having won it. Love Game.-A game in which one side does not score a point. Loose Cards.-Those of any suit, except trumps, which, from the strength of the other hands, are useless. Points. The score made by tricks or honors. Quart-Major.-Sequence of ace, king, queen, and knave. quint.-Sequence of five cards. Quint-Major.-Sequence of ace, king, queen, knave, and ten. Renounce.-Not holding a card of the suit led. Revoke.-Playing a different card from the suit led, though it is in the player's power to follow suit. Rubber.-Two games won consecutively, or two out of three games, constitute the rubber. Ruffing.-Playing a trump to any other suit. Sequences.-Cards that follow each other in regular order of value. See-Saw.-Partners each trumping a suit, and playing to each other for that purpose. A Slam.-One side winning all the tricks. A Single.-At Long Whist, scoring the game after your adversaries have scored five; at Short Whist, after he has scored four. Shuffling.-Is thoroughly mixing the cards, in and in, with each other. Tenace. When the last to play holds the best and third best of a suit. Treble.-At Short Whist, is scoring five before your adversaries score one. Tricks.—The four cards played, or one round, is a trick Trump Card.-The card turned up by the dealer. Trumps.-Cards of the same suit as the one turned up by the dealer. Under Play.--The leader playing a low card, though he holds the highest unplayed of a suit. Score.-The account of the game; usually kept by coins or counters, as follows, on the principle that the unit placed above counts for three, and below for five: Directions and Maxims for Beginners.-1. Study all written maxims with the cards placed before you, in the situations mentioned. Abstract directions puzzle much oftener than they assist the beginner. 2. Keep in your mind that general maxims presuppose the game and hand at their commencement; and that ma terial changes in them frequently require that a different mode of play should be adopted. 3. Do not attempt to practise till you have acquired a competent knowledge of the theory; and avoid as much as possible, at first, sitting down with bad players. It is more difficult to eradicate erroneous, than to acquire just ideas. 4. Never lead a card without a reason, though a wrong it is better than accustoming yourself to play at ran one; dom. 5. Do not at first puzzle yourself with many calculations. Those you will find hereafter mentioned are sufficient even for a proficient. 6. Do not accustom yourself to judge by consequences. Bad play sometimes succeeds when good would not. When you see an acknowledged judge of the game play in a manner you do not comprehend, get him to explain his reasons, and, while fresh in your memory, place the same cards before you; when once you can comprehend the case, you will be able to adapt it to similar situations. 7. Before you play a card, sort your hand carefully, look at the trump-card, and consider the score of the game, the strength of your own hand, and form your plan on the probable situation of the cards; subject, however, to be changed should any thing fall to indicate a different one; after which, never look at your hand till you are to play: without attending to the board, no maxims or practice car even make a tolerable Whist-player. 8. Observe, silently and attentively, the different systems of those with whom you commonly play; few but have their favorite one, the knowledge of which will give you a constant advantage; one leads by preference from n ace, another never but through necessity. [This will ften direct you in putting on the king second.] The layers of the old school never lead from a single card without six trumps; many do so from weakness; some have a trick of throwing down high cards to the adversary's lead, and then, by way of deception, affect to consider, although they have no alternative. Observation will enable you to counteract this, and turn it to your own profit. inore. 9. The best leads are from sequences of three cards or If you have none, lead from your most numerous suit; if strong in trumps, lead rather from one headed by a king than a queen; but with three or four small trumps, I should prefer leading from a single card to a long weak suit. [This is contrary to the usual practice, especially of the players of the old school.] 10. The more plainly you demonstrate your hand to your partner the better. Be particularly cautious not to deceive him in his or your own leads, or when he is likely to have the lead; a concealed game may now and then succeed in the suits of your adversaries; but this should not be attempted before you have made a considerable proficiency, and then but seldom, as its frequency would destroy the effect. 11. At the commencement of a game, if you have a good hand, or if your adversaries are considerably advanced in the score, play a bold game; if otherwise, a more cautious ne. 12. Be as careful of what you throw away as what you lead; it is often of bad consequence to put down a tray with a deuce in your hand. Suppose your partner leads the four, your right-hand adversary the five, and you put down the tray, it ought to be to a certainty that you ruff next time; but if he find the deuce in your hand, and you frequently deceive him by throwing down superior cards, it will destroy his confidence, and prevent his playing his game on similar occasions. I would wish to incul cate these minor qualifications of Whist-playing to he beginner, because they are attainable by everybody; and when once the great advantage of this kind of correctness is seen, the worst player would practise it as constantly as the best,-attention being all that is necessary. 13. Do not lead trumps merely because an honor is turned up on your left, or be deterred from it, if on your right hand. Either is proper, if the circumstances of your hand require trumps to be led; but neither, otherwise. 14. Finesses are generally right in trumps, or (if strong in them) in other suits; otherwise they are not to be risked but with caution. 15. Never ruff an uncertain card, if strong, or omit doing so if weak in trumps; this is one of the few univer sal maxims, and cannot be too closely adhered to, even did you know the best of the suit was in your partner's hand; it has the double advantage of making a useless trump and letting your partner into the state of your hand, who will play accordingly. 16. Keep the command of your adversary's suit as long as you can with safety; but never that of your partner. 17. Do not ruff a thirteenth card second lead, if strong, but always if weak, in trumps. 18. Always force the strong, seldom the weak, never the two; otherwise you play your adversaries' game, and give the one an opportunity to make his small trumps, while the other throws away his losing cards. It is a very general as well as fatal error; but the extent of it is seldom comprehended by unskilful players, who, seeing the good effect of judicious forces, practise them INJUDICIOUSLY, to their almost constant disadvantage. The following effect of a force is too obvious not to be instantly comprehended. I have only to tell the student, that the same principle operates through the fifty-two cards, however vario s their combinations; and that a steady consideration of it is one of the first necessary steps towards an insight into the game. A has a seizième-major in trumps, a quart-major in the second, and a tierce-major in a third suit. B, his adversary, has six small trumps, and the entire command of the fourth suit; in this case it is obvious that one force on A gains the odd trick for B, who without it loses a slam. Though so great an effect may seldom be produced, still |