The Penguin Book of Card Games: Everything You Need to Know to Play Over 250 Games (23 page)

each may get together in a bid of eight. The important thing is to

avoid having both partners bid on trump strength alone, possibly

conceding six tricks in side suits, or both bidding on side-suit

support alone, possibly finding themselves out-trumped. Experience

advises eldest to propose on overal strength and be accepted on

the basis of trump support, but other hands to propose on trump

strength and be accepted on side-suit support. Either way, it is

bet er to propose on a hand containing many possibilities (6) than

on one containing only four certainties (7):

6. Q985 KQJ53 KQ92

7. AK85 A53 AJ2 984

When partners happen to sit opposite each other, the play

resembles partnership Whist; but when next oeach other, more

thoughtis needed. They are clearly best placed when playing first

and fourth to a trick, worst when playing first and second. If, as

eldest, you are partnering your left-hand neighbour, you should

lead top trumps if possible, otherwise weak plain suits. If

partnering dealer, lead your best trumps regardless.

The dif erence between misére and misére ouverte is that the

lat er is cal ed on a hand that should lose tricks regardless of the

distribution of cards in opposing hands, while the former may

conceal a possible weakness against an unfavourable distribution.

Not that a closed misére is necessarily beatable: with a favourable

or merely average distribution it could stil be as safe as houses.

An unbeatable spread misére is one which does not have to be led

from and enables the soloist to underplay any card led at any time,

such as:

8. 432 642 AQT8642 -

Here spades are safe because they are the lowest, and hearts

because you can underplay any card led and stil retain the lowest.

An alternating low sequence is therefore every bit as good as a solid

one. Clubs show an extension of the alternating low sequence. The

suit is safe, not because the AQ can be thrown to diamond leads,

but because it is safe against as many club leads as can possibly be

but because it is safe against as many club leads as can possibly be

made. Even if the missing KJ9753 were in one hand and led

consecutively, you could stil underplay them, and by the time

you’re stuck with AQ, no more clubs remain to lead.

But alternating suit pat erns are useless for leading. Eldest, from

the sample hand, can start only with the unbeatable spades,

andanalteration to one card would make the hand unbiddable as a

spread:

9. 732 642 AQT8642 -

The only sure way of losing that Seven is to throw it to a

diamond lead, which cannot reasonably be expected, even though

the hand is not exposed til after the first trick. The club-holders,

upon seeing this hand, would promptly lead clubs til those with

high spades had discarded them, after which three spade leads

could force the Seven to take a trick.

Whatever the bid, the opponents must play together as a team,

noting and playing into one another’s strengths and weaknesses. It

always helps to place the trick with the player on the soloist’s right,

put ing soloist in the worst position (second) for playing to a trick.

Belgian Whist (Wiezen, Kleurwiezen, Whist á la

Couleur)

4 players, 52 cards

A popular continental game, lying about half way between Boston

and Solo Whist.

Preliminaries Four players, 52 cards ranking AKQJT98765432 in

each suit. Each player starts with the same number of chips or

counters and places an agreed smal stake in the pool before each

deal. The turn to deal, bid and play passes to the left. Deal thirteen

cards each.