play a trump. Take every opportunity to show your partner that you can command the trumps. In this case he will keep his own strong suit entire: whereas, if the strength of trumps is with the adversaries, his play would be to keep guard on their suits, and throw away from his own.

With ace, knave, and another trump, it is right to finesse the knave to your partner's lead; and if strong in them you should do the same in any suit. If he leads the ten of any suit, you pass it invariably with the ace and knave; unless one trick saves or wins any particular point.

It is better to lead from ace nine, than ace ten, as you are more likely to have a tenace in the latter suit, if led by your adversary.

If your partner, to your winning card, throws away the best card of any suit, it shows he wishes you to know he commands it; if the second best, it is to tell you he has no more of that suit.

If very strong in trumps, it is always right to inform your partner of it as soon as possible. If fourth player you are to win a small trump, and if you have a sequence of three or more, win it with the highest, and play the lowest afterwards.

If strong in trumps, do not ruff the second best of any suit your partner leads, but throw away a losing card, unless you have an established saw.

If ten cards are played out, and there remains one entire suit, and your partner lead, if you have a king, ten, and another, and six tricks, you have a certainty to make the odd one, if you play right, let the cards lie how they will; should your right-hand adversary put on an honour, you must win it, if not, put on the ten; with five tricks, put on the king.

Many good players, in playing tierce majors, begin with the king and queen. This is often productive of mischief; as when played at other times from king and queen only, the ace is kept up, and while each thinks his partner has it and has played accordingly, it unexpectedly appears from the adversary, and disappoints their whole plan.

If the fourth player wins his adversary's lead, it is better to return it than open a new suit unless strong enough in it to support his partner.

With ace, knave, and another, do not win the king led by

your left-hand adversary. You either force him to exchange his lead, or give you tenace in his own suit.

With ace, queen, &c., of a suit, of which your right-hand adversary leads the knave, put on the ace invariably. No good player with king, knave, and ten, will begin with the knave; of course it is finessing against yourself, to put on the queen, and as the king is certainly behind you, you give away at least the lead, without any possible advantage.

With only three of a suit, put an honour on an honour; with four or more you should not do it-except the ace should not be put on the knave.

With king and one more, good players sometimes put it on a second, sometimes not; if turned up it should invariably be put on, and generally in trumps. But queen or knave should never be played, unless a superior honour is turned up on the right.

In playing for an odd trick, you play a closer game than at other scores. You lead from single cards and force your partner, when at another time you would not be justified. It is seldom in this case proper to lead trumps; and few finesses are justifiable. It is a nice part of the game, and experience, with attention, will alone teach it with effect.

If the trumps remain divided between you and your partner, and you have no winning card yourself, it is good play to lead a small trump, to put in his hand to play off any that he may have, to give you an opportunity to throw away your losing cards.

A remains with two or more trumps, and two losing cards; his partner with a better trump, and two winning cards. It is evident, if he plays off a losing card, he will take merely his own trumps, but if he plays an inferior trump, and puts it into his partner's lead, he will play off his winning cards, and give A an opportunity to throw away his losing ones.

N.B. This continually occurs, and it is necessary to be comprehended. When your partner leads, win with the lowest of a sequence, to demonstrate your strength in his suit; but it is often right to win your adversary's lead with the highest, to keep him in ignorance.

When your partner plays a thirteenth card, and most of the trumps are unplayed, he generally means you should put a high trump to strengthen his own hard

When you have a moderate hand yourself, sacrifice it to your partner; he, if he be a good player, will act in the same

manner.

With three, return the highest; with four, the lowest of your partner's lead. This answers two purposes, by giving your partner an opportunity to finesse, and showing him you have but three at most in his suit.

With the ace, queen, and others of your right-hand adversary's lead, put on a small one, except he leads a knave, in which case put on the ace.

When at eight, with two honours, look at your adversary's score, and consider if there is a probability they should save their lurch, or win the game, notwithstanding your partner holds a third honour; if not you should not call, as it gives a decided advantage against you in playing for tricks.

Finessing in general is only meant against one card. There are, however, situations when much deeper are required: but theory alone, can never enable the beginner to discover these. Supposing it necessary you should make two out out of the last three cards in a suit not yet played, your partner leads the nine, you have ace, ten, and a small one- -Query, what are you to do?-Answer, pass it, though the finesse is against three; for if your partner has an honour in the suit, you make two tricks. If not, it is impossible by any mode of play whatever.

