This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1907 Excerpt: ...at no trumps if you have not a suit headed by three. honours. When the suits are not only short, but are undesirable ones to open, on account of the honours not being in sequence, it is better to avoid them if possible. Some players make it a rule always to lead the ace if they have seven cards in the suit, no matter ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1907 Excerpt: ...at no trumps if you have not a suit headed by three. honours. When the suits are not only short, but are undesirable ones to open, on account of the honours not being in sequence, it is better to avoid them if possible. Some players make it a rule always to lead the ace if they have seven cards in the suit, no matter what the other honours are. This is in order that the partner may know the suit is one of seven cards, and may give up the king on the first round if he holds it with only one small card. Such refinements are hardly necessary, however, with an intelligent partner who understands the play of the third hand. If the student wishes to try his knowledge of the leads, he may write out opposite the numbers of the following test hands the card that he would select for the opening, if he were eldest hand. The key will be found at the end of the book. LEADING THROUGH DUMMY After the opening lead, when dummy's cards are laid down, it may be seen to be advisable to change the suit, whether it is a trump call or a no-trumper. Two of the most common reasons for the eldest hand's changing suits are: to avoid establishing the suit against himself and to prevent the weak hand from ruffing it. In the illustrative hands will be found many examples of these reasons for changing suits after the first trick. In No. 4, for instance, if A goes on with the diamonds, he establishes the remainder of the suit against himself in the hands of the dealer and dummy. It is very often advisable to change suits in order to prevent dummy from trumping. Sometimes it is the dealer who is likely to trump. If the dealer is the declaring hand this may not matter so much, as the force may do him more harm than good; but if it is the dummy that has declared and the dealer's is the weak ...
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