Seesaw, or saw, is when each of two partners ruffs a different suit, so that they may lead alternately into each other's hands.

Sequence. Any number of cards in consecutive order, as king, queen, and knave. The ace, queen, and ten would form a sequence if the king and knave were out.

A tierce is a sequence of three cards; a quart of four; and a quint of five.

A head sequence is one standing at the head of the suit in your hand, even though it may not contain the best card. A subordinate sequence is one standing lower down, and it is an intermediate sequence if you hold cards both higher and

lower.

Short Suit. One of which you hold originally not more than three cards. See Strength.

Signal for Trumps.-Throwing away, unnecessarily and contrary to ordinary play, a high card before a low one, is called the signal for trumps, or asking for trumps; being a command to your partner to lead trumps the first opportunity—a command which, in the modern scientific game, he is bound to obey, whatever his own hand may be.

Singleton.-A French name for one card only of

a suit.

Strength, Strong Suit, Strong Hand.-These are terms which it is highly essential to have clearly de

fined, as their interpretation lies at the root of the theory of the modern scientific game.

The cards of any suit contained in your hand may vary in two different ways; as regards number, and as regards rank.

As regards number of cards-as there are thirteen cards to divide among four persons, it is clear that three cards or less will be under the average, while four cards or more will be over the average due to

each person.

Again, as to rank, the middle card of a suit is the eight; any cards you hold above this may be considered high cards; any below, low cards.

Now, it has been the habit to use the terms strength and weakness, as applied indiscriminately to either number or rank-a practice which, though no doubt it may be defended analogically, is yet calculated to cause great confusion in the mind of the student, inasmuch as the two things must be very differently regarded in any scientific system of play. If, for example, a strong suit has been spoken of, it might mean either one in which you possess a large number of cards (as, say, the two, three, four, five, six, and seven), or in which you hold only a few very high ones, as, say, ace, king, and queen; the former being numerical strength, the latter strength of rank.

This twofold meaning has, however, become so firmly implanted in Whist nomenclature that it would

C

be useless to attempt to eradicate it.

All we can do is to endeavour to get a little more perspicuity by using as much as possible the term long suit to indicate strength in numbers, leaving the word strong to apply chiefly to high cards.

Thus any suit of which you hold four or more will be called a long suit, being longer than the average. Any suit of three or less will be called a short suit, being shorter than the average.

When we speak of a strong suit, we shall generally refer to one containing cards of a higher than average rank, and of a weak suit the contrary.

A long suit will naturally have a greater chance of containing high cards than a short one, and this is probably the reason why the confusion of terms has arisen.

A strong hand is difficult to define, further than as one likely to make many tricks; a weak one the contrary. The terms are often misused when parts of the hand only are referred to; as, for example, when you are advised to 'lead up to the weak hand,' which merely refers to a hand weak in the particular suit you lead.

Strengthening play is getting rid of high cards in any suit, the effect of which is to give an improved value to the lower cards of that suit still remaining in, and so to strengthen the hand that holds them. Strengthening play is most beneficial to the hand that is longest in the suit.

Tenace. A tenace, in modern Whist,* is understood to mean the combination, in the same hand, of the best and third best card for the time being of any suit; as, for example, the ace and queen originally, or the king and ten when the ace and knave have been played.

The advantage of this combination is that, if you are fourth player in the suit, you will certainly (bar trumping) make two tricks in it; and it is therefore much to your interest that the suit should be led by your left-hand adversary.

The word has nothing to do with ten and ace; it probably comes from the Latin tenax, the policy being to hold back the suit containing the tenace rather than to lead it.

A minor tenace is the combination of the second and fourth best cards.

Under-play usually signifies keeping back best cards, and playing subordinate ones instead. This is sometimes advantageous in trumps, or in plain suits when strong in trumps, or when trumps are out; but it requires care and judgment to avoid evil consequences from deceiving your partner, and from having your best cards subsequently ruffed.

Weakness, Weak Suit. See Strength.

* The older writers, as Hoyle and Mathews, use this word as referring rather to the position than the cards; but the meaning in the text is the more modern one.

CHAPTER III.

THEORY OF THE GAME.

THE basis of the theory of the modern scientific game of Whist lies in the relations existing between the players.

the

It is a fundamental feature of the construction of

game, that the four players are intended to act, not singly and independently, but in a double combination, two of them being partners against a partnership of the other two. And it is the full recognition of this fact, carried out into all the ramifications of the play, which characterises the scientific game, and gives it its superiority over all others.

Yet, obvious as this fact is, it is astonishing how imperfectly it is appreciated among players generally. Some ignore the partnership altogether, except in the mere division of the stakes, neither caring to help their partners or be helped by them, but playing as if each had to fight his battle alone. Others will go farther, giving some degree of consideration to the partner, but still always making their own hand the chief object; and among this latter class are often