With king, queen, &c., of your right-hand adversary's lead, put on one of them; with queen, knave, and another, the knave; with two or more small ones, the lowest.

The more critically you recollect the cards the better; at least you should remember the trumps and the commanding card of each suit. It is possible to assist the memory by the mode of placing the cards remaining in your hands-viz., place the trumps in the back part of your hand, your partner's lead the next, your adversary's next, and your own on the outside. It is also right to put thirteenth cards in some known situation.

It is highly necessary to be correct in leads. When a good player plays an eight and then a seven, I know he leads from a weak suit; the contrary, when he plays the seven first; the same even with a tray or a deuce. This is what bad players always err in, as they never can see the difference.

If left with the last trumps, and some winning cards, with one losing one, play this first, as your adversary on the left may finesse, and the second best in your partner's hand make the trick which could not be kept till the last.

Should your partner refuse to trump a certain winning card, try to get the lead as soon as you can, and play out trumps immediately.

Good players never lead a nine or ten, but for one of these

reasons:

1st. From a sequence up to the king.

2d. From nine, ten, knave, and king. 3d.

When the best of a weak suit not exceeding three in number.

If you have either knave or king in your own hand, you are certain it is for the latter reason, and that the whole strength of the suit is with your adversary, and play your game accordingly.

If your partner leads the nine or ten, and you have an honour, with only one more, put it on; if with two or more, do not; with the ace and small ones, win it invariably; for it is better that he should finesse in his own suit, than you.

Unless you have a strong suit yourself, or reason to suppose your partner has one, do not trump out unless you have six trumps.

There are situations where even good players differ; if a queen is laid on your right hand, and you have ace or king and two small ones, you should certainly win it; but having king or ace, ten, and a small one, I invariably pass it, and for the following reasons-by passing it, if your partner has the ace or king, you clearly lie tenace, and the leader cannot possibly make a trick in the suit, which he must have done, had you even the first trick, as he would lay tenace over your partner; if your partner has the knave you lose a trick; but the odds are greatly against this.

It is seldom right to lead from a suit in which you have a tenace. With ace, queen, &c., of one suit-king, knave, &c., of a second-and the third a weak one-the best play is to lead from the latter.

When it is evident the winning cards are betwixt you and your adversaries, play an obscure game; but as clear a one as possible, if your partner has a good hand.

It is equally advantageous to lead up to as through an ace;

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not so much so to a king; and disadvantageous to the queen turned up.

Avoid at first playing with those who instruct, or rather find fault, while the hand is playing. They are generally unqualified by ignorance, and judge from consequences; but if not, advice while playing does more harm than good, by confusing a beginner.

It is seldom right to refuse to ruff when your partner, if a good player, visibly intends you should do it. If a bad one, your own hand should direct you.

If you have ace, king, and two more trumps, and your partner leads them originally, insure three rounds in trumps; but if he leads (in consequence of your showing your strength) a nine, or any equivocal card, in that case, pass it the first time; by which you have the lead after three rounds of trumps, a most material advantage.

There is often judgment required in taking the penalties of a revoke. Before the score is advanced, if the party revoking has won nine tricks, the least consideration will show, that the adversaries should take three of them, for if they add three to their own score, they still leave the odd trick to the former; but if the revoking party be at eight, it is better for the adversary to score three points, as the odd trick leaves the former at nine, which is in every respect a worse point than eight. On other occasions, it is only to calculate how the different scores will remain after each mode of taking the penalty; and it will be obvious which will be the most advantageous-never losing sight of the points of the game, i.e., scoring eight or five yourself, or prevent your adversary from doing so.

With ace, queen, and ten, of your right-hand adversary's lead, put out the ten.

When your left-hand adversary refuses to trump a winning card, for fear of being over-trumped by your partner, and throws away a losing card, if you have the commanding card of the suits he discards, play it before you continue the former.

When all the trumps are out, if you have the commanding card of your adversary's suit, you may play your own as if had the thirteenth trump in your own hand.

you

If A, your right-hand adversary, leads a card, and his partner B, putting on the knave or queen, yours wins with the