(2) The possible weakness of the third hand is exposed—a very important point.
(3) Your own weakness is concealed from the leader, and he is able to finesse against your partner; these three reasons ought to be tolerably conclusive, but if a high card is led, head it!
If, holding knave, ten, and another, you are afraid of trumps being led, and your partner is devoid of common sense, don’t play the ten, or it will be taken for a signal (that it neither is one, nor at all like one, does not affect the petrolater in the least); it is almost equally dangerous with queen, knave, and another to play the knave. A high card second hand has exactly the same effect on many players as a red rag has on a bull; and if you have an objection to being gored, you should keep it out of their sight as long as possible—subject to this important qualification—“Put an honour on an honour, with only three of a suit; with four or more you should not do it.”—Mathews.
Except to save or win the game, whether you are weak in trumps, or strong, don’t ruff a doubtful card unless you have a distinct idea what to do next; if you are only going to open a weak suit, let it go.
Don’t ruff a suit of which your partner clearly holds the best, in order to announce, urbi et orbi, that you are weak in trumps; depend upon it urbis and orbis will take advantage of this, not to mention that you take the lead out of your partner’s hand at a critical moment, and prevent him from developing any game that he may have.
“Why for the momentary trick be perdurably fined?”—Shakespeare.
In bumblepuppy, with ace, king, and others, or king, queen, and others, the trick is often passed, and with knave led, if the second player holds ace, queen, etc., he usually plays the queen;[18] holding the same cards, if instead of the knave a small card is led, he occasionally produces the ace. These proceedings may be the eccentricities of genius; if they are not, the only other explanation I can suggest for them, is a desire to lose a trick.
Third hand.—Don’t finesse against your partner, unless you have reason to believe you are stronger in his own suit than he is, or that he has led from weakness.
Don’t finesse against yourself. If you have led from ace, knave, etc., and your partner has made the queen, the king is certainly not on your right. If, on the other hand, you have led from king, and your partner again has made the queen, it can be of no use to put on the king, the ace must be over you. Though Clay described the finesse obligatory before you were thought of, I am afraid that after you are forgotten, these two simple cases will continue to be reversed—that people will finesse against, and not for, themselves. In bumblepuppy this is de rigueur; also at this game, with king, queen, and another in your partner’s lead, it is customary to play the king, and, if it wins, to open a new suit.