Origin of Whist.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7815, 6 May 1905, Page 2

Origin of Whist.

Whist was first called " triumph," a name which was afterwards corrupted into " trump." The eighteenth century saw Whist in its primitive form, tin- \vU„lo object of the game being to win tricks by leading high cards or by trumping. Then came the era of Hoyle, which may be said to have Justed from 1'730 to 1860, and taught pluyers to think not only of their own hands, but of the other hands also, and to take advantage of the pillar hands also, and tg tftku advantage of tho positions of the cards in them. Hoyle also taught that trumps might be more profitably employed than in simple trumping, and showed that they might bi> used to disarm the adversary and to uhtaln sweoudary advantage in trlck-maJving by other suits Of less apparent power. It wns not until 1800 that the philosophical era can bo said to have begun, aivd the origin of the new movement was a knot of young men at Cambridge, Knglaml, known as the Little Whisti School. This Uodv kept rewinds of itfi wipes, but no (.lie thought of making the data known until 1861. Coherence In tho system of play was still wanting, nnd this was supplied In 18C4 with Dr. Pole's essay Ort tho theory of ihe modern I etjleutifio wjiist,. |