The laws and practice of whist by Carlyon Edward Augustus 1834-1874

Author:Carlyon, Edward Augustus, 1834-1874. [from old catalog]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Whist. [from old catalog]
Publisher: New York, Appleton
Published: 1859-03-25T05:00:00+00:00

mnissiNO.

THIBD HANP.

JSfe quid nimis.

55. We now come to the subject of finessing; an attribute possessed in common by the second and third hand, though more generally ascribed to the latter. THioBT o» The position of the game will commonly detennine the propriety of finessing; for there is no positive finesse which circumstances may not render indefensible. In the first deal, there is scarcely any which is unjustifiable, when the failure leaves you at three instead of four; on the other hand, no finesse is justifiable, on which depends scoring two or four, where there might be a certainty of three.

Finessing is more or less judicious, according as the advantage accruing from success will be to the disadvantage entailed by miscarriage: when, therefore, the risking one trick might be fatal, there is not the shadow of excuse for finessing. To save game must always be the paramount consideration; sometimes, on the other hand, this cannot bo done except by a successful finesse (e. g, 94).

56. No finesse can be more d propos than with-Scat* icf«af

* ■' orfluesse.

minor-tenace in the second round of a suit, e. g, queen

ten against king knave <fec. for if second hand plays a

loose card, you may conclude, except now and then in

trumps, that he does not hold the best {Vide 32, 42);

wherefore you can hardly suffer by finessing the ten.

57. Hence, if third hand wins partner's lead by ^ce queen, finessing queen, he must play the ace before returning another, to prevent partner ftom finessing; not to mention the impropriety of keeping back the command of

his suit.

It is not essential that the ace be returned instanter, but merely that it have precedence in that suit.

58. The finesse with ace queen is perhaps the most ordinary that occurs; insomuch that if third hand plays ace in the first round, he must expect little credit for the queen. It is seldom requisite to finesse against more than one intervening card; though in trumps, deep finessing, or rather passing a trick, may be very effective.

It is erroneous to suppose that the third hand has at (dl times an equal chance of succeeding in a finesse against but one intervening card: for after the second hand has played, the fourth hand is then holding one card above him; which preponderance, increasing with the progress of the hand, must be taken into account. Moreover, there is always a chance of the intervening card being unguarded; so that you ^ve rather more chance than you receive by finessing. 4

s. o. Remaining with queen ten against knave nine and another; if partner leads the lowest, and second hand plays the nine, the chances on fourth hand holding the knave against the second are, with only four tricks played, 9 to 8; with nine tricks, 4 to 3; with ten tricks, 3 to 2; with eleven tricks, 2 to 1.

Partner's 59. One mode of finessing is, trusting the trick to

Queen. a strengthening card of the partner. Under no circumstances put ace on his queen; for

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