An oldie but a goodie

[pilowsky]

Happy Bastille day French people! The revolutionary events taking place today and the events of the 14th of July all those years ago in France turned my thoughts to Whist. This hand comes from "The History of Playing Cards" by ES Taylor. Google has made it freely available. It's a great read. published in 1865. My father used to tell me stories about my great grandfather saving up to go to the Tavern outside the Shtetl only to discover the food was not Kosher.

This Hand, and the story, come from this book. I'll put the story afterwards so you can skip it if you aren't interested. I also discovered that card games were tremendously popular in the Bastille, which was a sort of pleasant prison for the posh classes. It was too early a time for Whist though. Other tricks abounded I'm sure.

I have tried to reconstruct the hand as it appears in the Story with a LIN and PBN file

♥ are Trumps and the unfortunate storyteller (South) was gulled into betting UKP20 - see below. I think the "voice" of the story also explains the literary style of PG Wodehouse and quite a few subsequent, and some current, Bridge writers.

[hv=pc=n&s=sakqhakqjt9dcakqj&w=sh8765432dakqjt9c&n=sj975hd7654c96543&e=st86432hd832ct872]399|300[/hv]

For those of you interested in History, here's the story.

The principal games played in England are Whist and Cribbage; the former by the higher and upper middle class, the latter, generally, by those of lower station. Whist is too tedious a game for the professional gambler; it is peculiarly a game of skill, and thoroughly unsuited for cheating purposes. A person, it is true, may, by making the pass, manage to hold one good honour each time he deals, but this advantage is not equivalent to the risk of detection; the play, as a Frenchman would say, is not worth the candle and this a silly old nobleman, a few years since discovered in a most lamentable manner. Gamblers are consequently thrown upon their ingenuity to devise a speedy means of winning at whist, a game, be it remembered, which by its very nature seems to disarm suspicion, and a very clever coup is executed in the following manner. The writer, indeed, may as well relate a circumstance that fell under his own notice, speaking of himself as Simple, his antagonist as Sharp. Some thirty years ago, Simple and a friend were passing a few days holiday at a well-known watering-place on the South coast, when a sudden shower of rain drove them to take shelter in an adjoining tavern, where they were joined by two strangers, namely, Sharp and Co. The weather, as a confounded bore, being at once alluded to, a conversation commenced; and the important question was started, how to pleasantly spend the wet evening. Sharp proposed a game of whist, but his friend said cards were not kept in the house. However, the bell was rung, a pack of cards ordered and brought in by the waiter; and then Sharp's friend objected to play for money, it was contrary to his principles, besides it spoiled the pleasure and interest of the game; and so they commenced to play a rubber for glasses of something to drink and cigars, Simple and friend, of course, being partners against Sharp and his companion. Nothing particular occurred, till the adversaries were a game each, when it became Sharp's turn to deal, which he did, apparently, in the usual manner, turning up the deuce of hearts as trump. Simply taking up his hand, with all the eagerness of a very young man, found, to his agreeable surprise, that he held the ace, king, queen, knave, nine, and ten of trumps; the ace, king, queen, and knave of clubs; and the ace, king, and queen of spades. The dealer, who had not looked at his cards, being engaged in taking snuff and pleasantly handing the box round, now rubbing his hands, laughingly proposed a bet on the odd trick. "I have looked at my cards, "was the reply, " and you have not lifted yours yet.". "O never mind that," retorted the other; "I am in the humour for a little speculation, and if you like to bet on the odd trick, I will take you for a couple of sovereigns." Simple had already telegraphed, with the tail of his eye, to his friend the excellence of his hand. It was not in human nature to resist such an offer, but then Sharp's companion insinuated something about two sovereigns being too much for the young men to lose, it would spoil their holiday; and the result of this and other chaff was, that a bet on the winning of the odd trick was made for twenty pounds; and at this moment the landlord happening to come into the room, the money, on the proposition of Sharp, was deposited in his hands. We have seen Simple's cards, let us have a look at those held by Sharp; which were the eight, seven, six, five, four, three, and deuce of trumps; the ace, king, queen, knave, ten, and nine of diamonds. How the twenty-six cards, comprising the rest of the pack, were distributed in the hands of the other two players, it matters not; the hands of Simple and Sharp were alone the seat of war. Simple, confident of winning at least twelve tricks, led off with his trumps, and of course, won the first six tricks; he then boldly led off his ace of spades, which fell to Sharp's last paltry deuce of trumps; and then Sharp, bringing in his diamonds, inevitably won the last seven tricks. The landlord, who stayed in the room to see the hand played, at once passed the money over to Sharp; who, then, suddenly recollecting an important engagement, departed with his accomplice, leaving Simple and his friend in a state more easily imagined than described. Their holiday was truly spoiled. At first they could scarcely believe they had been cheated, imagining that Simple had played his hand badly. But, on their return to town, going over the game in the quiet solitude of their chambers, they found it impossible for them, under any circumstances, to have gained the odd trick. For, if Simple had adopted the less obvious plan of forcing the dealer, by playing spade or club, the latter would have trumped the trick and forced the leader, in turn by playing diamond. Of course, Mr. Sharp knew better than to return trump, for then his number of trumps being reduced to six, the same as that held by Simple, the latter would then take out all the trumps, and win all the remaining tricks. And from this point of view the cheating stratagem affords a good whist lesson; fully exemplifying the value and importance of the last trump, however insignificant, to bring in a long suit, and the peculiar action of what is not inaptly termed forcing.

