ther, lead the small one through him, the first opportunity.

When being third player, you hold the best and third of a suit led, on which the second player has played the fourth, be fearful of finessing the third, as it is about three to two, and sometimes two to one, but that the last player holds the second-best. [See pages 121, 122, case 2.]

When your partner renouncing to a lead, thereby declares his strong suit, should you hold a single card of the same, lead it as soon as possible.

Should the last player hold a tierce-major and small card in trumps, tierce-major and two others in a second suit, king and a low card of a third, with queen or knave and small one of the fourth, in which the opponent has led the ace, the last player should throw away queen or knave in expectation of thereby obtaining a change in the lead.

When your partner, if a good player, changes from the first suit, keep the commanding card or tenace of the fresh suit, and do not return it as in case of an original lead.

Proficients often practise an underplay, viz. after gaining the trick, and holding the best card of the suit, they return the lowest of the left-hand adversary's lead, in hopes their partner may make the third, and they themselves afterwards take the second-best; or, possessing the first, third, and fourth cards of a suit, of which their left-hand antagonist has the second best guarded, by leading the fourth it is often passed, and thereby every trick gained. This method is always proper when strong in trumps; but if weak, make the sure tricks as soon as possible.

Examples of Tenace.-When one player holds ace, queen and a small card, and the antagonist, king, knave, and another of the same suit, the first

Q

mentioned, by leading the small card, gains the tenace and two tricks; but by playing ace first, he would get only one; while the antagonist, let him lead what he will, could only obtain a trick. Suppose also, 1st, after nine rounds, and as many trumps out, the person whose turn it is to play holds the second and fourth trump, with ace and a small card of any suit not led, and his left-hand opponent possesses the first and third trump, with king and another of the suit of which the person to play holds the ace; should he lead the ace, the opponent ought to throw away the king, trusting that his partner may win the next trick, and then leading through the first player, prevent him from making either of his trumps.-2d. After ten rounds, should any one retain king, queen, and ten of a suit not led out, his left-hand adversary ace, knave and a small card, and the first-mentioned lead his king; if the other pass it, he will gain tenace and two tricks, but only one if he take the king.—3d. A third player possessing ace, knave, and ten of his partner's lead, by finessing knave or ten, may obtain two tricks, especially when a forced lead; but unless his partner held an honour in that suit, no more than one trick could be gained by playing the ace. [See page 120, case 19.] Tenace is easily maintained against the right-hand, but with great difficulty against the left-hand antagonist.

A critical Point.-Suppose the parties, each at nine and ten tricks played out: A to have gained six of them, and to possess knave and a small trump, with two diamonds and the lead; B the antagonist on the left, the queen and ten of trumps, with two clubs: C the friend, two low trumps and two diamonds; and D the right-hand enemy, ace and a small trump, a club and a heart; A leads the best diamond, which, passed by B and C, must

be won by D, who trumping with the ace, and next leading the small one, puts the tenace into B's hands and thereby obtains the game.

Keep, if possible, the advantage of the tenace situation, when the winning cards are with you and the right-hand antagonist, and give the same to your friend where the strength of any suit is between him and your enemy on the left, recollecting, that when the last-mentioned, or you lead, the tenace is against the said adversary, but for him, if your partner lead; who being supposed to hold the first, third, and another of any suit, when your left-hand opponent possesses the second or fourth card, with a small one of the same, and the lead, and plays the small one, you, as last player, should take it, even though already won by your partner, and afterwards by leading through the foe, prevent him from gaining a trick.

Suppose a person, after nine rounds, to retain the two lowest trumps, with two forcing cards and the lead, the two best trumps being in one or both of the enemies' hands, if the player to lead and his friend are at seven, and have won six tricks, he should then lead a trump, because if the trumps should lie one in each opponent's hand, he would thereby obtain the game; but if the adversary be at nine, then this mode should not be risked, for should the superior trumps lie both in one hand, the odd trick would be hazarded.

The 13th trump is of great consequence; a player holding it, with ace and four small cards of any suit not led, and of which the enemy plays king and queen, may by passing both these gain three tricks in the suit, whereas by taking the king he would only gain one.

SHORT WHIST.

THIS game has lately come so much into fashion, that it cannot but find a place here, though little need be said of it. It differs from the common Whist,

1. In half the number of points, five, instead of ten, constituting the game; and hence the appellation given to it of short.

2. As to honours, which are never called, though always counted, except at the point of four, which answers to the point of nine in the other game, and tricks in like manner have at this precedence of honours.

3. As to the stakes, respecting which eight points may be gained; as a game here may not merely be a single or a double, but a treble one. It is a single game, if the losing partners do not mark three points; double, if they mark but one or two points, as may be agreed upon; and treble, if they do not mark a point; and two points are allowed for the rubber.

The laws and penalties as to both games are the

same.

Five, instead of ten, constituting the game at Short Whist, brings it much more within the sphere of chance than Long Whist, for by presenting a more extended field to the operation of your cards, it neutralizes the good skill of a fine player, reducing his advantage over an inferior adversary in the ratio of one half.

The odds are likewise considerably altered. It is full 5 to 6 in favour of the dealer for the game, and 6 to 5 for the rubber; while in the old game it is only 21 to 20, an advantage in the long run that will triumph over the most consummate skill.

Although there exists no very great difference between the two games, the essential point is to seize this difference, and to make a skilful application of the general rules of the old game, modified as circumstances may require—a quality which stamps the good player. The advantage, however, which in the old game eight has over nine, does not exist at Short Whist at the corresponding points of four and three, for as at the latter the honours are never called, three is no better than two, as unless you make the odd trick you lose the game. It follows, therefore, that the most approved tactique is a bold, dashing, en avant system, almost the very reverse of the Fabian policy of the old one, which presents so wide a field for stratagem and manœuvre. Short Whist is very fast encroaching on the popularity of its parent; and the reason is obvious-it affords the excitation of higher play in the ratio of 2 to 1.

In order to reduce the operation of chance, which at this game so narrows the exercise of skill, it has long been the practice at some clubs to halve the honours-that is, to make four count for two, and three for one.

There is one very curious fact connected with Whist, and which has been passed over in silence by every writer upon this beautiful game. It is this, that after a mis-deal, on dealing with the same pack, one of the players will hold at most but one of a particular suit. To account for the fact itself, or to measure even its variations, viz. the particular suit or the hand in which the phenomenon may occur, bids defiance to all human ingenuity, but it is a fact that occurs nine times in ten, and which without any further observation, will suggest to the reader the policy of calling for a new pack of cards every time a misdeal occurs.