27 JANUARY 1900, Page 38

Major-General A. W. Drayson, to whom whist-players already owe very

much, has given us a neat little volume in Intellectual Whist (Routledge and Sons, 3s_ 6d.) General Drayson, who, by the way, would prefer whist to be played without money stakes, gives us some very curious details of his own experience. The results of his whist-playing between 1861-1873 were never winning less than 430 points in the year, and sometimes winning as many as 1,100. In two years at Portsmouth, 1,470; in six months at Simla, 1,620 points, and in another six months, 1,5S0; in four and a half years at Halifax, N S., 4,000 points. And what is the secret P For that we must go to the book, but the principle is consistent rational play and no coups.