[PhilG007]

Happy Bastille day French people! The revolutionary events taking place today and the events of the 14th of July all those years ago in France turned my thoughts to Whist. This hand comes from "The History of Playing Cards" by ES Taylor. Google has made it freely available. It's a great read. published in 1865. My father used to tell me stories about my great grandfather saving up to go to the Tavern outside the Shtetl only to discover the food was not Kosher.

This Hand, and the story, come from this book. I'll put the story afterwards so you can skip it if you aren't interested. I also discovered that card games were tremendously popular in the Bastille, which was a sort of pleasant prison for the posh classes. It was too early a time for Whist though. Other tricks abounded I'm sure.

I have tried to reconstruct the hand as it appears in the Story with a LIN and PBN file

♥ are Trumps and the unfortunate storyteller (South) was gulled into betting UKP20 - see below. I think the "voice" of the story also explains the literary style of PG Wodehouse and quite a few subsequent, and some current, Bridge writers.

[hv=pc=n&s=sakqhakqjt9dcakqj&w=sh8765432dakqjt9c&n=sj975hd7654c96543&e=st86432hd832ct872]399|300[/hv]

For those of you interested in History, here's the story.

The principal games played in England are Whist and Cribbage; the former by the higher and upper middle class, the latter, generally, by those of lower station. Whist is too tedious a game for the professional gambler; it is peculiarly a game of skill, and thoroughly unsuited for cheating purposes. A person, it is true, may, by making the pass, manage to hold one good honour each time he deals, but this advantage is not equivalent to the risk of detection; the play, as a Frenchman would say, is not worth the candle and this a silly old nobleman, a few years since discovered in a most lamentable manner. Gamblers are consequently thrown upon their ingenuity to devise a speedy means of winning at whist, a game, be it remembered, which by its very nature seems to disarm suspicion, and a very clever coup is executed in the following manner. The writer, indeed, may as well relate a circumstance that fell under his own notice, speaking of himself as Simple, his antagonist as Sharp. Some thirty years ago, Simple and a friend were passing a few days holiday at a well-known watering-place on the South coast, when a sudden shower of rain drove them to take shelter in an adjoining tavern, where they were joined by two strangers, namely, Sharp and Co. The weather, as a confounded bore, being at once alluded to, a conversation commenced; and the important question was started, how to pleasantly spend the wet evening. Sharp proposed a game of whist, but his friend said cards were not kept in the house. However, the bell was rung, a pack of cards ordered and brought in by the waiter; and then Sharp's friend objected to play for money, it was contrary to his principles, besides it spoiled the pleasure and interest of the game; and so they commenced to play a rubber for glasses of something to drink and cigars, Simple and friend, of course, being partners against Sharp and his companion. Nothing particular occurred, till the adversaries were a game each, when it became Sharp's turn to deal, which he did, apparently, in the usual manner, turning up the deuce of hearts as trump. Simply taking up his hand, with all the eagerness of a very young man, found, to his agreeable surprise, that he held the ace, king, queen, knave, nine, and ten of trumps; the ace, king, queen, and knave of clubs; and the ace, king, and queen of spades. The dealer, who had not looked at his cards, being engaged in taking snuff and pleasantly handing the box round, now rubbing his hands, laughingly proposed a bet on the odd trick. "I have looked at my cards, "was the reply, " and you have not lifted yours yet.". "O never mind that," retorted the other; "I am in the humour for a little speculation, and if you like to bet on the odd trick, I will take you for a couple of sovereigns." Simple had already telegraphed, with the tail of his eye, to his friend the excellence of his hand. It was not in human nature to resist such an offer, but then Sharp's companion insinuated something about two sovereigns being too much for the young men to lose, it would spoil their holiday; and the result of this and other chaff was, that a bet on the winning of the odd trick was made for twenty pounds; and at this moment the landlord happening to come into the room, the money, on the proposition of Sharp, was deposited in his hands. We have seen Simple's cards, let us have a look at those held by Sharp; which were the eight, seven, six, five, four, three, and deuce of trumps; the ace, king, queen, knave, ten, and nine of diamonds. How the twenty-six cards, comprising the rest of the pack, were distributed in the hands of the other two players, it matters not; the hands of Simple and Sharp were alone the seat of war. Simple, confident of winning at least twelve tricks, led off with his trumps, and of course, won the first six tricks; he then boldly led off his ace of spades, which fell to Sharp's last paltry deuce of trumps; and then Sharp, bringing in his diamonds, inevitably won the last seven tricks. The landlord, who stayed in the room to see the hand played, at once passed the money over to Sharp; who, then, suddenly recollecting an important engagement, departed with his accomplice, leaving Simple and his friend in a state more easily imagined than described. Their holiday was truly spoiled. At first they could scarcely believe they had been cheated, imagining that Simple had played his hand badly. But, on their return to town, going over the game in the quiet solitude of their chambers, they found it impossible for them, under any circumstances, to have gained the odd trick. For, if Simple had adopted the less obvious plan of forcing the dealer, by playing spade or club, the latter would have trumped the trick and forced the leader, in turn by playing diamond. Of course, Mr. Sharp knew better than to return trump, for then his number of trumps being reduced to six, the same as that held by Simple, the latter would then take out all the trumps, and win all the remaining tricks. And from this point of view the cheating stratagem affords a good whist lesson; fully exemplifying the value and importance of the last trump, however insignificant, to bring in a long suit, and the peculiar action of what is not inaptly termed forcing.

 

This became known as the famous (or should that be infamous?) MISSISSIPPI HEART HAND. going back to the days of Whist. It will be seen that a diamond lead holds South to

6 tricks in a heart contract while a Game contact can't be made in any denomination.

South can make nine tricks in Spades or 10 tricks in Clubs The deal dates back to 1747 as given by Edmund Hoyle and the modern version was given by Thomas Matthews in 1804..

It got its name due to its use by Mississippi riverboat card sharps during the American Civil War who contrived to induce South to make a heavy bet on the odd trick when hearts

are trumps..

It grew in favour among the professional cheaters in the days of BRIDGE WHIST. As doubling and redoubling could continue indefinitely ,the odd trick in a low stakes game could become $10,000 (or as much as the sucker was game for)with the help of sufficient redoubles. Steel Magnate Andrew Carnegie's right hand man Charles M. Schwab was allegedly stung for not less than 10 Grand on this deal..

[Cyberyeti]

Why can't you make 11 tricks in clubs ?

 

They lead a diamond, you ruff and lead a heart pitching a diamond which they ruff, they lead another diamond, you ruff, draw 2 trumps and lead a heart pitching your last diamond from N, it appears all they make is 2 trumps.

[smerriman]

A little off topic, but Pilowsky, paragraphs make a huge difference. It might be a good story but I find it almost impossible to read that wall of text.

 

Hitting enter twice (not just once) every so often makes things far more readable.

[Stephen Tu]

Hitting enter twice (not just once) every so often makes things far more readable.

 

The forum software settings have been annoying for quite awhile about this, turning line breaks into soft line breaks that don't break paragraphs in posts, even hitting enter twice (3 or 4 times can work). I found that now you need to use shift-enter to get a real hard line break, at least on my PC/browser config. This is opposite behavior of what I feel it should be, I wish whoever is in charge of the forum software would figure out how to change it back to how it worked in prior years.

[smerriman]

I'm guessing you have the visual editor enabled in your profile settings, which does appear broken. The default editor works fine though.

[pilowsky]

A little off topic, but Pilowsky, paragraphs make a huge difference. It might be a good story but I find it almost impossible to read that wall of text.

 

Hitting enter twice (not just once) every so often makes things far more readable.

 

Thank you for that helpful advice. You are absolutely correct. In this case, The block of text was transcribed precisely as written. As I pointed out, The 'voice' is arcane in its expression. I also pointed out that it is freely available on the web.

Punctuation and paragraphing do make a big difference. They are often done poorly. Something that persists to this day in some Bridge books.

My advice, Copy and paste the story into a text editor and you can hit enter as often as you like. That's what I had to do when I transcribed it.

Careful attention to making writing meaningful and intelligible is something that I devoted a lot of time to when training students.

Short sentences are also valuable.

I also like lists.

Careful proof-reading is important: something I often fail to do when making posts.

I'll stop here in the interests of brevity.

 

 

 

[smerriman]

I know I could reformat it if I wanted to, but I was also pointing it out in general because I find all of your posts hard to read - even your most recent one above needs paragraph breaks, not line breaks.

[pilowsky]

I accept the challenge! I shall try harder in future .

[PhilG007]

Why can't you make 11 tricks in clubs ?

 

They lead a diamond, you ruff and lead a heart pitching a diamond which they ruff, they lead another diamond, you ruff, draw 2 trumps and lead a heart pitching your last diamond from N, it appears all they make is 2 trumps.

 

 

 

I was quoting from the article in the ACBL Encyclopedia of Bridge. Clearly its either a typo or the narrator had a problem with their analysis(!)

[smerriman]

I was quoting from the article in the ACBL Encyclopedia of Bridge. Clearly its either a typo or the narrator had a problem with their analysis(!)

Neither; the hand in the article is different from the one posted here (in that one, North was 5044).